It was awesome to see these old friends. I was 11 when my dad bought a new 73 Caprice Estate. It was midnight blue metallic w/ the woodgrain on the sides. I loved the clamshell! It was the coolest car on the block. Thanks for showing these beauties!
10 years after your post, I want to thank you for keeping those gals safe. The clamshell GMs were the very best of station wagons. I have seen to many of the clamshells die in demo derby.
Brings me back to my Childhood...we drove 5 hours in a blue one , on a Boy Scout weekend to the Battleship Massachusetts....Nice driving Roomy Car...Fit all our stuff in the back...I would own one today..👍
Great collection! At about 8 years old, I was so impressed with the looks of my Great Uncle's 73' Townsman that I would go out clean all of the marker lamps with Windex and paper towels. I was mesmerized by the clam shell tailgate, and overall style of the car.
When I was in high school, I had a '73 kingswood estate wagon. 400 small block, 400 turbo trans. Light green with woodgrain panels, clamshell tail gate, that also opened flat, and swung to the side. I loved that car! While I was in the Army, dad pulled my motor to put in thier '74 wagon. Talk about angry when I got home...
Years ago I'm sure not many appreciated how sharp these cars looked, and there is still a stigma against 4 doors and wagons. Pop had a '76 and I own a '65 Impala 4 dr hardtop. I would sooner be on the fringe of the hobby and shake it up at car shows with these models (4 doors/wagons) than hang with the sheep. Those who "get it" appreciate style.
Those are the ones with the Awesome tailgates!!! The glass and door swing sideways to open, or turn a key switch and they collapse down underneath the car wide open. The Ultimate combination would be to add the sky roof upper perimeter windows from the later models. 👍👍
Very very cool. If you have ever seen the TV movie "Dying Room Only" from '73, they used a '73 Kingswood. I would love to get my hands on one. Just great cars.
My first car was a 73 impala I loved that car it was so reliable..I think the 73s had the best looking front ends...350 & turbo 350 tranny where bullit proof...The body did not like are canadian winters (rust big time) to bad ...I still miss that car...good thing gas was chep back then i think it got about 10 MPG!!...base engine was a inline six!!! wow that was a lot of car for a six!!!! thank you for posting this.
I had a 1973 Impala and a 1973 Caprice Estate, both with the 400. The Impala was peppy, but the loaded Caprice with highway gearing could have used the 454. Both were fantastic cars, and the power tailgates were utterly reliable. They were victims of their own ruggedness. I had to quit going to demo derbies when these became the preferred vehicle.
They were too damn big the Chevy wagons were actually C bodied. All GM full sized wagons were built on the C body shared with the big Cadillacs. The big Chevy wagons rode on a 125" wheelbase and was close to 225" long. The 71 full sized Chevy sedans and convertibles rode on a 121.5" wheelbase and was 216.9" long. By 1976 they had the same wheelbase but overall length of the sedans had stretched to about 222.9".
The glass was powered but the tailgates were manual on some. The little hand-twist release around the keyhole means it's a manual gate. Parents had one of these when I was a kid... took my driving test on it.
Love the 70s Chevrolet full size and wagons. My dad had a 1974 Impala..someone must have ordered and and did not get it. It had the 400, tilt wheel, cruise, power windows and door locks, clock, AM-FM stereo. I always wondered why if that was the reason for this optioned out why they did not get the Caprice. On the wagons, they are beautiful. The blue one looked optioned out with the Bumper group, looked like it had power door locks.All 3 are classics and you do not see them any more. thanks
People act like these wagons were show pieces but we drove these cars to work/for work.I had 2 1973 wagons I think one kingswood,maybe other Impala,K wood more bells&whistles?, I went to a car lot,I said I need a car,Big sno on grnd,He said,Got a good old Chevy wgn, been back there a month,that thing started,I gave 200.00 400 sm blk,It was a great car!!. This was 1982/83?,not sure act date
Ron Gates, 34 years ago, this fall, I had a peculiar dream @ a battered and dusty mixed years '71-'72 Pontiac Grand Safari station wagon after reading only the first four pages of the title chapter, The Speed Demon in The Hardy Boys original 1st mystery series, The Tower Treasure. I can give you the rest of the details about this dream if you can provide me with your email address. 📧 😉 I plan on writing ✍️🏽 a faith-based novel based on it, to be titled "An Incubus Behind the Wheel," a backstory to my real bigger work, "Mineral County." The backstory will star a suspicious dirty primer dark gray '68 Chevelle Malibu (coined by the public "a dark gray, '68 primer dragster.") and starring in "Mineral County;" also dirty and primer gray suspicious Chevy Impala custom hardtop sedan(coined by the public, "a '67 primer gray sedan.") Nobody would know what model and make the vehicle would be, and they'll also get the year wrong too. Just like in The Wheels of Terror(1990), a made-for-cable-TV thriller, which eerily played out similarly and shocked me to the core, to the point I was suctioned to my seat, and the room grew small as if I was in a replica scale diorama. In the movie, the residents called it the Dodge Charger, a "74 primer black sedan." Just in case you saw the movie and had The USA cable network @ the time.
