I’m 1980 our family drove from Philadelphia to California and back in our Ford station wagon towing a pop up camper. I was 13 and it was the best time ever seeing the country.
I’ve always liked wagons. My wife currently owns an Outback. My car however is a bit shorter as it’s a Forester Touring. I prefer the size of it for getting around in the city on my rare occasions when I have to go into the city. We usually take my wife’s Outback for long trips.
@@securitypcc3733Same with my Dad. My Mom suspected it was because he had to carry manufacturer’s samples, and he presto keep them out of sight, in a trunk.
When I was a child growing up in the 1960s, my parents didn't care for wagons either.. My father preferred Coupe de Ville Cadillacs, he felt they were safer for kiddies in back.
Don't forget about Ford's Magic Doorgate, which probably deserves a video of its own. Also, I distinctly remember a type of knitted vinyl upholstery in a friend's 1969 Ford Galaxie 500 4-door hardtop.
This material became popular in Ford commercial products in the 70's and 80's if you stepped up from the base vinyl seats. It went as far as into the 90's. We had a 91 panel van Econoline with the 300, that brought this material on the seats. Durable, and very easy to clean. Didn't brand you in the Florida sun either like vinyl did.
We grew up in wagons 1960 Ford ranch wagon 1965 Mercury colony park 1969 Chevrolet Kingswood All classics today but back then just transportation It's funny how traveling in these huge vehicles you always had a sense of privacy or a place for your personal part of the trip What memories
One of my relatives had opted for the Brougham interior (non-weave saddle vinyl seats) on his '73 LTD Country Squire, which offered quite a few luxurious amenities like the Lincoln Continentals of the time, in addition to the quietest, smoothest ride - all powered by a 429 engine! Long-distance travel anywhere was a treat, and it never was hard for me to fall asleep in the back seat back when I was a kid...
We always had three standard Pontiac Catalina station wagons throughout my childhood and high school years. They were always a beautiful green color with matching green vinyl interiors. They were gigantic wide track Pontiacs - perfect for three growing boys and a small sister. We'd each created our own "cubicle" from pillows and luggage. Dad would pull his speed boat which was loaded with luggage, cabin equipment, and groceries for two weeks. One summer, while pulling the boat to Lake Okoboji in Iowa, we bumped into curb on the narrow highway and the boat sailed off into a corn field, but the Pontiac stayed on the road without a jolt.
Despite their 121" wheelbase, Ford and Mercury wagons were enormous. My girlfriend's first car was her parent's hand-me down '78 Ford Country Squire. When she failed the parallel parking part of her driver's license test, her dad protested to the examiner. They then measured the designated space for her to park and discovered it was shorter than the wagon! She passed without having to re-park it :)
My parents were die-hard GM buyers and every two years for years my father would buy a Cadillac and my mother would get a Buick or Oldsmobile wagon. I remember one hellishly hot summer riding in the history seat of the neighbor's Chrysler wagon with the dual air conditioning units on a trip to Six Flags Great America and when I got home I told my parents how much nicer it was Buick wagon. They both looked at me like I was crazy!
I miss the tailgate. Also the swing out tailgate. One of the things I liked the most about the 1960s suburbans was the ambulance doors. But the swing tailgate was better. I think hatch backs suck.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the Ford products was that the split twin comfort seats were available in the Colony Park in 1968-72 whereas only a standard non-split bench was available in the Country Squire, even if the optional Squire Luxury Vinyl Trim interior (available 1971-72 only) was ordered.
My parent's first station wagon was a white 1959 Plymouth Sports Suburban 9 passenger wagon push button drive with the dual air conditioner which was nice and cold when I sat in the third rear facing seat. Unfortunately my brother got in an accident a few years later and the Plymouth was totaled. My father replaced it with a blue 59 Buick Lesabre 6 passenger wagon which had been in a flood and finally ordered a new desert sand 64 Impala 9 passenger wagon with a luggage rack, air, auto, and a 327 Quadrajet. That Chevy was a good car and had lots of power.
I remember vividly my mother’s 1969 Country Squire. Concealed headlights, woody decals and the colour gold everywhere. Gold paint, but especially the acres of gold vinyl in the interior. As kids we’d always ask to ride in the flip-up seats hidden in the storage area. My dad was a Chrysler man and he bought the Ford with great reluctance. Thanks for the terrific channel. Great to see it getting recognition!
This Mercury Park Wagon is one of your best purchases, but the Carpeting and Overall Luxury Trim, including the Polyknit Vinyl Upholstery are Awesome, Adam😊👏
They did offer something like it on lower-end models in the '80s. I'm not sure if it's the same Duraweave but my Aunt Betty's '83 Escort GL wagon (mid-spec that year) had woven vinyl seat inserts. When it was less than 2 months old some drunks danced on the roof and I can remember my dad lying in the cargo area bumping the dents out from inside. It was a perfectly smooth roof stamping, no stiffening ribs, so it was always a little wavy after that.
My favorite wagon memory is from the early sixties when I was about eight or ten years old. We went somewhere with another family and I got to ride in a 57 Nomad. I thought that was the coolest looking station wagon I had ever seen. I loved the swoopy looking B pillar and the vertical chrome strips on the tailgate.
Hi Adam, Your Colony Park Wagon is absolutely stunning ! I can attest that Ford was uniformly consistent with the vinyl only upholstery on their third row seating. My 1991 Crown Victoria Wagon has the Crush Velour upholstery for the front and rear seats but vinyl for the third row seats. Indeed when I purchased the car in 2001 at ten years of age the original Ford plastic seat covers were still in place ! I do believe that the previous owner ( an older lady ) probably did not even know the seats were there. In addition my 1987 Crown Victoria Wagon has cloth and leather upholstery on the front and rear seats and vinyl on the third row seats as well. That Duraweave upholstery is very attractive and you are fortunate to have it in your Colony Park.
@@edgarcook9607 As I clearly stated in regards to my two wagons. Although my 1991 Wagon is an LX model and my 1987 is just a Crown Victoria, the LX upgrade did not change the third row seating from vinyl. Both cars have identical third row upholstery.
Dad ordered a new 76 F250 supercab ranger trim and it had a nice woven vinyl upholstery. Felt more like cloth but wore like vinyl, and not as scalding as plain vinyl. As you mentioned, it was a great idea! No wagon memories as we had a galaxie sedan, and my dad always had a ford pickup for hauling and towing duties.
I remember my parents (back in the early 1980’s) had a 1973 Country Squire with the vinyl seats, they were pretty comfortable and definitely durable. That car also had a nice ride and it was easy to do a long trip in it.
I grew up with a 1974 Mecury Marquis wagon with the same interior as you have. My dad bought it new from Fran Kral Linoln Mercury in Rockford Il. I can attest to the durability of the interior, the car had 211,000 miles in 1987 when we got rid of it and the seats looked almost as good as yours show.
We had a 1962 F-85 Olds wagon, a 1966 Ford Fairlane wagon, then a 1969 used Ford Galaxie 500 country sedan. All of three would fill with dust on our 1/2 mile gravel driveway, even with new door seals.
Wow! As I write this, the video has only been posted for 45 minutes, and there are 39 comments before this one! This upholstery was very comfortable. FYI, Ford always used vinyl for the 3rd row seats -- they would be color-coordinated, but not covered in the same material/style as the first two rows of seats (vinyl excepted). Obviously, a cost consideration.
We also had a Dodge Crestwood station wagon in the '70s. That was the fastest station wagon I've ever driven. It was perfect for going over the Minnesota border to get a keg of stronger beer than was offered in SD. Then, we'd flash back to Sioux Falls with our booty and have parties. I loved that car. Green (of course) but with the wood panels outside. The front seats were bucket seats, which seemed very advanced at that time.
