Welcome to another week of bad car ideas! This week, we’re looking at vehicles that are too old to require smog checks anywhere, which means typically 1974 or 1975 or older, depending on where you live. Some will run, some won’t, but I have a pretty wide selection of vehicles open in tabs right now, so there should be something for everybody.
But first, let’s finish off Friday’s mini-minivan battle. Lots of love for both choices in the comments, but the Mazda came away the winner. For me, I think this might be another case where a test drive would be the deciding factor.
However, generally speaking, I feel more confident looking at cars from private sellers than from the massive used car lots lining 82nd Avenue. We have bought a couple of cars from that fabled boulevard of broken-down dreams over the years, and while none of them have been an unmitigated disaster, none of them have been exactly what they seemed to be, either. I think, all things being equal, I’d give the nod to the car coming from the person who actually drove it for a while.
So now let’s turn our attention to an older form of people-mover: the station wagon. That broad categorization is about the only thing these two have in common, however. Let’s check them out.
1959 Hillman Husky Gasser – $3,900
Engine/drivetrain: 350 cubic inch overhead valve V8, no transmission right now, RWD
Location: San Andreas, CA
Odometer reading: 60,000 miles, but I don’t think it matters
Operational status: Has no transmission, so…
If you’re unfamiliar with the term “gasser,” let me direct your attention to one of my favorite sites to use for reference photos when building model cars: George Klass Remembers. (In fact, if this car was raced in the ’60s in Southern California, there’s a chance it might be in there somewhere.) Basically, the “Gas Sedan/Coupe” drag racing class required a stock body, and gasoline for fuel, but other than that, pretty much anything went. Cars were categorized by power-to-weight ratio, so starting with a small, lightweight car to begin with was a huge advantage. The diminutive Hillman Husky is an uncommon choice, but a great one.
As originally sold by Hillman, the Husky was the two-door wagon version of the Hillman Minx, equipped with a tiny four-cylinder engine putting out 51 horsepower. Plenty for English roads in the late 1950s, but woefully unsuited to California’s drag racing scene. This Husky has had a little help in that department, in the form of a Chevy 350 small-block engine, a narrowed GM rear axle, and the traditional gasser-style straight front axle on leaf springs in place of the stock front suspension. This was done to lighten and raise the front of the car, to transfer weight to the rear wheels for traction.
Sitting between that small-block and the rear axle is, currently, nothing at all. Obviously, the stock Hillman four-speed manual would simply disintegrate under the torque of the Chevy motor, and drag racing is the one place in motorsports where automatic transmissions have a distinct advantage. Two-speed GM “Powerglide” transmissions were common, and I’d imagine that was what once sat between this car’s frame rails. If you want to drive it on the street, a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 350 is probably a better choice.
Apart from the incomplete drivetrain, this car looks like it’s a pretty good project. It’s not rusty, or banged-up, and the seller says it was street-legal. It has new front wheels and tires, and it looks like someone has been doing some work on the engine. And it has two seats, so you can scare the hell out of a good friend once you get it running.
1973 Ford Galaxie 500 Country Sedan – $3,950
Engine/drivetrain: 460 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: University Place, WA
Odometer reading: 94,000 miles
Operational status: Unclear, but it sounds like it runs and drives
In the market for something a little calmer and more complete? Here we have a Ford Galaxie Country Sedan. You thought BMW calling a four-door crossover a “coupe” was confusing? For years, Ford called its station wagons sedans. “But,” you’re about to say, “what about the Country Squire? Wasn’t that the name of the Galaxie wagon?” Yes – if it had the fake woodgrain on the side. The unadorned wagons were called Country Sedans.
This particular Country Sedan is powered by Ford’s gargantuan 460 cubic inch V8 and a three-speed automatic. It’s equipped with a limited-slip rear axle, which the seller refers to as “posi,” short for Positraction, which was GM’s name for such an axle; I believe Ford calls it Traction-Lok. Whatever you call it, the idea is that you get normal differential action when turning corners, but equal or near-equal torque is sent to both rear wheels when the going gets slippery. (It also produces unique tire marks.) The seller doesn’t expressly say this car runs and drives, but they do say the air conditioner doesn’t work, which makes it sound like everything else does work.
Cosmetically, it’s a mixed bag. Most of the interior looks pretty good, but the carpet is completely missing. Was it water-damaged? Pulled up to repair rust in the floors? Hard to say. But the vinyl upholstery, door panels, and dash all look fine. It also has inward-facing seats in the “way back” that can each seat two, making this a ten-passenger vehicle, but they’re missing their back cushions.
Outside, it mostly just looks tired. The paint is chalky, and it’s missing some trim on the rocker panels, but I don’t see any obvious rust. The plastic grille is partially broken, of course, like it is all these old Galaxies. But it’s totally drivable as-is, and it would draw a crowd at any car gathering, even scruffy like this.
Two very different vehicles, with two very different missions, but both are worth taking a look at, I think. On one hand, you have a tiny British wagon with a drag-racing pedigree, and on the other, a classic “Family Truckster” from the station wagon’s glory days. Or – now here’s an interesting notion – you could get both, and use the Galaxie to tow the Hillman to the drag strip.
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
This is a lead-pipe-cinch. Ferd all day, and twice on Sunday.
My ’72 Country Squire satisfied my need for wood. When we retire in the E.U. we’re def. importing one of these for maximum American absurdity.
https://imgur.com/gallery/r43XACt
I voted for the two rig choice because I’ll need something to tow that Hillman home.
My bro had a brown 71 Country Squire wagon when he first moved to So Cal in the early 90s. We had a lot of fun cruising around with that thing when I visited. His had the 351 which was more than enough.
