Happy New Year!

Have a happy and safe one!

C&D January 2017

I know a lot of you are going a bit stir crazy with the nearly nonstop station wagon focus here on REVolution. It's been since last May, after all. Sorry to disappoint, but we're not quite done yet. Soon, soon, soon! I promise.

In the meantime, here are two items from the January 2017 issue of Car and Driver that caught my eye. The first item is the Datsun redi-Go. That's right, Datsun; they brought it back in India. This compact wagon (oh no!) has 3 cylinders, 13" wheels and a base price of $3584. Unsurprisingly, it's one painfully cheap car...only three lugnuts? Really? Yep.

The second item was a mention of a bizarre-o promo video for the Toyota Setsuna concept car. If there ever was a car designed for a Terminex, unfinished furniture and Morgan tie-in, this is it!

2016 Ford Edge SEL Wagon, er, Crossover

An acquaintance of mine recently needed a new car. He was driving along on the freeway in his second-gen Volvo S40 and hit a muffler. There was significant damage to the transmission and his insurance company totaled it. Ironically, the rental car company gave him a Ford Focus to drive, which shared the P1-C1 platform with his S40. But he needed a new car, pronto.

This was one of those cases where the shopper wasn't going to tolerate a lot of, um, shopping. So when he asked for my help, I knew it wasn't time for several options; the less, the better. I gave him half a dozen options that I thought fit his needs, specs and $25K-$35K budget. I also talked him out of a Jeep Cherokee or Jeep Grand Cherokee, of which he wasn't sure which was which(!). Of those, he narrowed his focus on the Honda CR-V and Ford Edge, randomly ignoring the rest, including the Equinox/Terrain (etc.), RAV4, Santa Fe Sport and CX-5.

He really liked the Honda, but the Edge was perceptibly more car. The one he bought was at the very top of his budget and he didn't really negotiate a cheaper price. But that's okay because he got a very nice station wagon, er, crossover. This is the very same person who had previously declared to me that station wagons were kryptonite to the opposite sex, which is one of the more ridiculous things I've ever heard.

But he got a station wagon. He wanted more room and what's more utilitarian than a wagon, minivans aside? Nothing! The Edge rides on the same CD4 platform as the superb Fusion, underappreciated Taurus, "anything but a minivan!" Flex, most Lincolns and the hasn't-been-a-SUV-since-2006 Explorer.

Lexus called and they want their crossover back.

This is a very nice vehicle, if not particularly exciting to drive. The variant he got is the AWD mid-line option, featuring a soon to be phased out 3.5 V6. That engine will most likely go away soon, leaving just the superb twin-turbo V6 and mildly stupid but okay for the proletariat, turbo 2.0 4-banger. Edmunds and KBB don't even list the 3.5 as an option; I had to actually go to Ford's site to look at the specs. The interior is not particularly spacious, but the advantage is that the Edge is 10 inches shorter than the Explorer. He doesn't need a third row seat, so that's a good thing. The bumper height/lift-over is a ridiculous 28 inches, which explains precisely why we didn't even consider one in our recent shopping spree. The steering wheel is amazingly tiny, probably to ease entry. He thought the paddle shifters controlled the cruise control; he's learning!

That touchscreen actually works just fine, despite car "expert" reports.

There are literally hundreds of dealer-installed options for the Edge. Here are two of my favorites; an armrest safe and a tent that illicits the ghost of the Pontiac Aztek.

Driving this vehicle makes it crystal clear exactly what it is, a jacked-up Fusion station wagon. Nothing more and nothing less. That's a good thing. Mazel tov!

1956 Chevy Wagon Burnout

Audi R8 Christmas Edition

I'm feeling nauseous and I don't think it was the eggnog.

AMC AMX Station Wagon?

So we've found station wagon conversions of the Mustang, Firebird, Challenger and Thunderbird, among others. Besides the wagons that they did produce, what about the AMC muscle cars, the Javelin and AMX? They considered them (read all about them in this Hemmings article), but never pulled the trigger.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda?

1971 Dodge Challenger R/T SE Station Wagon

Tuesday's T-bird wagon also reminded me of this; a Dodge Challenger long roof conversion that I'd seen several years ago. Once again, it's got a Vista Cruiser rear end grafted on. There's some more information on the web, if you're interested in learning more.

1950-1963 Standard Vanguard Estate

There were three generations of Vanguard, all of which had a long roof variant. In addition, the third generation enjoyed two revisions. Popular in the UK, these were also popular and produced in New Zealand and Down Under. They were always a four-cylinder, gasoline or diesel, until the 1960 model was introduced, which had a Triumph 6-cylinder in it.

