In the 1960s, Ford offered three series of full-size station wagons. Entry level was the Ranch Wagon, mid-tier was the Country Sedan, and top shelf was the Country Squire. The seller purchased this 1969 Country Sedan and added a few visual cues to resemble the Wagon Queen Family Truckster from the 1983 hit movie, National Lampoon’s Vacation. Far from an exact copy of the customized 1979 Ford Country Squire, Clark Griswold may want to take a spin in it from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. This poor man’s Family Truckster is available here on craigslist for $8,499. Thanks for the tip, Rocco B.!
The Country Sedan was on a trim level par with Ford’s Galaxie, while the fancier Country Squire was similar to the LTD. Ford built 47,850 Country Sedans in 1969, 75% of which had seating for six passengers like this one. The Ford wears a shade of green paint that is similar to the “Metallic Pea” finish on the Wagon Queen Family Truckster that Chevy Chase’s character got roped into buying for the Griswold cross-country trek. That’s when the seller’s wagon began to take on some of the bizarre characteristics of the movie car.
For example, fake wood siding was applied similarly to the WQFT, but it was only grocery store stick-on shelf paper (the seller used a lot of it). A hood ornament was added, but a hole had to be drilled to accommodate it, and a fake gas cap was applied to the right front fender. On the roof resides Griswold luggage and what appears to be the remnants of Aunt Edna after she passed away during the trip out west. The front grille, which looks a lot like one from a 1960 Edsel, has been replaced to give the illusion of a series of headlights. We’re told all of this is reversible if you want a stock ’69 wagon with 132,000 miles.
We’re told this thing runs well with a 390 cubic inch V8 that’s been changed from a 2-barrel to a 4-barrel carburetor. The air conditioning (factory?) works as it should. The brakes and tires are new, so the “Clarkmobile” should be ready for a road trip. The wagon has some rust with partial repairs done by a prior owner. This Ford has visited a few car shows and draws attention, as you might expect. The seller did the “mods” seen here and is now ready to move on to another fun project.
Still for sale months later. For a very specific buyer. Not for me tho
An acquired taste-with emphasis on the word” taste”..
If it’s reversible it’s probably best to do that, anyone who actually wants a WQFT replica will want something a decade or two newer.
If he would have left it stock it may have been worth the asking price.
These kind of things make me sick. Akin to the damn Ghostbusters clones, many decent cars: station wagons,hearses and ambulances have been ruined in tribute to a mediocre movie!
Yup. Return it to original and it might be worth the asking price.
Bit of a hack job as is.
This could be a nice wagon if ya took all the bs off and gave it a paint job. Maybe give him 5k as it sits.
Masking tape and shelf contact paper. 🤢🤮
And the shelf paper has tons of wrinkles in it.
I give props for the ingenious way they modified the grill, but they should have hammered the headlight bezel flat and put headlights in then.
The dog leash on the rear bumper is a nice touch but what am I missing with the gas cap on the front passenger fender?
I agree with nlpnt, needs to be a newer version of the Ford wagon.
It was a nice try though. Unfortunately the hood ornament is a tougher reversal but everything else is pretty much reversable.
Again, I’m siding with Bill West. Unless you do it right, these tributes are a waste of a good car. (And money!)
First you would have to like that movie, I don’t. second if you are going to build a so called tribute car at least use the same model year as the original. That TV show chips used to make me crazy because they would show a truck speeding down the highway about to crash but then when they show the actual crash its a completely different model year. I know stupid stuff but I was a kid really into cars. overall for just a wagon this could be a nice ride but its going to cost you some coin to undo this creation
Two things. I’m only about 20 miles from Doylestown. My wife and I were married on a Saturday by the Mayor of Doylestown 46 years ago in his townhouse. Nice. This wagon has been for sale locally for about a year.
I guess you could always put a General Lee paint job on it,
and offend EVERYBODY.
IMO i think the vacation clones have played themselves out. it is a shame this was done to this wagon especially as wagons are doing well right now. it will cost time and money to straighten out this wet hot mess. this isn’t even the right year to begin with. some people don’t know when to leave well enough alone
I feel the same, commented too many times on Wanna Bs and
replicas, provenance, things that dont really make a vehicle to me.
And I’ma wagon guy (man) aahahahaa
A nice driver that was botched with the poorly done “tribute” to “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983). Fortunately, except for the butchered grille, most of the damage is easily reversible. The front gas cap and cheesy good ornament can be removed and the holes patched, albeit at some expense. The contact paper simply peels off, and all of the crap on the roof rack goes straight into the dumpster. It might need a paint job afterwards, but it probably could stand one anyway. Finding a new grille would be hard, as most of these have already gone to the crusher, victims of rust and a hard suburban life, but if you can find one, replacing it is a simple bolt-in operation. At close to $8500, it’s overpriced by about double what it’s really worth, as the next owner will have to pay the rest of the asking price just to undo the damage this “tribute” work has caused. If you can get it for $4,000, maybe, but at $8.5k, probably not. On the other hand, with the prices of used wagons going up, he may get it, but not from me!
He says in the add the original grill comes with the sale, it is a nice wagon especially with the 390 and working a/c . Definitely have to remove all the bs and give it a paint job. I’d pay 5k max as long as the frame is good and there’s not more rust than pictured.
Swing and a miss
it used to be you had to pay Charlie The Junk man a 100 bucks to haul one of these away.
They were that common.
Gas was 2 bucks a gallon and thease could suck that down in less than 8 miles.
These were a great wagon to have for a demo derby. 40 plus years ago.
Now it is a collectors item.
I was lucky enough to find my wifes 55 Country Sedan last year. Now I want to find Moms 68 Plymouth Wagon.
What used to be a dime a dozen, is now hens teeth.
You see it? You want it? Go and get it!
I have been offered 100K for my $50, 62 VW panel van.
He / it is written into the Trust.
My father would be pissed! to know I still have him.
Son of a Cop from the 1960’s; he tried to force me to sell it.
Best investment I ever made.
Remember now!
50 bucks, then, would be a lot of money now.
Back then; I could buy dinner for 2, for less than 3 dollars.