May 2015 Wagon O' Da' Month" ThePolecat's 1995 RMW

I am a child of the Fast and Furious generation. I grew up learning american muscle and playing with Hot Wheels that never included foreign cars. Well, when I was 15 the cars that were in my price range were all rice burners. So, naturally, that is what I got since I could afford the insurance and maintenance. I never was able to leave a car alone so I slowly started taking my little Honda apart and putting better things on (no, really). Time goes by and I have had my fun racing lowered imports in the SCCA Solo 2 circuit; I was getting older (not old) and I wanted something not Honda. I knew that I had a special place in my heart for wagons, soooooooo...I bought a Subaru! I owned it for approximately 18 hours before I put some oil in it and it all came right back out the bottom. I returned it and as I was coming around the block, there she was, what would become MY wagon. I had completely forgotten I wanted one just a few years earlier because a hot rod buddy of mine had a sweet one. As soon as I saw it I knew I needed it as my next car. The guy came out and went over the details with me telling me it was a 1992. I knew something was not right because it had the 95-96 mirrors. I open the hood and there is the good ol' LT1 staring back at me. I took it for a short test drive and came back to sign the paperwork. She was mine, and will be for the foreseeable future.
The Scooby that lead me to my baby with her oil piss spot:

Here she is in all her old man wagon goodness:


Well, as I said, I can never just leave a car alone. I like to bring them completely up to snuff first thing. All new fluids, alignment, balance all tires, general checkup:


There was a lot of glass. She needed to get some shades. 70% front, 32% front windows, 20% all the way back:
No tint:

Sexy time tint:


Next, I needed to work out the molding. It was annoying to hear flapping in the wind. The Faux wood treatment was for me!



Needed some rumble; enter the Summit Turbos:


Needed some rear end control, so this (21mm Panther bar):


mmmmmmmm...Southern cars!

And then this:



This was the result of heavy traffic and an idiot cutting across 4 lanes last second. She was down but not out. She drove me home.

So, I needed a parts car. The only thing available in the metro Atlanta area at this time was a green sedan. OK. I had not intended to do a sedan nose swap, but why not. If I was ever going to do a front end swap, now is the time. Plus, I knew of the original design sketch for the RMWs and it was more sedan-like in the front anyway.
See, here it the original concept.

And so the work begins.



Back on the road with a face only a mother could love (and me):


Jump ahead a few months of driving my tree around and I get up a couple of bucks for paint. While I was at it Darius Gave me a new rear bumper that matches the lines of the car a little better that I wanted to get on. So here are some before/ afters:





I'm feeling good about my baby now. I ordered some boat trim to replace the missing rubber. I would have loved to have polished the trim, but ALL of the previous owners had their hand at trying to reattach the rubber. It is not sexy under there:


Yes sir! Let go to Wagonfest Daytona 2015!!!


Well crap. 2 surges and then lots of clanging and angry noises from the trans...

I was in a pickle. 8 hours from home and a dead car. So I spent more than I paid for the car to fix it because I have put a lot of time, sweat, tears, blood and money into it. Plus, I really like it! The Aamco odyssey is a whole 'nother story.

On the plus side, I did win a coveted Wagonfest Flocking Award: Most Flocked Up 2015:



So she is now back with me, running and driving. In the garage I have some Impala SS springs for the front, Monroe SD shocks, and ZQ4 bump-stops. I have a new AC Delco Compressor waiting to go in so I can have AC in it as well. All it takes it time. I do have plans to do the wood up front. That just takes money...

Here are some other gratuitous wagon porn shots of my car:




These could not get balanced out well enough for me. As a former tire shop guy, I am very picky. These were just too out of round.


Finally, the reason I love my wagon:



For the TL;DR crowd; from the wife: Bought a car, wife said kewl, lived happily ever after.

Wow! I REALLY like the front end.
Great looking car. Nice to see it will be taken care of for the rest of its life.

nice write up

Congrats on LROTM!

Thanks guys!

Great story and great looking kids too!

The one hiding in the pink is the only one that is mine. All the other kids are friends kids who love climbing all over the car when camping.

Thanks for being the WOTM!

Nice story polecat, love the pictures. Very easy to see all the work and improvements on your car. I take it the AAMCO story worked out well in the end.

Tom

Well, it worked anyway...for now.

Great story...always going to be a "trial"of some sort with these old beauties.

Cool walk thru!

Great write up, tasteful modifications and sweet wagon porn. What more could we ask for from a LROM winner.

I personally really like the Sedan nose on the Wagon. Glad you saved it!

What did the body shop use on the front bumper cover to convert the grey area to black? Hows it holding up?

Nice story enjoyed the read and photos.
In Atlanta this week will keep a eye open for you. Jeff

Nice write up!

Big Wagon Guy- I actually did the black on the front bumper myself. The chrome strips were in really poor shape so I took them off. I sanded down the rough areas and filled them in as best I could. after masking the bumper I used Duplicolor black Bumper Coating (from AutoZone) and it seems to be holding up really well. I used it when I was restoring the original rubber bump molding and it held up well over the course of roughly a year through a Georgia summer and pretty cold winter.

Very nice story. I dig the sedan front end.

Always like seeing your updates on FB and here. Hope to meet you in person someday since we are not too far away from each other...love the Sedan front clip too.

Chris

Thanks Chris!

Enjoyed the write-up! And the progress on your Roady.

Didn't know you added the rear swaybar. I want to do that mod on mine.

Hope you get the wood on the front soon. Can't wait to see that!

Take care Buddy!

-Mike

Yes... it is a big glaring issue in my face. When my wife finally finishes her second go at school and we become a duel income family again maybe I will have some play money. She is a fan of the car and I know she fully endorses the wood.

Nice story and a great looking wagon!

"A woman who fully endorses the wood." That my friends is the definition of a keeper!