451-Mile 1972 Ford Gran Torino Squire Wagon

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-ford-gran-torino-4/

Amazing.

 

Sometimes I see things like this and I wonder how it's even possible that a vehicle could go this long with such low mileage, especially one that wasn't considered anything unique or special when it was new.
Pretty incredible.

 

Derby! lol just kidding.
Amazing is a good word for this. You wonder what is the original owner's story, why just a few miles every year? This is a museum piece now.
Pete

 

Shut yer filthy mouth!! 451 miles?! Grandmas grocery must not have been that far away

 

Pretty amazing. oil changed yearly? Gaskets rotted?

 

That’s a good point. It’s had two owners since it was bought from the original owner. The dealer bought it for his collection in 2016 and sold it 8 months ago? Might need more than meets the eye

 

Crazy-low-mile cars like this bother me.. So what do you DO with this car? Is it worth $20K to have in a collection or put in a museum to just look at it? If you drive it as a weekend toy, it will still be a low-mile car for years, but you may see big repair bills, and the main big-value feature of this car is the crazy-low miles, so driving it will lower the value every time you go out.
Anything rubber or paper will be terribly dry, so if driven, you can expect seals to leak all through the car. Hoses, belts, fuel lines, brake parts like wheel cylinders, wheel bearings, plug wires, and on and on will likely need to be done, and once those original parts are gone, that will also lower the value to a collector.
Was the gas tank removed and boiled-out? What about the fluid/filter inside the transmission and rear end oil? Is it original? How about the cooling system...which can rot from the inside if never used...leading to leaking radiators, water pump, heater core, stuck thermostat.. How about the a/c system...same deal..dry seals throughout are prone to failure if used after all these years. I noticed in the video when he turns on the wipers they work, but when he turns them off they did not lower back into the "park" position under the hood lip...little issues like that are SO common on unused old cars. Now WITH used things can "come back to life", but still....
And the part that I personally find sad...to me...this car has ZERO memories in it. It's just a blank. No taking the kids to school, no road trips to in-laws for Christmas or Thanksgiving, no weekends camping at the lake, nobody listed to news on the way to work when the Challenger crashed or the towers fell, or sang along to four+ decades of music in this car, or spent a cool Sunday afternoon cleaning and waxing it in the driveway after a family weekend at the beach.
Whenever I sit in an old car I wonder about past memories made in it. I personally love my Roadmaster Wagon, with 135K miles, BECAUSE it has memories like the above in it. This poor wagon above just sat...and sat...and sat. It served no purpose, it was never enjoyed beyond staring at it.
So again, what would you do with it now?

 

Well said Mike.

 

Wow. Now that’s something to think about...interesting point. I’m with you on the nostalgia factor. Same reason I gotta pull over when I see abandoned barns or structures out in the country. You can feel the history in stuff like that. Hey mike? Next time I buy I car I’ll run it by you. You sure no how pick em apart! Well put indeed

 

I don't really understand the thought process behind buying this particular vehicle, and then NOT driving it for 45 years......

It would have to take some effort to actually AVOID driving it. I looked at a couple of inspection stickers. One period had it going like 3 miles over a span of 3-4 years.

Is this the kind of vehicle where someone thinks, "Those are going to be worth A LOT of money in 35 years..."? Personally, I don't think so. What would you have if you stuck the $6,000 cost back in 1972 into a long-term money market account instead?

 

I'd drive it, not constantly but I'd drive it. Having several old cars the money I've put into them was for my enjoyment not future return on investment. I dont think all the rubber parts would be that bad. If it was stored out of the elements it most likely would be able to go as is.

 

I love my Roadmaster wagon all the more for having found this item while cleaning the inside soon after I acquired it. The original owner passed at age 97--but apparently not before enjoying the wagon for all the fun it offered.

 

Yeah. That’s the kinda stuff I’m talking about. I can feel it from here! Looks like you keep it in the car still? Very cool

 

An amazing wagon. And 1972 was probably the best year for the Gran Torino styling. No giant bumpers.

 

Sold for $47,500.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-ford-gran-torino-4/