Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Ready To Go: 1970 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate Wagon

UPDATE 10/11/2021: It seems that the owner of this 1970 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate Wagon didn’t have a lot of luck with his last listing, so he’s having a second go at finding a buyer. Our own Russell Glantz spotted the mighty wagon listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $14,999, but the option is available to make an offer. He has an impressive sixty people watching the listing at the time of writing.

With the demise of the full-size station wagon within today’s new car market, tidy older examples will always command their share of attention. However, the owner of this 1970 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate has helped it to stand out from the crowd by treating it to a repaint in a custom color. All good things must come to an end, so he has decided that the time is right to part with this tidy wagon. It is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and has been listed for sale here on eBay.

When this Estate was shiny and new, it rolled off the line wearing Forest Green paint. This shade must not have appealed to the owner because he performed a color change to a far lighter shade of Green. I haven’t been able to determine exactly what the color is because it does seem to change slightly depending on how the light hits it. It does manage to give the wagon a lighter appearance and helps the woodgrain to offer a more striking contrast than it would’ve against the darker shade. The paint shines nicely, with no signs of significant faults or problems. The same appears true of the woodgrain, which is never a bad thing on a vehicle of this age. That vinyl can fade over time, and matching any damaged sections can be close to impossible. For me, its condition is one of this classic’s strongest selling points. There are no dings or dents, and the owner indicates that the vehicle is rust-free. A further custom touch was replacing the original 14″ steel wheels with 15″ Rally wheels. They add a sense of purpose to the exterior and don’t look out of place. The chrome is in good order, and I can’t spot any issues with the tinted glass.

When buyers ordered their new Kingswood Estate in 1971, the default was that Chevrolet only offered the range with a V8 under the hood. The “baby” of the bunch was the 350ci equipped with a 2-Barrel carburetor. That is what we find powering this wagon, and it should be producing a healthy 250hp. Rounding out the package is a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. This wagon is not a muscle car, although the ¼-mile ET of 18.2 seconds remains respectable for a vehicle of this type and size. For potential buyers, it appears that there’s nothing but good news here. The owner indicates that it is numbers-matching and that there are no fluid leaks. He also says that the Kingswood runs and drives well and that the transmission shifts smoothly. For the next owner, the Estate would appear to be a turn-key proposition.

The interior of older station wagons can often look battered and bruised due to the type of life they lead, but this one still looks respectable. It isn’t perfect because there are cracks in the dash pad and wheel and a fault with the rear seat that isn’t visible in the supplied photos. I’ve also spotted a couple of small splits in the front seat on the passenger side, but the owner says that the headliner is new. If the buyer wanted to leave the interior untouched, it is definitely on the better side of serviceable. They may also choose to replace the faulty items, but they will also need to be prepared because it won’t be a cheap exercise. A dash pad will set them back around $390, while a set of seatcovers will add another $1,000 to the total. If the buyer is on a budget, they could achieve a respectable result by fitting a cover on the dash, adding a set of decent slipcovers to the seats, and installing a wrap on the wheel. These additions would leave the interior presenting well for a fraction of the cost of replacing the faulty parts. The interior does have a couple of aces up its sleeve. The first is that it offers the versatility of third-row seating, making the Kingswood a nine-seater according to Chevrolet’s sales literature from the time. The other is that the owner has replaced the factory radio with an aftermarket stereo. That offers the larger family some in-car entertainment on the longer journeys.

Any buyer searching for a classic station wagon seems to be spoiled for choice in today’s market. However, many of the vehicles on offer tend to be wagons that require some restoration work. This 1970 Kingswood Estate is a rust-free vehicle that is ready to be driven and enjoyed. The owner says that the buyer could fly in and drive it home, indicating that he has complete confidence in its mechanical health. The interior isn’t perfect, but it should be possible to significantly improve its presentation without spending a fortune. When you add these attributes together, they make it a classic wagon worthy of a closer look.

Comments

  1. Avatar Euromoto Member

    “…and I’m gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.”

    Like 7
    • Avatar Andy Tanner

      I need to watch that movie again.

      Like 4
      • Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

        “You still picking your feet in Poughkeepsie?”

        Like 0
  2. Avatar STEVEN BROWN

    Wagon 15k no air 350 2 barrel 250 hp 1200.00 cash you ship to me free

    Like 3
    • Avatar Logan

      Keep dreaming cheapskate and stick to your Kia.

      Like 40
      • Avatar Bick Banter

        I don’t even think someone would sell him a Kia in this market.

        Like 13
  3. Avatar MIKE

    yeah 15K is a bit much. It’s being sold by a dealer that’s why so expensive. Other then fixing the seats and buying a dash cover I’d leave it as it is. Scratches in the back area and all. It gives the car a certain charm. $7500 max.

    Like 12
  4. Avatar Lee

    250hp out of a 350ci w/2brl? What are you smoking? I put a 400ci(6.6L) out a Chevy stationwagon in my 77 Vette w/4brl and I’d be lucky if it had 250hp!

    Like 1
    • Avatar Bob C.

      That was gross horsepower measures. Beginning in 1972 they switched to SAE net ratings. A 350 2 barrel was 245 gross hp in 1971 and 165 net in 72. It was down on paper for most engines, but the big cube engines got hit the hardest.

      Like 2
      • Avatar Bick Banter

        Yeah, in real life this was making about 170. Maybe 120 at the wheels. So this barge should be slower than molasses. But that’s nothing that a cam, manifold and dual exhaust couldn’t fix.

        Like 6
      • Avatar John S Dressler

        Don’t forget the headers!

        Like 0
    • Avatar Ken

      In 70 that would be correct 250. Best tear for HP. After that downhill

      Like 2
  5. Avatar Blair Proctor

    We had a ’69 Chevelle Greenbrier wagon with a 350 4bbl that put out 300 HP stock; a 350 2bbl with 250 HP is not a stretch in 1970, but it is kind of a shame.

    Like 1
  6. Avatar Patrick

    Wonder what color it was originally?

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Mike Anthony

    1970 full sized Chevys came with 15″ wheels as standard equipment…14″ wheels were last available on full sized Chevys in 1969.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Hall-z Member

    Can you fit a 4×8 sheet of Plywood in it? It looks to have more cargo space than most 4 door trucks do these days.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Jrp

      Yes you can. That was the beauty of the older full size wagons. Try getting six people and a few sheets of plywood in a new half ton pick up with the tail gate closed. Can’t be done.

      Like 1
  9. Avatar Cadmanls Member

    Biggest problem I see is a field of green and a lot of green after that.

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Jrp

    Yes you can. That was the beauty of the older full size wagons.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

    Beautiful looking car. Although not my favourite year for the car, my favourite is 1969, it still looks awesome. I remember cars like this from my childhood.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Frank

    Its the color!

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Steve Clinton

    Oh, if only we could go back to the days of honest-to-goodness station wagons instead of the dull SUV poop that’s sold today.

    Like 2

Leave a Reply to Logan Cancel reply

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.