That Hillman: short wheelbase, sitting up high, lotta motor, would be the death of me.
I kinda like the Galaxie, even though the name conjures a completely different driving experience the previous decade. The Hillman is a very specific project, and it seems if you were the gasser type that you’d probably prefer something else.
I’d love the Husky if it was setup for the street, like the Datsun in today’s Mercedes Market Place. So instead I’ll take the barge.
I want the Husky. Way cooler looking IMO. Too bad it’s not running though.
The Hillman looks like a glorious way to die—but then I remembered that the gasser front end setup isn’t the greatest for cornering. So, went with the wagon because it has the rear jump seats.
And because Doctor Nine’s comment brought back certain memories…
This is not a 1973 Galaxie. This is a 1972. We had both. Google it.
Came here to say this. 1973 was a big update year for full-sized Fords & Mercurys
I noticed it too, but scanned the comments to see who beat me to it. Yep, ’72
Yeah, when I looked at that dash and instrument panel, I thought 72. We had a 72 F250 with identical instrument panel.
I don’t believe you did.
Ford Trucks did not use Full-size Ford sedan dashboards.
Truck dashes were flat, painted metal with a vinyl cap on top – radio upper middle and heat controls below. No heat or AC vents in the dash – just defroster vents up top.
Looking at old photos, you’re right The dash was a vinyl plastic overhang with the metal glovebox below. The speedo and instruments look the same as did the steering wheel. They changed it in 73 to smaller individual square instrument clusters. We had an aftermarket AC installed that require the stick shift to be bent 90 degrees back to accommodate. Vents on top and one in the lower right corner above the floor. Miss that truck but not the gas mileage.
Yeah – My Dad had a 73 F100 Custom. That was the first year of the new series and the big update inside is it had vents in the dash for Heat/AC.
Gassers have almost zero appeal to me personally, and that Country Sedan – bench seats! 460! – is wonderful. Easy choice today.
I rode to high school many days with a neighbor in his mom’s old Country Squire. It’s the very definition of a true station wagon, huge and perfectly suited to America’s vast emptiness.
This is also one of the best-looking wagons ever- the coke-bottle kick-up on the quarter panels really make it.
Ford all the way.
I don’t need anything that large, and it would be a different story if the Husky was stock, but the gasser is a passer. I’ve seen too many things like this, and have some idea of how much work it would take to elevate it beyond Yard Art status.
Why a stock Husky? Because I had a Minx when I was young and desperate for wheels, and a neighbor bought a Husky about the same time. I thought the tiny wagon was way cooler than the sedan.
Holiday Road for me. Dad had an ’85 Colony Park that took us on all of our trips: vacations, Boy Scouts, and moving me to and from college and into my first apt. It was brown too!
I like the Galaxie, but I would be more interested if it didn’t have the 460. I get 5 mpg out of my F250 that has the big block and 3 speed automatic. This car will do better than my truck, but MPG will still be in the single digits. The Galaxie looks like it would be a fun road trip vehicle, but it might be cheaper to fly first class to your destination than drive this beast.
I’ll take the Ford. Would make a sweet tow vehicle for a vintage Airstream.
I wanna go yachting but live in a land locked state. Ford it is
Don’t forget the “Salt Life” sticker I see on so many Jeeps around MO. Haha
Damn, the Galaxie got ugly in its later years. I’d still proudly drive it today as a weekend hauler with serious car nerd cred. Add some curtains in the back and you could moonlight for a funeral home.
I’ll take the Ford wagon… In spite of the fact that so many acres of brown paint and brown upholstery is giving me 1970s PTSD flashbacks…
I voted big Ford because I pretty much had to. My dad had a 71 that looked like that, an ex-police equipment car, black on dark blue vinyl. Fixing that beast up would be an exercise in brown nostalgia for me.
Except this time I would install air conditioning so that when I got up while wearing shorts, I didn’t sound like industrial velcro being removed.
I kind of dig the big Ford, as is. Just run through the basic maintenance and checks and hoon the crap out of it.
Both. Gotta be both. What’s the worst that could happen? That Hillman would be totally safe when it gets out of shape at the big end of the dragstrip, right?
Yeah, that steering column would go straight through you. You would be ne with the Husky
This is a big block old Ford with a bench seat in front. There is no superior wagon on the planet. It’s just ASKING for you to hoon it. “Please”, it begs, “Show me the wide open spaces of a department store parking lot at 2:00 AM. Just after a rain storm. We could have so much fun.” It whispers in your ear, “The pastor’s house is very close. He’d have to hear you…” The burbling of the rusted-out exhaust at idle erupts into a banshee roar as you race up and down the street.
Ahhh…. Station wagons…
The Galaxie has a better chance of running and driving, so I chose that one. Also, if it doesn’t have enough power, a Godzilla swap should be easy enough 😉
Its a brown V8 wagon, that’s like 90% of the cliché perfect car, easy win for the Galaxie
WITH rear-facing seats! That’s the last 10% right there.
I was thinking the only thing missing was a manual for all the elitists, but I think you’re spot on that the jump seats are a worthy replacement.
Manual swap with a three in the tree column shifter!
Listen man, if I want a wagon, I want to shove 12 friends in it and go boppin down the road. Or go get a full sheet of plywood.
Gimme that Ford.
Hot boxing on the way to a Molly Hatchet concert? Yes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta5hPRmxo8k
I used to work in a bar in Albuquerque in the 90’s and Molly Hatchet came to play. The lead singer drank an entire 5th of Jack Daniels before they came on, and another after the show!
Looks like they’re still touring. Let’s go!