They're a funny thing these wagons...

Ya know, someone said to me on the ISSF when I first got my OCC that these wagons are like potato chips. You can't have just one. I thought "naw, I can't see owning multiples of the same vehicle" Fast forward to Sept. '10 and I bought wagon #2 (uber-base '94 Cappy); Just for the winter; I'll take the OCC off the road so it doesn't have to be out in the salt, and save the miles. Then in February I saw a nice deal on a red '96 RMS. Decent shape, dirt cheap, and that awesome bright red. But that would have meant having to sell the Caprice wagon since I can't afford to have that many cars insured at the same time (welcome to NJ). It was then I realized I can't bear the thought of not driving a b-body wagon, so I passed on the RMS. I guess I'm addicted to wagons. Now that it's getting warm out, the Caprice's lack of working AC and lack of any and all luxury features has me longing to drive the OCC again and sell the Caprice. The LT1 is cool and all (however the 2.56 is NOT), but my driving style is pretty reserved, so I don't find the L05 to be much worse. So now this year I'll have a bit more money and can put the OCC on the road again and have enough for another car, so my plan for the last umpteen years has been to buy a '98+ Crown Victoria for one summer. So that will be the Caprice's direct replacement. But here's where the wagon nut in me comes out: I haven't even begun looking for Crown Vics yet and I'm already looking forward to being done with the CV and buying another wagon after that! I think I know what I want too. A well-equipped DGGM LT1 Caprice wagon. Boy I can't wait 'till I buy, use and sell the Crown Vic so I can have another wagon! I guess they really are like potato chips. Am I nuts or what????

NO, you aren't crazy. Well, you are for wanting a Crown Vic, just not for loving wagons

I would love a DGGM 95 myself.

94Woody wrote:

NO, you aren't crazy. Well, you are for wanting a Crown Vic, just not for loving wagons

I would love a DGGM 95 myself.

It's been so long since anyone I know owned a Ford, I think I forgot how bad they are, lol.

Lynol wrote:

94Woody wrote:

NO, you aren't crazy. Well, you are for wanting a Crown Vic, just not for loving wagons

I would love a DGGM 95 myself.

It's been so long since anyone I know owned a Ford, I think I forgot how bad they are, lol.

You'll remember soon enough....

May I suggest:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/2342956518.html - 95 wood-delete and cloth seat Roady wagon....former funeral car

http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/2361895340.html - white Roady Wagon

http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/2348567684.html - Solid white 90 Caprice wagon cheap

http://cnj.craigslist.org/ctd/2341799770.html - DGGM Sedan

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2339338734.html - 94 LT1 Roady wagon..looks good

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/ctd/2361733207.html - Custom 94 Roady wgn

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/2313129799.html - 91 Roady wagon cheap

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2319791457.html - 91 OCC cheap

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2305962150.html - $750 92 Caprice wagon

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2340462179.html - Expensive but clean low-mile Cappy wagon

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/2335277739.html - 9C1's

http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/2312318971.html - 87 OCC

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2319162249.html - 92 OCC

http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/cto/2358830526.html - Solid red 93 Cappy wagon

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/2300472737.html - Solid black 86 Estate..kinda scare but only $1100

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/2361586841.html - 90 Estate with turbine wheels and RWL tires. Sharp!

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/2350645932.html - '85 OCC

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/2359289021.html - 93 Roady wgn...a lot of miles but looks clean

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/2352562436.html - modded 89 Estate with a 403 swap

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/2350742435.html - 92 Roady wagon for $1200

@ 81X11: Boy you really are the craigslist master. I saw that '92 OCC a couple weeks ago, tried to contact him, but never heard back. I was interested to know what he meant by half wood panel, half white. Would be cool if it was a custom done wood paneled OCC. Probably sold. No one on CL bothers to close a listing once something sells...

Good luck on your hunt. If you HAVE to have a Crown Vic you should look for an LX Sport model. Those handle better, have factory dual exhaust, a shighly lower rear axle ratio, and certain year LX Sport models even have front buckets with a floor shift. Kinda halfway to a Marauder.

Fords and I don't agree with each other but at least those have real engines and the correct wheels are driving.

-Mike

Crown Vicky Sport models

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ctd/2360381260.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/2350777477.html

I'll take credit for telling you they are like 'tater chips. I keep wanting a roadie sedan but all the insanely cheapo deals have disappeared on the LT1 RMS....that and lack of parking and not enough time to work on the 4 wagons I have......
the LT-1 and 2.56 is a good combo when you make a right turn and stomp on it.
I left a black mark past 4 houses on my street with the 1A2, lol.

If you are seriously considering a CV, you should look at the Gran Marquis Marauder. It has the MKVIII engine. I believe it is 290 HP in a 3800 lb car.

I had a 92 CV, and sold it to buy my 92 OCC. You can not get anything in the CV compared with the wagon. I was going to hot rod it, and then I saw the 91 on ebay. It didn't sell, but I kept the seller's name. Now I have 2. I have gotten almost all of the bugs out of them, at least the troublesome ones. The 92 now has an LO5, and I found out that the 91 got an LO5 transplant as well. I could not do nearly the amount of hauling that I do now. They also got me doing one of my favourite things...going to the junk yard.

81X11 wrote:

Good luck on your hunt. If you HAVE to have a Crown Vic you should look for an LX Sport model. Those handle better, have factory dual exhaust, a shighly lower rear axle ratio, and certain year LX Sport models even have front buckets with a floor shift. Kinda halfway to a Marauder.

Fords and I don't agree with each other but at least those have real engines and the correct wheels are driving.

-Mike

Didn't realize the CV sport models had a floor shifter. Yeah I'd like something like that or a P71. Just something for the summer, doesn't have to be mint or low miles. I just hope Ford ironed out thee stupid electrical problems that plagued every '80s and early '90s Ford my family owned.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

If you are seriously considering a CV, you should look at the Gran Marquis Marauder. It has the MKVIII engine. I believe it is 290 HP in a 3800 lb car.

I had a 92 CV, and sold it to buy my 92 OCC. You can not get anything in the CV compared with the wagon. I was going to hot rod it, and then I saw the 91 on ebay. It didn't sell, but I kept the seller's name. Now I have 2. I have gotten almost all of the bugs out of them, at least the troublesome ones. The 92 now has an LO5, and I found out that the 91 got an LO5 transplant as well. I could not do nearly the amount of hauling that I do now. They also got me doing one of my favourite things...going to the junk yard.

The Marauder is awesome, but way out of my budget. Oh, and yeah there's no way I'm giving up the OCC, I have to have a wagon at all times.

John I bet your neighbors love to see you rolling down the street.Lionel you are definitely
right about these addictive darn wagons.When I got the 95 I was going to put the 91OCC
in the paper the next week.That was 7 months ago and I still cant decide what to do.The
great difference in power is not there until you mat the go pedal.Normal day to day driving
is what I do rarely and while the additional power is nice I still want to keep the OCC as my
daily driver.I have had the OCC for 7 years next month and it has been the most dependable
and troublefree car that I have ever owned period.As far as a CV always buy a 2000 or newer
due to the major horsepower increase and many suspension improvements.
IMHO
Jim Gordon

Sprocket wrote:

I'll take credit for telling you they are like 'tater chips. I keep wanting a roadie sedan but all the insanely cheapo deals have disappeared on the LT1 RMS....that and lack of parking and not enough time to work on the 4 wagons I have......
the LT-1 and 2.56 is a good combo when you make a right turn and stomp on it.
I left a black mark past 4 houses on my street with the 1A2, lol.