When I was a kid, my neighbors had a '72 Bel Air wagon with the MANUAL tailgate. That thing was a beast for Mr. B. to close. It also had a 350/2bbl, which was a dog in that whale of a car. Later, he got a '74 Kingswood with the 400 small block, which was slightly better and had an electric tailgate. These wagons were a bit of a boondoggle, as the complex tailgate (and gaping cavity to hold it) made the car 500 pounds heavier than a competing Plymouth or Ford, but today they're pretty cool. :-)
cameraman has a case of the jiggles :) My Dad had a 1972 Chevy wagon, but I don't know what specific model. I think it may have been a Kingswood. I still remember getting in it for the first time and thinking that this must be what heaven smelled like. After about 2 years it had problems, and I was too young to understand what had happened. But there it sat in the driveway for a LONG time. Something to do with the motor or the tranny, but I dunno.
Wow those are super sweet wagons, I grew up in these from the 65 and 66 impala wagons to a 69 then my dad and mom got a 72 and a 74. It's extremely sad that people destroyed most of them for derby cars. Although I think even Ford and d9dge wagons are also awesome even though I prefer chevys I'd rather see ford's get demo'd I have an 06 dodge magnum wagon rt I love
Had a blue 73 Bel air wagon , no roof rack, 400cu in. 2bbl lotsa' room. Ez maintenance. I'd still have it if not for the gas mileage, I'd rather have, than a new SUV.
Wow. I have a 73 impala wagon and love it. Mine is being killed by the east coast. I bought it in '92 with 89 k. Now has over 230 k. Put a lift kit and all terrain bf goodrich tires on it. Man the looks i would get out in the california deserts. Looked like a Tonka toy. Where do you get body parts? Front bumper insert? Rear window seals?
They did use these for demo derbys guy tried buying mine,They wud offer big money back then for chevy wgns& Chry imperials,leaf springs kept car from folding up.
Amazing! Where did you find three wagons in such beautiful condition? Are they restored or original? My first car was a 73 Caprice 2dr with the 400. I finally had to give it up at 245,000 miles only because of the rust....Still had the original engine and tranny, never rebuilt. My dream car, would be a 73 convertible....Maybe, someday......
bettyboop65340 Hi there. Do you have parts for these wagons? We have one in lil old NZ with no back seat bottom. It was turned into a hearse but no one had the whole back seat. :-)
caro amigo gostaria da sua ajuda eu tenho uma chevrolet impala station wagon 1973 estou sem os dois vidros de trás e não encontro em lugar nenhum se possível aguardo resposta fico feliz pela ajuda !
Nostalgia aside, these weren't very good cars. 1973 wasn't a very good year for GM. This was during the time when auto makers were scrambling to meet emissions standards. Because of all of the emissions modifications, the engines actually consumed more fuel! The brand new white '73 Impala wagon my mother had only got 11MPG and would ping during hard excelleration! But we still had fond memories traveling in that car. We once took a trip from Florida to Texas, and the lowest price of gas I remember was 25 cents a gallon! Can you imagine, they could pump it out of the ground, refine it, deliver it to the filing stations, and still make a profit at 25 cents a gallon, amazing! Of course, this was right before the Arab oil embargo.
I've been following Vetteman's build thread of his 71 Pontiac at the Station Wagon Forum. You're right, these were pretty bad for their years. They look nice and they ride comfortably when working, but the doors and window seals often do not align up right. And rust issues are heaping on these, from the sides of the roof to the rear side window channels to the doglegs and to the gas tank.
It was awesome to see these old friends. I was 11 when my dad bought a new 73 Caprice Estate. It was midnight blue metallic w/ the woodgrain on the sides. I loved the clamshell! It was the coolest car on the block. Thanks for showing these beauties!
I learned to drive at 15 years old in my parent's 1972 Kingswood Estate Wagon.
10 years after your post, I want to thank you for keeping those gals safe. The clamshell GMs were the very best of station wagons.
I have seen to many of the clamshells die in demo derby.
