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wagon story
08/09/2019 11:20
FIRSTLAST
Back in my youth, we learned to power drive cars using our parents posi-trak station wsgons. Parking lots of asphalt and slot racing county roads told us which corporate power plant could grt it done. So I ended up buyong a wagon as my first college vehicle, probably vecause I could pack all my stuff in it for the 4 hr drive to University. And I could road trip/ camp in that vehivle just like I had in my parents Merc wagon with the 390 and posi. My wagon was a 71 Torino w 351C I got cheap. Cheap cause it leaked a bit, trans had to warm up. Tackling my soon to be known basket case started with blind plunge into Auto trans rebuild usibg Ford published manual. Rear seal of engibe was dripping, so I dropped pan, checked bearings. Oops, big mistake. Full engine rebuild time on a broke students budget. I got everything buily, body re-worked, bondo over rust in tail gate. It looked good, drove horrible. Could not control the rear in slick, scary on midwest winter roads. Mileage was terrible, convinced me to sell because even then a tank full was a lot to buy on a lean budget. A trip home was a 2 to 3 tank roundtrip cost. Sold wagon to familyvfriend st my wholesale cost, think I gave away $1000. But they benefited needing room for newborn. Little did I know what I had until engine builders started crafting huge HP out of the same 351C engine with its class dominating build strength and head flow design criteria. I would hope to build a Pontiac wagon one day with the power the Torino Cobra Jet wagon like the link, and Olds Vista Cruiser my good friend used to race the Nova's back in our stupid days. Oh, we beat the Nova in the street racing through city streets. I have some project wagons to get this going, and 455s waiting for the build.
Back in my youth, we learned to power drive cars using our parents posi-trak station wsgons. Parking lots of asphalt and slot racing county roads told us which corporate power plant could grt it done. So I ended up buyong a wagon as my first college vehicle, probably vecause I could pack all my stuff in it for the 4 hr drive to University. And I could road trip/ camp in that vehivle just like I had in my parents Merc wagon with the 390 and posi. My wagon was a 71 Torino w 351C I got cheap. Cheap cause it leaked a bit, trans had to warm up. Tackling my soon to be known basket case started with blind plunge into Auto trans rebuild usibg Ford published manual. Rear seal of engibe was dripping, so I dropped pan, checked bearings. Oops, big mistake. Full engine rebuild time on a broke students budget. I got everything buily, body re-worked, bondo over rust in tail gate. It looked good, drove horrible. Could not control the rear in slick, scary on midwest winter roads. Mileage was terrible, convinced me to sell because even then a tank full was a lot to buy on a lean budget. A trip home was a 2 to 3 tank roundtrip cost. Sold wagon to familyvfriend st my wholesale cost, think I gave away $1000. But they benefited needing room for newborn. Little did I know what I had until engine builders started crafting huge HP out of the same 351C engine with its class dominating build strength and head flow design criteria. I would hope to build a Pontiac wagon one day with the power the Torino Cobra Jet wagon like the link, and Olds Vista Cruiser my good friend used to race the Nova's back in our stupid days. Oh, we beat the Nova in the street racing through city streets. I have some project wagons to get this going, and 455s waiting for the build.
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