It’s good fun to find a car that has done its civic duty in some capacity, such as this 1972 Ford Custom 500 Ranch Wagon with “Dual-Facing Rear Seats.” According to the seller, it was shipped from its Los Angeles assembly plant to McChord Air Force Base in Washington State. In 1984 or so, it was “declared surplus” and ended up with the Washington State Department of National Resources, and finally, it ended up at auction in 1993, when the current owner purchased it. Because the seller is the only civilian owner the car has had, it will come with some documentation of its history. It’s currently for sale here on eBay in Edmonds, Washington, although no one has yet matched the $7,500 opening bid.
A few years after the current owner took possession, the engine was rebuilt with hardened exhaust valve seats (more on the engine in a minute), and the paint, which had been resprayed “Emergency Yellow,” was again redone in its original “Strata Blue.” The owner also performed some rust repair, which apparently needs to be redone after 30-plus years.
The door tag has some interesting information, including the District Sales Office code of “834197.” The number “83” was reserved for cars sold to the government, and the last four digits indicated the special order number. Everything else on the tag looks appropriate for a big Ford wagon.
The engine code of “H” denotes a 351 two-barrel, but since Ford had several 351s, you didn’t always know what you were going to get. Luckily, the seller tells us that it’s a 351 Cleveland. The engine compartment could admittedly use a little love, but the FMX automatic was rebuilt in 1999, the power front disc braking system has seen some work more recently, and the “WER” rear end (which had an 8.75-inch ring gear) was upgraded to a Ford 9″ unit soon after the seller bought the Ranch Wagon.
The car also has power steering, but the front end needs some work. The lower ball joints have been replaced, but the car will come with “a pair of upper suspension arms with new bushings and upper ball joints” that have not yet been installed. The tie rod ends could also use replacing.
The front seat was reupholstered with J.C. Whitney material back in the ’90s, but the carpet is original and could use replacement. The car is as austere inside as you might expect, with no radio or air conditioning (but it does have a working heater), although the rear window is electrically operated from either the dashboard or via the key lock on the tailgate. If you think you’re seeing things, such as a green steering wheel, you’re right; the original was cracked and the owner replaced it with a better one. Unfortunately, it’s green.
Although Ranch Wagons were available in a six-passenger version, this one has the dual-facing rear seats. Why did the Air Force need them? I’m afraid the answer is probably lost to time.
This looks like a neat wagon for those who are interested in military vehicles, Fords, or simply something a little different; however, given that it seems to need a little cosmetic work after 33 years of current ownership, it will be interesting to see if someone will get the bids started or if the seller will settle for less. The eBay ad is extremely thorough, so I suggest checking it out if you’re interested, and let us know in the comments if you have any experience with government surplus vehicles.
Well, my military experience is less than zero, not particularly proud of that, just the way the it worked out time wise. Not sure exactly what I would have done if it came to that, something neat in the motor pool, and not slog through the swamps of SE Asia. Thank you to those that did that, but this wagon was for those unruly service folks that had a bit too much fun at the local watering hole. You know who you are. I’m not sure what you’d do with this car, I’d certainly paint the darn thing. The “A-F” motif does nothing for any value, in fact, may actually deter sales. You want to drive around with that on the door? Here you go. TEN-HUT!
I bought one of these wagons way back when as a beater for $500, it was yellow with a tan interior. It turned out to be a decent car, I got two years out of it and didn’t put much money into it. The featured car looks tired and needs work, I can only see a fan of vehicles associated with the military wanting to take this on. GLWTS.