What have you done to your wagon lately? (Let's keep the thread going!)

Man, I've been behind on my posts of things I've done. Added a factory cargo area utility light, freshened up the grilles, swapped the later year arrowhead centers for '67 PMD center's on the Rally II's, replaced the original faded, ugly front seat belts with Beams, which now match the rears.

 

(I'm not married yet.) I do have a battery from the 1984 Chevy which can be used temporarily.

Also, We tried trickle-charging that battery. The charger ended up getting too warm and the battery overcharged to 13.24 or so. It started discharging rather fast and I checked again; 13.10. Later, I put a power window back up and checked it again; 12.84ish. I then checked again a few minutes prior to editing this; Still at 12.83-12.84ish.

Comparably, the Chevy battery is fully charged at about 12.46.

(Also, I'd rather not do that while they aren't looking.)

On another note about the car, we tried to lower the rear window (Yesterday) with a 9V battery and it wouldn't move. I heard something inside the door when I touched the contacts to the battery but it still didn't move, though we did move it this way before. So what should we do if the window doesn't move and the door doesn't open as a door with the screws on the sides holding the paneling on?

 

A 9V Battery ? Our old wall clock is the only thing I know of with a tiny 9V battery.
You can't make a 12V motor work well with anything other than 12 Volts.


(Also, I'd rather not do that while they aren't looking.)
That part was a joke. So take it while they are looking but be ready to run.

 

Oh. We did use a car battery (From the Chevy) to move the motor, that's actually how we closed it since an old 9V just didn't work. I'll try that if I get the opportunity, thanks.

I didn't realize it was a joke, thanks for clarifying that.

 

Very welcome. Yeah, that Rambler makes an appearance quite often, the interior is mint. I did notice a rust HOLE on top of the driver front fender.

Yeah we normally have a few wagons show up. There used to be a '66 Caprice Estate, as well as a '57 Country Squire that used to show up quite often, but I haven't seen them in awhile.

Thanks for the compliment, but my wagon isn't as nearly nice as it appears in the pics. There is surface rust all over the top and hood, rust on the lower rear panels, spare tire well rusted out and rust around the windows and the wood-grain is "dressed up" with Pledge - if not for that, the wood-grain would be white. lol. Yeah, this cruise has a lot of near mint restored cars, but some that are all original, good condition and some all original, poor condition. I need to try to start parking closer to rougher cars. That mint Chevy truck and old Ford I was parked next to was stealing the show, but my car still got a lot of looks. Many people kept talking about the engine. One guy saw the big block and said, "wow, looks what is under there", one guy said "big block wagon, that is rare"... one lady said, "look at that big "O" station wagon", lol. When I was driving down the street I heard some lady say, "that is a huge station wagon". One lady said, "I like that station wagon"... one lady was looking in the back and told her husband that her papaw had one when she was little and she rode in the 3rd seat and one man not knowing it was my car was telling another man how the tailgate window rolled up and the gate swung down... "when it works he said", lol. He must have knew his wagons because he told that man, "this one looks like it has the manual gate and not the power gate"... then finally saw me and said he had not saw one of those cars in about 10 years and said I no doubt had the rarest car down there last night. Then one guy told his son he was going to buy him a car like that, then chuckled. Yeah it is big and ugly, but that is how I like my old cars. lol. Then as I was leaving, one guy told another guy, "that wagon sounds real good". So I am glad now that I, as well as others are getting some enjoyment out of it, rather than it setting in the driveway rotting away.

You are right. That is a 1985 Country Squire I think... I see it sporting around town from time to time.

Thanks. Yeah I love going here. This town is 23 miles away from my city, but it is a nice drive on the highway all the way down. It is a nice little town and people come from miles around. It is one of the larger local cruises. The ones in our town are on Friday evenings and there are two different ones... about 30 cars show up to each one, versus 150 cars or so at this one. It is hosted by the Carter County TN car club.

You are welcome! Yeah, I think that is actually an 83-85 Country Squire.

 

Dad fixed the rear door today along with the rear window by re-setting something on a door latch. How does that work?

 

I'm not trying to be a smart @zz OK, but if your Dad fixed it, shouldn't you be asking him "how does that work?"..?

 

OK, new rear Strutmaster shocks on the RMW today. Disconnected the annoying compressor so I won't have to hear that go off anymore. New coil springs on the way with new insulators. Need to install window guides as another one went today.

 

He said that it was just a door latch that needed to be set again and he had at happen on a Caravan; He tried closing the door and it bounced open until he fixed that.

Not sure how that mechanical thing pertains to the electrical system. Is there a wiring diagram that can be posted here?

 

My guess would be that the rear tailgate was not latching which means maybe it wasn't grounded.... which could be why the window motor wouldn't work because it wasn't grounded. A motor needs a plus hot and a negative ground to work.

 

honestly dude, ask your dad just what exactly he did? I've experience electrical connections that just needed a 'wiggle" and were fine for years after, you did mention your Dad had 'tinkered' with the tailgate window motor. If it's not broken anymore don't worry about fixing it, just ask your Dad because after all as I mentioned before, he fixed it, rite? Try being with your dad when he's fixing things, it kinda sounds like he's doing all the work and your not around..? That's a constructive thought, not a insult, OK

 

*shrug* Thanks.

I was in front of him watching while he did it. Thanks though.

 

101 - you are doing just fine. Learn what you can by watching, don't ever be embarrassed to ask questions, and we all learn in our own way and if that means some of everything don't worry about it. I watch, I forget, I have to ask, I read shop manuals, and then I have to ask again.

Just glad you are on the forums and contributing in your own way.

 

Thanks.

... I photographed the car yesterday. The previous owner added fog-lights:











It looks like the car was re-finished:



There's this part that I noticed after purchasing the car:



Thoughts about fixing that? (if you can't see it, the trim is farther back than where the woodgrain vinyl stops.)

 

The battery in my '77 Buick was getting weak from the heat (like me).
A NORMAL person would have just removed and replaced the battery and gone on down the road.
There are no normal people driving 37 year old station wagons.
I removed the battery and the tray, seven bolts.
Only ONE of them broke off during removal.
I cleaned and painted the well.
Chucked a wire brush into my old 3/8" drill, and removed the rust and old dead paint from the battery tray.
Three coats of Rust-Oleum on the bottom, four on the top.
New cables, even though I didn't need them- I bought for chump change from Rock Auto on a closeout sale.
The new battery sat on trickle charge all day, so it wouldn't put too much of a load on the old alternator when I started it up.

That's how I change a battery.