I still own my 86' Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser with a 4 speed go stick. Love the thing, "leaks all the fluids" (sarcasm), but always been reliable. Now going on 262,000 miles.
You say "leaking all da fluids" like it's a Badge of Honor!! Lol!!!!😄One of my high school friends had a Firenza 4 door. It had its share of issues but she said it was better than taking the bus.
@@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE I was more so exaggerating. It's leaked pretty much everything over the years, but I fixed any that showed up. It's been a great little car that I trust more than my modern hunk of dodge ram. Can't wait to get rid of that truck and get an old idi ive been eyeing.
As a ‘Brit’ (Welshman 🏴) I always remember the station wagons here being driven by the moms (mothers) in movies. We call station wagons’Estates’ here, and in the 1980s my mother drove a Ford Sierra 2.5 Estate. At the same time my grandfather drove Volvo Estates, and he only drove them amongst his other car collection from as early as I can remember, all because of grandchildren I guess. Even LandRovers in the family were used purely for utilitarian reasons. The estates were all rounders, pre people carrier shit. Anyway, get well soon bro 🏴 🇺🇸
I look forward to reading your comment every week, helps me get a better understanding of the other markets! I’m feeling a whole lot better, thank you:)
@@joycebrackbill-henderly8311 He had one that he bought brand new in 1991/92, I think it was a 740 GL/GLE and apart from a few services and minor maintenance things, it was a-ok, no issues and still driven up to 2020.
If I could have any of all the cars I've owned back, I'd want my 1984 Thunderbird.... and my 1986 Cavalier wagon. I loved that thing. 2.0L EFI, 3 speed auto, ac, gauges, crank windows, tilt wheel, do it yourself locks. But the rear seat folded down, the hatch opened wide. I used to carry just everything from computers to gardening supplies. It was metallic brown over tan cloth. I miss it.
Back in 1998 I got in an accident with my 97 Talon Tsi AWD. A friend's mother gave me a car to commute with as my car was going to be laid up for months. It was a 1984 Chevy Celebrity wagon, red on red. It had been given to her by her neighbor. It was a far cry from my Talon, but it got me there. It did just work as far as an appliance car goes. Wagon body was convenient. I remember shoving a Christmas tree in there. Anyway, I ended up giving the car to a woman who was in need of transportation. Paying it forward as it was paid to me.
I GO for the Chevrolet, neighbor had a Datsun 210 wagon, 81, that by 85 was falling apart, that what they traded in for. Closest we had to a wagon, Jeep Cherokee, 1976, got 6 mpg. That got so fast.
Reliant for the win. Small outside, huge inside. The Escort's 1.9 shouldve gotten a nod due to the 1985.5 was a typical mid year thing for Ford. Having owned all three I go with the Reliant. The Cavalier was problematic, as was the Escort (timing belts). Both 1.8/2.0 and 1.6/1.9s. The 2.2 was a good engine as was the 2.6 Silent shaft. The K wagon was simply huge inside. Best packaging and almost unstoppable in snow. Friends parents had an 82 Reliant wagon with a 4 speed manual. fun vehicle. I own a 79 Buick Electra Estate and a 1984 Amc Eagle wagon now.
1:34 & 5:51....................COLT VISTA, BABY!!!!! We used to have a 1985 Dodge Colt Vista similar to this one when I was growing up, & I would give ANYTHING to have another one!!!!! Ours was Glacier Blue Metallic, 2WD, & an automatic with the Custom Package. It also had a manually-tuned AM-FM stereo radio with no cassette deck. NOT a star on the track by ANY means, but..........let's just say that Glacier Blue Metallic was definitely the appropriate color for ours, as it DEFINITELY had glacier-like acceleration!!!!!
I had a 1982 Plymouth Reliant long ago it was not a wagon it was a two door coupe in midnight blue with a very reliable 2.6 four banger had it in 1995 with a column shift automatic and bench seat. The car was midnight blue and had it a few years. It had its quirks but overall loved the car got me around was pretty roomy and had a bench seat in light blue cloth. Wish I had it still or another one like it.
My friends family had a little compact 80's station wagon - i want to say it was a chevy. There was a bench seat in the rear hatch that pointed backwards. We used to sit back there and flip everybody the bird. Probably not a very safe seating configuration though....
