UPDATE 2/21/12 – Apparently the seller added a $6,500 BIN and it sold immediately!
There is something appealing about these old wagons and it seems that everyone is starting to take notice. They are big and heavy, but when you find a clean original example like this 1965 Ford Country Squire, it makes you want to join the trend. With only 39k miles and some nice patina this land yacht does draw attention. Find it here on eBay with bidding at $2,650 and the reserve not met.
It may be an acquired taste, but there sure seem to be a lot of people interested in wagons these days. Maybe they remind them of their childhood or perhaps they just long for a muscle car but can’t quite afford one. As prices for the top rung of collector cars go up, the lower level ones do start to look like bargains. Bad thing is that their values start to go up too and that is apparent with these wagons.
If you must have a barge on wheels, then this is the one to get. The whole car is well preserved and most everything has already been sorted. The dark green paint looks great considering its age, but the side panels could probably use some new vinyl. Most wagons were never driven hard and the state of this one reflects that fact.
Cruising power is provided by this 289 V8 which is claimed to run great. The seller has already gone through many of the systems to ensure that she is safe to drive. They even claim that they wouldn’t be afraid to jump in the car and drive it anywhere. The big bench seat and automatic transmission would even provide some comfort for that long journey home.
Inside the black vinyl seats, dash, and carpet look like new and make it hard to believe that it’s all original. The seller was going to make a few modifications and show the car at hotrod shows, but we are glad that his plans changed because it would be a shame to modify a car in this kind of shape.
It may not be your cup of tea, but this car can still be appreciated for the simple fact that it provides a glimpse into the past. It stirs up nostalgia while still being very functional. Load the kids up in the back and hit the road this summer to create some memories. Just be sure to bring plenty of gas money…
With a 289 your 0-60 times would be in minutes even without a load.
Try 1970 Olds Vista Cruiser with 4 jug and the Judge Mill, plus its identical to the 70s Show, of course this is a Ford, but if you worry about 0-60 in a station wagon you have to go to GM.
Thats 444 mill sorry.
It’s been a long time since I saw one of these. If I had this car I would drive it until the tires wore out on it’ Then I would put a new set on it and drive it until they wore out on it,then I would put a new set on it and drive it until they wore out and then put another set on it and do the same thing again.
That 289 would run forever. I wouldn’t be afraid to drive that car anywhere. I would take it on a long trip and when I got tired of driving I would lay the back seat down and throw my blankets down and take me a long nap then get up and drive it until I got tired again,then take me another nap. With a car like that I would be able to go to the beach again and not have to worry about my neck starting to hurt and not being able to lay down and take a nap to ease off the pain. Then on down the road I would go.
the only thing better than having this car would be a motor home but then I would have to worry about having enough money to buy gas to go in it.
For someone who wants a BIG wagon, maybe with some scope for improvement and resulting $$$ upside, you could do a lot worse than this. One risk I see, tho, is the mileage, which might not be as represented since the numbers do not exactly line up across the odometer—a traditional sign that there might have been some fudging with them. And with only 5 numbers you don’t know if it has rolled over and might be 100K up on what you’re seeing. On the other hand it seems to be solid and all there—and useable providing it’s running well. And for me the 289 V8 is ideal. I would never in a million years see this as a performance vehicle. That’s what old M3s are for, and you can get a good one for less than the sale price of this wagon. I see this as a cool utility/fun vehicle, and the 289 V8 heritage and good gas mileage are big pluses.
Are you seriously commenting on the milage of a 50 year old car?
The ‘ 65 Ford wagon is cool! All station wagons are up & coming out there on the car/street-rod/rat-rod/vintage pusher shows. I have a 1965 Chev Bel-Air Townsman 4dr station wagon with a roof rack & power rear window. It’s black with a red interior. 6 pass. It was originally a big block 396 with 425hp!! It has the built in tow pkg on rear bumper from Michigan. I guess it pulled a wood/fiberglass boat or camper or a dragster. I’m currently looking for another motor,the 350 SBC blew a rod through the pan & cracked the block when pulling into the Street-Rod nationals in Louisville,Ky last Aug. :-( I’m going to make it look like a pusher for dragster’s in 60’s & with the signs painted down the sides. With some white walls tires & red steel rims. Listen to those cool sounds of the 60’s & some Jan & Dean music too.
Lower it!
so then you should all visit this station wagon graveyardyou tube Edsel Graveyard
A guy in Chanute, Ks had a similar one. Used it to pull a beat up trailer and do a slow cruise of the entire town during the few days prior to the Garbage company’s annual large item pickup.
Aside from the Cruise-O-Matic and the radio, this looks like a basic, “bare bones” (standard equipped) Country Squire. Lack of call outs told me right away this was the base 289-2V as well as the no P/S or P/B. A regular fixture of baby boomers everywhere, these do have a certain appeal to me. I’d restore it with NOS di-noc decals, new paint, and I’d spring for whitewalls and ’65 correct full wheel covers. Most of these ’65’s and ’66’s I saw growing up in the S.F. Bay Area were usually, white, sky blue, that Ford bronzish-green metallic color or crème (I remember my Dad looking at a crème ’66 back around 1971).
i just recently bought a 65 country squire.Im putting a 429 in so itll be a nice little sleeper. i am in search of taillights and interior pieces, if you know of anyone with parts please let me know!!
I’m the guy who bought this particular wagon and I’ve had a great time with it. It never fails to turn heads where ever I go. The 289 is smooth and one of the best engines Ford ever came out with. The car is still all original with regular maintenance performed from time to time. It now has 43K miles on it.
That’s good to hear Ralph! Please send in a few photos so we can run an update.
Nice little wagon. My volunteer ambulance service bought a sweet ’66 Ford wagon ambulance in 1979 from the small town of Abernathy, TX. It had originally belonged to the local funeral home, but was given to the Abernathy VFD when the funeral director exited his ambulance service. We got the car for a whopping $100. It had sat, as we found out, for a few years after Abernathy had become included in Lubbock County’s EMS, and was given a county ambulance. I had heard stories previously about what a fast-running little wagon it was. A friend of mine who had worked for a Lubbock funeral home’s ambulance service back in the ’60s before most of the funeral homes had exited their ambulance services had told me about the time that ambulances from Lubbock had been sent to Hale Center, just north of Abernathy when the small town had been hit by a tornado that nearly flattened the town. He said that as he was headed north here came the little Ford literally flying low head towards Lubbock with a tornado victim. He said that he was cruising around 80 when the Ford wagon passed him like he was just sitting. He was right! That was one fast running little wagon.
We have a ’65 Ranch Wagon. Fantastic vehicle. Arizona car, spent most of its life in Tucson…factory A/C and heater delete. Just as the sales brochure claims, you can slide a sheet of 4’x8′ plywood or drywall INSIDE the back with the rear seat down. I dearly love that big, beautiful beast.