My family has almost out grown our 03 GMC 1500 extended cab truck. It will only fit one more car seat and that would put my knees all the way up into the dash. I'm 6'1" I need my leg room. I've had enough of poor quality craftsmanship, poor design, PITA to work on cars. I wanted a vehicle that'd fit our growing family, built rock solid, reliable, and somewhat fuel efficient (roughly 18 MPG), and of course had to look cool. I was originally intent on finding an Impalla wagon but I came across this 67 Ford Ranch Wagon a few months back on Craigslist for $600, and it was local.
I love it and LOVE the fact that you turned to a classic wagon for your family! Another one hits the road. Very nice body style.. clean lines.. I think you'll love it and really prepare yourself for all the waves and comments..
Awesome! Great find for $600. From what I can see (in the picture) those rockers look pretty darn good. Aha. I now notice you are in Texas. That would be why
There is something uber cool about stacked headlights! Hey, it's got a roof rack too, niiiiccccccceeeee!
Thanks for the warm welcome! Its got the 289 engine backed by a c4 tranny. I intend to swap it out for an AOD for the interstate cruising on road trips to see our families in FL and IN. From my research its a direct bolt in, except for the flex plate (imballance issue?) Its currently a 6 passenger and Im on the hunt for those facing 3rd row seats when funds permit! Interior is in awesome shape for a 40+ year old car. After I changed all the fluids and filters the little 289 fired up with the help of a little carb cleaner. Purred with all the fury of a lazy house cat. OK, now for the bad... it was originally a Michigan car and after that a guy out on San Padre Island drove it all over the beach literally as a surf wagon. Salt and sand are not a car's friend! The trunk area is paper thin with a little swiss cheese, rear lower quarters are shot, and under the drip rails above the long side windows is really bad. The front sheet metal is really nice except for the leading edge of the hood which is rusted off right beneath the FORD letters.
Yeah.... that's not going to polish out unfortunately. Good news is that it won't keep you from driving and enjoying the coolness! I would make a plan to start finding and saving the necessary patch panels. Till then just enjoy it!
2 other ways you can go on the cheap if you can't find the panels.. Less popular is fiberglassing those areas.. You can get real good results.. also make your own panels. Bead rollers are cheap and even tho it may not look like factory you can still get real good results for pans and such. Good luck! Enjoy!
Here's a couple more pics: My budget is really tight right now and most of it is dedicated to patching up the body. I am doing all the disassembly right now as we speak. To cut down on costs I'm going to try the rustoleum roll on paint job. Popping the body off the frame replacing all mounts and bushings, POR-15 the frame, new brake lines, etc. Just a reliable daily driver for now. I definatly want to upgrade the front brakes to power disc. Got my eye on a rotor caliper set off a new Mustang GT for $40. I've decided to stick with the 289 for now. I'll upgrade the intake, ignition, exhaust, etc, as I go, as funds permit. Ebay and craigslist are great! If I decide for more displacement later, it will all bolt on to a 302 or 351 (except the intake). I've really been drooling over a Paxton blower: It too will fit on any small block ford.
That's a nice wagon for that price. And it seems you have the right aproach to making it a family fun car. I'd start with the POR-15 or similar rust sealer. One can for the body rust should do. Then worry about what we can't see from above. Fibre glas is an amazing thing. If you've never tried it, practice in places like the trunk floor and other out of way areas. The worse thing about fibreglas is getting it off your hands. But it does peal off. I've fibreglassed body parts that were basically junk whick looked good 25 years later. Get the cloth and maybe some heavier mat for the larger holes. Even POR-15 and others have a putty type for filling and building up holes. First get rid of, or stop, the rust or it will continue to work like cancer. You have no idea what some show cars have under the paint! I see you were smiling. That's a great start. Get those rug rats to help you. Don't be in a hurry to dump that 289 if it's running well.
I had the week between Christmas and New Years off work and was able to get a decent start on disassembly. My rug rats were more than eager to help! Johnny's only a year and half old and before too long he'll be handing me the "correct" tools. Looked behind me this morning and he had a wrench in his hand trying his best to get it onto one of the bolts I loosened. Coordination isn't quite up to it yet. Anytime I take him outside the first words out of his mouth : "Car, car, car!" My youngest, Luke is only 2 months so he's just a spectator for now.
I got all the front sheetmetal off except for the core support. I didn't think to have the freon sucked out of the A/C, so I was hesitant to remove the condenser, dryer, and other misc components that are mounted to the core support. Should be OK to roll the car outside and slowly crack a line, right? I'll wait for a windy day and keep the boys away. Thoughts, other options? In the mean time I moved on to interior dissassembly. Working my way from the back to the front. Someone has had the interior apart before because more than a few screws were already stripped. What ever these screws are made of is hella tough. Chews up drill bits for breakfast! Once the interior is gutted, I'll lift off the body, and roll the rest out to the carwash to get degreased and then powerwash off whatever rust I can.