My parents had a 1984 Cavalier wagon, my parents had that for 10 years. We drove that all the way from Northern Ohio to Orlando, Florida in 1986 with stop overs in Tennessee. In 1990 we bought a 1990 Plymouth Voyager and my Dad drove the Cavalier until the 2nd engine failed in 94. It was almost my first car but, the wagon had it's day.
the way back!!!!!!! that 2.8/2.6 motor was pretty dang good IMHO. Today I drive a 2015 Ford focus and it it a great little car as long as you get the dealer to fix the tranny....Great video my brother, your on to somethin!
The only ones I remember spending much time in as a child was my aunt's 85 country squire (Ltd Crown Victoria station wagon) and I think a late 70s to early 80s Dodge Colt. I don't recall being in anything else. The country squire lasted forever reaching 318k miles before she sold it to a kid who used it in a couple demolition derbies. It would fit 10 people with the rear side seats. I never enjoyed riding in it as it made me car sick plus it was in rough shape and not particularly clean. I remembered liking the Dodge Colt.
I will note we were more a minivan family. I remember asking my dad once about getting a station wagon when I was a toddler when all we had were sedans and I think he said he didn't like them (I think as the saying goes that each generation doesn't want the cars their parents drove)
I love woodgrain station wagons. Rear wheel drive ONLY. I have owned 6 of them. I currently have two, a 1977 Caprice Classic Estate and a 1972 Pinto Squire. Both are a medium brown with vinyl woodgrain. I don't think they made any compact rear wheel drive station wagons in the '80s except the Pinto in 1980.
Feel well soon , happy days are here again , loved tha wagons , I’m 57 an my family owned several one was a 1977 ltd country squire edition an man big choked out 390 unda the hood an loved fuel an us ram forever an we had it 15 yrs an sold it for 1200 bucks , we then bought a Toyota 2 door compact to travel cheaper but kept the wood groan look in it , man those were the days ❤ an moss them
Can't wait for your AMC 4WD Eagle Wagon review to show how far ahead of it's time it was. Just look at how many of today's "Shooting Brakes"...I'm sorry SUVs have gone that way.
I had a gold, stick-shift Plymouth Reliant K and it was excellent in the snow. It had a short wheelbase, and was relatively high off the ground compared to most cars.
Interesting, the Australian J body wagon (Holden Camira) had the rear bumper attached to the tailgate so there was no loading lip. (I read an article that said they copied the Citroen GS)
In while in college in 87, I worked at a bank being a "vehicle messenger". Meaning I drove around and picked up proof and mail from different branches and brought them back to the operations center. At the time 1986 Cavalier wagons were used, and all the people I worked with were also all college students. Needless to say, we beat the snot out of them but never had one break down.
You do sound under the weather, but trust me when I say I appreciate the effort you put into producing another fantastic video. Hope you get better soon! I thought the Ford Taurus wagon would be in this video too. I could swear they made one. If not, please disregard, LoL. Keep up the great work Hawk!
There was a Ford Taurus wagon and its cousin Mercury Sable wagon manufactured from 1986-2003. I Love the Taurus but the wagon was kinda fuggly from/in the back. My friends' maw had a white 1987 one. Its successor, The Ford Freestyle/Taurus X, was WAYYYYY better looking! Two of my neighbors have one. And besides, The Taurus is a midsize.😎
What's up Stinger! You're absolutely right. They came out in 1986 and I personally love those wagons, but they just missed the cutoff and it didn't seem that fair to compare early '80s styled/engineered wagons to the newer late '80s models if that makes sense. Thank you for watching as always:)
My comment disappeared! Great vid Hawk! Grew up in the back of a 85 Sentra wagon. It was reliable and saw it many years after my folks sold it in town with its new owner.
Best was the 74 amc hornet wagon hands down except for rust my dad never had issues with it loved riding in it. Followed by the Toyota Corolla wagon followed by Ford escort wagon. I settled on a Subaru Outback really only wagon left.
As a Ford and GM salesman of over 25 years I can say that the best wagon of the 80s was probably a Corolla. LoL Or the Cressida if you wanted to be stylish. Jokes aside.... For the US, I'd go with the downsized LTD.
