I really don't expect most folks to understand, but this is pretty much my dream car. Modest dreams! Bottom line: I'm cheap, and thought this would be a fun project. After looking at everything from Caprice Wagons to A4'Avants, I ended up back to where I once was before... I put about 200K miles on one of these and did zero repairs--and that one is still our there running. So, when I saw this one for sale I couldn't pass it up.
The good:
-full service history from day one. I mean every single record, except for fuel. Oil changed every 3K until later in life, and then much more frequently as the elderly guy cut down on his driving. A couple of trans fluid changes (not enough, but it still functions fine), regular coolant changes. A couple of brake flushes when the brakes were done.
-The body and interior are in excellent shape.
-The clutch are rear main seal were done about 5 years/12K ago. This is a biggie for me, because like clockwork at 20 years or 200K, this seal lets loose (right about the time you need a clutch). The transmission weighs about 50 lbs, so this isn't a horrible job, but I'm glad to not have to do it anytime soon.
-owner was a non-smoker. I'm also guessing he didn't have kids, and had a skinny wife who didn't travel with him very much! The passenger seat looks almost new, rear seats are basically new. The driver's seat was recovered, and looks reasonably close to the original fabric.
->174 compression across all cylinders, all within 2 p.s.i.
The bad:
-Pretty much every suspension component is original. It really shows.
The indifferent:
-tires and t-belt were done about 6 years ago, but have very little mileage. There's some sidewall cracking on the tires, and I don't think the WP and cam seals/tensioner were done, so I'm not sure when to do them. It's a non-interference engine though, so I'm in no rush. I'll play around with the suspension first.
Overall impressions:
-The car pulls strong! It only weighs about 2,800 lbs, and boy that makes a difference.
-There is a ton of space in this thing. With the seatbacks up, the rear folds totally flat (one of my few absolute requirements).
-I got 32mph on the first tank of gas, in mixed driving--and some idling while I ran a can of 3M intake cleaner though it. Not bad!
-The gearing. For the love of all that is holy, why can't manufacturers get this right in new cars? I swear, this is the main reason I ended up buying a 25 year old wagon. TALL GEARING!! NVH is lower, full economy higher, and I can actually use first gear. Yes, I actually have to shift out of 5th on the highway going up a grade>4%. It's not the end of the world to shift...
Future plans:
-sort out suspension
-change valve cover gasket which has a small leak, check out 190K worth of Pennzoil sludge!!
-post pics of above on BITOG!
Besides that, there are some coolant hoses and vacuum lines that should probably be replaced as they're all original; but, everything functions as it should so I'm in no rush. I've changed all of the fluids except the oil, which I'll do after the valve cover. It'll basically be a fun project to "restore", and then I'll be looking for another beater wagon since I won't want to be using this for dump runs...
With no further adieu:
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The good:
-full service history from day one. I mean every single record, except for fuel. Oil changed every 3K until later in life, and then much more frequently as the elderly guy cut down on his driving. A couple of trans fluid changes (not enough, but it still functions fine), regular coolant changes. A couple of brake flushes when the brakes were done.
-The body and interior are in excellent shape.
-The clutch are rear main seal were done about 5 years/12K ago. This is a biggie for me, because like clockwork at 20 years or 200K, this seal lets loose (right about the time you need a clutch). The transmission weighs about 50 lbs, so this isn't a horrible job, but I'm glad to not have to do it anytime soon.
-owner was a non-smoker. I'm also guessing he didn't have kids, and had a skinny wife who didn't travel with him very much! The passenger seat looks almost new, rear seats are basically new. The driver's seat was recovered, and looks reasonably close to the original fabric.
->174 compression across all cylinders, all within 2 p.s.i.
The bad:
-Pretty much every suspension component is original. It really shows.
The indifferent:
-tires and t-belt were done about 6 years ago, but have very little mileage. There's some sidewall cracking on the tires, and I don't think the WP and cam seals/tensioner were done, so I'm not sure when to do them. It's a non-interference engine though, so I'm in no rush. I'll play around with the suspension first.
Overall impressions:
-The car pulls strong! It only weighs about 2,800 lbs, and boy that makes a difference.
-There is a ton of space in this thing. With the seatbacks up, the rear folds totally flat (one of my few absolute requirements).
-I got 32mph on the first tank of gas, in mixed driving--and some idling while I ran a can of 3M intake cleaner though it. Not bad!
-The gearing. For the love of all that is holy, why can't manufacturers get this right in new cars? I swear, this is the main reason I ended up buying a 25 year old wagon. TALL GEARING!! NVH is lower, full economy higher, and I can actually use first gear. Yes, I actually have to shift out of 5th on the highway going up a grade>4%. It's not the end of the world to shift...
Future plans:
-sort out suspension
-change valve cover gasket which has a small leak, check out 190K worth of Pennzoil sludge!!
-post pics of above on BITOG!
Besides that, there are some coolant hoses and vacuum lines that should probably be replaced as they're all original; but, everything functions as it should so I'm in no rush. I've changed all of the fluids except the oil, which I'll do after the valve cover. It'll basically be a fun project to "restore", and then I'll be looking for another beater wagon since I won't want to be using this for dump runs...
With no further adieu:
