1978 Mercury Colony Park

Rob_Mopar wrote: That "wood" be cool. Pun not originally intended, but I decided to go with it. I know you do some vinyl cutting. I have a buddy at a local sign shop. If you don't find somebody local to come up with a custom wrap I can put you in touch with him. He would dig the project.

Thanks I'll keep that in mind. Yeah, I do cutting but this would require a vinyl printer which is way above my pay grade so it will have to be farmed out unless I just stick with a stock woodgrain vinyl. Probably still a ways off from any of it, it's getting cold here now and this thing wouldn't fit in any of my garage bays even if I had one open. Winter will be Yugo building time and I'll start serious work on the wagon in the spring.

You know what's really strange? Out of all of the epic builds in this forum I always find myself checking this one for updates first!

The_Jed wrote: You know what's really strange? Out of all of the epic builds in this forum I always find myself checking this one for updates first!

Tell me about it. I'm damn-near obsessed with this thing! What the hell is wrong with me???????

Oh jeez, I guess Im gonna actually have to do something with this then eh?

It wont get too much action over the winter I'm afraid, but I'll try to keep it updated. I'll at least post my adventures from the road getting her home :)

So I've been thinking wheels. I just dont thing it has the right look to pull off torque thrusts or another vintage "muscle" wheel so it takes me back to my favorite wheel for boats.

Daytons and vogues anyone?

Just so happens there's a nice set of 15x7 Daytons for sale pretty cheap locally.

Not if it'd look like it's been donked.

DoctorBlade wrote: Not if it'd look like it's been donked.

I suck at teh photoshops, it will be bagged so it will sit lower.

How about cop car wheels painted to match the body color?

I like the idea of simple steelies, if not black then what about gray? that could work with the green, but I can't picture it with the woodie effect. Any power plans? Whatever you do keep the exhaust quiet. Walk softly but carry a big ass motherberkeleying stick!

Come on guys, this thread needs to be voted up

Daytons.

fastEddie wrote: Be careful with green, unless this is what you're going for.... > Well I was thinking a different shade of green, but what's wrong with the Wagonqueen Family Truckster? All my wife's friends (and a few of mine) are already calling it that anyway.

Trust me, it gets annoying after awhile. My wagon looks nothing like it and yet it still gets called that. It's like when I was a kid and people would ask me if I was related to Michael Jordan or Jordan Knight from the New Kids on the Block simply because my name is Jordan.

My vote is for whitewalls. Or you could go a different direction, and look for a set of the mesh wheels found on HPP-equipped Crown Vics and Grand Marquis pre `03.

Torque thrusts and whitewalls?

These:

with some tires with yellow (or white) writing on the sides.

Have you put that beast on some scales yet?

Kind of reminds me of a 1976 Cadillac Coupe DeVille I once owned. It had a cast iron front license plate bracket that weighed 25 lbs.

I think the problem with Torque thrusts, steelies, cop wheels, etc is they are all "muscle car" wheels. This isn't a muscle car and no amount of pretending will ever make it look like one. Some wagons can pull off the muscle look but this thing is a big luxo cruiser and always will be.

jstein - haven't even picked her up yet, I fly out on Nov 8th so no scales yet but if I see a set of truck scales on the ride back I'll try to slide across them.

adrian - no plans for a repower at this time. Might un-choke the 400 of all the cali smog stuff but nothing radical. If it sticks around long enough that I hit a point where I'm not buried with other projects (Yugo, Wartburg, etc) then maybe I'll look at a warmed over 460.

JThw8 wrote: I think the problem with Torque thrusts, steelies, cop wheels, etc is they are all "muscle car" wheels. This isn't a muscle car and no amount of pretending will ever make it look like one. Some wagons can pull off the muscle look but this thing is a big luxo cruiser and always will be.

Stock steelies painted gray aren't very muscle car!

JThw8 wrote: adrian - no plans for a repower at this time. Might un-choke the 400 of all the cali smog stuff but nothing radical. If it sticks around long enough that I hit a point where I'm not buried with other projects (Yugo, Wartburg, etc) then maybe I'll look at a warmed over 460.

Isn't de-smogging the equivilant of adding elevinty billion hp on a 70's Cali special

Why don't you go with Radirs? They have the lowrider/custom 60's look to them with a thin whitewall tire!

Radirs still look like a muscle car wheel to me. This is a luxury car and it just seems most custom wheels on it remind me of me and my friends in the 80s trying to make our hand me down 70s family sedans and wagons look like performance cars by slapping on a set of swap meet 5 spoke style wheels.

And FWIW I slapped a set of Tru Spokes on my 75 Olds 98 so I guess even back then I thought luxury cars needed wires ;)

I has tossed around the idea of putting a set if used Navigator 20s on it with some low profile tires. They are almost the same height and would certainly tighten up the steering response. If you could avoid the chromeang go for a brushed aluminum/nickle I think it would avoid the donk look.

Dangit...now I've been looking at used 460s all night...what have y'all started.

Of course if money were no object.....

craigslist seller said: APPROX 500 HP 429 REBUILT 5YRS AGO BUT HARDLY ANY MILES ON IT . SAME WITH THE TRANS WHICH IS A C-6 WITH A HUGHES 10 INCH 3500 RACE CONVERTER. ENGINE HAS ROLLER ROCKERS, EDELBROCK RPM PERFOMER INTAKE,CAM AND TIMING CHAIN,HOLLEY 750 DBBL PUMP MECH 2ND. 80 GPH HOLLEY PUMP. GM HEI DIST. COMPLETE AND RUNNING IN A CAR. THIS COMBO IN A FOX BODY STANG WOULD BE 10 SECOND ETS FOR SURE. ALL TUNED UP AND READY TO GO. GOOD OIL PRESS. PLEASE SERIOUS CALLS ONLY FOR THIS BAD TO THE BONE ENGINE. OF COURSE YOU HEAR IT RUN AND SEE IT SHIFT

Asking $2000

Let's see current plans with conservative estimates

Daytons (used) $300

Tires $600

New vinyl $500 (yeah, its expensive I found out, thats the DIY price)

Paint $200

Or leave it ugly and rolling on stockers but laugh manically the whole way down the quarter mile

I'd say find a same year Grand Marquis Wheel covers. I always thought they looked cool.

Yeah, those would actually look good.

JThw8 wrote: Or leave it ugly and rolling on stockers but laugh manically the whole way down the quarter mile

With the AC blasting snow out the vents?

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I'd say find a same year Grand Marquis Wheel covers. I always thought they looked cool.

I keep looking at this picture and thinking about how much redoing the wood is going to cost and I think just 2 tone paint might look pretty sweet. Chestnut brown instead of the gold and ?? something lighter on the inserts....Who's good with photoshop?

What about the factory "mags" of that era? Here's a pic of my very first car, a 77 Cougar, it had them:

Yes, that is my actual car. Pic taken in 1986 with a Kodak Disc Camera.

Maybe that's why I love this wagon so much?