thoughts about wagons

[Geeto67]

When I was a kid, growing up on such famous NY street racing avenues as Francis Lewis Blvd, there was a guy with a 1970 Chevelle Nomad Wagon that was one of the baddest street warriors I have ever seen. The car was an original 396 4 speed car, with a full SS396 front end and white rally stripes over black primer, and was owned by a guy we used to call "Jimmy Chevelle" (not his real name). The reason I bring this car up is that after not seeing it for a couple of years, I saw Jimmy, with his wife and child in the car tearing it up in the left lane of northern blvd, just like the old days....and the car is just as awsome now as it was then despite showing it's age.



Now as a drag car wagons have an edge in weight placement over the rear wheels and therefore have better traction. But when you start to take a turn with the car, that weight placement advantage for launching off the line becomes a serious disadvantage as the weight traveling laterally in the rear will be greater than a sedan, hardtop, and (maybe) a convertable (a lot of weight goes into those top mechanisms). Be prepared to deal with oversteer.

That shouldn't stop you from making a g-machine out of a wagon but keep in mind there is an advantage and disadvantage to every body style. I think the best bodystyle wagon for a g machine would probably be a Chevy II or Falcon Wagon. A GM A-body wagon wouldn't be so bad either since there is a good aftermarket for A-bodies (as would a chrysler midsize wagon - coronet, satelite, or a ford torino/fairlane wagon). Fullsize wagons would probably not be a good idea past 1965 as these cars were extremely heavy (4000 to 5000 +lbs) despite big block power. The early 1960s to late 1950's fullsize cars might be ok, like a 1962 bel aire wagon might not be so bad weight wise, since they weigh about the same as a mid 60's a-bodies.

The good advantage of a wagon is they are usually cheap, but body parts are hard to find for any so make sure you start with a clean car. If you are not hung up by a 4 door, you might was well try and work a 4door sedan of a poplular muscle car body. I personally want to build one day a 1967 Chevelle 4-door undercover police chase car, replete with 4 speed, big block, refridgerator white paint, steel wheels with dog dishes, 1960's police scanner and shotgun rack.

So, what wagon did you have in mind?