I thought it was you... I'm surprised you can't find any cheap deals on LT1 Roadies. I figured what with gas prices going up and even wagon people giving up their wagons for silly looking economy cars that b-body prices would be super low. Oh and you are right with the 2.56 laying a strip sometimes. But having this '94 Caprice for 8 months and 10k miles has learned me many things about what I like and do not like in a b-body wagon.

LIKES:
•The LT1 is pretty sweet when you want to shock some dumb kid in a ricer.
•The digital speedo is pretty cool.
•The solid front bench seat. Yes folks, laugh it up, but for whatever reason that is a fav in this car. Maybe it's cause I can rest my right arm over the top like I do in the truck. Not being able to tilt the seat back is annoying though.
•Cloth interior.

DISLIKES:
•Not having a posi rear. Didn't realize how much the posi helped in my OCC until I did without.
•2.56 gears. They pretty much do nothing well, and really take away from the LT1 experience.
•Manual windows and locks. I didn't think I would dislike this so much since I didn't have a car with power windows and locks until 2007. But the difference was they were small cars and you reach the window passenger's crank and lock button easily. The Caprice was designed to make you constantly regret not buying the power window and lock package, since the manual locks in the rear are VERY hard to reach, and the front window cranks require you to practically put your head on the dash to get your hand down far enough to reach the crank, a very annoying thing in a state with constant highway tolls.
•Not having cruise control. This SUCKED. I do a lot of highway driving.
•Manual mirrors. Why is the driver's side the remote controlled one????
•The suspension. Seems softer than my OCC. Maybe its the lack of air shocks?

I don't want to ever have this many things from the dislike column in one wagon again. Of course, if I found a 52k mile wagon again for $700, or a 1A2, all bets would be off.

DISLIKES:
•Not having a posi rear. Didn't realize how much the posi helped in my OCC until I did without.
stay outta the gas pedal....oh wait it snows up there, lol.

•2.56 gears. They pretty much do nothing well, and really take away from the LT1 experience.
They help mpg on long hauls and at 70 when you tromp it, they work just fine

•Manual windows and locks. I didn't think I would dislike this so much since I didn't have a car with power windows and locks until 2007. But the difference was they were small cars and you reach the window passenger's crank and lock button easily. The Caprice was designed to make you constantly regret not buying the power window and lock package, since the manual locks in the rear are VERY hard to reach, and the front window cranks require you to practically put your head on the dash to get your hand down far enough to reach the crank, a very annoying thing in a state with constant highway tolls.
LMAO, reminds me of my Chevy Blazer that also lacked AC in FLORIDA!

•Not having cruise control. This SUCKED. I do a lot of highway driving.
Makes you pay attention, only time I use mine is to PREVENT myself from speeding.

•Manual mirrors. Why is the driver's side the remote controlled one????
My 92 Caprice is the same way, WTF?

•The suspension. Seems softer than my OCC. Maybe its the lack of air shocks?
the shocks are shot is why.

the 1A2 had power windows and mirrors too.

Sprocket wrote:

.....•The suspension. Seems softer than my OCC. Maybe its the lack of air shocks?
the shocks are shot is why.

At 52k miles???

You could swap out the 2.56 rear for a 3.23 fairly easily, and there are a few of them around. Wagon rears are wider than sedan rears, but the sedan rear in the wagon has been done with few if any problems. They are just a little wierd in the spring and control arm areas. You would then appreciate the LT1 a little more.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

You could swap out the 2.56 rear for a 3.23 fairly easily, and there are a few of them around. Wagon rears are wider than sedan rears, but the sedan rear in the wagon has been done with few if any problems. They are just a little wierd in the spring and control arm areas. You would then appreciate the LT1 a little more.

Yes, very true. I wouldn't let gearing stop me from buying a wagon, like you say you can always swap. I didn't even know it was possible to put a sedan rear in a wagon at all. Oh, and yes, I've driven my friend Dave's (95BRMW) RMW and 9C1, and the gearing does make a difference. That 9C1 he has is a blast with the 3.08s. And the RMW is much more enjoyable with the 2.93

Yeah, these wagons really grow on you. I bought my RMW in 2007 and never thought I would have as many as I do now. Out of all of them, my RMW is still my absolute favorite. Power, confort, space, DCM.

