75 gran torino wagon

I don't plan on restoring this wagon. I will stabilize any deterioration and use as a Daily Driver so It will get updated. Just to get on the road - Alt/reg replaced, new battery, new thrush muff and tailpipe, registration -smog exempt, fuel filter( no rust). This car is in remarkable shape. I drove it away and have put a few hundred miles on. Very nice fwy machine and nice around town. Steering and brakes are tight and the shocks are cherry. I like the stance it has cargo coils. As nice as the interior is the rug is falling apart and deteriorated. , (wonder why?). The seat is falling apart esp. on the driver side.
Sits perfect.


Bridge girders??? should be no problem to rep
lace.


I looked for frame rust but just some surface rust, gotta luv SoCal

Now if I can find a passenger side. I like this over the "Sport mirror"

No grinds, even the chin spoiler looks nice

Trying to fumes down wirh new muff/pipe and I had them stick the tip out.

 

Looks nice. I forgot what the 75 looks like from the front. I loved my 72 Gran Torino.

 

Cool! If Starsky & Hutch drove a wagon, this would be it.

 

Great wagon! With these cars, the first thing to do for a daily driver is GOOD tires. Diamond Back makes an "H" rated white wall that is supposed to be very good. I like the H rating because of the stronger, more heat resistant carcass. The next is to put on a good dual exhaust. That frees up about 20 horsepower and about 4 mpg on the highway. A noticeable difference in both areas.

When you do the shocks, the Ford high pressure gas shocks are still available for it. They are under $40 each, and really do fix the ride/handling equation perfectly. The funny thing is they will feel softer than the aftermarket shocks, but the car will also handle much better in the corners. It seems the aftermarket shocks are set too stiff in compression, even the Monroes, and that is who makes the Ford shocks.

There should be no shortage of mirrors for that car. Quite a number of Thunderbirds came with the dual sport mirrors, either with or without the passenger side remotely controlled. There was also a remote control chrome mirror set available, and they are slightly larger than the sport mirror. I've had both kinds.

Keep the pictures coming as you have fun with the old girl! She is a beauty.

 

Except for a nice detail the dash looks mostly nice.

 

A few seam separations.


anyone have a handle?


I will drive and use this as a Wagon

typical "}

nice sun visors for 40 yr old

 

Door sills can indicate abuse but these look nice

Dash is good except for a micro crack that looks fixable




Front door

 

Rust looks to be Typical should be good with patch panels.

This is a compleat rust through

back qt

Tailgate is not good but I might fix as they are hard to find


rust through on rear bumper

 

Personally I would remove every bit of trim and chuck it. At least this side's O.K

new tip stick's out as far as it should




Clear duct tape

And that's it for panel rust. All within my realm of expertize

 

Cherry




The hood is tweaked but very common

 

Original insulation, scary looking

This is an excellent unmolested engine compartment down to the nuts and bolts


Battery tray is history

Brittle plastic

clips clamps canisters-all
The overflow looks aftermarket

 

So,
Body reveals some rust and a couple dents. Gotta love the Clear Ductape.

Interior needs severe detail,rug,vinyl repair an possible trip to my interior guy.

Engine bay needs cleaning and vacuum line check/tune up/battery tray.

I like to document my builds with pics. Next up Oil change, radiator flush and some undercarriage pics.

I like to point out that I am recycling and that my car has a smaller carbon footprint than ANY new car.

Any request, comments etc. are welcome.

I like to show my cars as an interactive exhibit. I let people touch and sit in the car. This could be a real crowd pleaser . Culver City Car Show coming up.

 

I think you will find the radiator overflow is the stock one. That is exactly the same as the ones in my 78 and 79 Thunderbirds, and they are the same car, just a tidge newer. Over all, that car looks fantastic for being almost 40 years old!

 

This sounds almost exactly like my Vista Cruiser. I use it for what it was built for. No need to let it sit and collect dust. Just upgrade and clean what needs to be.

^THIS^ I have an almost exact logic.

Can't wait to see the progress on this beast!

 

Cool Car!

Great looking wagon and I'm not just saying that because I'm biased. LOL! Unfortunately it does have some body cancer, but like ya said it is a 40 year old car that has been driven and from reading your post will continue to be driven, which is just awesome.

Some of the items you mentioned such as carpet and door handles can be readily found on the net.

Looking forward to seeing more of your wagon! Great find!