New forum member with a crazy idea to find a wagon... Input appreciated

So that just put an end to my plan. I measured my garage, and it has a depth, from door to wall, of exactly 225.5". So it wouldn't even fit in my garage. I even thought "well how about if I park it diagonally?" But our garage has two single-bay doors, so I wouldn't really even be able pull it in and then maneuver it around.

Ah well, it was a good dream while it lasted. That never even occurred to me, so I can't tell you how thankful I am that you mentioned it. How frustrated would I be if I found one, had it transported home only to find out it didn't fit in my garage!

I suppose the second gen is not completely out of the question (as I mentioned in my reply to your other post), since at just under 216" for the Caprice version, it would at least allow me to shut the garage door. But having less than a foot of clearance doesn't give me a lot of wiggle room to do any work on the car.

 

Yeah, even my '81 Pontiac Bonneville Safari was pretty tight. Turns out, I've left it outside in the elements for a great majority of the time I have owned it, and that's been a BIG mistake. The Di-Noc wood grain material was not perfect, but in 'decent' condition when i got it, has deteriorated significantly. Wood grained wagons NEED to be indoors, our of the sun, rain, and cold. .

 

Welcome to the forum, Spartan. I see your parents had a Diesel Caprice; those had the 5.7 (350) L9 engine and you probably want to avoid that particular engine. The idea of a Diesel Wagon is nice but G.M. blew it on the 78 - 85s with the 5.7 (350) L9 engine so badly; the only cheap way a 78 - 85 G.M. Diesel is worth considering (reliably and with slightly more power) is to replace a 5.7 diesel with a 6.2 diesel.

Outside of the Diesel route, if you want reliability but not power you should look for a Caprice Wagon with the 305 Gas engine made from 80 - 85. It's not a fast engine by any means but everyone I've talked to says the 305 (after its first few years in the 70s) is amazingly reliable just with basic maintenance. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think 85 was the last year for the great 305; before the slow Olds 307 was put in the Caprice Wagons.

As a footnote, 89 Caprice models didn't have the Chevy 305 but they did get 3 point seat belts for the middle seat. Only the 89 and 90 models are like that but the 90 models are stupid in the front with the seat belts being attached to the doors. Imagine if the door opens in a collision and you're ejected - no good...

 

Thanks. Yep, if I decide to keep this dream alive, I think the Caprice Wagon might be my best bet, since I'd at least be able to fit it in my garage (although barely - I'd have about 10 inches of clearance), and they are likely easier to find. I'm not sure what model year it was, but we had it through the 80s. It looked almost exactly like this one:

 

You're welcome.

Yeah, the 77 - 90 models are much easier to find and get parts for. Your parents probably had an 80 - 85 model if it lasted a few years, the later Diesels were supposed to be somewhat more reliable (though they still didn't gain much power.) I've seen a handfull of 80s G.M. Wagons models around even in the last 5 years though 2 were Caprice Classic, not Caprice Estate, models (and thus, no woodgrain.)

BTW, I'm not sure when exactly this changed but in the mid 80s they changed the exterior mirror from the chrome one below to the more aerodynamic one you posted above which would match the car's color. 84s were still chrome, I'm not sure if 85s are or not?



I'll end this post with a note that the Pontiac Safari Wagons from 83 - 89 may also be an option if you want something like a Caprice, those Pontiacs are mostly just a Caprice or so I hear. Earlier Pontiacs from 77 - 81 are more Pontiac geared. (82 and 90 models don't exist under Pontiac.)

 

Sorry to hear your garage isn't long enough to support your original dream, but hopefully you can still find a wagon that will work, like the 80's Caprice you have mentioned.

 

So I remeasured my garage, and I actually have a full 227". My previous measurement of 225.5" was to the edge of the cement slab that I thought was the end of the garage, measured with the door open. But once I closed the door, I realized that the door sits about an inch and a half away from the edge of the slab. So that gives me just a bit more room to work with, so with that I'm adding the early 70s Olds and Chevys back to the list.

Looking at pictures of these models, there are vertical brackets on the rear bumper that appear to stick out a couple of inches. Does anyone know if these are easily removed? If so, I wonder could pull those off and get even a few more inches.

 

I don't know for certain, but I would imagine they are removable. That was pretty common practice.

 

Bumper overriders were an option back then, but beware: with the age of these vehicles, the fasteners could be rusted heavily and almost impossible to get undone. So if you buy one with them, you may want to remove the bumper and soak the fasteners for a fair amount of time (say, a week) before attempting to remove them.

 

Good tip. And now that I think about it, removing the bumper completely would give me more than enough space to fit the car. (Just wouldn't be able to drive it, but this would be more for winter storage mostly anyway.)

 

This is an amazing project. Hope you can work it out.
Warning though, you may be in for a surprise as to how attached you will become to this wagon.

 

I was nosing through this site's "Station wagons for sale" section, and there is a '73 Olds CC advertised, but it was a while ago, and because no one responded, he alluded to something startling.

http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/threads/73-custom-cruiser.47867/

He's just East of the Cascade Mountains, out in Apple Country near Yakima. If you could get a hold of him, at least find out if he still has the wagon, it's a start.

 

I just replied to the fellow with the 73. Would be a shame if he took it to the demo derby. (which may have already happened )

 

Yeah, no kidding. How could anybody want to crunch a wagon, just because we didn't immediately jump all over it? Sales is product and timing.

 

Well, I'll see if I get a response.
There was a demo derby during the fair, which was a few weeks ago, so this car may have already net it's maker.