Great video Adam, we had a 1976 Gran Torino wagon with the Duraweave interior. Nice and cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Our family loved it.
My 1974 Vega Kammback had a basket weave type of vinyl seat upholstery. It was rugged, breathable, easy to clean and attractive for a low budget economy car! It reminded me of the Mercedes MB Tex perforated vinyl. Innovative and Comfy!
Our Dad bought a 1968 Pontiac Beautiful wagon with so marvelous ride like dream ! Hauling the whole family to the shore and trips to Pocono mountain ! Fun memories - all our bikes balanced perfect on the racks 😊👍💗
I grew up with (and learned to drive with) a 1967 Ford Fairlane 390. “Bessie”. Yep, we hooked a trailer to her and went on many long road trips. That was about the only time Dad drove her. Broke my Mom’s heart when Bessie finally gave out. She loved that car.
All the different pictures of Interiors remind me of all the different ways I got burnt getting into a car as a kid. The two Chrome rectangle buttons made me sit up straight!😂
Ford and Mercury products also offered "knit vinyl" and "Comfortweave vinyl" seats in some products in the late 1960's and early 1970's. I think these were perhaps earlier versions of the material offered in the 1974 Colony Park. These materials were also available in some non-wagon cars. Ford produced a 1968 magazine ad touting the advantages of Comfortweave. According to the ad, you could get it on Mustang fastbacks and hardtops, Mercury Cougar XR7, and on Montego and Colony Park wagons. I know from seeing it online, the knit vinyl was also available as an option on the 1969 Country Squire and was standard as part of the 1971-1972 Country Squire Luxury Vinyl Trim package.
Yes. Very cool material. I have it in my original 1974 Ford LTD Country Squire that was the Ford Motor Company launch car in Texas. It has every single option including those seats, rim blow steering, dual snorkel 460, power windows incl vent, central locking and I even have the magnetic checker board in the back. I must feature it on the channel one day.
I can’t see one of these land yacht wagons without being mentally transported back to Cincinnati and 1972 when I was one of several little neighborhood kids who sometimes carpooled to school in the smelliest car I’ve ever experienced. It was like a combination of dog, mildew and puke. I don’t know what all happened in the back of that wagon, but it was enough that once when it snowed and school let out early, I was grateful to walk home in the deepening snow because the stink wagon couldn’t get out to navigate the slick streets!
That rear wing on the top of the roof was Great at keeping the rear window cleaner. My 1990 Honda Civic hatchback had it and I do miss it. We’re constantly having to clean the rear windows on our Outback and Forester. It would be so much nicer if the automakers would actually think ahead to take care of their “Valued Customers” and listen to them for a change
The parents had a 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate station wagon. Me and my brothers on long road trip would lie down in the back with the second and third row folded down. That was a time nobody wore seatbelts too much. I know I would have appreciated the polyknit for seats, especially wearing shorts where your legs made contact with the vinyl seats in summertime.
My parents had a 1964 Oldsmobile F-85 wagon. My dad special ordered that car with the 394 Big Block engine. It was a fast wagon and we took many trips from Michigan to Missouri in that car.
Pretty Colony Park. My family had a 73 Country Squire in Ginger Glow with the same tan vinyl interior.(same as your dual facing rear seats. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I remember being in the rear facing cargo seat in our family ‘68 Fury III Wagon. 318V8. Black vinyl seats with arm rest up front. But no AC we lived in Vermont. We went all over the place in that. Loved the whine of the automatic tranny in 1st gear, and I remember the skinny steering wheel and the touchy power brakes.
Adam,my Dad owned a 74 Torino wagon with a 302 in it and I always loved riding in the back with 3 blankets and 3 pillows supplied by Mom while my 2 sisters rode in the back seat.Dad also owned a 79 LTD wagon with those special seats in it.Mike the Greek
No wagons in my family, but a buddy often was able to borrow his Dad's old '72 Pontiac Laurentian wagon. We had good memories in that old beast, especially when four wheel drifting it through Canadian Tire's parking lot in the snow!
Aunt had a '75 T&C and a free pass to the Lake Champlain ferries for her car and anyone in it. One time 12 of us - 7 adults and 5 kids - piled in for the short hop from my grandmother's house to the ferry docks and from the other ones to Ausable Chasm. Of course, everyone but grandma got out on the boat - this was in the early '80s when the Burlington, VT-Port Kent, NY crossing, an hour each way, was an attraction in its' own right and the boats had a snack bar, a bar bar and a gift shop onboard. If the wagon was any bigger and plusher it would've had those things...
There is something very special about taking your car on to a ship. I took the ferry from Tobermory, Ontario to Manitoulin Island with my Grand Marquis on a perfect summer day. What a trip.
I grew up riding in the backseat of my dad's Studebaker Wagonaire sitting on the armrest for a better view. My dad, uncle and grandfather worked in the Studebaker plant.
Hi, Beauty Wagon you got there! I love the carpeting. I remember our first wagon (I was very young) it was a '69 Plymouth Satelite. As your Merc is loaded with all the bells & whistles, my Pops bought the Plymouth brand new off the lot without a single bell, whistle or kazoo!! (it didn't even have a radio) lol! But the first thing he did was slap a set of Keystone rims on 'er and he, my mom and Uncle spent the next coupla months touring around the U.S. going to every Drag Strip they knew! My memories were towards the end. That wagon acquired the worst case of rust you can imagine! I just remember sitting in the very back on hard steel bouncing around as my Pops would "gun" the engine and the thing would roar (the mufflers were totally rusted! lol) I'd so love to have one now! Swell show! \m/
Wagons! Growing up in the 60s we were lucky in that Dad got a new Olds Vista Cruiser every year as a company car. We towed a pop-up travel trailer on trips from Long Island north to Nova Scotia and south to Disney World in Florida. Great memories in GM's finest wagons.
In the early 80's, my aunt and uncle had an Early-Mid 70's Green Gran Torino Wagon. If my memory is not too fuzzy, it had beige vinyl seats and carpet. My cousins and I used to love riding down the Garden State Parkway or The NJ Turnpike in the rear fold up seats. What a car, it was (to my 6 year old view at the time) the biggest thing on the earth.
I remember seeing this upholstery at Campbell Ford in Bristol, TN in 1974. I remember being impressed by it, believing it to be fabric. It was the same "saddle" color as Adam's Merc.
My parents had a 1974 AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon that was a very base vehicle, but had seat cloth material in a vinyl weave similar to what you showed on the Mercury wagon. Someone else had the same idea!
Knowing how AMC used parts from other manufacturers, such as Ford Motorcraft carburetors and Chrysler 727 automatic transmissions they could've gotten their seat material from Ford.
We only had one station wagon, and not for very long. It was actually the very first car in my memory. Dad was stationed at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Illinois, from 1963 to summer 1967, when he retired from the service and entered civilian life. Right after I entered this world, Dad bought a new 1964 Ford Country Sedan with the 352 4 barrel. I just barely remember riding in it. My Mother never cared for the wagon, and called it a "gas hog" whenever it was mentioned years after it was replaced. Well, Dad traded it in for a new 1966 Galaxie Club Coupe, which had a powertrain unusual for Galaxies: The standard 240 Six and 3 on the tree! I kid you not! I don't know if fuel economy was improved much with that car but Dad later told me the engine was too small, lacked power, and "never really ran right". The Galaxie was traded the following year for a new 1967 Custom 500 4 door with the regular fuel version of the 390 FE. That became our family car for many years, and Dad's favorite.