Brings me back to my Childhood...we drove 5 hours in a blue one , on a Boy Scout weekend to the Battleship Massachusetts....Nice driving Roomy Car...Fit all our stuff in the back...I would own one today..👍
IN the Battleship Massachusetts!!!!
My parents had a 1974 Impala wagon, in midnight blue. Thanks for the memories!
PHILZFAN, I can practically see a '74 Impala in that color and also in black/black interior.
Great collection! At about 8 years old, I was so impressed with the looks of my Great Uncle's 73' Townsman that I would go out clean all of the marker lamps with Windex and paper towels. I was mesmerized by the clam shell tailgate, and overall style of the car.
I feel you guys,my mom bought this car in the early 80's up to the mid ninties.it dident want to die just keeped goin and going.
When I was in high school, I had a '73 kingswood estate wagon. 400 small block, 400 turbo trans. Light green with woodgrain panels, clamshell tail gate, that also opened flat, and swung to the side. I loved that car! While I was in the Army, dad pulled my motor to put in thier '74 wagon. Talk about angry when I got home...
@Black Buick Yes your right.. I had 2 1973 Chevy wagons one electric door&window other one elec window manual gate,never had any trouble w either.
Love the mid 60s to early 70s Impalas ! Remember when everyone owned an Impala !!
Now thats a real wagon ! Lots of space in it. Much better than todays wagons...
Of course, with a clamshell rear door the 73 Impala wagon has nothing to ask the current wagons. It marked a wonderful time
I remember these when growing up in the 70's, I have a brochure with wagons like these.
Doug, how long did you have those brochures?
All three are nicely preserved, especially the blue one.
Years ago I'm sure not many appreciated how sharp these cars looked, and there is still a stigma against 4 doors and wagons. Pop had a '76 and I own a '65 Impala 4 dr hardtop. I would sooner be on the fringe of the hobby and shake it up at car shows with these models (4 doors/wagons) than hang with the sheep. Those who "get it" appreciate style.
Awwww, CHEVY!!!!!! MY childhood car!!! He was harvest gold, though. Makes me tear up a bit--the old American family roadster.
Those are the ones with the Awesome tailgates!!! The glass and door swing sideways to open, or turn a key switch and they collapse down underneath the car wide open. The Ultimate combination would be to add the sky roof upper perimeter windows from the later models. 👍👍
GORGEOUS CHEVY 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
i wonder if all these beauties are still on the road today !14.03.2021
Love the green one! Really like the wrap around glass on these cars...wish I had one
And the clamshell tailgate
Cameron Stone, that wrap @ glass on the back of them things was TOTALLY AWESOME, true-to-life 1970s. 😎
Very very cool. If you have ever seen the TV movie "Dying Room Only" from '73, they used a '73 Kingswood. I would love to get my hands on one. Just great cars.
Spent a lot of time in that wagon when we were Kids.
Amazing collection! Wish I still had my 73 caprice coupe!
The green one is sharp.
I love the 73 Impalas and Caprice Estates. The clamshell wagons are unique.
I hated the rubber oil plug, it came out easy enough, try getting it back in!
Looks like something roomy and comfy.
Full house.......great cars.🙂 🎯🇸🇪
My first car was a 73 impala I loved that car it was so reliable..I think the 73s had the best looking front ends...350 & turbo 350 tranny where bullit proof...The body did not like are canadian winters (rust big time) to bad ...I still miss that car...good thing gas was chep back then i think it got about 10 MPG!!...base engine was a inline six!!! wow that was a lot of car for a six!!!! thank you for posting this.
I had a 1973 Impala and a 1973 Caprice Estate, both with the 400. The Impala was peppy, but the loaded Caprice with highway gearing could have used the 454. Both were fantastic cars, and the power tailgates were utterly reliable. They were victims of their own ruggedness. I had to quit going to demo derbies when these became the preferred vehicle.
My dad owned a blue one..
I wish that I could buy him one today
The 1971-1976 GM B-Bodies were the peak in station wagons.
They were too damn big the Chevy wagons were actually C bodied. All GM full sized wagons were built on the C body shared with the big Cadillacs. The big Chevy wagons rode on a 125" wheelbase and was close to 225" long. The 71 full sized Chevy sedans and convertibles rode on a 121.5" wheelbase and was 216.9" long. By 1976 they had the same wheelbase but overall length of the sedans had stretched to about 222.9".
@@larryhawkins3294 Wow you an expert Larry?..Own one?, or Google U?😏
Is that color ' Silver' or 'Rosewood' ?? Are any of these BEAUTIFUL WAGONS FOR SALE ??
Amazing shape but wish you showed the power tailgates in action
The glass was powered but the tailgates were manual on some. The little hand-twist release around the keyhole means it's a manual gate. Parents had one of these when I was a kid... took my driving test on it.
