UPDATE – This station wagon got bid up to $5,150 after we previously featured it, but it has been relisted here on eBay. This time with a Buy-It-Now of $7,995 with the option to make an offer. Special thanks to Russell G for letting us know that it had been relisted!
FROM 4/17/2020 – Sometimes classic car ownership and growing families tend to be mutually exclusive, and there are more than a few individuals who have had to forego their classic car dreams all together due to family restrictions. That’s where vehicles like this 1968 Ford Country Sedan really come into their own. Even the tallest teenager with the longest legs should be able to travel in comfort in this beauty, a feat that they may struggle to achieve in something like the rear seat of a Mustang or Camaro. In addition, family holidays would be a breeze, because the rear cargo area is absolutely cavernous. This Ford looks like it is a good one, and it is located in Chester, New York. It has been listed for sale here on eBay, and while bidding has reached $3,700, the reserve hasn’t been met.
The owner of the Royal Maroon Country Sedan states that it has been garage-kept for its entire life, and apart from the wheels, it is completely original. Looking around the vehicle, it carries a reasonable collection of scratches and dings, although none of these seem to be particularly bad. However, the paint is claimed to all be original, and it does seem to be holding a nice shine. There is rust to contend with, but once again, it doesn’t appear to be severe. The lower rear quarter panel on the driver’s side and the bottom corners of both rear doors have the worst of what is visible, but it would appear that it could be easily addressed with patches. Looking under the wagon reveals a pretty heavy coating of surface corrosion, but the only actual rot is a couple of spots in the front floor. Once again, these are the sorts of spots that could be patched, rather than the next owner having to resort to replacing the floors. The Country Sedan is a light and airy vehicle, with its cause being aided by an enormous amount of glass. Thankfully, all of the glass appears to be in good condition. Some of the external trim does show damage, particularly the chrome around the passenger-side tail-light. There is also some damage to the rear bumper, but when I look at it, I believe that a good panel shop should be able to straighten it pretty easily. As mentioned, the wheels that are fitted to the Ford aren’t original, but the original wheels and hubcaps are present and will be included in the sale.
Taking a bit of a peek inside reveals an interior that largely looks nice. I mean, very nice. The dash appears to be spotless, and there have been no modifications made. The upholstery on the doors, the trim, and the seats look close to flawless, and such light upholstery against that Maroon exterior looks extremely classy. The Beige carpet also generally looks good, although there is some staining below where the driver would rest his feet. Before I considered replacing this, I would be very inclined to have it professionally cleaned. The results might be a bit surprising, and even if it made no difference, it would be tempting to throw some nice mats in rather than replace the carpet. As for luxury features, the wagon does come equipped with an AM radio, and while it is also fitted with air conditioning, the owner feels that this will require a recharge.
The news isn’t quite as good when we open the tailgate to take a look. Light-colored cargo areas are always going to suffer over the years, and this one is no exception. However, I think that some time spent back there with some high-quality cleaning products might return the plastic side trims to a reasonable level of presentation. The floors may present a slightly tougher challenge, but if the next owner isn’t fixated on originality, it could be worth investigating carpet by the yard that matches what is already in the front and having a custom carpet set made for the back. It would only be a matter of having the carpet cut to shape and the edges overlocked. There are plenty of carpet-laying companies that are capable of doing this, and while it might cost somewhere in the vicinity of $500, the finished product could be well worth the cost and effort.
Prospective owners were offered plenty of choices when it came to engines and transmissions for their 1968 Country Sedan, and in this case, we find the 390-2V V8 and 3-speed automatic transmission. That cross-country cruising is going to be made more relaxing by the inclusion of power steering and power front disc brakes. Mechanical condition is one of this classic’s strengths, with the Ford featuring new brakes, a freshly rebuilt transmission with a heavy-duty torque converter and a shift kit, along with a recent full fluid flush, and new wheels and tires. The result of all this effort and expense is a classic that is said to run and drive well, and one that attracts plenty of attention wherever it goes.
This 1968 Ford Country Sedan isn’t perfect, because if it was, then I suspect that bidding would have been even stronger than it has already been to this point. These are an extraordinarily practical vehicle, and nice examples really do grab plenty of attention. The demise of the new station wagon in favor of the SUV and people-carrier has seen a segment of the motoring community turn to vehicles like this for their station wagon “fix.” This has pushed prices upwards and made classics like this a pretty desirable commodity. That’s why I believe that this is a wagon that will be heading off to a new home in the very near future.
This one is COOL! If I needed a family hauler, I wouldn’t have any problem driving this one! GLWTA! :-)
Nice wagon, I like it. It gives off a bit different vibe as compared to its fancier Country Squire brother. Like similar-aged pickups, it’s good to see one which has survived in good shape, as both were meant to be used (we know that families can be rough on vehicles).
Love the color, style, and overall condition! Put some red walls on it, and you’d have a real life Hot Wheels look. This thing is wicked cool.
The only thing missing on this car is a 70’s era Detroit tigers bumper sticker. Would love to own this wagon
Different and more correct wheels and I’m a believer.