Man....some great memories popping up while watching this video ! Our neighbors had a Caprice wagon and it could almost fit the whole softball team in it. Always a rush to get the very back seats. A bit later on, in the early eighties when we started driving, my buddy would take his dads Marquis Estate wagon out after it snowed to do donuts in an empty lot. The best seats for that was again, in the very back.😂 Man .....those were great land-yachts !!. Always wanted to restore/modify one. Maybe someday...😊
You wagon is lovely, I own a 1976 Colony Park, with only 35000 miles on it. It's blue with blue vinyl, interior, and blue belts, this wagon has been in Sweden at least since the eighties, a friend of mine bought it 1992 it had 12000 when he bought it. I told him 1992 that, if he ever wants to sell, I want to buy. He came to me August 2023, and asked me to buy it, so ,now it's in my garage. I have been thinking of filming a video, and put it on you tube, but it's been raining whole August, oktober and the first week of november.so it's locked in until the weather gets better. Whole August rained to, so I have only driven it a few times in September. So i wait for better weather. I really like your video's, ceep them coming. Best regards from Marco.
I really enjoy hearing about some of these unusual trim options. I don't recall ever having been in a car with this textile but I do remember the thick carpets which seemed to be in every Ford product except the Pinto.
We had Three 1986 Colony Parks for moving bodies to our Funeral Homes. Now we use 4 Chrysler Pacifica Vans for removals and multiple things. Always enjoy your detailed reviews.
Love the wagon memories flashback. In the late 70s in rural NC myself and 6 other boys would pile into '72 Ford wagon for Friday night camping and fishing trips at the Catawba river. Good times. Funny wagon story, i bought for my ex-wife a beautiful Oxford Green Metallic '01 BMW 540i wagon in '08. She loved it, but complained that it shook and acted like it was going to shut off while she drove it in town. Took it to the shop on multiple occasions and couldn't find anything wrong. Finally asked her to take me for a drive in it. After we left the first stop light i knew what was happening. Told her "i think i know whats wrong". At the next light i slyly reached down and turn off the traction control. When the light turned green the rear tires turned into smoke. She had never driven a car with almost 300HP before. 😅
As always, a great video and once again, very enlightening and interesting. I think you may have miss spoke around 7:00 stating that the coupe was shorter than the wagon,,,, sorry if I'm confused. Thanks so much for creating these awesome videos.
Long live the Duraweave! We had that in our '83 Crown Vic/Country Squire wagon and yes, it was virtually indestructible. I can't remember for sure but I think by then the rear side facing seats in the back had it too, but don't quote me on that. Man I miss that car! :(
My 1970s childhood was spent in a medium size town in a rectangular midwestern state living in a solidly middleclass neighborhood with a mix of split level and rambler homes. Most of the families had domestic cars and the bulk of those were some kind of station wagon...we had a 1970 Chevy Kingswood wagon with a black vinyl interior...that was scalding hot in the summer. Luckily the factory GM air conditioning would cool it off in a hurry. Our neighbors had a 1974 Plymouth Sport Suburban Fury based wagon...red with woodgrain trim and a white vinyl interior. The family a few houses down from us had Mercury Colony Park wagons and would trade them every few years. One of them looked very similar to your wagon...but I don't recall what interior trim it had. Dad had ordered our Kingswood and kept it for almost 10 years and we took many vacations with it....one memorable one was having a cross bar on the luggage rack break and depositing our suitcases on the PA Turnpike. But it took us to eastern Canada and the rocky mountains.... Interestingly enough..this family were early adopters in using an SUV as a family car and bought an International Scout with a hard top as a second car. I recall the Dad was a physician and four wheel drive would help him motor through our snowy winters to get to his clinic. Later in life, right after turning 30, I bought a 1994 Ford Taurus GL wagon...pacific green with a gray cloth interior....and about 10 years later, I bought a 2003 BMW 3 Series wagon....I wanted a BMW but with 2 small kids and harsh winters...an all wheel drive BMW wagon was the compromise. Our primary family car has been Honda Odyssey minivans, though we did try a lease return Acura MDX for a few years but nothing compares to the space efficiency of a minivan.
The woven vinyl was introduced in the late 60's. I know for a fact my best friend had a 1969 Country Squire with it. My 1971 Mustang also had this fabric. It was amazingly durable, comfortable, and easy to clean. I also know it was available as late as 1985 on the F150 since we ordered it on a new 85 truck.
8:48 As a kid, one of our neighbors had the "rear A/C" unit ... Air Conditioning was still fairly rare at the time, so I thought that rear unit was the COOLEST thing I'd ever seen (pun not intended, but appropriate).
My parents bought new a 1960 Borgward Isabella Combi, and a 1968 Volvo 145S automatic wagon, both white/cream with red interiors. They kept the Volvo for 30 plus years and gave it to the mechanic who had always maintained it.
Family never had a wagon in the 70s and 80s but I always wished we had one. I bought a 1988 Pontiac Safari wagon in 2009, it was the rarest of the GM B-Body station wagons. It was white with faux wood siding. We named it “Griswold”. Hahaha.
Volvo had a great TV commercial in the '70s making fun of how huge American station wagons were, and they pointed out that the Volvo 145 wagon "is as easy to park and maneuver as a Volvo sedan because it's exactly the same size".
My patents had 55, 57 and 59 Chevy wagons. I have owned a 76 Vega GT wagon, a 70 VW Square back, an 06 HHR, and am now driving an 18 Buick TourX. My classic collection is an 84 Olds Custom Cruiser. I like wagons.
In 1965 my Dad bought my mom a brand new 65 Buick sport Wagon 350, 4 barrel. It had the vista view roof. The third seat faced backwards towards the rear glass. It was the first car my mom had driven with power brakes! It was an adventure.
In 1963 (summer-ish) I remember my Father brought home a 'New' 1963 Impala 4 Door Sedan with Power Brakes. This was a Middle Class Neighborhood where everyone knew each other. The neighbors were all outside chatting and my Mother wanted to test drive the 'New' car. She was so excited. First thing she did was apply the brakes. The Power Brakes and did they screech. She was so embarrassed because the neighbors all saw and heard her do it. LOL Power brakes we still pretty new back then. So all the Dads were 'explaining' how they worked.
We had three station wagons in the sixties and seventies, all Oldsmobiles: a '69 Cutlass Vista Cruiser, a '74 Ninety-Eight Custom Cruiser, and a '77 Cutlass wagon. A pleasant memory I have of those from when I was a child is being able to lie down in the back crosswise (with the third seat down) and then roll around as the car went up- or downhill. Also, you mentioned a "van craze" that may have dented the popularity of wagons after the early seventies, but that seventies van craze, if that's what you're talking about, was not for practical family haulers. It was a craze for colorful, customized show-off vans for wild young people, with one popular customization company called Good Time Vans that you saw a lot. The replacement of station wagons by vans as family haulers wouldn't come until the mid-eighties introduction of mini-vans, which lasted into the nineties.
Best wagon adventure? Well having grown up the oldest of 6, I have many memories in a few different wagons. But one that stands out is the time a friend and I were cruising one night in my family’s 1968 Chrysler Town&Country Beach Wagon, that was powered by a 440/4 brl TNT. We had going so fast that the speedometer needle went passed 120 and into the clock, just past the speedometer!!! That big ol TNT was screaming and the doors were shaking, plus he noticed the gas gauge going down!!
My dad bought ranch wagons. On longer trips i would sack out with the luggage way out back. What I recall most was the intense heaters. If he left it on defrost us kids would call out to turn the heat down and it gets cold in Saskatchewan and Manitoba! Certainly no rear heaters needed. Good times.
