Chicks Dig Wagons
As the precursor to minivans, wagons were the suburban work horses that kept American families on the road together. Many times they came with big engines, but their extra weight gave them the road negotiating abilities of a knock-kneed hippo on roller skates. As of late, we have been noticing more and more wagons at cruise nights, and-dare we say-a trend is forming? Maybe it's because chicks dig wagons; we haven't bought one yet because we didn't know.
How We'd Do ItGive it a slathering of a subdued color, such as Gunmetal Grey or a dark blue, so it doesn't look like a circus wagon. Then we would add a set of widened steel wheels on the back and matching steelies up front. Redo the interior in something a little brighter than the outside of the car, and add the creature comforts needed to make a road trip fun: A/C, CD player, and cruise control. We'd also add a slightly warmed over big-block and an overdrive transmission, and drive it everywhere.
Pros
These land barges are roomy enough for family road trips. They also usually have big-block power, which is easy to extract more performance from.
Cons
They're big, so parking can sometimes be an issue, and since you have the room, you may be the designated driver for all 12 of your buddies. You really need a big-block to get moving with any authority.
Getting Square
Go to any car show, and the '68 to '70 B-Body class will be the one with the most cars. But an often overlooked B-Body is the '66-'67 models. Although the boxy lines were only offered for two years, these cars have a lot of potential. some of them even came from the factory with a Hemi under the hood. That makes these cars a definite prospect for cloning your own Hemi or just building a big-block cruiser.
Pros
The spacious engine compartment gives enough room for any big-block. Even though it's not a C-Body, it still affords plenty of room for friends and luggage if you decide to take a road trip. BONUS: A four-speed version was available. Find one of them and let the fun begin. More aftermarket parts are becoming available for these cars.
Cons
A lot of these cars have already been turned into Hemi clones, and this body style is getting harder to find in project status.
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How We'd Do It
Understate the paint color, giving it a sleeper look. Throw in a big-block with a four-speed, add a set of 3.91 gears, and head for the local hangout to see if anyone wants to play. | |