History Sleeper Two Door Wagons...

Have Two Door Wagons Been Popular As Sleepers? View attachment 6675228

 

Yes, Palm Springs, 1969. Corvette 327/365.

 

In '62 I had a 2door wagon; with a stock flathead and fordomatic it was always asleep. But I could lock my surfboard in it which was a real plus.

 

1975(ish)


425 Olds/4 speed/12bolt

 

Tasty And A Personal Favorite DDDenny.....

 

Had a used awesome wagon from early 70s,,,Ford 2D 429 V8 best runner ever...Drove it tell the "Aframe n ball joint,plus reaqr leafs were trying to fall out n eating tires> Engine & Trnny was still awesome=gave a buddy those for his pick-up truck,he got another 8 years out of his P-U

 

In our area, a 2 door wagon was always a suspected sleeper. The 2 door wagons that were not sleepers would have been the surprise!
The 4 door wagons were the real sleepers, you never knew what was under that hood.

 

4 door wagons are in right now.

 

I love wagons. Even to this day. Had two modern OT ones over the years. Seen a few old Ford wagons on FB over the last year or so and dream about buying one. A guy I got some parts from was building up a Ford wagon with a 390. He was dropping in a 4-sp and got a donor car with the cut out for the 4-sp.

 

When I was in HS and JC I had a '65 Falcon 2dr. wagon. Started out as a stocker 289 with C-4. Ended up International Orange with chrome reverses, a hopped up 289 and T-10. Had to sell it when I got drafted. But the 2dr. wagon itch never left me which is why I'm deep into my '54 Ford Ranch Wagon project. But my various body parts are now out of warranty and beginning to fail so getting it on the road is taking longer than I had hoped.

 

Station wagons, I always liked the Chevy Nomads, we had one in our neighborhood, red, white, chrome wheels, etc. I had totally forgot that I had 2 wagons, low 70's, a coworker was *****in up a storm about his Pontiac wagon, engine ****ped out and he was going to junk it. I had seen this car in the shop parking lot and offered to come to his house, look at it, possibly purchase it. I needed another project like another hole in my head. After really looking at it, was a pretty nice car, 66/67 safari top line model, very little rust, dark green with faux wood on sides, good tires, 70 K miles, a well taken care of car. In conversation on what happened engine wise I asked What's the junkyard guys offer, $100 and haul it away. I bought it for $125 and I hauled it away with a chain, not far from my house. It spun over over, had spark, gas, nothing, a few more checks I figured out cam timing off, chain jumped, so a new timing chain set, not a bad job and magic, a nice driving, good looking wagon. My wife hated it, she did not want to drive it so I drove it for a while with a 4 sale sign in window and sold it for $650. Next a 66 Ford Galaxy wagon, same deal, faux wood trim a nice looking, very little rust, 80K miles, no start problem. This was the last Tool shop I worked in, then I started my shop, the word had spread in shop that I buy non running cars, a 60 man shop, again a fellow Toolmaker tells me about his Ford wagon sitting in his barn, he want's it gone, free if I take it off his hands. I went to look, brought jumper cables, it spun over, had gas, no spark so I had that one towed, too far for the chain deal. Do not remember why I went to my speed shop (junkyard) got a different distributor, installed it, again magic, a running, driving car, good tires, sold that one for $ 450, No BS, same shop Another coworker told me about his 65 Impala SS with a junk engine, So I go look at it, a Very Nice low mileage cherry car, he bought it new, 327 4 speed car, $ 200, his price takes it away, this one is close, a tow chain job, he told me, it dropped oil pressure, he shut it off, guys told him engine was junk, new engine required. I dropped the oil pan In my garage, the pickup was off the oil pump, pulled a front rod cap off, bearing not too bad, but a rebuild required. So........ I talk with my Dad, he said he'd work on it, we get it to his house, tow chain job. I rebuilt the engine, he pulled, reinstalled and we both drove it around for a while and I sold it for $1500, a home run, the money went into the racing fund. I had So much ambition, always working my *** off to make things happen, I seem to have misplaced that in my later years, NOW in the talking, typing, memories, daydreaming stage, All is Good, HAMB, AM Coffee. C' Mon Spring, Summer

 

A guy I am good friends with in NJ has a '55 Chevy Handyman with a blown 327, it is a screamer and a terror on the streets of Patterson. It looks tame and nothing special from the outside. I hope he still has it, it's been years since I've been out that way.