My in-laws' neighbor had a dark blue wood trim one in mint condition until one sunny Sunday afternoon around 2013. A drunk driver came along and slammed into that parked Eagle. Crushed the cargo area like an accordian. Insurance totalled it out. I think the owner's Still Mad!! I would be!!!🤨
@@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE That’s sad to hear. I wonder how many Eagles are still on the road. If you maintain that AMC 4.2L 258 Inline 6 it will run forever. I have one in my CJ7. Almost 40 years old and still running.
Ford Taurus. My parents had a 1986 Ford Taurus station wagon. Seems like we had it but just until 1990 when my sister friend rolled it on the gravel road to our farm. Lol. No one was hurt.
CHRIST GHD!!! 1st of All, You Instantly took me back to my granddaddy's 7th generation (1969-78) Ford LTD Country Squire wagon with the rear facing 3rd row for the kiddies just inside the tailgate. I don't remember if there were seatbelts for that 3rd row or not, but I don't remember wearing one on those Indiana Toll Road/Ohio TurnPike trips between Chicago & Cleveland. NO air conditioning! In the summer, me & the family dog Mitzie'd sit in the 2nd row while "daddy" changed the oil while our neighbor across the alley would do the same. Back in the 70's, lots of men would d.i.y. basic maintenance in the alley; at least in Chicago. I even recall them letting the old antifreeze (& probably other fluids) run off into the sewer. We/they didn't know any better.😁 I drove my 1991 (3rd gen.) Escort into the ground but it was a tough s.o.b. That generation wagons are not hard to find and the decent ones can be had for well under $2,000. Anywho, I'll never forget that scene in "Three O' Clock High" (1987) when Casey Siemaszko came thisclose to causing a chain-reaction crash at an intersection and escaped without a scratch in a Dodge Aries station wagon all while Tangerine Dream (a hit band that did several soundtracks) played in the background. And being a Star Trek fan, I gotta go with the Plymouth Reliant. Those K cars when they were new felt cheap quality-wise but not now. Not with all the aftermarket places that can do Anything to a car. Khan Starship-jacked the U.S.S. Reliant in Star Trek II. If they make a hundred more Trek films, Star Trek II will STILL and ALWAYS WILL be The BEST!!!!! 😎😎😎😎😎Great background music Again, GHD. I think this is your 2nd Best vid so far!! And so long as you don't have pneumonia, you'll be alright!
I appreciate your support, Landon. You have been such a great member to this community and I'm glad I was able to take you back to your childhood. Do you like Star Trek more than Star Wars?!😂
@@GreenHawkDrive Trekkie For Life, Baby!! I like Star Wars but George Lucas got on my bad side when he thought he was gonna march Right into Chicago and Tell US where He was gonna build His museum just beacuse his wife is from Chicago. WELL, Those of us who Love our LakeFront (where I grew up) had SomeThing to say about THATTT!!!!! Anywho, a LOTTA Reliants AND Voyagers were bought & sold because of and thanks to the Star Trek Franchise!!!😎😎
My first car was an Aries K. I bought it for $300, drove it 3 years, and sold it for $500. It had no power to speak of, but it was pretty reliable and got good gas mileage. I never realized at the time having a full bench up front was out of the ordinary.
GREAT !WONDERFFUL VIDEO!!! I GREW UP IN A 1960S FORD FALCOON WAGON AND A 1970S FORD WAGOON SQUIRE ,,. MY SON MAX 8 YR.S OLD LOVES WAGONS WHEN WE GO TO CAR SHOWS OR SEEING THEM GOING DOWN THE STREET AT!! TIMES.. YOUR SO RIGHT THE GAS PRICES KILLED THE BIG BABES OF THE CARS.. THEN MY PARENTS YES WENT TO THE ESCORTS ,, NOT GOOD TO PLAN.. EVERY THING YOU SAID IS SO TRUE.. I ONLY DRIVE OLD CARS ,,1978 BUICK REGAL,, AND MY SON CRYED AND BEGGED WHEN HE SAW A 1958 DODGE CUSTOM ROYALE , SWEEP WING FOR SALE AT A CAR SHOW SO WE HAD TO BUY IT ,, ITS A GASER BUT WE ENJOY IT... HE CARES AND WASHES IT, KIDS NEED THIS FUN TOO.. HOPE YOUR FEELING BETTER !!! NEVER SAY SORRY ,
Mom had an '83 Cavalier, drove it for more than a decade. When she sold it it had almost 350,000 miles on it, with nothing but routine maintenance. Never had any major issues with either the engine or the transmission.