Ahh yes!!! The Family Truckster. Rich Corinthian leather & Dynasty Plush Loom Polyknit Vinyl. Gotta love marketing in the 70s. The 1969 Colony Park wagon TV commercial stated. "If Continental made a wagon, this would be it!
Very cool indeed. Those are beautiful seats. My parents bought a Chrysler Town & Country, new in 1972 (red), and replaced it with another new one in 1975. That one was the brochure color. That car was sold the year before I got my license. I'd love to have it now. When we had that `75 Chrysler my Uncle had a Buick Estate Wagon, probably also a `75. And then our good friends who lived near us had a Mercury Montego MX Villager wagon. I'm not sure what year it was, maybe around `74-`76. I never knew anyone with a Colony Park. They are beautiful wagons. But I'm partial to Chrysler.
Adam, Bravo!! The erudition and perspicacity you bring to these videos is laudable. I hope some day you can lend the same scholarly zeal to a dissertation about the 'Intermediate' wagons of this era. 😁
Adam, another great watch, nice car. My best wagon memory is a friend and I took a three-month cross-country trip in a Vega Wagon, Yes -- A Vega. We would sleep in the car whenever possible. but the amazing thing is we made it home "9,000 miles later" without any problems whatsoever --- amazing.
A late 60’s to early 70’s wagon, especially a woody wagon (any make!) with a good rumbly dual exhaust would make a fantastic car to roll up to the car show in. With all your friends!
My favourite memory in a station wagon? My friends' mom owned a mid-seventies Country Squire with a rear-facing bench seat and one day when she took us bowling we became unruly and she went to close the powered rear window. Unfortunately, she didn't realize I had my head sticking out and got it squeezed at the top as she was trying to close it. I was ok.
In 1976, my then-fiancee inherited a loaded 1973 Chrysler Town & Country wagon, which offered more than enough room to transport her concert grand harp (or a 4'x6' sheet of plywood) in style.
Nice Adam! all the Ford Family Way Back Seats of this era were always Vinyl never cloth or matching style to the 2 front rows. I suppose they did this for many reasons durability and cost savings. I miss our ‘1968 Ford Country Sedan in sky blue with med blue interior and A/C which was very rare and Dad never used it because it used more gas. In the 10 years we owned it he turned it on once on our way back from the Beach as all of us had a little too much sun on a very Hot Humid Day and the car cooled down in 10 minutes and I was in the way back. That felt like a million dollars as they use to say lol. 😊
I've had a few wagons (none Ford) but am familiar with that fabric. Other makes had similar variants. I really like it for comfort, flexibility and wear. I have a 1970 Dodge truck and selected the upholstery fabrics myself and had a shop stitch the covers for me. I used Naugahyde marine grade vinyl for the skirts and main material and there is a fabric very similar to that Ford material called Sunbrella Sling which I used for the inserts. The seats came out VERY nice and look like NEW after 5 years. The Sunbrella Sling is very UV resistant.
Thanx Adam, for another great video. My parents never had a wagon. They ALWAYS had coupes or convertibles. Two of my uncles always had wagons. They each had 5 kids so that is why. Love your knowledge of the manufacturer's. I worked a Buick Dealership in'77-'78. The full Buick wagons had an option for the front seat to have cloth, while the rest of the seats were vinyl. I thought that to be cool. Speaking of Wagons. Do a video of the intermediate Wagons from GM with the 1978 and on. They were not good. People complained about the windows.
Your 70 would have been referred to as a "combo" - ambulance and hearse combined. These saved a lot of money for the services that used them and were fully functional as either, usually including panels to cover the rear side windows for hearse duty. Miller Meteor and Superior were very popular makers of these coaches. The rear air conditioning and heating units were primarily used in the ambulance application when transporting patients. I have 2 friends who own Miller Meteor combos from 1970, great build quality and unique features.
it started out life as an ambulance, there was a zipper in the headliner from where the wiring for lights were. when i got it, it was being used by a daycare car and had been painted pink. i remember early 1 morning getting up early to see if it could go 140 mph like the speedo suggested it might go and it did....@@ayryz1
I bought a '64 Country Squire in 1976 for $150.00. Fully loaded with a 390, it needed some work but my wife and I drove that car for years and brought my newborn son home from the hospital in that car. Used it for camping too 'cause with the rear seat folded down and a foam pad in the back it made quite a comfortable bed. Great car. Driven sanely it could get 19 mpg.
I lived in that reality where Ford, GM, Chrysler and even AMC wagons roamed the suburban streets. We had several Matador wagons with brougham trim that were really nice on long trips back then!
Mom & Dad's 1972 Pontiac Grand Safari was only available with vinyl interior, patterned somewhat like the Grand Ville. Mom had her eye on a cream-colored '72 Colony Park but while visiting the Pontiac dealer they were offered a good deal on the Grand Safari, which was special ordered without wood sidiing and with rally wheels, but the customer for some reason did not take delivery. Dad liked the sportier look and they took the big wagon home. We called her "Big Blue Brenda" and tears were shed in late '77 as Dad backed her down the driveway for the last time. She was traded for a new '78 Buick Estate wagon. I'd look for "Big Blue" in traffic, but she was never seen again. Mom finally got her Colony Park in '83 when it came time to replace the Buick. It was her last traditional family wagon and last American car for quite some time, owning a succession of Volvos. Today she sports a big brown Buick Enclave. And if you want a modern car that recalls those old 70s family trucksters... look at the Ford Flex. It's nothing like an SUV and nothing like a minivan. My brother's wife owned one, which we nicknamed "Aunt Edna"...
At first I was mad that my parents bought a Sable wagon when I got my license. But then I realized I could fit 10 of my friends in it, plus it was great at the drive in…especially with the rear seats folded 😅
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I’m 1980 our family drove from Philadelphia to California and back in our Ford station wagon towing a pop up camper. I was 13 and it was the best time ever seeing the country.
I grew up in the sixties with a mother who didn't like wagons. As an old man now I'd absolutely be driving a wagon. Thanks so much for a great video!
I’ve always liked wagons.
My wife currently owns an Outback.
My car however is a bit shorter as it’s a Forester Touring. I prefer the size of it for getting around in the city on my rare occasions when I have to go into the city.
We usually take my wife’s Outback for long trips.
@@Doc1855 _I’ve always liked wagons._
Me too! It seems like a great vehicle, the "Mullet" of cars; luxury in the front, kids in the back!
Can’t remember why….but it was my Dad that didn’t like station wagons. He never buy one 😂
@@securitypcc3733Same with my Dad. My Mom suspected it was because he had to carry manufacturer’s samples, and he presto keep them out of sight, in a trunk.
When I was a child growing up in the 1960s, my parents didn't care for wagons either.. My father preferred Coupe de Ville Cadillacs, he felt they were safer for kiddies in back.
Don't forget about Ford's Magic Doorgate, which probably deserves a video of its own. Also, I distinctly remember a type of knitted vinyl upholstery in a friend's 1969 Ford Galaxie 500 4-door hardtop.
I think what you're describing is "Comfortweave".
This material became popular in Ford commercial products in the 70's and 80's if you stepped up from the base vinyl seats. It went as far as into the 90's. We had a 91 panel van Econoline with the 300, that brought this material on the seats. Durable, and very easy to clean. Didn't brand you in the Florida sun either like vinyl did.
