Thinking of buying an 89 Country Squire

[P72Ford]

You know you're going to have to replace all the rubber lines, wheel cylinders, lines, fuel filter, clean out the tank ect ect.

Dude, its a $500 car... uh, yeah, you're obviously going to have to do some stuff to it. He could easily spend another 2-3 months looking for a cleaner car, pay 6 or more times what this one is selling for, incur the expense to have it shipped up here (or travel down to get it), and still have to do most of the stuff he is going to do to this car.

Get it running and operating. Decide whether it is worth going any further (does the transmission shift okay, fluid okay). If there are no obvious deal breakers, then you start to go through it. Full tune up, check out the brakes, that kind of thing. Being a cheap car, you don't want to get in order your head with maintenance; I would get it safe and reliable, and fix issues as they come up. Use it until it no longer becomes economical, or until you are ready for a change. If you have $1000 into the car and it lasts you a year, in my opinion, you came out ahead. Way ahead. If you have $1000 bucks into it and it lasts 3 months, well it wasn't as good of a deal, but still cheaper than most car payments. At 500, I say you take a shot on it.

[DerekTheGreat]

It's always easier and cheaper to spend more up front than chase down problems as you go. $3,000 isn't much for a clean rust free car compared to investing money into one that is disintegrating.

[knucklehead0202]

With 25+ year-old cars, you're going to be chasing problems anyway, expected or not, lol. I know I am....

[DerekTheGreat]

True dat, but that's why if it were me I'd buy a car free or rust or at least 95% free of it- solid foundation is a must otherwise I feel like I'm wasting money. I've thrown plenty of money at my TC thus far. Most of it was me being anal but others needed to be done.

[pantera77]

It's always easier and cheaper to spend more up front than chase down problems as you go. $3,000 isn't much for a clean rust free car compared to investing money into one that is disintegrating.

Maybe I missed something, but I don't think he ever said he wanted to restore it into a show car, just a half decent daily.

[Master Shake]

Yeah, Pantera that's pretty much the plan. Same thing I did with my Focus.

Got it 2 years ago. It was trashed. It ran like crap, idled really rough, all motor mounts were shot, blower motor wasn't working, headlights were solid beige (you couldn't even see the bulbs), fog lights were blown up, front brakes were metal to metal, hand brake didn't hold worth crap, headunit would short out over hard bumps, and worst of all the interior was MURDERED with dog hair. It was horrible. But over time, mostly through RockAuto, I was able to bring this thing around. I pretty much put in all new suspension in the front, brakes all around, bearings all around, t-belt waterpump + drive belt and pulleys, newer headlights, wired in a proper stereo, and a whole bunch of other things. Now I have a very reliable little car that I take on 150 mile road trips every two weeks or so, only problem is just the fact that it's small. There were many times where Focus' size was a real nuisance. So I decided to get a new daily, and I think these wagons are the best of all worlds for me.

Before and after of the Focus.

[DerekTheGreat]

Maybe I missed something, but I don't think he ever said he wanted to restore it into a show car, just a half decent daily.

Which is about what $3,000 will net you.

[sly]

being able to drive a car and fix things here and there and spread the cost out over the course of a year or two can make a world of difference to someone.

[DerekTheGreat]

It's no wonder so many Rangers are floating around with leaf springs popping through the bed now.

[Master Shake]

Exactly, Sly.

[pantera77]

Which is about what $3,000 will net you.

Maybe he wants a decent daily for about $2500 less.

I spent $3k on my 87 Colony Park half a decade ago, and it was MINT then, and still is now. By far the cleanest car I own.

The original Battle Wagon I bought for $900, it had been sitting for a year and a half, changed the oil, threw on a set of tires on it and drove it from North Carolina to Buffalo. Then did some basic maintenance, some lopo mods and drove it for years and put over 50k on it.

I paid $1k for my most recent wagon, the 91 Country Squire, and while it's mostly solid, it does have bubbling around the fenders and the floor does some tiny holes above the trans crossmember. Still it has a mint interior, and after I modded it to my liking I plan to daily it for the next 5 years or so.

Like it or not Wagons are worth more then Sedans and Tudors.

[Master Shake]

Like it or not Wagons are worth more then Sedans and Tudors.

Really? Maybe it's just around my area then, because the wagons are usually in the worst condition and are the cheapest. The Coupes and Sedans are usually very clean and well maintained, and of course more expensive.

And essentially yeah, I don't have the 3 grand to drop on a clean wagon right now. Hell I can't even find one that is in good condition around here. My best option is, and so far has been, to buy a cheap car and repair it when problems arise. I'll do preventative maintenance whenever possible of course, but I'm not going to be restoring it.

[pantera77]

Really? Maybe it's just around my area then, because the wagons are usually in the worst condition and are the cheapest.

Either way, yes, if their solid derby guys love them, and clean wagons go for stupid money it seems. If it's a complete rot box, then its worth scrap value, like any rot box.

[dmccaig]

Dear Panthers,

First thing I fixed on the Shooting Brake, 12 years go, was the plastic coathook. Downhill ever since.

Donald McCaig

[Tiggie]

Clean wagons bring quite a bit more than sedans imho. A low mile clean wagon is a $6k car, a similar sedan is $4k. But as pantera said, got to be clean. Garage kept nice originals.

I think the reason half of us have these cars is because they are cheap dependable comfortable cars.