My family bought a 1984 Buick Skyhawk Limited wagon. We bought it brand new, and owned it for about 7 or eight years. It was brown inside and outside. It was a good car. It was a Limited, but it still had manual windows and no cassette player. It did have power locks, wire wheels, a power antenna, AC, and cruise control. It was an automatic.
One of my many Aunts had a 1983 Plymouth Reliant Special Edition Station Wagon and I got to drive it a few times, seemed pretty impressive (but not my style at the time). Given MY choice it would have been the 1983 Chrysler Cordoba that was in the showroom when she bought the station wagon!!!
I still own and daily a modern station. Buck imported an opel and badged it as their own. It's the rare 2018 buick regal tourx awd station wagon. Grew up riding in station wagons, glad I found a modern one for myself.
Great video GreenHawk! Personally I love wagons but the minivan was so much more of a better option. Then the SUV came along and really took over. So sorry to hear that you have been under the weather. Feel better and get well soon!
Been dailying an 88 RT4WD Civic Wagon for nearly a decade in the northern hemisphere and while these have died and went well over a couple decades ago, ive had plenty of trust with trailing in dry and snow off road, camped and started in -50c with no hesitations. I enjoy its double wishbone suspension, its comfy and has no issue with being agile and doing exactly how you intend. I really wish some things were different nowadays 😕
In hindsight, not really. As a Generation Nexter, we saw wood trim as being for old folks and we didn't want to be seen in one. But now that I'm older, if an 80's car I wanted had wood trim, I'd consider it. A Jeep XJ Cherokee Wagoneer is an excellent example. I'd buy one of those in a New York Minute!!!!❤❤❤😊
@landonbenford8369 Born in '78. I always thought the wood-like stickers looked dumb on then-new vehicles, especially on something like the K-car convertibles. I liked it on the Grand Wagoneer, but even in the 80s, that was an ancient design, so it still fit. Now... If we bring back any retro styling trends, I hope it's 2-tone paint jobs. Even on trucks, those look nice. 🤞
@@doug6191 Two tone paint looks Totally Cool!! DAMN Automotive Corporate board rooms and their cost-cutting moves. This is why older cars are going up in value.
Thanks Hawk another great video upload I actually had a 1990 two-door Ford Escort throttle body injected it was a good car manual transmission it was 2nd cars I learned to drive a manual transmission on first being a 2nd gen geo metro I'm still here for you always!!!💯👍
Had a cavalier. It was a great running car . The Chrysler car I had had a comfy couch feel. I drove A Escort was fine vehicle. My vote is cavalier wagon had the get up and go
Hello new subscriber, love your videos. Since you seem receptive to comments I just thought id mention At 6:19 you mention the Plymouth Volaire. The correct pronunciaton is Voll-are-ray... cuz of that french accent thing over the e
What is That Chevy @ 0:28 with the rear window retracting into the roof?!? A Bel Air or Caprice?!? Omg! I've Never seen that before except maybe the GMC Envoy XUV?!?😮😮
Dude I love your videos so much please keep them coming, a quick FYI try checking out the Australian motoring history from the 50s to 2000 a lot of great info there. Including the 245ci and 265ci HEMIs
The Cavalier and the Escort were great for a single person with "stuff". A new family would go for the K- cars or the Celebrity. I like the Cavalier but only with the FI 2 liter engine.
My winner is the Chrysler K wagons. They were larger than the GM J wagons and the Escort wagons. My opinion is that they had better styling. The 2.2 Chrysler built I4 was a hell of a reliable little engine if you took care of it, which most people did not. The Mitsubishi engines were okay but i think the 2.2 had an edge in reliability. The interiors felt bigger than they actually were at it was easier for full size wagon buyers to go to the slightly larger K than the GM or Ford offerings. Then of course, Chrysler also had the minivans that were also based on the K platform and those basically killed by full size wagon segment by themselves. Chrysler knew how to build a solid, simple people mover back in the 80s. Great video as always!