We grew up in wagons
1960 Ford ranch wagon
1965 Mercury colony park
1969 Chevrolet Kingswood
All classics today but back then just transportation
It's funny how traveling in these huge vehicles you always had a sense of privacy or a place for your personal part of the trip
What memories
One of my relatives had opted for the Brougham interior (non-weave saddle vinyl seats) on his '73 LTD Country Squire, which offered quite a few luxurious amenities like the Lincoln Continentals of the time, in addition to the quietest, smoothest ride - all powered by a 429 engine! Long-distance travel anywhere was a treat, and it never was hard for me to fall asleep in the back seat back when I was a kid...
We always had three standard Pontiac Catalina station wagons throughout my childhood and high school years. They were always a beautiful green color with matching green vinyl interiors. They were gigantic wide track Pontiacs - perfect for three growing boys and a small sister. We'd each created our own "cubicle" from pillows and luggage. Dad would pull his speed boat which was loaded with luggage, cabin equipment, and groceries for two weeks. One summer, while pulling the boat to Lake Okoboji in Iowa, we bumped into curb on the narrow highway and the boat sailed off into a corn field, but the Pontiac stayed on the road without a jolt.
That must have felt below average.
Despite their 121" wheelbase, Ford and Mercury wagons were enormous. My girlfriend's first car was her parent's hand-me down '78 Ford Country Squire. When she failed the parallel parking part of her driver's license test, her dad protested to the examiner. They then measured the designated space for her to park and discovered it was shorter than the wagon! She passed without having to re-park it :)
Despite? A ten-foot wheelbase is enormous.
@richardharrold9736 Not in those days...there were cars with much longer wheelbases in the late 60s and early 70s...
My parents were die-hard GM buyers and every two years for years my father would buy a Cadillac and my mother would get a Buick or Oldsmobile wagon.
I remember one hellishly hot summer riding in the history seat of the neighbor's Chrysler wagon with the dual air conditioning units on a trip to Six Flags Great America and when I got home I told my parents how much nicer it was Buick wagon. They both looked at me like I was crazy!
The Chrysler T & C was more expensive and higher line than the Mercury CP, most years the CP wasn't much more than Country Squire
Even way back as a kid in the 60's and 70's in Houston I judged most vehicles by the how good the air conditioning was ... lol
I miss the tailgate. Also the swing out tailgate. One of the things I liked the most about the 1960s suburbans was the ambulance doors. But the swing tailgate was better. I think hatch backs suck.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the Ford products was that the split twin comfort seats were available in the Colony Park in 1968-72 whereas only a standard non-split bench was available in the Country Squire, even if the optional Squire Luxury Vinyl Trim interior (available 1971-72 only) was ordered.
My parent's first station wagon was a white 1959 Plymouth Sports Suburban 9 passenger wagon push button drive with the dual air conditioner which was nice and cold when I sat in the third rear facing seat. Unfortunately my brother got in an accident a few years later and the Plymouth was totaled. My father replaced it with a blue 59 Buick Lesabre 6 passenger wagon which had been in a flood and finally ordered a new desert sand 64 Impala 9 passenger wagon with a luggage rack, air, auto, and a 327 Quadrajet. That Chevy was a good car and had lots of power.
I remember vividly my mother’s 1969 Country Squire. Concealed headlights, woody decals and the colour gold everywhere. Gold paint, but especially the acres of gold vinyl in the interior. As kids we’d always ask to ride in the flip-up seats hidden in the storage area. My dad was a Chrysler man and he bought the Ford with great reluctance. Thanks for the terrific channel. Great to see it getting recognition!
This Mercury Park Wagon is one of your best purchases, but the Carpeting and Overall Luxury Trim, including the Polyknit Vinyl Upholstery are Awesome, Adam😊👏
I love my 1967, 9 seater
I totally agree!
They did offer something like it on lower-end models in the '80s. I'm not sure if it's the same Duraweave but my Aunt Betty's '83 Escort GL wagon (mid-spec that year) had woven vinyl seat inserts. When it was less than 2 months old some drunks danced on the roof and I can remember my dad lying in the cargo area bumping the dents out from inside. It was a perfectly smooth roof stamping, no stiffening ribs, so it was always a little wavy after that.
My favorite wagon memory is from the early sixties when I was about eight or ten years old. We went somewhere with another family and I got to ride in a 57 Nomad. I thought that was the coolest looking station wagon I had ever seen. I loved the swoopy looking B pillar and the vertical chrome strips on the tailgate.
Hi Adam, Your Colony Park Wagon is absolutely stunning ! I can attest that Ford was uniformly consistent with the vinyl only upholstery on their third row seating. My 1991 Crown Victoria Wagon has the Crush Velour upholstery for the front and rear seats but vinyl for the third row seats. Indeed when I purchased the car in 2001 at ten years of age the original Ford plastic seat covers were still in place ! I do believe that the previous owner ( an older lady ) probably did not even know the seats were there. In addition my 1987 Crown Victoria Wagon has cloth and leather upholstery on the front and rear seats and vinyl on the third row seats as well. That Duraweave upholstery is very attractive and you are fortunate to have it in your Colony Park.
Dual Facing Rear Seats (DFRS) were always vinyl.
@@edgarcook9607 As I clearly stated in regards to my two wagons. Although my 1991 Wagon is an LX model and my 1987 is just a Crown Victoria, the LX upgrade did not change the third row seating from vinyl. Both cars have identical third row upholstery.
They must have thought that only dogs would be riding in the far rear seats.
Dad ordered a new 76 F250 supercab ranger trim and it had a nice woven vinyl upholstery. Felt more like cloth but wore like vinyl, and not as scalding as plain vinyl. As you mentioned, it was a great idea! No wagon memories as we had a galaxie sedan, and my dad always had a ford pickup for hauling and towing duties.
I remember my parents (back in the early 1980’s) had a 1973 Country Squire with the vinyl seats, they were pretty comfortable and definitely durable. That car also had a nice ride and it was easy to do a long trip in it.
I grew up with a 1974 Mecury Marquis wagon with the same interior as you have. My dad bought it new from Fran Kral Linoln Mercury in Rockford Il. I can attest to the durability of the interior, the car had 211,000 miles in 1987 when we got rid of it and the seats looked almost as good as yours show.
I bought several Volvos from Fran Kral over the years!
I bought a couple of cars from Fran Kral. They had a terrible service department. I hate to think of them working on the car you grew up with.
We had a 1962 F-85 Olds wagon, a 1966 Ford Fairlane wagon, then a 1969 used Ford Galaxie 500 country sedan. All of three would fill with dust on our 1/2 mile gravel driveway, even with new door seals.
Wow! As I write this, the video has only been posted for 45 minutes, and there are 39 comments before this one! This upholstery was very comfortable. FYI, Ford always used vinyl for the 3rd row seats -- they would be color-coordinated, but not covered in the same material/style as the first two rows of seats (vinyl excepted). Obviously, a cost consideration.
We also had a Dodge Crestwood station wagon in the '70s. That was the fastest station wagon I've ever driven. It was perfect for going over the Minnesota border to get a keg of stronger beer than was offered in SD. Then, we'd flash back to Sioux Falls with our booty and have parties. I loved that car. Green (of course) but with the wood panels outside. The front seats were bucket seats, which seemed very advanced at that time.
That's a gorgeous wagon. I would love to own one like it.
Just don’t t drive it in winter
Great video Adam, we had a 1976 Gran Torino wagon with the Duraweave interior. Nice and cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Our family loved it.
My 1974 Vega Kammback had a basket weave type of vinyl seat upholstery. It was rugged, breathable, easy to clean and attractive for a low budget economy car! It reminded me of the Mercedes MB Tex perforated vinyl. Innovative and Comfy!
