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The Three Rs: 1960 Chevrolet Brookwood

This rare, rough, and ready wagon is a 1960 Chevrolet Brookwood and it may be more rough than ready. If you’re super talented and super brave, and have a super amount of time and money on your hands, this would make a super project! It’s on Craigslist in Pine River, Minnesota, where they know a thing or two about another r-word: rust. This one has an asking price of $2,500, around 10% of what a nicely-restored version would sell for.

I guess, this one is really in the Four-Rs camp if you add rusty in there. The Brookwood wagons of 1959 and 1960 were unique in that a buyer could could check a box to order a two-door version and they are the most desirable version to have. Or, at least they are in the hot-rodding world. I, of course, would want to restore this one back to original spec, but I’m odd that way. In looking at the body of this car, at least upon first glance, it doesn’t really look like it’s beyond restoring. You can see the usual rust-through on the bottoms of the fenders, rockers, and quarter panels. There appear to be some window issues (i.e., missing), the grille is missing, and it’s riding pretty high in the front which tells me that there isn’t an engine in this car? There is not one mention of an engine or a photo of the (most likely empty) engine bay!

But, you’re not buying a car like this for its original drivetrain, 99.999948% of buyers would turn this super cool body shell into a resto-mod worthy of any car show. The seller says that “the car is just how it looks, rough, rusty and incomplete.” 1960 was the last year that a two-door wagon would be offered by Chevrolet until the 1964 Chevelle. This car was the basis for the Chevrolet El Camino that we all know and love and for a talented restoration expert this car may even be a mere energetic design and engineering exercise away from being turning being a resto-mod El Camino. But, a two-door wagon may be even more rare and desirable. At least the roof looks solid!

D’oh! So, yeah.. um.. (insert The Flintstones theme song here)..  At least it’s already set up for a manual transmission and once you spend 2 solid months rebuilding the floors, you can put in a floor shifter in place of the three-on-the-tree that’s there now. The backseat looks good and hey, there’s one of the missing windows! A small consolation but it’s something. This car is light years beyond my restoration skill level but I know for a fact that a lot of Barn Finds’ readers have restored vehicles in similar condition to this one. The big question would be: is this two-door Chevy wagon worth restoring or is it a parts vehicle by this point in its life?

Comments

  1. Avatar sir mike

    Best of luck to whomever can bring this back from the dead.Would make a nice resto-rod project.

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  2. HoA Howard A Member

    5 “R’s”,,,refusal. Again, same old thing. You gonna restore this? I’ll admit, it’s somewhat rare, and I always got a kick out of how the 2 door looks just like the 4 door, only no rear door line, but someone picked ‘er clean already. Man, I just don’t get it. The more I see stuff like this, ( and the Chalmers, Chevy, Mercedes) I’m beginning to think this is all that’s left.

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  3. Avatar JW

    Would make a nice “Walking Dead” prop car, no need to do anything to it but set it on fire with a couple walkers hanging out holding signs will trade for running “MUG VW” .

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  4. Avatar Bruce Fischer

    She past my bringing it back from the dead and I have done some rough ones too.Bruce.

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  5. Avatar mike d

    Hot rodders today yes …. Maybe… this one looks too far gone. I think somebody is missing the ” real” purpose for the two door wagons ( w/ the exception of the Nomad) is families with kids, you didn’t have to worry about the kids falling out the door.. also they stayed put until someone let them out once you arrived at your destination

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    • Avatar Pfk1106

      That’s why my parents always had a 2 door, to trap my brother and me in the back seat. Although, there were times when one of got to stand up on the front seat between my mom and dad. 😱Without seat belts…..

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  6. Avatar Joseph

    absolutely floorless

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  7. Avatar Glen

    Sure Sounds Super!, …Seriously.
    I do like 2 door wagons.

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  8. Avatar mtshootist1

    I like the astro-turf carpet!

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  9. Avatar G.P. Member

    Parts, that’s all I got.

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    • HoA Howard A Member

      Hi G.P., you know, there was a time when you’d have bought a 1960 Chevy wagon, and they would have “thrown this in” as a parts car ( and to get rid of it) I can’t believe someone would restore this.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Rustytech Member

    Are there any good parts here?

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  11. Avatar '59fordfan

    Not, that I don’t like the car-I do. My q is: are the two front tires, actually, facing in opposite directions? It doesn’t appear it has anything to do with said tires being off the ground; I don’t think they are. Hence, my question. Thanks!

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  12. Avatar Chris in WNC

    Ideal project for a highly skilled metal worker.
    Take the roof off and graft it onto a solid donor 2-door sedan…..

    Like 0
    • Avatar Mark S

      I agree Chris if you could find a two door sedan. The other way to go is reproduction floor pan and rocker panels if the are available. I’m not a body man by trade but I am a welder/fabricator, mechanic I know I could do this metal work but I’m not sure that I’d want to. This is a year of your life and I do mean full time job to bring this back and I’m talking just the body work. You would have to be carefull of it falling in half when you remove it from the frame, lots of truing and bracing before they are separated. You may end up needing a donor car too if the repop stuff is not available. This old car will probably never see a restoration, to bad it’s a cool looking car.

      Like 0

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