The Cavalier with the 2.8L V6 was definitely the most peppy of the bunch while the Escort was terribly slow and seemed to share ergonomics right out of the 70s rather than the 80s. The Reliant/ Aries/ Town and Country were by most metrics more advanced being clean sheet from the tires up. The 2.2L and eventual 2.5L with TBI in my opinion were more reliable than either the crap Ford 1.9 or the GM motors. I wish you had included the Chrysler Town and Country wagon with woody sides and the option of the turbocharged 2.2L good for 146 h.p. which made it a screamer in relative terms! The ergonomics of the Chrysler products were also much more modern than the Ford or GM.
Amazing to think that back then, the meaning of "luxury" was less about unique features and creature comforts, and more about styling that would be considered tacky by today's standards.
We had the xbody phoenix that was comfortable, roomy and economical but it was one of the first years built and it couldn't keep a clutch, or parking brake on hills aside from that it was fairly reliable but after a bad New England winter we crossed over to Subaru 4wd GL wagons. Subaru would rust easily and leak oil like Jaguar but we're great in snow and ran well and 2 /3 of them went 150 to 213k miles until rust failed them out of state inspections. In winter at College they were irreplaceable for moving in and out of the dorms and driving through blizzards and deep snow. few friend had the buick skylark wagon which was good, reliable and more powerful than the Subaru but the Suby felt better built as a whole and second to a SUV only in snow.
You missed the best wagon of the 1980s, that being the AMC Concord/Eagle. The design was tested, reliable, bulletproof, and really smart and versatile. Had two of them, both excellent, and capable.
I think what's the MOST amazing thing about looking back at old cars... isn't the look, or the style or features... no... it's the amazing fact that most if not all these old cars have V6's and V8's that put out less horsepower and torque than most of today's 4-cylinder engines!
I remember my moms car was a delta 88 wagon. I think it was a 77 or 78. We would drop the rear seats and layout in the cargo area and sleep on long trips.
I would have loved to have seen a Cavalier z24 wagon as our first family car that I can remember was a '92-93 z24. I guess for me I'd take the J2000 wagon from Pontiac.
little side thing on the shifter comment. On the V6 Blazer/Jimmy it kinda had that option with some trims having a column vs floor shifter. I think the 3800 Impalas were the same.
What year was the pushrod 2.0? I was thinking 1986 was first year. I know early J's got a 2.0 OHC. I have had first gen cavalier and escort coupe. Handing and suspension is so much more stable on the Js.
I wish they would bring back those car's. Those cars didn't have the problems the car's of today has, and the recalls, as well as easier on the pocket book.
Many cars of the 60's and 70's had a choice between column or optional floor shift automatics. Some only had column shift. For instance, a '68 Mercury Montego or a '77 Chevy Monte Carlo could have either. But then, something such as a Lincoln Town Car or Chrysler New Yorker would be column only. My current '71 Charger is a floor shift automatic. The '71 Charger that my parents drove when we were kids was a column shift automatic. I used to own a '67 Galaxie 500 that had the optional floor shift automatic. Even in the 80's... an Olds Cutlass could have either... as did many others. This was, indeed, quite common. You also had a choice between a floor shift with or without an optional center console. Automobiles used to offer choices. Not today. Nowadays, you get either grey or black interiors and only power windows. Years ago, there could be as many as 7 engine choices for ONE car. Imagine that! Nowadays, you don't even have 7 color choices on some cars!
As a 70s 80s kid, I got to go with the Escort! It was the quintessential 80s small car.
I still own my 86' Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser with a 4 speed go stick. Love the thing, "leaks all the fluids" (sarcasm), but always been reliable. Now going on 262,000 miles.
Awesome, my'83 Cimmaron is still rollin too
@@jacobtonge5386 That's awesome! The Cimarron is one of my bucketlist cars.
You say "leaking all da fluids" like it's a Badge of Honor!! Lol!!!!😄One of my high school friends had a Firenza 4 door. It had its share of issues but she said it was better than taking the bus.