 

Slept in this one quite a few times ...

 

I remember as a kid traveling, Many times seeing families at the roadside/shoulder having lunch, in waysides, later years, always with station wagons. Back in the day I learned how to travel without spending any money from my Dad, When It was just him and I, we slept in the car, went to a store, loaf of bread and bologna sandwich, beer for him, pop for me was the cuisine of the day. Mom went with us pretty often then we stayed at bed and breakfast farms. When I started racing more and did not have my family along I slept with a crew guy, sometimes just my Dad at motel Chevy van in waysides. Mickey D's was the restaurant of choice, sometimes a dinner at truck stops. All these thoughts came from remembering my Dad's 59 mint green Chevy wagon, 6 stick, him and I slept many nights in that beauty, Later years my Chevy van was the motel of choice, It was CustomCraft van, a very nice bed in the back. I have an RT wagon that I like a lot these days, comfort cruising is my deal now.

 

That's because all the cool 2 hardtops, 2 door sedans ,and 2 door wagons are pretty much taken....leaving only four door wagons.

 

Plus the 4 doors are a lot cheaper to buy.Guy comes to our Friday night cruise with a '63 Impala wagon.Black body over red interior.And Radir wheels with spinners.He just had a baby last year and bought a '60's car seat and had it upholstered to match the interior!Its lowered a bit and has a perfect stance.I've never been into 4 doors but this one turns my crank!And he's used it a few times as a wedding car to make a few bucks!

 

My favorite 2 door wagon is a '65 Chevelle.Buddy of mine had one with factory 283,m20, posi rear and TT's! Wasnt the fastest but it was the!!

 

My 2 door wagon has a former NASCAR spec truck engine in it. So, yeah. Quite the sleeper.

 

No photos but there used to be a Chevelle 2dr wagon that was at some of the local shows. It had the roof from an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser grafted on it. Never looked real close but from a casual glance from a couple of feet it looked in proportion and well done. Almost looked factory.

 

All ya need now is a surfboard. Hehe.

 

Back in the mid 70s I bought a 72 Dodge Polara 4 door wagon, it had a big block 4bbl carb, with a 727 auto trans and an 8 3/4 rear with 3:23 Sure Grip (Mopar posi). I bought it for $200 because that was all the dealership would give him for the gas hog big block car. The new 4 door sedan he bought only got 2mpg better mileage then the gas hog wagon, but it was lucky to get out of its own way. The Polara was a lot of fun to drive, plus it pulled my car trailer with the dirt track car on it. That 4 door wagon surprised a lot of guys that had those "performance cars" when they thought it was going to be an easy win. I think I drove the wagon a few years and sold it for $400.

Lots of those late 60s & 70s wagons from all the brands had big blocks with robust transmissions and decent rear gear and a posi behind those big blocks. Most would run pretty hard if you were not afraid to push them. I was always surprised how many guys never expected a 4 door wagon to leave a stop so hard and fast.

 

Not a fan of posing. If there are surfboards on it, it’s because we are surfing. No stickers, no aloha shirts, no beach boys music.

 

@302GMC WOW! Those have to be RARE!

 

For fun, did a search on local FB, and guess what. Only 30 mins from my place. Says it’s the only one in Canada. Doubt that as I think I saw one in Richmond, just southwest of Ottawa about 5 yrs ago, but who knows.

https://www.facebook.com/share/14aCVq5Ndam/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

Never could find any production info. Never saw another - a '55 or 2, but no '56s

 

Saweeet!!

 

A friend of mine used to borrow his mothers 1973 Plymouth Satellite wagon often for some of our cruising misadventures. It was a four door 318 AT model that, oddly enough, had a 160 mph speedometer in it. It was a beater, but built like a tank, as evidenced by the shopping cart we mowed down late one night while doing donuts in the supermarket parking lot. Not a scratch on the wagon (which was hard to tell anyways), but the shopping cart didn't fare as well.

 

These Studebaker sedan deliveries are actually 2 door wagons. The rear gl*** is still there. The panels covering the gl*** are fitted to the outside.

 

Biker Bud had a 62 Ford , 2 Door wagon , 352 , 3 on the tree . Drove it for years , he never beat on a thing . Just maintained it and drove it . Another one I should have purchased , but regret not .

 

A 1962 Ford two door wagon? I thought they stopped making two door wagons in 1957 or so.