Thanks for everything! '85 Colony Park "junkyard restoration" build summary

[Toploader]

Wow, that is all this NYC guy can say!, wish I had the room..........and the TALENT to undertake something like this!!
Btw, the rub strips for the bumper are still available from several FoMoCo sources, it you want to finish the bumper

[packman]

Wow!!! You did an awesome job on that car! Even if I had a heated garage, I would never even think of doing all that work.

Packman

[sly]

very nice.

now I wonder what's up with Andy's wagon across the pond.

[sinistral]

Unless you really know cars , you would be hard pressed to realize that those seats aren't original. They are comfortable too. I had a lot of seat time in an 86 Fifth Avenue with those tufted pillow tops and always loved how comfortable it was.

Agreed... they match perfectly and are very comfortable. Was very lucky to find them in such good condition (and during buy-one-get-one-free sale)!

[sinistral]

Looks really good dude! That's a ton of work you did. I really like the real wood accent on the bottom. You guys are really going to sell it after all this?

Thank you... we'll see. I'm not gonna give it away, so it will depend on how much it is worth to somebody else. I've got more time than money in it luckily.

How happy have you been with the Maaco paint job and how much did it set you back?

I'd say it is "adequate"... not great, but certainly better than I could've done as a first-timer for sure! It cost me $950, but keep in mind I was down to bare metal, so that included all the primer and sanding before putting down color.

[sinistral]

Thats one of the best looking wagons on this site. I applaud the amount of time, patience, and effort that went into it.

Thank you very much!

[sinistral]

Wow, that is all this NYC guy can say!, wish I had the room..........and the TALENT to undertake something like this!!
Btw, the rub strips for the bumper are still available from several FoMoCo sources, it you want to finish the bumper

Thank you... less "talent" involved than just good old-fashioned naïve determination! (P.S. I lived in Brooklyn for 8 years.)

So — I told myself that I wasn't going to put any more $$ in to this project, but now you've shamed me into doing something about that bumper! HA! Actually, it was really driving me crazy anyway, especially after seeing the photos I put up here. Look for an update tomorrow afternoon.

[IPreferDIY]

Great job. I don't mean to pry (well, not much anyway), but why the heck would you want to sell it after all that?

[slack]

Thank you... we'll see. I'm not gonna give it away, so it will depend on how much it is worth to somebody else. I've got more time than money in it luckily.


I'd say it is "adequate"... not great, but certainly better than I could've done as a first-timer for sure! It cost me $950, but keep in mind I was down to bare metal, so that included all the primer and sanding before putting down color.

Glad to hear you're not pressed to sell. I don't know if I could after putting that much time and effort into a project.

Thanks for the info on the Maaco. Seems like not a bad deal if I'm in a pinch down the road!

[sinistral]

since you asked

Great job. I don't mean to pry (well, not much anyway), but why the heck would you want to sell it after all that?

Previously I was driving a built 2001 Cherokee (4x4 rock crawler )... I bought this wagon primarily for my wife to use. However, she didn't really like to drive it much since it was in such bad shape cosmetically (until recently, that is). So I ended up driving it mostly the last few years — and actually grew attached to it more than I expected, even before I started fixing it up. (As others here will attest, you get so many smiles, waves, or comments at the gas pump / grocery store driving an old-skool wagon.)

Late this summer I decided to sell the Jeep (I was the original owner, and hadn't done much wheelin' the last few years). After driving a lifted XJ on 34s, followed by an anemic CFI wagon, I was getting a bit tired of getting passed on the highway every day commuting to work, whether I was going 10 over the speed limit or not... one thing I've noticed is people don't like to be behind a station wagon regardless of how fast you're going!

I'm actually a hot rod guy at heart (first car was a '65 Mustang w/ 289 HiPo) and decided I needed horsepower (mid-life crisis??).

Sold the Jeep (somewhat reluctantly) and picked up this beauty:



Yes, still in the wagon club, but this one has a bit more get-up-and-go than the Merc (6.1L 425 HP / 420 torque); now I'm the one doing the passing.

The problem is this '07 Magnum also has heated seats and ice-cold air conditioning (we live in CO), which means that after the very first time my wife drove it, she now (again) is always asking for my keys!

If $$$ were no object, I'd keep this car in a heartbeat —my kids adore this wagon— but we can only afford two cars and I owe it to my wife to get her something a bit more practical (i.e. AWD would also be nice, now that we don't have the Jeep anymore).

Unlike many of you, I was an accidental fan of the box panther platform... if you had told me 10 years ago I'd be driving an '85 Mercury station wagon I would've said you were drunk! I tell you what though, if I won the lottery tomorrow I'd happily keep this car and drop a crate 427 in it w/ modern suspension just to see the look on the faces of all those Audi drivers as they get smoked by a 4,000lb behemoth!

For now, though, it is the right thing to do for my beautiful bride of 24 years.

(How's that for an answer?)

[IPreferDIY]

If some good fortune comes your way and you're able to keep it, the back looks like it could use a bar (hidden from the kids of course).

[88Vic]

If I had the money I'd be out there picking it up, I need to sell my 4Runner since my 3 boys are cramped in the back seat. I'm trying to get my dad to trade, get my old Suburban back but if he won't go for it, afraid I'll get getting an AWD minivan, 3rd row SUV's like Suburbans and Sequoias are a bit out of my price range.

[sly]

+1 if I had the money... yadda yadda.

[sinistral]

So — I told myself that I wasn't going to put any more $$ in to this project, but now you've shamed me into doing something about that bumper! HA! Actually, it was really driving me crazy anyway, especially after seeing the photos I put up here. Look for an update tomorrow afternoon.

OK, Toploader, this is for you...



1/2" chrome trim w/ 3M backing, FTW.

Here's a close-up of the pinstripe:

[sly]

all of my want.