Note; I have come across some information that says that estate production actually began in 1947. Contact me if you know definitively! Here's a 1950 example.

Singular Thunderbird Station Wagon

One singular sensation, every little step she takes
One thrilling combination, every move that she makes
One smile and suddenly nobody else will do
You know you'll never be lonely with you-know-who

One moment in her presence and you can forget the rest
For the girl is second best to none, son
Oooh! Sigh! Give her your attention
Do I really have to mention she's the one

In this case, it's a one-off Thunderbird with a Vista Wagon grafted onto the back. With all of the coach-built 'Stang wagons running around, you'd think there would be more of these. Especially when T-bird prices can be significantly lower. But there aren't. So,uh...behold!

Same car, different paint?

1968-1970 Rootes Sunbeam Arrow Wagon

1972-1981 Hillman Avenger Estate

With a mind boggling variety of badges, the Hillman Avenger sold as a VW, Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, Talbot and Sunbeam. Two years after initial introduction in 1970, the long roof variant was offered.

We did get the made-in-England RWD wagon here in the States; badged as the 1971 through 1974 Plymouth Cricket. MSRP was around $2.4K, it weighed a little over 2,000 pounds. You could buy an automatic for an additional $178 and A/C was another whopping $338. The 1.5 inline 4 had 70 hp in 1971, but it was quickly choked down to 55 thereafter. Yay, the 70s...

Though there were lots of Avengers produced, I doubt many have survived, as these were economy cars meant to be used up and thrown away. Yep, and you thought Chrysler didn't start doing that until the 80s.

1981 Chrysler Avenger Estate

1981 Talbot Avenger Estate

Look Out!

2015 Avalon Versus 300S

Because I know you were wondering.

Hyundai Entourage Tires

Got new shoes on the Entourage; General Altimax RT43. By some reviews, they're nearly as good as snow tires in the fluffy stuff, while still being great dailys. We'll see!

FS: Draper Service Reset Tool 69007

I have a Draper Service Indicator Reset Tool #69007 for sale. These are no longer made, I believe. Super simple to use, just plug it in and and hit the button. Will work for 1982-1998 S70, V70, S40, V40, 850 and 850 TDI, according to the box. Also resets airbag indicator on early Saab 900. I no longer have use for it. In very good condition, in the original box. Will ship, prefer Paypal.

Best offer!

1962-1991 Ford Falcon Wagon...in Argentina

Designed in the US and built in Argentina, Ford offered the Falcon there beginning in 1962. Production ran all the way to 1991. Nearly thirty years is a long time in cardom, but the hilarious thing is that Big Blue decided to basically never update the darn thing other than periodically introducing a new front end design. "One Ford" wasn't taken too seriously back then, I suppose.

I would have liked to post a picture of an Argentinian 1962 Falcon wagon and a 1991 wagon, to illustrate how little it actually changed. But I'm too lazy to work any harder than I did, which wasn't much. Instead, I found a bunch of fun Argentinian Falcon videos. Only the first one actually has a wagon in it, I think.

1960-Present Ford Falcon Wagon...in Australia

Bobinott picked up yesterday's breadcrumb and spotted the first generation RHD Ford Falcon wagon. In Australia, the Falcon badge lived a much fuller life than the one in the US. Down Under, it enjoyed seven generations and would probably live on were it for the collapse of the automotive industry in that country. Here are the generations of Falcon long roofs that we didn't get. Well, at least in this exact configuration and with this badge. Their generation designations were slightly different and we never got their third generation (well we did, as other models), which would have been our fourth generation. If you want to have some more Falcon fun, dive into the history of this Aussie model; there are all kinds of neat bits and pieces of trivia and facts associated with this long-running, but not necessarily beloved, model.

1972-1979 Third Generation

1979-1987 Fourth Generation

1988-1998 Fifth Generation

1999-2007 Sixth Generation

2008-2016 Seventh Generation

1960-1970 Ford Falcon Wagon...in America

Another reason why Ford never produced a Maverick wagon is the Falcon, which had a wagon variant for its entire run. Engine choices ranged from economy-oriented V6s to more luxurious and powerful V8s. There were really three generations, after which it became part of the Fairlane line. This car is a favorite of mine, because I have great memories of my '64 Comet. The Falcon story wasn't the same overseas...

1060-1963 First Generation

1964-1965 Second Generation - short lived!

1966-1970 Third Generation

1963 Buick Skylark Wagon

Only produced for one year, the Buick Skylark wagon. You're saying to yourself, "But there have to be other years!". You'd be right...they just weren't Skylarks. Some sources claim otherwise, but I've never seen actual proof. They became the Sport.

