Just looking at it, you’d probably think this is a big, smooth and slow family wagon. The wood paneling is definitely a nice touch, but there’s no way this thing could be fast, right? Well with a 440 under the hood, it might be faster than you would think! It isn’t a drag car, that’s for sure, but it should have more than enough power to beat any other 7 passenger vehicle you’ll share the road with off the line. Find this sweet Town and Country here on eBay in Denver, Colorado.
The seller has already done everything to make this wagon a nice driver. It was originally fitted with a 383, but it was damaged beyond repair, so a 440 was installed. Since it isn’t original, I’d want to add a few upgrades, Six Pack anyone? If this is the proper 440 for the ’68 Newport, it should be good for about 375 horsepower. Add a Six Pack and you’d have a real monster of a wagon.
While it isn’t completely original, the paint and wood grain are about the only things still original, it’s nice to have all the major work already finished. With bidding at just over $4,500, you’d have a tough time fixing another one up to this level. So what would you do with this wagon? Would you just drive it as is or would you add a few upgrades?
My folks had the same car only in red for many years. It had been purchased new by one of my old collage professors at the University of Idaho and originally came with an experimental 470 (I think) big block. Chrysler tracked the car for several years then had the dealer remove the engine replacing it with a 383 4 bbl crate engine. It was a great car. It became the loaner car at Dad’s shop until the rust got so bad it was embarrassing. The customers loved to drive it and mom would race people up the Monroe street hill when challenged at the bottom. It would carry a full 4×8 sheet of plywood and 9 Boy Scouts. Absolutely wonderful vehicle.
For sure you’d want to add disc brakes all around to go with that 6 pack! I grew up with a ’64 Ford Country Squire with a 352 in it and as a teenager I had to see “what it had”. That engine had enough power to move it along pretty well; I can only imagine how nice that 440 would be with the gas mashed to the floor!
mine had a wonderbar radio(?). me &my pals went camping in it.we were in our teens, used to change the stations by voice command! they were awed. pot had THC in it then. probably worse crap now. plug popped out going to kankakee.made it there without a problem. took a plug out of abandoned school bus.never changed it.traded it for something? got us all into a HOT mess over the wagon!!!!
Did you say you still used – I cannot quite figure…..
Dad brought home a brand new sedan version of this when I was 10. Same color just no ‘woodgrain’. It was his first new car and first Mopar. I learned how to drive in it 5 years later. We had already had a couple wagons before-! guess the dealer had none the day Pop was there.
Big boaty sled, and 10-12 miles to the gallon on premium, no less. No thanks!
Premium? I’ll pass on this one.
If you are worried about gas mileage, get another hobby…
I’ve already got enough cars that keep the oil companies in business. I don’t need one that sucks down the “premium” version of that crappy ethanol laced stuff they force us to buy around here, I choose to use unadulterated racing fuel when needed.
You live in the wrong place……..We have plenty of real no alchol fuel in Idaho…….but we are a realitivley free state. Why would you live any other kind of place?
That’s for sure. If I were 20 years younger, I’d leave Illinois in a heartbeat. Illinois has to be the most corrupt state in the history of the nation. Crooked politicians don’t even have to campaign and they still get elected. Will Rogers must have had Illinois in mind when he said that America had the best politicians money could buy. Federal prisons had to build a special wing just to hold our governors. I’m not even going to get started on Chicago.
Back then, Ford and Chrysler built THE premier station wagons, hands down. Ford had the classy Country Squire and Chrysler the Town & Country. BOTH with wood-grain “look” side ornamentation. ONLY Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge C-body wagons had DUAL air conditioning options on them. Unfortunately, this wagon lacks that needed option, much less the basic a/c option!
Both brands of wagon will “work” (the 4×8 plywood was an industry standard of sorts back then for “utility” needs), but the Chrysler Corp wagons were tougher and lasted longer. Plus that snazzy roof rack!
This is a great looking car, which also includes the 15×6 Class II 16-Slot Road Wheels (available first in the 1970 model year). 440s spec’d for wagon use were not the 375 horsepower version, even with factory dual exhaust, but used the “standard cam” 440. Six pack? Might not clear the hood, but a 650cfm carb is plenty anyway.
But, without factory a/c (or the Dual AC option), best purchased by someone in a cooler part of the country.
When I was 13, our family had a black ’68 Town and Country with the 440. I convinced my father to put on headers, a monster Holley, and the rear end was changed to a 3.91. We used to go out and race unsuspecting muscle cars. I remember the Mobil station was our second home. You got free silverware for some promotion, and we had place settings for about 20 people. I think high-test was about $0.42/gallon then.
My uncle had a Chrysler with a 440….he always joked he could not leave it run when he was buying gas because it would never fill up
That car was a hog
Dad bought a 73 Caprice wagon, all options, and one of those options was a 454. Even with crappy 1st year, 1st gen emission controls it did right well against other stockers.