How did you fall in love with station wagons?

For me it was two cars: My parents' Vega wagon, and their Fairmont Futura wagon. Traveling the country in those cars is a vivid and cherished memory, and I've been in love ever since.

My first wagon was an 86 Chevy eurosport What was euro about that thing? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Second was a 79 Impala wagon. I still kick myself in the ass for selling it.
Third is my current ride.:banana:

 

My oldest memory of being in a wagon was my grandparents 1973 Chrysler Town & Country. It was new, I was 7 yrs old. That wagon was huge !

When I was 10 yrs old, my buddys parents had a mid 70s LTD Country Squire. I remember riding in the "way back".

My neighbors had a 1970 Pontiac Safari estate wagon. Another neighbor had a 1972 Olds Custom Cruiser wagon, maroon without woodsiding.

Another neighbor had a 1977 Mercury Cougar wagon, white without wood.

Now that I think of it, another neighbor bought a new Zephyr wagon, red without wood.

And my best bud in high school drove his families old 1976 Caprice Estate wagon, while his dad bought a new 1983 Caprice wagon.

So I've always been around wagons even though my family never had one.
I just knew I wanted one someday. I bought my first wagon in 1997. It was a 1961 Plymouth Sport Suburban. What a freaky looking thing. I sold that (long story) and was wagonless for a while. Then one day I had to leave my 75 Eldorado convertible overnight at a repair shop. The loaner car they gave me was a faded green 1977 Impala wagon. I was hooked again. I gave back the wagon, ended up selling the Eldorado a few months later and then found my 1980 LeBaron wagon.

 

I'd have to say my mother's new 1962 Corvair Wagon, which she wrote off in a snow bank, and her next car, a 1964 Studebaker Lark impressed me.

My first was 1951 Chevy Sedan Delivery wagon. Used it to haul lathe and plaster from my folks house. I couldn't drive it - too young, but dad bought it for $50 and sold it to me for $1.00! Shrewd way to get a 16 year-old to keep HIS car clean, eh!

Next (wagon-wise) was a 1962 Corvair Greenbrier - 3 bench seats. I dropped a Small Block Chevy in that one - Weiand Cams had the tail-shaft converter.

Then I had a 1960 Pontiac Wagon. just a rugged scrap hauler - my parts-getter.

A 1969 Plymouth Suburban Wagon, that got stolen.

A 1975 T & C Chrysler Brougham. Gorgeous car.

A Plymouth Cricket Hatchback, that I got for a song and traded up to a brand-new 1981 Fairmont Futura wagon - loaded.

The Cricket really was too small, but I liked that you could pack all the camping junk in the back and still have passenger room.

And this 1979 Fairmont Squire that I bought in Mexico (1997), while we lived there until we moved back in 1999. I bought this one BECAUSE of the 1981 Futura. I'd say it was the inspiring car.

EDIT!
I forgot my record-breaking 'Shortest-owned' 1958 Hillman wagon. One and half hours. I saw it in a newspaper ad. Took a bus to Toronto's westside and bought it for $75. I was 19. Stopped at a gas station to fill it and the owner came out, offered me a running 1957 Wolsley 4 door sedan and $150, and a full tank of gas (12 gallons @ 58 cents!). Sold it!

 

I never fell in love with them. They don't respond

Wagons simply make sense to me. Not a sedan, not a SUV, not a minivan but can pretty much do everything. Very practical. Plus the older ones look cool.

 

The movie "Vacation" of course!

 

That's why they're so long, and that you have to wax them. They love being stroked!

And yes! They make so much practical sense...

 

I think for me, it was jealousy. All my friends' families had wagons and we didn't. We had ONE family car for 19 years...never did the wagon thing, not to mention that my parents didn't like them.

I always loved the look of the wagons.

As TBird said, they make sense, too. It would be great to pull up to the loading dock at the Home Depot, load up some plywood and lumber, close the tailgate and drive off, all the while, the rest of the people there are trying to figure out how to fit their purchases in their little SUV's using the least amount of rope holding their doors shut.

 

My parents has two (at the same time) 1970 Olds Vista Cruisers green and brown!! My Grandpa had Ford Wagons forever!!! And they are flipping cool ass rides!!!!

 

My parents 1977 Volare wagon.

 

My brother had a 77 Volare... At the end it would leak all 5 qts of oil out in less than a minute. Wish I had a camera to take a picture of the street in front of our friends house when she blew...... He drove it home with no oil..(It made it) only 5 miles to our parents house. Called victory auto wreckers and was handed $15.00 check the next day as it was hauled off to it final resting place.

 

I never really thought about it. Until I got married and had 2 babies and needed a bigger car. Ever since then I have had a soft spot for them. And they are cool looking.

 

i dont now how many times I've thot about starting this very thread!


well.....It was a dark and stormy nite....

k...cereal....i had to wait till i was late in my 16th year to get my licence...but i had already bought and sold about 8 cars.

I was raised on Drag Racing and Car Shows..so my tastes were always in the vein of "fast or funky"

....anyhoo

... now I could drive... ..so as most cars in my life..my first 'driver' kinda fell in my lap !!
It was a 1961 Impala, 409, dual 4, 4 spd, ...It was pretty...and went like stink!!!!!!!!!!!....but it was a PAIN in the arse....always something wrong!!
...(the main reason that ive never owned Chevs since !! )

So one day when it was broken...i went and bought a 1957 Thames!!
It was just long enuff to get girls NEKED in !
..(if you left the back doors open)... .
.and that was a important factor back then !!
But it also started an ADDICTION..
( Ive owned over 2 dozen 1956-59 Anglias, Prefects, Thames).

And back to the story....the IMP got traded for a 56 Chev 2dr Wagon!!
396, 4spd, Straight axle...your preverbial 70's STREET MACHINE!!
Had it for 3 weeks i think !!

Then bought a 56 Ford Squire 2dr wag

So...i must confess...the early years...were influenced by my other head!!


....time goes by...a few wagons...but mostly Performance stuff...
then one day my buddy shows up at my shop..(circa 1980)
.. in a 1961 ,2dr Falcon Wagon!
I fall in love with it!!!...I buy it!!..(I STILL OWN IT)
..we start a car club dedicated to Falcons in 1981 !!

...the club is still alive...as am I.. ..and my love for Falcon wagons(6)
and wagons in general (10 in total)

 

So the Thames wasn't built for tall British Gals, huh? No tow hold!

 

Anyone remember the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with Teri Garr and Richard Dreyfuss? I was about four years old when it was shown on cable (Christmas of '84), there where two Ford wagons used. One was a plane '75-'77 LTD wagon and Teri drove a '70 Country Squire....I don't exactly know why I got hooked ....I grew up in the dawn of the minivans and SUVs....to me the wagon just seemed pratical and most had a neat style to them.

Some of my friends folks had wagons, '78 & '83 Olds Custom Crusiers and a hand full of Caprice Classic wagons....most where sold by the early 90s.

Also the movie "The Day After" with Jason Robards, he drives a '82 Volvo 245 GL wagon, he ducks in the foot well when the nuke bombed Kansas. Again, I was three or four....this is how I got into Volvo and Ford wagons....

My list of wagons so far:

1.) 1979 245 Volvo DL
2.) 1981 245 Volvo DL
3.) 1983 245 Volvo GL ( I should have NEVER sold that, twin to Day After wagon)
4.) 1978 Toyota Corolla wagon (from Ore, no rust)
5.) 1983 Ford LTD Crown Victoria wagon (Wyoming state owned)
6.) 1977 Ford LTD Country Squire (brought her back from the dead, shes not leaving my ownership)

Jonny