@@boggy7665 I had 2,1973s, one elec glass man gate,other full elec if memory serves me right
Fucking beautiful!
I grew up with this!
Love the 70s Chevrolet full size and wagons. My dad had a 1974 Impala..someone must have ordered and and did not get it. It had the 400, tilt wheel, cruise, power windows and door locks, clock, AM-FM stereo. I always wondered why if that was the reason for this optioned out why they did not get the Caprice. On the wagons, they are beautiful. The blue one looked optioned out with the Bumper group, looked like it had power door locks.All 3 are classics and you do not see them any more. thanks
People act like these wagons were show pieces but we drove these cars to work/for work.I had 2 1973 wagons I think one kingswood,maybe other Impala,K wood more bells&whistles?, I went to a car lot,I said I need a car,Big sno on grnd,He said,Got a good old Chevy wgn, been back there a month,that thing started,I gave 200.00 400 sm blk,It was a great car!!. This was 1982/83?,not sure act date
My step dad Hank had a 74 Pontiac we travel Coast to Coast a lot motor 400 color green love it
Ron Gates, 34 years ago, this fall, I had a peculiar dream @ a battered and dusty mixed years '71-'72 Pontiac Grand Safari station wagon after reading only the first four pages of the title chapter, The Speed Demon in The Hardy Boys original 1st mystery series, The Tower Treasure. I can give you the rest of the details about this dream if you can provide me with your email address. 📧 😉
I plan on writing ✍️🏽 a faith-based novel based on it, to be titled "An Incubus Behind the Wheel," a backstory to my real bigger work, "Mineral County." The backstory will star a suspicious dirty primer dark gray '68 Chevelle Malibu (coined by the public "a dark gray, '68 primer dragster.") and starring in "Mineral County;" also dirty and primer gray suspicious Chevy Impala custom hardtop sedan(coined by the public, "a '67 primer gray sedan.") Nobody would know what model and make the vehicle would be, and they'll also get the year wrong too. Just like in The Wheels of Terror(1990), a made-for-cable-TV thriller, which eerily played out similarly and shocked me to the core, to the point I was suctioned to my seat, and the room grew small as if I was in a replica scale diorama. In the movie, the residents called it the Dodge Charger, a "74 primer black sedan." Just in case you saw the movie and had The USA cable network @ the time.
When I was a kid, my neighbors had a '72 Bel Air wagon with the MANUAL tailgate. That thing was a beast for Mr. B. to close. It also had a 350/2bbl, which was a dog in that whale of a car. Later, he got a '74 Kingswood with the 400 small block, which was slightly better and had an electric tailgate.
These wagons were a bit of a boondoggle, as the complex tailgate (and gaping cavity to hold it) made the car 500 pounds heavier than a competing Plymouth or Ford, but today they're pretty cool. :-)
SA WHEET!!!!!! We had a 73 Caprice Estate wagon in light brown. yours look awesome.
Nice cars and music country 👍🌹🇺🇲
Abusalah Alsalah, those 70s caprice wagons and country music are a MATCH.🔗
Bring back memory's my dad had 1970 station wagon like that it was a nice 🚗 car
Super conservados 👏👏👏👏
Wait... I thought all Impalas in the 70's were blue!!!!! They had other colors?!?!?!? The curved side glass is dope.
cameraman has a case of the jiggles :) My Dad had a 1972 Chevy wagon, but I don't know what specific model. I think it may have been a Kingswood. I still remember getting in it for the first time and thinking that this must be what heaven smelled like. After about 2 years it had problems, and I was too young to understand what had happened. But there it sat in the driveway for a LONG time. Something to do with the motor or the tranny, but I dunno.
been a while but didnt "400" badges on the front mean small block 400 but "400" down near the rocker meant it had a 396 that was really a 402?
Wow those are super sweet wagons, I grew up in these from the 65 and 66 impala wagons to a 69 then my dad and mom got a 72 and a 74. It's extremely sad that people destroyed most of them for derby cars. Although I think even Ford and d9dge wagons are also awesome even though I prefer chevys I'd rather see ford's get demo'd I have an 06 dodge magnum wagon rt I love
Man those wagons are sick wish I had one I like the way look just wicked I wish they could bring them back cause I would be the first one to buy it
Catalinas, came std. with bumper strips.
I had a '73 Impala custom coupe. That year, the wagons had better lines than the coupes or the sedans.
Had a blue 73 Bel air wagon , no roof rack, 400cu in. 2bbl lotsa' room. Ez maintenance.
