The seller of this 1969 Ford Galaxie Country Sedan Station Wagon says he will “do” one car per year, and if this one’s any indication of his past work, I believe he means turning autos into something catchy rather than painstaking restorations. That’s OK though, as he claims this wagon got more attention at car shows last summer than anything else, thanks in part to how iconic the family cruiser from National Lampoon’s Vacation has become. However, the seller has had enough fun here and is now ready to move on. If you’re in the market for something abnormal, this one can be found here on Craigslist in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and it comes with an asking price of $8,499. Zen, many thanks for the unusual tip here!
While the Wagon Queen Family Truckster in the classic movie was based on a 1979 LTD Country Squire, this one started with a Ford wagon an entire decade older. However, when the seller heard about this vehicle and saw that it was green, he went full speed ahead with the conversion you see here. The woodgrain is shelf paper that has been stuck on, and that’s latex house paint brushed on around the woodie areas. If the next owner isn’t feeling the mods, it’s all said to be removable, with the hood ornament being an exception, as a hole had to be drilled for this to be attached. I’m not sure I could bring myself to pull Aunt Edna off the luggage rack, as she just looks so at home up there.
Under the hood is a 390 V8, and while there’s no word on whether it’s ever gotten an overhaul, the 2-barrel setup has been swapped out in favor of an Edelbrock manifold with a 4-barrel carburetor. The drivetrain also includes a C6 automatic transmission and a rear end with 2.75 gears, with the seller claiming his wagon runs and drives awesome. New brakes have recently been installed all the way around, and the A/C is also mentioned as working.
Not too many custom touches have been added inside, and other than a dash split plus a few cracks in the steering wheel, most of the interior components seem to still be in decent shape overall. No third row is to be found, but with the rear seat folded down, there’s plenty of cargo room in the back. While I do appreciate the uniqueness and fun factor, I’m not confident the demand will be overwhelming for this one. However, something in the seller’s favor is he won’t have any competition in the marketplace. Is $8.5k a fair price for what you’re seeing here?
Aunt Edna on the roof rack lol. 😲
Not “over the top”enough,like the real one was.
The first thing I thought of when I saw those extra grill “holes”, was “This car is ready for a 427 SOHC!
My first thought was, “Not very well taken care of . . . ”
I’ll pass (at that price)
I’m always amazed how that movie made sure an impression on us.
Yup Nelson C. I’ve never understood how a mediocre movie like that and Ghostbusters evoke such a fervor…
The original Vacation is a true masterpiece. The sequals sucked…horribly. Ghostbusters was utter rubbish and not even in the same universe as the original Vacation.
Because they were funny and they captured that era like a time capsule, if you were in your thirties in the eighties. Plus Bill Murray!
Needs double-quad headlights!
This not-quite-a-Family-Truckster has been on the local Philadelphia Craigslist for months now. I’m only about 20 miles away from Doylestown. I was married by the mayor of Doylestown 45 years ago! If anyone here wants me to personally inspect this wagon, I’ll do so. Might be an adventure. Harrison, you’d get attention with this one in Upstate!
might be worth asking $ if it wasn’t gacked up as poor vacation double. shame this was done to it. pass
The ad says that all is removable, though not sure about the house paint strip pin stripes. He does have grille, etc. I contacted the seller on Craigslist a few minutes ago so we’ll see if he jumps on here.