Project Wagon Queen Family Truckster

[LTD86]

Well, I have been busy working on my Truckster and haven't been around here much lately. The Truckster is nearing completion, so I figured it was about time I posted some progress pictures of it.

Here is the 86 LTD Crown Victoria wagon when I purchased it a little less than 2 years ago to turn into the Wagon Queen Family Truckster from National Lampoon's Vacation. The wagon in the movie was an 80. I looked around for about a year and a half at rusty trashed wagons and finally found this one. It was owned by a little old lady who bought it new in 86. She was starting to lose her marbles, so her children took her license away and sold the car. It is in really good condition with only one spot of rust, only has 52,000 miles, working A/C, correct tan interior and all. Here are some pictures of it the day my vanity plates came in the mail, before the modifications began.

[Lincolnmania]

very nice car mang.....i wish you luck!

[87gtVIC]

Not bad.

[johnunit]

Very clean.

[LTD86]

Well, I started out with the easier modifications first. First I swapped the drivers side mirror out for the 79 one. It ended up going alot easier than I thought. I only had to swap out the glass, drill two holes for the mirror mount, and modify the dew wipe a little under where the mirror sits. Then I changed the piece of trim on the top of the tail gate for the one without the third brake light, and added the second set of taillights on the tail gate.

Also here are some pictures of the front end. I ended up making the grill section out of fiberglass. I don't even want to know how much time I have in the header panel, but I cut apart the grill and redid it twice to get it just right. Then I cut down the front bumper and re welded it. I also fabricated some new bumper mounts so that I could mount the bumper lower.

[FatNasty]

Very awesome, I was hoping someone on here would do this. Thought about it with my wagon, just don't have the time and resources to give to it. Coming along nicely, keep it up!

[1980c10]

Man I want to convert my car to the 79 mirrors so bad. It looks so much better.

[neums]

Looks really good! Are you going to put a gas door on the hood?

[MrMarquis]

Neat! Can't wait to see more pics! I'd rock a Wagon Queen.

[sly]

what kind of alt you gonna use to be able to drive all those lights?

I'd hate to be an on-coming car with all the lights on. *blink*blink*

[thunderbirdlver]

That is really neat!

[91grandmarquis]

That is going to be sick... you painting it Griswold colors? or doing your own paint scheme?

[grandpaslincoln]

Wonder if it will run hotter with the front blocked like that.

I'm liking what I'm seeing so far, this thing is gonna be sweeeeet.

[LTD86]

Thanks for all the compliments!

I did put a gas tank door on the hood. It is non functional, just for looks. I also fabricated a bracket to hold a gas cap under it, so when opened up it will look real. I then re-routed the gas filler neck to inside of the rear wheel well, and welded a patch in where the original gas tank door was on the quarter panel.

I am going to have to upgrade the alt to run the extra lights. I asked a friend who is a cop, and he said he believed that in Illinois you are only allowed to run 4 lights at a time when driving. I'm probably going to wire up the 2 outer lights on each side to run while driving, and put the inside ones on a seperate switch to turn on while pulling in and out of cruise nights.

I am going to paint it metallic pea and do all the woodgrain and stuff. I already found 4 blue and 4 brown 80's hardside suitcases for the roof that are a pretty close match and a red cooler to go in the back. My goal for the car is for people to look at it and think that it has to be the car from the movie.

It does not really seem to run any hotter when I have been driving it around. There is a big opening between the bottom of the grill and the top of the bumper, the slots in the bumper, and I still have to cut the two slots in the header panel for the chrome grill piece. I am probably going to swap out the rad eventually though because it has a tiny leak in it.

Here is some more pics.

[CheeseSteakJim]

Where'd you get the grille piece? You make it?