You can’t take a serious look at station wagons without looking at the American whales of the postwar era. Much like shopping for a crossover today, you could hardly throw a rock on dealer row without hitting one of these barges. And since they were so prolific back when they were new, it’s still possible to find decent examples for short money now. Fortunately, this week’s search for wagons turned up a decent pair of 1969 cars, arguably a high point for American cars. Check out this 1969 Ford Galaxie 500 Country Sedan for sale for $3500 in Pendleton, OR.
For sale by an avid collector of vintage mobile homes, trucks, and other bits and pieces, it looks like he’s selling off one of his best pieces. Paint and body condition look pretty good, and those turbine-style wheel covers are very jet-age, and are very similar to the wheel covers found on early C3 Corvettes. The straight lines and trim bumpers make for a clean looking design, with a kick-up in the belt line to add some visual interest.
This car is said to have only 62,000 miles, an optional 390 V8 likely good for 265hp, and front disc brakes. It’s got good tires, and the seller says it’s in good condition and runs great. There is noticeable dirt in the load area and engine compartment, but that’s to be expected, given its location. No shots are provided of the main passenger compartment, but there are a couple of shots of good interior door panels and the driver foot well that suggest it’ll be decent at the least. Blue and yellow plates suggest this car has been in Oregon for most, if not all, of its life.
The engine doesn’t show any obvious signs of recent maintenance, but if it drives well, and the seller can provide some detail, you can probably evaluate this one on its own merits. Refinishing the air filter canister and valve covers, cleaning the rest, and replacing the plug wires and hoses would probably go a long way to tidying things up. The seller does concede some minor cosmetic (and other?) repairs need doing, so budget for that. If those hubcaps aren’t enough aircraft influence for you, how about this 1969 Dodge Polara Wagon for sale for $1800 in Cave Junction, OR?
The fuselage body Polara replaced the previous year’s angular Engle-styled car, and has some neat detailing like the roof-top air deflector that ties in to the metal trim going around the tapered edge of the car’s corners, if you can call them that. The green color is perfect for the era, as are the widely spaced lettering and the simple rectangular-ish tail lights. This car has California black plates, but is not located so far north of the California border that this should be a concern.
Like with the Ford above, the seller seems to be a collector of fine vintage mechanical devices, like the trailer, camper shell, and forklift visible in some of the other shots in the listing. There’s a dent in the front bumper, a hole in the front panel next to the passenger-side headlight, and some other cosmetic issues, but overall it looks straight. It’s said to have a V8, so at least you won’t have the slow slant six, and with any luck you’ll find a 383 under the hood. The dash does appear to have significant cracking, but hey, it’s a California car. Have you had any seat time in one of these giants?
Tags: american, country sedan, dodge, Feature, ford, galaxie, polara, wagon
Rusty But Trusty 
December 13, 2015 at 12:21 am |
Gotta love these old wagons. I didn’t grow up riding in one but I sure do like them. I generally leash towards Mopar but the Ford looks to be in better shape overall.
December 13, 2015 at 5:54 pm |
My folks had a 1969 Country Sedan, the largest of the seven full-sized American wagons they had from 1955 to 1996. That thing was huge. The closest I’ll ever get to piloting a supertanker.