Station wagons, especially full-size examples, are among the strongest performing vehicles in the classic market. When the wagon in question is unmolested and has a known ownership history, that increases the desirability. That makes this 1969 Ford Country Sedan worth a closer look. It ticks the boxes mentioned but also represents an affordable project candidate. After decades in hibernation, it needs a new home. Located in Selden, New York, this Ford is listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN of $4,500 makes this wagon a tempting proposition.
The seller is this Ford’s third owner, although they have all been from different generations of the same family. Their grandfather purchased the wagon as a daily driver before eventually handing the reins to the seller’s father. He continued regular use before driving it into this garage around twenty-six years ago. At the ripe old age of eighty-four, he is unlikely to slip back behind the wheel, so the seller feels that the Black Jade Country Sedan needs a new home. It is difficult to assess the state of the paint due to the layer of dust, but the panels sport the occasional dents and bruises. There is nothing severe, and all should represent a straightforward repair. Rust seems confined to the lower rear quarter panels. That this represents the only rust is no surprise because its owners stuck rigidly to a policy of the vehicle remaining garage-kept since Day One. The trim and glass look like they would respond positively to a thorough clean, while this gentle giant features a rear power window and a two-way tailgate. Taken at face value, this Country Sedan looks like a promising project.
This Ford’s interior isn’t perfect, but it looks pretty good for a family wagon with more than five decades under its belt. The original owner selected trim in Black vinyl, and this is in remarkable condition for its age. There is no evidence of rips or other problems, although the upholstery is begging to be cleaned. The back seat is excellent and doesn’t look like it has seen much use. The carpet shows some obvious were, particularly on the driver’s side. The plastic in the rear cargo area exhibits some of the marks and damage you might expect in a vehicle of this type, but it is a long way from the worst I have seen. For larger families, this Country Sedan delivers with the versatility of third-row seating. I doubt this feature has seen service because the factory plastic remains intact on the seatbelts. There aren’t many luxury features, although the factory AM radio should relieve boredom on long journeys.
I’ve spent some time looking at the original sales brochures for the 1969 Country Sedan and envisaging the driving experience with a six-cylinder engine under the hood. The word “glacial” springs instantly to mind. Thankfully, the seller’s grandfather could see the same thing, so he ordered this classic with a 390ci V8 that produced 266hp. He also selected a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power front disc brakes. At 4,424lbs, the Country Sedan is not the lightest wagon on the planet. That makes its ability to cover the ¼ mile in 17.7 seconds look pretty respectable. The seller indicates that this classic doesn’t run and hasn’t done since their father parked it in this spot twenty-six years ago. These old V8s are as tough as nails, so a fuel system clean and basic maintenance could see it cough back into life. It is numbers-matching, although the original owner replaced the fuel tank and carburetor early in this wagon’s life. Curiously, both components are available, but the seller only includes them for an additional fee! While the seller’s father is getting older, he remains quite switched on. They indicates that he should have no trouble answering questions about how this classic has been maintained throughout its life.
There’s no denying that returning this 1969 Ford Country Sedan to the road is not a task that the new owner will complete in a weekend. Twenty-six years of inactivity mean that it will require a thorough inspection and some remedial work before being considered roadworthy. However, it is complete, unmolested, structurally sound, and offers the versatility of third-row seating. As a candidate for a larger family considering cross-country adventures, it ticks many of the right boxes. Even fully restored, it isn’t currently a mega-buck classic. On a good day, a spotless example could command a price of around $18,000. It is worth noting that values are climbing. Even if the new owner goes slightly over their restoration budget, the value increase could allow them to recoup those losses in a relatively short period. Would that be enough to convince you to pursue this gentle giant further?
Wow, the driver’s dash….gave me chills. Very similar to the 1970 Ford Galaxy 500 Station Wagon, we had. Rolled that baby over a steep hill one night on a joy ride when I was 14, And that was the end of our Station Wagon era.
And almost me as well !
Had a ’69, bought for $500, drove it, very bullet proof 302 engine, evenually reverse gear disappeared, had a flat dirveway, so fixing it looked to be more expensive than it was worth, sold it to a guy who had a 35 mile commute on an Interstate, for $200, who could coast backward out of his driveway, and go forward out of his parking space at work, and feel somewhat safe in this tank of a car. They also did well in Demolition Derbies back then, and even now.
I ran quite a few Ford wagons in derbies back when you could get them for $50 or less. The good thing about them was the gas tank was not the saddle style and was down by the differential, the bad part was Fords distributors on the front of the block, which if your radiator started leaking, no matter how much we tried to cover it., would always get steamed up and the car would die. Of course the trick was to NOT have your radiator go !
Someone who’s mechanically inclined, and who lives close enough to do an in person inspection, could quite possibly make something good out of this old wagon. While not quite as valuable as the Country Squire, at least with this model there’s no wood grain sides to restore. And it looks like the body and interior might very well clean up nicely. Assuming the engine could be made to run again, I’d give it a good thorough cleaning inside and out, start driving it around locally on short hops, and see what life brings. I’ll bet it’d attract its share of attention at a cruise night or cars & coffee, if only because when was the last time anyone saw one of these?