Belvedere wagon proof of life

I bought my Belvedere wagon last summer from another member of the Station Wagon Forum. But, the car is in Massachusettes and I'm in Virginia. So, a buddy of mine who lives in Massachusettes helped with checking out the car and storing the car for me. Over the weekend he moved the car from a storage lot and into a building he owns for his business and took these photos. These photos are the first I've seen with my license plates on the car, so now I really know its mine. He drove the car three blocks to get it inside and thats the first time its been driven on the road in probably 3 years. He says it runs and handles like the 50,000 mile car it is and not like a 150,000 mile car. But the choke is missing, the brakes need work, and the exhaust rattles against the rear. Some time this spring my buddy will trailer the wagon down to me and pick up a 67 440 Charger he bought from a friend of mine who is currently restoring the body on my 68 Charger.
I'm looking forward to seeing my wagon in person.
As for the drip pan, we don't know if it has any leaks, but its a precaution as the concrete floor is brand new and this wagon and my buddy's 66 Coronet 500 convertible are the first vehicles to be parked on it.

 

Just the dreaded red X's showing

 

Not sure why that happened. The pictures look to be there when i look.
Maybe a link to a photo on my Facebook page will work.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=367640&l=5e2c062de7&id=100001111775214

 

There you go...NICE

 

Hey Jim, it looks good, BTW, the tailgate looks ok in this shot, what is wrong with it? MPJ

 

Thanks Fannie. I couldn't get the pictures to post for some reason. As for the tailgate, yes it does look okay on the outside, and the rear window and hinges operate, but the inside bottom of the tailgate is swiss cheese. My buddy who is storing the car for me says he doesn't think it can be fixed, but my friend who did body work and paint on my Coronet convertible, Barracuda fastback and who is now working on my 68 Charger, wants to see it to determine if it can be saved.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=367639&l=c61fb09895&id=100001111775214

 

One cool wagon!

 

That looks good, You have to post pics of this "swiss cheese" gate, although your pics are kinda dark........just from you hunting for a tail gate I thought it was a heap (your tail gate), lets see why this can't be restored, look good to me, from what I can see

 

From the outside, it appears the tailgate looks pretty okay, except that I think the factory back glass weather stripping was long gone. At some point someone screwed into the top of the tailgate, a rubber and metal strip that appears in photos to be from the bottom edge of a storm door you would have on your house. So where thats attached right at the top edge against the glass, I expect to find rust underneath.
The inside of the bottom of the tailgate has extensive rust holes along most of the width of the bottom. The areas where the hinges attach to the tail gate have substantial rust holes all around the hinge mounts, and even the textured inside panel of the tailgate that is painted interior color is eaten away at the bottom and has rust holes through the middle.
Technically I guess anything can be fixed, but what at what cost. I would rather have a better tail gate to work with, but if it can be fixed for not alot of money, I may go that route even if it doesn't look pretty. The last rust free tailgate I tried to buy, the seller was looking for several hundred dollars and I would still have to pay shipping (I had offered $175.00 (and was willing to go to $200.00 and would have my niece pick it up. I also knew that having my niece ship it would probably cost another $200.00 to $300.00. For that kind of money I would do my best to get what I have fixed.

 

Love the wagon, my 66 is not as nice as that, thanks for the pics. I snooped around on your Facebook page at your other Mopars, you've got some very nice cars! Is the wagon going to be bone stock, or are you planning some performance/suspension/interior modifications?

 

2-3 hundred dollars is really the going rate for any rust free classic wagon tailgate. There aren't many of them out there. Seems like all wagons had tailgate rust issues. I have a rust free tailgate for 68 Town & Country and a 66 Town & Country. I doubt I'd let them go for any less.

 

I usually prefer my cars to be bone stock. My original plan for the wagon was to keep it bone stock appearing on the outside, but eventually install the 4 bucket seat interior from a 66 Charger and eventually replace the 318 with a 5.7 Hemi out of a late mode Dodge truck and use it as a daily driver. My friend who is storing the car for me, tells me the little 318 runs too nicely to discard and he suggests that I just keep everything bone stock for daily driver use.

I wouldn't mind paying $200 to $300 for a good used rust free tailgate, but its the cost of shipping that pushes the expense beyond what I'm comfortable paying.

 

Jim, You can probable ship a tailgate Greyhound for less than $100. I've shipped hoods, bumpers and even a complete 3rd seat assembly (that was right at the 100 pound weight limit) and it usally costs $80 - $100 depnending how far it goes.

 

There yah go Jim I shipped a set of '63-'64 cast iron 300 Ram Headerz from Mi. to Phili, Pa. this spring Via UPS. Two wood boxes @ 70* each for $150 total. The "Hound" waz about the same when I priced it out. Your T-Gate ain't that heavy:2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

Very cool, here's an older pic of our '66. It's currently in the process of receiving a turbo charged slat six with six Mikunis. I know, don't ask.

As far as your rusty gate goes, pretty much anything is repairable like you said. I've re-done maybe six wagon gates all ranging in different degrees of rot. If it's peppered in any way then the sheet metal has to go but look at the structure, hinge points and torsion bar. These are all difficult repairs. Doable but difficult. What's your skill level? Farming it out seems scary.