I have to agree, 2.56 gears suck. I plan to swap out my 1A2's rear or gears this summer, picked up a 3.08 rear out of an LTZ sedan, might swap the gears or the whole rear, not sure yet. My 1A2 has manual windows, but I really don't mind them. The windows in my 87' lesabre are a real pain to crank, but the Caprice ones are relatively easy, even if you have to lean over to get to them.

I know what you mean. I've had 4 and still have 2 and a parts car. Last night I was having a conversation with my boss about addictions and told him I was glad I never got addicted to anything. There was a pause and he said "You're addicted to b-body wagons".
Enough said. (He has caprice wagons)

Jon

having a ford in closet is ok,. we have a 99 ford only dressed as a lincoln cartier,.
2:56's really suck,. so i bought some 3:73's for the black car,. and i just picked up a 9" 2800 edge from a certain well known wagon owner here in vancouver,.

nick

94X2 wrote:

I know what you mean. I've had 4 and still have 2 and a parts car. Last night I was having a conversation with my boss about addictions and told him I was glad I never got addicted to anything. There was a pause and he said "You're addicted to b-body wagons".
Enough said. (He has caprice wagons)

Jon

Lol! I guess I am too. 5 years ago I hardly knew a thing about these cars. I thought they looked kinda cool, but never considered owning one. I remember when they were new, a family at Church bought a Caprice wagon in '91. Even as a kid of 10 years old I thought it strange that someone was making cars like this still. Seemed out of place in time, but that's what I liked about them. Then once I actually learned some details about them I realized they were pretty awesome cars, and bought my own. I guess the hard part will be once the last of these wagons gets past 25 or so years and parts and things get hard[er] to find (and rustier!) and less people are able to use them as DD's. Anyway, I guess I'm not nuts. Long live the wagons!

I bought mine to haul a display model. I had a lot of problems with it, and had to learn the fine points of repairing it without the forums. I thought about making the first one a hotrod, but found one I liked without doing all the work...now I have 2. I always liked the look, and this is one of the few cars that can be utilitarian, and also make a really cool hotrod. Since I found the forums, it has been rewarding helping others who are trying to keep theirs running and in good condition.

Growing up we had a 78 Grand Safari from new and Dad replaced that with an '86 Electra Estate, also new, which they had until 1993, so I grew up with wagons.

I remember the first "round" one I saw. It was a '91 Olds Custom Cruiser, light blue, parked in front of Ridge Chevy/Olds in Basking Ridge NJ. We'd just gotten out of church, it was a Sunday morning, and Dad and I walked up the street to look at it.

I remember he compared it to the then-current Taurus wagon...my father liked the boxy style better then. He called the Taurus a "Watermelon on Wheels"

We walked around the car and he pointed out the body-color bumpers, said they'd scratch easier than the chrome...and also the general lack of chrome. He was also upset the rear window no longer slid into the tail gate, a feature I miss myself on my 96 Roady. We'd yet to see a Roady, and I remember Dad saying there was no way they'd be able to put wood on these and make them look right.

We all piled into our 86 Estate and headed home. No new wagon for the Massey's that year. I left for college soon after, and so did my younger brother, at which point Dad traded the 86 Estate wagon for a new bright red 93 Cutlass Convertible. Empty nest syndrome anyone? He said that would be their retirement car and they would keep it forever. Too bad it fell totally apart at 3yrs old....

The really funny part is now my Dad WANTS a 91-93 Custom Cruiser. He thinks, and I tend to agree, that they are the cleanest looking "round wagons". He gave me SUCH a hard time when I sold my 89 Custom Cruiser, and he loves my 96 Roady wagon....to the point that he's taken it to Arkansas three times now. Ha!

-Mike