Our Dad bought a 1968 Pontiac Beautiful wagon with so marvelous ride like dream ! Hauling the whole family to the shore and trips to Pocono mountain ! Fun memories - all our bikes balanced perfect on the racks 😊👍💗
Looks like our families vacationed in the same spots! I'm from the Lehigh Valley. We had a '72 Grand Safari.
I grew up with (and learned to drive with) a 1967 Ford Fairlane 390. “Bessie”. Yep, we hooked a trailer to her and went on many long road trips. That was about the only time Dad drove her. Broke my Mom’s heart when Bessie finally gave out. She loved that car.
All the different pictures of Interiors remind me of all the different ways I got burnt getting into a car as a kid. The two Chrome rectangle buttons made me sit up straight!😂
Ford and Mercury products also offered "knit vinyl" and "Comfortweave vinyl" seats in some products in the late 1960's and early 1970's. I think these were perhaps earlier versions of the material offered in the 1974 Colony Park. These materials were also available in some non-wagon cars. Ford produced a 1968 magazine ad touting the advantages of Comfortweave. According to the ad, you could get it on Mustang fastbacks and hardtops, Mercury Cougar XR7, and on Montego and Colony Park wagons. I know from seeing it online, the knit vinyl was also available as an option on the 1969 Country Squire and was standard as part of the 1971-1972 Country Squire Luxury Vinyl Trim package.
Had 3 Ford wagons from the 60s through the 70s, not counting our Pinto Squire. It was the car to have when raising a family. Thanks.
Yes. Very cool material. I have it in my original 1974 Ford LTD Country Squire that was the Ford Motor Company launch car in Texas. It has every single option including those seats, rim blow steering, dual snorkel 460, power windows incl vent, central locking and I even have the magnetic checker board in the back. I must feature it on the channel one day.
I can’t see one of these land yacht wagons without being mentally transported back to Cincinnati and 1972 when I was one of several little neighborhood kids who sometimes carpooled to school in the smelliest car I’ve ever experienced. It was like a combination of dog, mildew and puke. I don’t know what all happened in the back of that wagon, but it was enough that once when it snowed and school let out early, I was grateful to walk home in the deepening snow because the stink wagon couldn’t get out to navigate the slick streets!
I like that;No Electronic-distraction-Clutter
That rear wing on the top of the roof was Great at keeping the rear window cleaner. My 1990 Honda Civic hatchback had it and I do miss it.
We’re constantly having to clean the rear windows on our Outback and Forester. It would be so much nicer if the automakers would actually think ahead to take care of their “Valued Customers” and listen to them for a change
The parents had a 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate station wagon. Me and my brothers on long road trip would lie down in the back with the second and third row folded down. That was a time nobody wore seatbelts too much. I know I would have appreciated the polyknit for seats, especially wearing shorts where your legs made contact with the vinyl seats in summertime.
My parents had a 1964 Oldsmobile F-85 wagon. My dad special ordered that car with the 394 Big Block engine. It was a fast wagon and we took many trips from Michigan to Missouri in that car.
We never had a wagon growing up in the ‘60-‘70s, but a friend did and riding in the rear facing back seat was the best!!
Pretty Colony Park. My family had a 73 Country Squire in Ginger Glow with the same tan vinyl interior.(same as your dual facing rear seats. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Really enjoying these features on 1970s era cars. They hold there own against muscle cars of the 60s and finned cars of the 50s. Keep it coming.
I remember being in the rear facing cargo seat in our family ‘68 Fury III Wagon. 318V8. Black vinyl seats with arm rest up front. But no AC we lived in Vermont.
We went all over the place in that. Loved the whine of the automatic tranny in 1st gear, and I remember the skinny steering wheel and the touchy power brakes.
Adam,my Dad owned a 74 Torino wagon with a 302 in it and I always loved riding in the back with 3 blankets and 3 pillows supplied by Mom while my 2 sisters rode in the back seat.Dad also owned a 79 LTD wagon with those special seats in it.Mike the Greek
No wagons in my family, but a buddy often was able to borrow his Dad's old '72 Pontiac Laurentian wagon. We had good memories in that old beast, especially when four wheel drifting it through Canadian Tire's parking lot in the snow!
The interior of your Colony Park has such a beautiful luxurious cabin feeling
Wow, what a nice wagon you have in this video! I'm glad it's in good hands.
Aunt had a '75 T&C and a free pass to the Lake Champlain ferries for her car and anyone in it. One time 12 of us - 7 adults and 5 kids - piled in for the short hop from my grandmother's house to the ferry docks and from the other ones to Ausable Chasm. Of course, everyone but grandma got out on the boat - this was in the early '80s when the Burlington, VT-Port Kent, NY crossing, an hour each way, was an attraction in its' own right and the boats had a snack bar, a bar bar and a gift shop onboard. If the wagon was any bigger and plusher it would've had those things...
There is something very special about taking your car on to a ship. I took the ferry from Tobermory, Ontario to Manitoulin Island with my Grand Marquis on a perfect summer day. What a trip.
I grew up riding in the backseat of my dad's Studebaker Wagonaire sitting on the armrest for a better view. My dad, uncle and grandfather worked in the Studebaker plant.
Just remembering dozens of us kids going to CubScouts in my friends parents wagon . Playground on wheels !! 😂
Hi, Beauty Wagon you got there! I love the carpeting. I remember our first wagon (I was very young) it was a '69 Plymouth Satelite. As your Merc is loaded with all the bells & whistles, my Pops bought the Plymouth brand new off the lot without a single bell, whistle or kazoo!! (it didn't even have a radio) lol! But the first thing he did was slap a set of Keystone rims on 'er and he, my mom and Uncle spent the next coupla months touring around the U.S. going to every Drag Strip they knew! My memories were towards the end. That wagon acquired the worst case of rust you can imagine! I just remember sitting in the very back on hard steel bouncing around as my Pops would "gun" the engine and the thing would roar (the mufflers were totally rusted! lol) I'd so love to have one now! Swell show! \m/
Wagons!
Growing up in the 60s we were lucky in that Dad got a new Olds Vista Cruiser every year as a company car. We towed a pop-up travel trailer on trips from Long Island north to Nova Scotia and south to Disney World in Florida. Great memories in GM's finest wagons.
In the early 80's, my aunt and uncle had an Early-Mid 70's Green Gran Torino Wagon. If my memory is not too fuzzy, it had beige vinyl seats and carpet. My cousins and I used to love riding down the Garden State Parkway or The NJ Turnpike in the rear fold up seats. What a car, it was (to my 6 year old view at the time) the biggest thing on the earth.
I remember seeing this upholstery at Campbell Ford in Bristol, TN in 1974. I remember being impressed by it, believing it to be fabric. It was the same "saddle" color as Adam's Merc.
My parents had a 1974 AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon that was a very base vehicle, but had seat cloth material in a vinyl weave similar to what you showed on the Mercury wagon. Someone else had the same idea!
Knowing how AMC used parts from other manufacturers, such as Ford Motorcraft carburetors and Chrysler 727 automatic transmissions they could've gotten their seat material from Ford.
We only had one station wagon, and not for very long. It was actually the very first car in my memory. Dad was stationed at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Illinois, from 1963 to summer 1967, when he retired from the service and entered civilian life. Right after I entered this world, Dad bought a new 1964 Ford Country Sedan with the 352 4 barrel. I just barely remember riding in it. My Mother never cared for the wagon, and called it a "gas hog" whenever it was mentioned years after it was replaced. Well, Dad traded it in for a new 1966 Galaxie Club Coupe, which had a powertrain unusual for Galaxies: The standard 240 Six and 3 on the tree! I kid you not! I don't know if fuel economy was improved much with that car but Dad later told me the engine was too small, lacked power, and "never really ran right". The Galaxie was traded the following year for a new 1967 Custom 500 4 door with the regular fuel version of the 390 FE. That became our family car for many years, and Dad's favorite.
