Nice. I saw a rusty Plymouth Voyager on the road the other day. No, not the Caravan clone, the B-series Dodge van clone from the '70s. And in New Jersey, no less.
@Novaload: 1993-1994 Econoline due to orange turn signals and I think retrofits are pretty difficult if not impossible.
Probably a 90s Econoline due to Club Wagon badging and when was the last time Ford sold Bi-colored Econolines?
@MushyHeirloom: I work in Richmond, VA--this was like a block from the hospital and could have been visiting there. Oh, damn--is there an all point bulletin on this thing? Did I walk right by a reward? That would be just typical for me.
Well, I have a close cousin to this van, and its a 1983 model. It will be undergoing a cosmetic restoration this summer, and I plan on doing a series of posts about it.
@interstatement: I'm actually in East Hartford. Email me at akaudman under gmail dot com. Notice how I did that because I don't need any more spam in my in box.
@UDMan: I may be nuts, but I like the inside--that's so much better than those generic, ghastly upholstery and color patterns. Excellent price you paid as well. I'm jealous!
i have very little van experience... parents always wanted more leg room than a van would provide... we had station wagons and suburbans... but i don't think anything can beat the middle/rear seat leg room (not to mention head room) of some family friend's van(s).... (i'm 6'4" now... captains chairs in the parent's new yukon xl denali are at the limit of comfortable space...)
okay, i lie... i forgot about all my time spent in church vans driving from indianapolis to where-ever... i was trying to forget those.. 15 passenger vans with 20 kids and 4 days worth of luggage each... crazy parent drivers passing rush hour traffic in kentucky at 85 on the shoulder... oh.. god... ***curls in to fetal position.....***
I regularly drove a number of late '70s/'80s Chevy and GMC work vans as part of my job (including a few cross-USA journeys), and I have no particular love for them. The quality was pretty poor - windows falling down into doors, malfunctioning sliding doors, poor finish, mechanical problems, and an overall air of cheapness and crudity. The Ford vans of the era were better finished and felt much more solid.
@tonyola: Interestingly, I rather like the older GM vans, but I've never driven any of their competitors, so I suppose I don't know what I'm missing in a full-size van.
...but I do know that I'd commit war crimes for a manual transmission/slant-6 Dodge (they exist, but are likely rarer than hens' teeth). That would be ripe for a junkyard turbo AND a waterbed.
@Paul Y. don't drive too fast.: I have a brother in law that once owned a short wheelbase Dodge "Prospector" full size van, with the manual overdrive, and the slant six engine. It was silver, with the usual Chrysler Corporate Wheeldiscs (Same ones that went on a LeBaron, Diplomat, etc) but he got rid of it at about 30,000 miles, for a HYUNDAI EXCEL! The Clutch mechanism broke, and after it was repaired, he didn't trust it again.
If that car was even marginally less horrid, Hyundai would have stopped being a punchline 5 or 10 years sooner.
...granted, not that Malaise-era Detroit engineering was better; I mostly just think that everyone was accustomed to crap-ass cars, unless they were open-minded enough to drive a damn ferrin' car.
@Paul Y. don't drive too fast.: Dodge quality in the '70s was at least as patchy as the Chevy. A somewhat heavyset best friend had a '75 shortie panel with 318 and Torqueflite. The drivetrain was robust enough but the body hardware was awful - including a driver's seat support collapsing after a year. Another friend bought a new '79 Dodge panel - you could see daylight shining through several gaps in the side panel/roof weld.
@tonyola: Maybe it's just me, but you gotta admit though there's something cool, if not practical whatsoever, about being able to buy a '96 van with the same crappy quality control, engine choices, and interior as a vehicle built in 1971. Here's a nice '95... amazing. Now, if only Chevy made 70-2 Chevelles for 25 years unaltered...
You're missing the point. It doesn't matter what year it is. That's the great thing about Amazons, they aren't meant to be preserved, restored, pampered, etc. They're meant to be driven. You fix them when they break, you spiff them when you want it to look better. Beyond that, you simply enjoy. Dad's owned our's for 26 years. It recently got lowered, and had sway bars added. Man is it fun to drive. Don't worry. Enjoy.
If it helps, though, mine's a '67 and did not originally have headrests, so it may be a US/Non US spec thing.
@AustinMiniMan: Exactly. These cars will last forever- I would be there's more Amazons still prying the world's roadways than there are 850's, built 20 years later!
@mechimike: Thinking about it, that's probably true. Interesting. We used to have an 850 though; not a bad car. Shame it wasn't the T5 Wagon. I still want my 940 302-motivated Wagon with a T-5 though. One day, one day.
Is that metal flake paint? Is it? Please say yes, because that is just perfect.
I would proudly drive this every day and everywhere, even if it could only do 40 mph. Even 30.
@Icecreamslayer: Oh, well, then. That settles it. Is that uphill or downhill and headwind or tail wind? Just in case I need to do some emergency maneuvers!
I would guess that's a '66 or '67 - about that time Volvo started using a coarser grille pattern with doubled bars. The earlier cars had a finer pattern with a horizontal divider bar. The Amazon I show here is identified as a '65. American-market Volvos for '68 had side marker lights. At any rate, that's a pretty neat find. A good Amazon will probably outlive its owner.