@@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE I was more so exaggerating. It's leaked pretty much everything over the years, but I fixed any that showed up. It's been a great little car that I trust more than my modern hunk of dodge ram. Can't wait to get rid of that truck and get an old idi ive been eyeing.
Ayeee! Justin! '66 Olds coming soon!
As a ‘Brit’ (Welshman 🏴) I always remember the station wagons here being driven by the moms (mothers) in movies. We call station wagons’Estates’ here, and in the 1980s my mother drove a Ford Sierra 2.5 Estate. At the same time my grandfather drove Volvo Estates, and he only drove them amongst his other car collection from as early as I can remember, all because of grandchildren I guess. Even LandRovers in the family were used purely for utilitarian reasons. The estates were all rounders, pre people carrier shit. Anyway, get well soon bro 🏴 🇺🇸
I look forward to reading your comment every week, helps me get a better understanding of the other markets! I’m feeling a whole lot better, thank you:)
I am envyous of your grandfather's Volvo Estates - a practical , durable and classy vehicle .
@@joycebrackbill-henderly8311 He had one that he bought brand new in 1991/92, I think it was a 740 GL/GLE and apart from a few services and minor maintenance things, it was a-ok, no issues and still driven up to 2020.
I remember the Benz 300TD estates back in the day
That Eagle pictured in the opening was not just a station wagon. It was the first crossover!
Very true
If I could have any of all the cars I've owned back, I'd want my 1984 Thunderbird.... and my 1986 Cavalier wagon. I loved that thing. 2.0L EFI, 3 speed auto, ac, gauges, crank windows, tilt wheel, do it yourself locks. But the rear seat folded down, the hatch opened wide. I used to carry just everything from computers to gardening supplies.
It was metallic brown over tan cloth.
I miss it.
Back in 1998 I got in an accident with my 97 Talon Tsi AWD. A friend's mother gave me a car to commute with as my car was going to be laid up for months. It was a 1984 Chevy Celebrity wagon, red on red. It had been given to her by her neighbor. It was a far cry from my Talon, but it got me there. It did just work as far as an appliance car goes. Wagon body was convenient. I remember shoving a Christmas tree in there. Anyway, I ended up giving the car to a woman who was in need of transportation. Paying it forward as it was paid to me.
Good on ya for passing the car on to help someone in need. An act of kindness like that can really impact a person's life in a positive way.👍🔥🔥
Growing up in the 80s my parents got an 85 cavalier, light blue. I loved that cav wagon. Took it everywhere and she ran like a champ!
I GO for the Chevrolet, neighbor had a Datsun 210 wagon, 81, that by 85 was falling apart, that what they traded in for. Closest we had to a wagon, Jeep Cherokee, 1976, got 6 mpg. That got so fast.
Loved the clip from Top Secret! with the Pinto blowing up. A very underrated comedy from the '80s, rivaling Airplane!
Had the column shift on our Dynasty and loved it. They made good cars back in the 80's and 90's
Love my wagon - you're right they're dying out though as people switch to crossovers and SUVs. Hope you feel better.
great video 👌
Hey man! Thank you😎
Reliant for the win. Small outside, huge inside. The Escort's 1.9 shouldve gotten a nod due to the 1985.5 was a typical mid year thing for Ford. Having owned all three I go with the Reliant. The Cavalier was problematic, as was the Escort (timing belts). Both 1.8/2.0 and 1.6/1.9s. The 2.2 was a good engine as was the 2.6 Silent shaft. The K wagon was simply huge inside. Best packaging and almost unstoppable in snow. Friends parents had an 82 Reliant wagon with a 4 speed manual. fun vehicle. I own a 79 Buick Electra Estate and a 1984 Amc Eagle wagon now.
You need to put that Eagle under glass!!! My neighbor had his Mint blue woody Eagle destroyed by a drunk driver.
1:34 & 5:51....................COLT VISTA, BABY!!!!! We used to have a 1985 Dodge Colt Vista similar to this one when I was growing up, & I would give ANYTHING to have another one!!!!! Ours was Glacier Blue Metallic, 2WD, & an automatic with the Custom Package. It also had a manually-tuned AM-FM stereo radio with no cassette deck. NOT a star on the track by ANY means, but..........let's just say that Glacier Blue Metallic was definitely the appropriate color for ours, as it DEFINITELY had glacier-like acceleration!!!!!