Man....some great memories popping up while watching this video !
Our neighbors had a Caprice wagon and it could almost fit the whole softball team in it. Always a rush to get the very back seats. A bit later on, in the early eighties when we started driving, my buddy would take his dads Marquis Estate wagon out after it snowed to do donuts in an empty lot. The best seats for that was again, in the very back.😂 Man .....those were great land-yachts !!. Always wanted to restore/modify one. Maybe someday...😊
You wagon is lovely, I own a 1976 Colony Park, with only 35000 miles on it. It's blue with blue vinyl, interior, and blue belts, this wagon has been in Sweden at least since the eighties, a friend of mine bought it 1992 it had 12000 when he bought it. I told him 1992 that, if he ever wants to sell, I want to buy. He came to me August 2023, and asked me to buy it, so ,now it's in my garage. I have been thinking of filming a video, and put it on you tube, but it's been raining whole August, oktober and the first week of november.so it's locked in until the weather gets better. Whole August rained to, so I have only driven it a few times in September. So i wait for better weather. I really like your video's, ceep them coming. Best regards from Marco.
I really enjoy hearing about some of these unusual trim options. I don't recall ever having been in a car with this textile but I do remember the thick carpets which seemed to be in every Ford product except the Pinto.
We had Three 1986 Colony Parks for moving bodies to our Funeral Homes. Now we use 4 Chrysler Pacifica Vans for removals and multiple things. Always enjoy your detailed reviews.
Love the wagon memories flashback. In the late 70s in rural NC myself and 6 other boys would pile into '72 Ford wagon for Friday night camping and fishing trips at the Catawba river. Good times.
Funny wagon story, i bought for my ex-wife a beautiful Oxford Green Metallic '01 BMW 540i wagon in '08. She loved it, but complained that it shook and acted like it was going to shut off while she drove it in town. Took it to the shop on multiple occasions and couldn't find anything wrong. Finally asked her to take me for a drive in it. After we left the first stop light i knew what was happening. Told her "i think i know whats wrong". At the next light i slyly reached down and turn off the traction control. When the light turned green the rear tires turned into smoke.
She had never driven a car with almost 300HP before. 😅
As always, a great video and once again, very enlightening and interesting. I think you may have miss spoke around 7:00 stating that the coupe was shorter than the wagon,,,, sorry if I'm confused. Thanks so much for creating these awesome videos.
‘Peak Wagon’….what a great line Adam.
I remember in 1974 FoMoCo offered a ‘Buyers Guide’ and listed woven vinyl as one of the upholstery options by various manufacturers.
Long live the Duraweave! We had that in our '83 Crown Vic/Country Squire wagon and yes, it was virtually indestructible. I can't remember for sure but I think by then the rear side facing seats in the back had it too, but don't quote me on that. Man I miss that car! :(
Old 1970s Wagons always remind me of the Griswold and Brady family car
My 1970s childhood was spent in a medium size town in a rectangular midwestern state living in a solidly middleclass neighborhood with a mix of split level and rambler homes. Most of the families had domestic cars and the bulk of those were some kind of station wagon...we had a 1970 Chevy Kingswood wagon with a black vinyl interior...that was scalding hot in the summer. Luckily the factory GM air conditioning would cool it off in a hurry. Our neighbors had a 1974 Plymouth Sport Suburban Fury based wagon...red with woodgrain trim and a white vinyl interior. The family a few houses down from us had Mercury Colony Park wagons and would trade them every few years. One of them looked very similar to your wagon...but I don't recall what interior trim it had.
Dad had ordered our Kingswood and kept it for almost 10 years and we took many vacations with it....one memorable one was having a cross bar on the luggage rack break and depositing our suitcases on the PA Turnpike. But it took us to eastern Canada and the rocky mountains....
Interestingly enough..this family were early adopters in using an SUV as a family car and bought an International Scout with a hard top as a second car. I recall the Dad was a physician and four wheel drive would help him motor through our snowy winters to get to his clinic.
Later in life, right after turning 30, I bought a 1994 Ford Taurus GL wagon...pacific green with a gray cloth interior....and about 10 years later, I bought a 2003 BMW 3 Series wagon....I wanted a BMW but with 2 small kids and harsh winters...an all wheel drive BMW wagon was the compromise. Our primary family car has been Honda Odyssey minivans, though we did try a lease return Acura MDX for a few years but nothing compares to the space efficiency of a minivan.
The woven vinyl was introduced in the late 60's. I know for a fact my best friend had a 1969 Country Squire with it. My 1971 Mustang also had this fabric. It was amazingly durable, comfortable, and easy to clean. I also know it was available as late as 1985 on the F150 since we ordered it on a new 85 truck.
Drive-In movies in our 1967 Chevelle Malibu wagon.. laying in the “Way back” as we called it…
Found memories of cramming into the back cargo area of our '69 Country Squire. Also seat belts were a rarity in the 70's early 80's.
8:48 As a kid, one of our neighbors had the "rear A/C" unit ... Air Conditioning was still fairly rare at the time, so I thought that rear unit was the COOLEST thing I'd ever seen (pun not intended, but appropriate).
These were the SUVs/Minivans of their day
My parents bought new a 1960 Borgward Isabella Combi, and a 1968 Volvo 145S automatic wagon, both white/cream with red interiors. They kept the Volvo for 30 plus years and gave it to the mechanic who had always maintained it.
Thanks Adam ! More videos please. We’re ALL waiting :)
Family never had a wagon in the 70s and 80s but I always wished we had one. I bought a 1988 Pontiac Safari wagon in 2009, it was the rarest of the GM B-Body station wagons. It was white with faux wood siding. We named it “Griswold”. Hahaha.
Volvo had a great TV commercial in the '70s making fun of how huge American station wagons were, and they pointed out that the Volvo 145 wagon "is as easy to park and maneuver as a Volvo sedan because it's exactly the same size".
My patents had 55, 57 and 59 Chevy wagons. I have owned a 76 Vega GT wagon, a 70 VW Square back, an 06 HHR, and am now driving an 18 Buick TourX. My classic collection is an 84 Olds Custom Cruiser. I like wagons.
In 1965 my Dad bought my mom a brand new 65 Buick sport Wagon 350, 4 barrel.
It had the vista view roof.
The third seat faced backwards towards the rear glass.
It was the first car my mom had driven with power brakes!
It was an adventure.
In 1963 (summer-ish) I remember my Father brought home a 'New' 1963 Impala 4 Door Sedan with Power Brakes.
This was a Middle Class Neighborhood where everyone knew each other.
The neighbors were all outside chatting and my Mother wanted to test drive the 'New' car. She was so excited.
First thing she did was apply the brakes. The Power Brakes and did they screech.
She was so embarrassed because the neighbors all saw and heard her do it. LOL
Power brakes we still pretty new back then.
So all the Dads were 'explaining' how they worked.
We had three station wagons in the sixties and seventies, all Oldsmobiles: a '69 Cutlass Vista Cruiser, a '74 Ninety-Eight Custom Cruiser, and a '77 Cutlass wagon. A pleasant memory I have of those from when I was a child is being able to lie down in the back crosswise (with the third seat down) and then roll around as the car went up- or downhill.
Also, you mentioned a "van craze" that may have dented the popularity of wagons after the early seventies, but that seventies van craze, if that's what you're talking about, was not for practical family haulers. It was a craze for colorful, customized show-off vans for wild young people, with one popular customization company called Good Time Vans that you saw a lot. The replacement of station wagons by vans as family haulers wouldn't come until the mid-eighties introduction of mini-vans, which lasted into the nineties.