Aside from the bumpers that seem to have to earn their living, this is a wonderfully preserved example. Is that a 145 in front of the 262, making this a Gothenburg-only zone?
Going to the yard is better than going to C4C. At least this way, all the parts are available for takeoff and reuse. Dying of old age and being an organ donor is way better than having your heart cut out.
First a '69 and now a '65. These neatly bracket my favorite year for Chevelle and El Camino styling - 1967. That year featured a bold grille and wraparound rear lights along with a little more flair to the basic 1964-vintage body.
The 1964 Chevelle was somewhat unappealing because of its incredibly cheap-looking grille fronting a bland and boxy body. The '65 grille was an improvement, but it took the 1966 facelift to bring some much-needed curves to the overall Chevelle styling. However, the '66 also lost a great body style - the two-door wagon. To me, that model is almost up there with the El Cam in coolness. Oh well, you win some and you lose some... #1965
@tonyola: The two-door wagons were cool. Reminds me of the 1955-57 Nomad. Alas, they apparently didn't sell too well; the Standard Catalog of American Cars lists 1964 production at a mere 2,710. There's no production breakout for 1965, but it looks like only a low-end 300 was offered. #1965
@DrLemming: Yeah, looks like they were sold as bottom-end budget workingman's wagons. Chevy should have trimmed it as an SS (or at least a Malibu) and marketed it to the young surfer/sport crowd. #1965
11/23/09
11/22/09
Wait, what was the question?
11/22/09
11/22/09
For once, I might be able to beat a Murilee find. I shot this walking to the office:
11/22/09
Probably a 90s Econoline due to Club Wagon badging and when was the last time Ford sold Bi-colored Econolines?
11/22/09
11/22/09
11/23/09
11/22/09
Well, I have a close cousin to this van, and its a 1983 model. It will be undergoing a cosmetic restoration this summer, and I plan on doing a series of posts about it.
11/22/09
11/22/09
11/22/09
11/22/09
11/22/09
11/22/09
okay, i lie... i forgot about all my time spent in church vans driving from indianapolis to where-ever... i was trying to forget those.. 15 passenger vans with 20 kids and 4 days worth of luggage each... crazy parent drivers passing rush hour traffic in kentucky at 85 on the shoulder... oh.. god... ***curls in to fetal position.....***
11/22/09
11/22/09
...but I do know that I'd commit war crimes for a manual transmission/slant-6 Dodge (they exist, but are likely rarer than hens' teeth). That would be ripe for a junkyard turbo AND a waterbed.
11/22/09
11/22/09
If that car was even marginally less horrid, Hyundai would have stopped being a punchline 5 or 10 years sooner.
...granted, not that Malaise-era Detroit engineering was better; I mostly just think that everyone was accustomed to crap-ass cars, unless they were open-minded enough to drive a damn ferrin' car.
11/22/09
@UDMan: ....and he hasn't done that adorable little dance since.
11/22/09
11/22/09
@tonyola: Maybe it's just me, but you gotta admit though there's something cool, if not practical whatsoever, about being able to buy a '96 van with the same crappy quality control, engine choices, and interior as a vehicle built in 1971. Here's a nice '95... amazing. Now, if only Chevy made 70-2 Chevelles for 25 years unaltered...
11/22/09
11/23/09
@eggwich del fiero: No this is perfect
11/23/09
11/21/09
You're missing the point. It doesn't matter what year it is. That's the great thing about Amazons, they aren't meant to be preserved, restored, pampered, etc. They're meant to be driven. You fix them when they break, you spiff them when you want it to look better. Beyond that, you simply enjoy. Dad's owned our's for 26 years. It recently got lowered, and had sway bars added. Man is it fun to drive. Don't worry. Enjoy.
If it helps, though, mine's a '67 and did not originally have headrests, so it may be a US/Non US spec thing.
11/22/09
11/22/09
#tips
11/21/09
I suppose it is a vain hope that one of the Swedish automakers will revert to their roots and build a car with real character like the Amazon.
11/21/09
I would proudly drive this every day and everywhere, even if it could only do 40 mph. Even 30.
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/21/09
It was quite a sight, I tellya.
11/21/09
I would guess that's a '66 or '67 - about that time Volvo started using a coarser grille pattern with doubled bars. The earlier cars had a finer pattern with a horizontal divider bar. The Amazon I show here is identified as a '65. American-market Volvos for '68 had side marker lights. At any rate, that's a pretty neat find. A good Amazon will probably outlive its owner.
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
First a '69 and now a '65. These neatly bracket my favorite year for Chevelle and El Camino styling - 1967. That year featured a bold grille and wraparound rear lights along with a little more flair to the basic 1964-vintage body.
The 1964 Chevelle was somewhat unappealing because of its incredibly cheap-looking grille fronting a bland and boxy body. The '65 grille was an improvement, but it took the 1966 facelift to bring some much-needed curves to the overall Chevelle styling. However, the '66 also lost a great body style - the two-door wagon. To me, that model is almost up there with the El Cam in coolness. Oh well, you win some and you lose some... #1965
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/15/09
Ah, weekends with Murilee. The funny, the inspiring, the awesome, and the tragic. #oldsmobilecutlass
11/15/09