How many wheeled conveyances can you spot in this photo?

Ford Maverick Station Wagon

If you don't recall the Ford Maverick station wagon, that's because it didn't exist anywhere else other than in Brazil, where it was coachbuilt. That's too bad, because it's rather nice looking in a so-70s sort of way.

Chrysler PT Cruiser According To C&D

Note the factory suspension height, from top of tire to bottom of wheel well.
And that's with 17" tires; it's considerable, but intentional.

As part of a six wagon comparison (it came in second, behind a Mazda Protege5), this is what Car and Driver had to say about the PT Cruiser in June, 2002.

Highs: A great looker outside and in, solid construction, limousine silence within, sitting-on-a-chair driving position, the unmatched flexibility of the cargo hold.

Lows: Not much oomph in the 2.4-liter four, not much hustle in the heart.

Verdict: For once, a pretty face and a sweet personality.

So the main critique was the engine's 150/160 and the suspension, both of which were addressed in the GT. Mine being the slightly updated second generation, it features 230/245 and a sport suspension, effectively negating the Lows. A friend of mine who drove my GT remarked that it felt somewhat like a GTI; not a sports car, but sporty. Also, the comfort level was much higher because of the upright seating, weight and height of the vehicle. That's a pretty accurate comparison, I think.

Miata Madness

I saw this picture of custom painted Miata gauges on the Interwebz the other day and had to share. I don't know if they're even real, but it is kooky.

Uhh...

Chevrolet Chevy II Wagon

Merlincar

So you say you need a two-door wagon with an airplane engine in it? Of course you do! The Merlincar was built in the 60s with a Ford Capri-inspired body and a 27-liter Boulton Paul Bolliol trainer engine that produced somewhere in the neighborhood of 850 hp (some reports say over 1000). A GM TH400 automatic controls the gearing. Only one was ever made and it still exists and is reportedly driven.

1960s+ Mercedes Wagons

Taking a look at the coachbuilt history of Cadillac station wagons the other day was a lot of fun; what happened with Mercedes is an interesting comparison. Germany, an obviously far smaller country than the US, couldn't have had all that many more funeral homes and hospitals, but Mercedes decided that they'd take the wagon business away from the coachbuilders in the late 60s and service those and related consumer markets. Termed the "Universal", you could initially buy a factory-built estate based on the 190, 190D, 200, 200D, 220, and 230S. Here's an excellent web page that does a great job of explaining the history.

1954-1970 Plymouth Belvedere Wagon

Through its entire lifespan, the Plymouth Belvedere always had a station wagon variant. Here are the beginning and the end (at about the seven minute mark).

1954 Plymouth Belvedere

1970 Plymouth Belvedere

K2 Buys: 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser GT

Let's skip to the chase and forget all of the other cars I took a look at; I bought a PT Cruiser. That's right, deal with it.

Most car enthusiasts have repetitive gripes about select automakers. One of mine has always been Chryslur (pun intended). It's gotten so bad over the years that I ended up feeling kinda guilty about it. I've always been interested in jumping into the cult of the Chrysler turbo 4-bangers and yet I hate the Neon, needed a practical-oriented vehicle, can't afford the latest versions and so how was I going to get an SRT turbo four cylinder?

Well folks, here it is; the replacement for my beloved Shadowagon. Will it turn out to be as bad as I and many others have decreed? In the weeks ahead, I'll sporadically update you on my research and buying decision, (further) reasons for getting it, initial driving and ownership impressions and what kind of car I ended up with. Stay tuned!

Good lord, what have I gone and done now.

1955-1959 Dodge Sierra

A variant of the Royal, the Sierra station wagon only survived for a couple of years and included a 9-passenger Spectator trim level. All of them featured a V8, I believe. Here's a lovely example of a 1959.

Air suspension was an option.

Power swivel seats!

1960-1966 Plymouth Valiant

The Valiant nameplate has always had an interesting history, full of lots of neat little details and footnotes. I gotta remember to do a write-up or two someday on it. In the meantime, we're still talking about station wagons, much to everybody's chagrin. Only the first two generations offered a long roof variant and sometimes there was a Plymouth badge and sometimes there wasn't. According to my records, the 1965 is the rarest with just over 4500 produced. There were V-100 and V-200 variants of the Valiant wagon and I'll leave that breadcrumb for those of you that enjoy chasing down automotive trivia.

Prepare for barf bag cinema...

Serial One, 1967 Honda N600

Check out this fantastic site documenting the restoration of the very first Honda automobile imported in the US, a 1967 N600, serial number 1000001.