I totally agree. That would be one of the first things I would change. Brakes would be THE first. There are a couple rusted areas underneath, too. Some body work. Swap out the three speed tranny for an AOD and two BBL for a 4V. More power, better gas mileage. Bidding at $4,850.00. Very tempting. Very tempting.
PatrickM, I worked with a kid 1969 who had a 68 red Galaxie convert, 390/2bbl. He installed a Holley 500 CFM 2 barrel on the car, it ran really well! He then traded that car in on a 68 red Javelin, 290 2 barrel 4 speed car. He installed a 500 CFM Holley on that car and added dual exhausts. That car ran amazingly well, surprised quite a few people, and when they saw the 2 barrel, most just shook their heads in disbelief.
that is a clean wagon.
I don’t get why people try to put custom wheels with white walls on a car like this.
The original steel wheel with hub caps would be perfect for this one.
I’d love this, we had the same car in light blue. Took my driving test in this boat.
Many memories in my parents twin of this. Driving to the coast, camping (bear sniffing in the window), drive ins (‘lil bro waking up and just peeing in the back). One day it was gone. I never saw it until a couple years later in one of my dumber moments of rolling a tire down a big hill. It made it to a road, through a fairly major intersection and rolled half a block into the back of the old wagon. Then we ran like he#$!!!
Vintage station wagons have been gaining in popularity in recent years and the next owner of this Ford wagon is going to have a nice example.
The aftermarket wheels give it the finishing touch.
A better touch if they had of turned the tires around. Whitewalls and mags….wow…
I’d go with more period correct wheels.
If it is all-original paint, then i suppose the overspray where the D-column meets the body is original, too? Or is it missing some trim pieces on both sides?
I do not believe that is an original color.
The paint code on the VIN/body tag is a “B, for maroon.The door jambs, underhood areas are all consistent from what I can see. Also, the VIN tag also does not show any overspray at al, rarely do people mask them that well. The area on the d pillar that appears to be overspray is where the original maroon paint I believe is just weathering paint. I’m pretty certain the air scoop for the rear window is an aluminum casting, the inner portion of the scoop was left in natural aluminum.
I like chrome which this wagon has in just the right amount in the right places, including the rims. Too bad the stimulus check wasn’t bigger!
I always liked the rear window air deflectors built into the rear d pillar, as opposed to the typical overhead type found on most others. I clearly remember how to start Fords of this era, take your left hand and reach over the steering wheel and pull up on the shift lever while you turn the key with your right hand. All these Fords seemed to have an issue with the neutral safety switch adjustment. Cool wagon!
I’m not a Ford guy, but I love the look of this wagon. Great color combo. I’d be proud to haul groceries in it. So often owners don’t know when to stop with “improvements.” Remember those tribal stripes awhile back? This owner knows the value of subtlety.
I checked the 68 color charts, and they did have a maroon, but it appeared to be darker than this car. I had a bright red 68 Country Squire, and the chart does not show that color at all.
Sweet looking ride!!
A couple pics look like the frame has been patched.
I spent a lot time riding in wagons like this. I later owned a ’70 Mercury Monterey for a tow car. Great utilitarian vehicles, with good ride quality.
I have seen a few of these wagons in Mexico. Sometimes they are a mix of a Country Sedan and Country Squire.
This blue one is one I want a lot, but look at the chrome trim on the front of the left fender. Almost all of the Mexican 1968 Fords look like this but I can’t figure out why.
The gap is not a mistake, the fit and finish of the non-hidden headlamp Galaxies was literally hit or miss from the factory. Somewhere I’ll show you the 68 I drove as a daily driver around 1989-1991, Miquel. I replaced the driver’s side fender but I was never able to get the gap as tight as the other side. Somewhere I have pics. I also bought an XL fastback parts car and the gap was there also.
The “blue” one described as a Mexican version, that color was called Gulfstream Aqua and it was fabulous.
When I was a little tyke, the neighbor bought a Country Sedan in that color, wished to no end that my father would opt for a station wagon. He never did but I enjoyed the ride in back of that Country Sedan with his kids, no seats, no seat belts, just lying on the floor with the window down and watching the world go by. Life was good.
Art, here is a fastback in that same color, also a Mexican car.
70,000 claimed original KM, which is about 43,000 miles.
This one has the horseshoe floor shift automatic and under dash air, only on the passenger side, though.
Even a well taken care of car has that huge gap between the grille and the fender, which was not there when new.
Sweet looking wagon. I’ve always loved the 1968 Ford Galaxie and Fairlane. IMHO, they’re the best looking cars Ford has produced since 1964.
It’s a really nice $5000 wagon. A little rust you see hides a LOT of rust you don’t. Not nice enough to command a premium price. He needs to stop watching Barret.
We had a 68 Custom 500 that was maroon…a little darker than those photos show. My dad bought it in Ontario, then drove it out west (that was a thing back then to save shipping). Drove it everywhere for next 20 years, with a fresh engine and replaced transmission bands. Miss that thing
I wonder if the seller throws in a pair of Buddy Holly glasses for free
This sure is a hard one to pass on!! Big block in great condition and an awesome color too!!! Damn that’s a cool ride!!!