I remember many rides in the back of a 69 Visa Cruiser, and a 72 Chevy Kingswood..
I loved the knitted vinyl in my 79 F 250 4x4 in 1982
Almost didn't watch but so glad that I did. Never heard of this material and interesting that it is so tough but still looks nice.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Best wagon adventure? Well having grown up the oldest of 6, I have many memories in a few different wagons. But one that stands out is the time a friend and I were cruising one night in my family’s 1968 Chrysler Town&Country Beach Wagon, that was powered by a 440/4 brl TNT. We had going so fast that the speedometer needle went passed 120 and into the clock, just past the speedometer!!! That big ol TNT was screaming and the doors were shaking, plus he noticed the gas gauge going down!!
My dad bought ranch wagons. On longer trips i would sack out with the luggage way out back. What I recall most was the intense heaters. If he left it on defrost us kids would call out to turn the heat down and it gets cold in Saskatchewan and Manitoba! Certainly no rear heaters needed. Good times.
As a bonus you had no salt on the roads to rust them in just a couple of winters like we had back in Ontario.
Ahh yes!!! The Family Truckster. Rich Corinthian leather & Dynasty Plush Loom Polyknit Vinyl. Gotta love marketing in the 70s. The 1969 Colony Park wagon TV commercial stated. "If Continental made a wagon, this would be it!
that was the era when Mercury were "Little Lincolns" instead of "Fancy Fords"
Very cool indeed. Those are beautiful seats. My parents bought a Chrysler Town & Country, new in 1972 (red), and replaced it with another new one in 1975. That one was the brochure color. That car was sold the year before I got my license. I'd love to have it now. When we had that `75 Chrysler my Uncle had a Buick Estate Wagon, probably also a `75. And then our good friends who lived near us had a Mercury Montego MX Villager wagon. I'm not sure what year it was, maybe around `74-`76. I never knew anyone with a Colony Park. They are beautiful wagons. But I'm partial to Chrysler.
Wow you have quite the collection, would love to see it all sometime! Keep up the great work !
We had a 1973 Colony Park in a medium green color. It was the Cadillac Escalade of its day. We had many summer vacations on Cape Cod with that wagon.
Adam, Bravo!! The erudition and perspicacity you bring to these videos is laudable. I hope some day you can lend the same scholarly zeal to a dissertation about the 'Intermediate' wagons of this era. 😁
Adam, another great watch, nice car. My best wagon memory is a friend and I took a three-month cross-country trip in a Vega Wagon, Yes -- A Vega. We would sleep in the car whenever possible. but the amazing thing is we made it home "9,000 miles later" without any problems whatsoever --- amazing.
1960 Chrysler New Yorker Station Wagon was my overall favorite station wagon!
A late 60’s to early 70’s wagon, especially a woody wagon (any make!) with a good rumbly dual exhaust would make a fantastic car to roll up to the car show in. With all your friends!
My favourite memory in a station wagon? My friends' mom owned a mid-seventies Country Squire with a rear-facing bench seat and one day when she took us bowling we became unruly and she went to close the powered rear window. Unfortunately, she didn't realize I had my head sticking out and got it squeezed at the top as she was trying to close it. I was ok.
In 1976, my then-fiancee inherited a loaded 1973 Chrysler Town & Country wagon, which offered more than enough room to transport her concert grand harp (or a 4'x6' sheet of plywood) in style.
More oddly amazing content. The research you must do is amazing.
Nice Adam! all the Ford Family Way Back Seats of this era were always Vinyl never cloth or matching style to the 2 front rows. I suppose they did this for many reasons durability and cost savings. I miss our ‘1968 Ford Country Sedan in sky blue with med blue interior and A/C which was very rare and Dad never used it because it used more gas. In the 10 years we owned it he turned it on once on our way back from the Beach as all of us had a little too much sun on a very Hot Humid Day and the car cooled down in 10 minutes and I was in the way back. That felt like a million dollars as they use to say lol. 😊
I've had a few wagons (none Ford) but am familiar with that fabric. Other makes had similar variants. I really like it for comfort, flexibility and wear. I have a 1970 Dodge truck and selected the upholstery fabrics myself and had a shop stitch the covers for me. I used Naugahyde marine grade vinyl for the skirts and main material and there is a fabric very similar to that Ford material called Sunbrella Sling which I used for the inserts. The seats came out VERY nice and look like NEW after 5 years. The Sunbrella Sling is very UV resistant.
Wow, that really is a beautiful interior.
Thanx Adam, for another great video. My parents never had a wagon. They ALWAYS had coupes or convertibles. Two of my uncles always had wagons. They each had 5 kids so that is why. Love your knowledge of the manufacturer's. I worked a Buick Dealership in'77-'78. The full Buick wagons had an option for the front seat to have cloth, while the rest of the seats were vinyl. I thought that to be cool. Speaking of Wagons. Do a video of the intermediate Wagons from GM with the 1978 and on. They were not good. People complained about the windows.
my 70 Cadillac hearse had rear ac, i imagine it came in handy on slow drives in the summertime.
Your 70 would have been referred to as a "combo" - ambulance and hearse combined. These saved a lot of money for the services that used them and were fully functional as either, usually including panels to cover the rear side windows for hearse duty. Miller Meteor and Superior were very popular makers of these coaches. The rear air conditioning and heating units were primarily used in the ambulance application when transporting patients. I have 2 friends who own Miller Meteor combos from 1970, great build quality and unique features.
it started out life as an ambulance, there was a zipper in the headliner from where the wiring for lights were. when i got it, it was being used by a daycare car and had been painted pink. i remember early 1 morning getting up early to see if it could go 140 mph like the speedo suggested it might go and it did....@@ayryz1
I bought a '64 Country Squire in 1976 for $150.00. Fully loaded with a 390, it needed some work but my wife and I drove that car for years and brought my newborn son home from the hospital in that car. Used it for camping too 'cause with the rear seat folded down and a foam pad in the back it made quite a comfortable bed. Great car. Driven sanely it could get 19 mpg.
I lived in that reality where Ford, GM, Chrysler and even AMC wagons roamed the suburban streets. We had several Matador wagons with brougham trim that were really nice on long trips back then!
Mom & Dad's 1972 Pontiac Grand Safari was only available with vinyl interior, patterned somewhat like the Grand Ville. Mom had her eye on a cream-colored '72 Colony Park but while visiting the Pontiac dealer they were offered a good deal on the Grand Safari, which was special ordered without wood sidiing and with rally wheels, but the customer for some reason did not take delivery. Dad liked the sportier look and they took the big wagon home. We called her "Big Blue Brenda" and tears were shed in late '77 as Dad backed her down the driveway for the last time. She was traded for a new '78 Buick Estate wagon. I'd look for "Big Blue" in traffic, but she was never seen again. Mom finally got her Colony Park in '83 when it came time to replace the Buick. It was her last traditional family wagon and last American car for quite some time, owning a succession of Volvos. Today she sports a big brown Buick Enclave.
And if you want a modern car that recalls those old 70s family trucksters... look at the Ford Flex. It's nothing like an SUV and nothing like a minivan. My brother's wife owned one, which we nicknamed "Aunt Edna"...
Those always reminded me of a 1962 Falcon wagon. Probably bigger though.
My best station wagon memory was the last day we had one!!!
Beautiful cars, wonderful interiors.
At first I was mad that my parents bought a Sable wagon when I got my license. But then I realized I could fit 10 of my friends in it, plus it was great at the drive in…especially with the rear seats folded 😅