I'd still have it if not for the gas mileage, I'd rather have, than a new SUV.
got em on sale ? three for one ... ? Seriously though those are cool and very rare to see in that condition.
Now the silver one lifes in Germamy, great car!
We had a 73 Kingswood Wagon 350 automatic with dark blue paint
this was the favorite car at demolition derby's,i guess that's why most of 'em are gone now.probably the strongest cars ever made.
Nice wagons!! I have a 1976 Caprice Estate wagon with just over 60k OG miles. Ill upload a video one of these days...
Car Cult, what color is it?
just beautiful. man.
Wow. I have a 73 impala wagon and love it. Mine is being killed by the east coast. I bought it in '92 with 89 k. Now has over 230 k. Put a lift kit and all terrain bf goodrich tires on it. Man the looks i would get out in the california deserts. Looked like a Tonka toy. Where do you get body parts? Front bumper insert? Rear window seals?
Me gustan las tres camionetas
First car I wrecked, a 74' 400 #44- Medium Green
Puts. Beatifull!
Awesome! Would love to see/hear it run!
You have a buyer if you're interested in selling
those hubcaps on the green wagon looks like they came off a 72 impala
Nice wagons and nice music. And yeah I've heard these wagons are looked for by derby guys a lot, They are around 5,000 pounds curb weight after all.
They did use these for demo derbys guy tried buying mine,They wud offer big money back then for chevy wgns& Chry imperials,leaf springs kept car from folding up.
I love em all that Rose colored one with the mags is awesome
BTW - what is the name of that song?
fuckn awesome
just killer wagons!
Who's playing the music
The kid from Deliverance.
Buckwheat zydeco
Are any still for sale
Amazing! Where did you find three wagons in such beautiful condition? Are they restored or original? My first car was a 73 Caprice 2dr with the 400. I finally had to give it up at 245,000 miles only because of the rust....Still had the original engine and tranny, never rebuilt. My dream car, would be a 73 convertible....Maybe, someday......
what is the song playing?
Blue one is nice , but I'll take the 400 green machine........
Love that sonny terry too.
"WOW" !
(Harmonica starts playing and shows some big station wagons) VERY FUCKING AMERICAN! HOW CAN YOU GET SO FUCKING AMERICAN IN THIS VIDEO?
whats nz?
This sounds like that one Nicholas cage movie where the guys soul kept dancing even though he was dead.
what is that great tune ?
Indeed great tune.
I dont like the 73 front but other than that I love all three
Awesome!!!
3 mint wagons 2 454s,400. i would love to drive and then demo them.
need any parts?
bettyboop65340 Hi there. Do you have parts for these wagons? We have one in lil old NZ with no back seat bottom. It was turned into a hearse but no one had the whole back seat. :-)
May 29, 1973.
music is good
You need to facebook your website!
Whew 😮
caro amigo gostaria da sua ajuda eu tenho uma chevrolet impala station wagon 1973 estou sem os dois vidros de trás e não encontro em lugar nenhum se possível aguardo resposta fico feliz pela ajuda !
That's a "Dad's station wagon"!
Too bad the website is now defunct.
all I have are 4doors and 2 doors
Nice.
Nostalgia aside, these weren't very good cars. 1973 wasn't a very good year for GM. This was during the time when auto makers were scrambling to meet emissions standards. Because of all of the emissions modifications, the engines actually consumed more fuel! The brand new white '73 Impala wagon my mother had only got 11MPG and would ping during hard excelleration! But we still had fond memories traveling in that car. We once took a trip from Florida to Texas, and the lowest price of gas I remember was 25 cents a gallon! Can you imagine, they could pump it out of the ground, refine it, deliver it to the filing stations, and still make a profit at 25 cents a gallon, amazing! Of course, this was right before the Arab oil embargo.
Yep might be true, but if I had 30 of these in my back yard, I could sell them in an hour. Lol
I've been following Vetteman's build thread of his 71 Pontiac at the Station Wagon Forum. You're right, these were pretty bad for their years. They look nice and they ride comfortably when working, but the doors and window seals often do not align up right. And rust issues are heaping on these, from the sides of the roof to the rear side window channels to the doglegs and to the gas tank.
looks like the van Nuys parking with rows of JUNK IMPALA WAGONS!
Really nice and rare cars today…. Poor choice of music though.👎🏻 With sh you had shown the tailgate operations.
Check out the wagon in this video......ua-cam.com/video/al-2rmaQMQ8/v-deo.html
Nice except for the gray one - such a dead non-color.
It looks light brown to me. I think it was a very common color on those cars. A little drab, yes.
I.
their* not there. you uneducated person. how will you teach your kids if you don't even know how to spell.