...or it's cousin the Eagle Summit!!❤
I remember the Ford escort. A friend of mine had one it was pretty gutless, but it was a car and got us around in high school.
Great show ! I would say the Chrysler K cars get my vote, I used to see these everywhere growing up in the 80s . 😊
That Escort SS Wagon @ 5:12 looks Sharp as Hell!! Throw a turbo intercooler or a flux capacitor in there and see what happens!!!😅❤❤
We had an 88 Taurus wagon, best car we ever owned, great gas mileage and comfortable as hell.
I love those wagons man
What was the fuel economy of the Taurus wagon? Which engine did it have?
I drove an 85 Olds Firenza wagon in the demo derby back in the day. Man, that was fun
I had a 1982 Plymouth Reliant long ago it was not a wagon it was a two door coupe in midnight blue with a very reliable 2.6 four banger had it in 1995 with a column shift automatic and bench seat. The car was midnight blue and had it a few years. It had its quirks but overall loved the car got me around was pretty roomy and had a bench seat in light blue cloth. Wish I had it still or another one like it.
My friends family had a little compact 80's station wagon - i want to say it was a chevy. There was a bench seat in the rear hatch that pointed backwards. We used to sit back there and flip everybody the bird. Probably not a very safe seating configuration though....
I miss Station Wagons, I used to have a 98 Suzuki Esteem wagon in a manual when I was in my early 20s. Called it the shaggin wagon lol
My parents had a 1984 Cavalier wagon, my parents had that for 10 years. We drove that all the way from Northern Ohio to Orlando, Florida in 1986 with stop overs in Tennessee. In 1990 we bought a 1990 Plymouth Voyager and my Dad drove the Cavalier until the 2nd engine failed in 94. It was almost my first car but, the wagon had it's day.
the way back!!!!!!! that 2.8/2.6 motor was pretty dang good IMHO. Today I drive a 2015 Ford focus and it it a great little car as long as you get the dealer to fix the tranny....Great video my brother, your on to somethin!
I keep hearing that GM 2.8 was BulletProof?!?!?🤔🤨🧐
The only ones I remember spending much time in as a child was my aunt's 85 country squire (Ltd Crown Victoria station wagon) and I think a late 70s to early 80s Dodge Colt. I don't recall being in anything else. The country squire lasted forever reaching 318k miles before she sold it to a kid who used it in a couple demolition derbies. It would fit 10 people with the rear side seats. I never enjoyed riding in it as it made me car sick plus it was in rough shape and not particularly clean. I remembered liking the Dodge Colt.
I will note we were more a minivan family. I remember asking my dad once about getting a station wagon when I was a toddler when all we had were sedans and I think he said he didn't like them (I think as the saying goes that each generation doesn't want the cars their parents drove)
I love woodgrain station wagons. Rear wheel drive ONLY. I have owned 6 of them. I currently have two, a 1977 Caprice Classic Estate and a 1972 Pinto Squire. Both are a medium brown with vinyl woodgrain. I don't think they made any compact rear wheel drive station wagons in the '80s except the Pinto in 1980.
Always enjoyed your vids hope the channel grows
I appreciate that man, thank you!
Nothing beats the caprice 9 seater wagon
Cavalier Wagon all the way. But I love them all and really wish they offered small wagons yet today.
Feel well soon , happy days are here again , loved tha wagons , I’m 57 an my family owned several one was a 1977 ltd country squire edition an man big choked out 390 unda the hood an loved fuel an us ram forever an we had it 15 yrs an sold it for 1200 bucks , we then bought a Toyota 2 door compact to travel cheaper but kept the wood groan look in it , man those were the days ❤ an moss them
Can't wait for your AMC 4WD Eagle Wagon review to show how far ahead of it's time it was. Just look at how many of today's "Shooting Brakes"...I'm sorry SUVs have gone that way.
I had a gold, stick-shift Plymouth Reliant K and it was excellent in the snow. It had a short wheelbase, and was relatively high off the ground compared to most cars.
Interesting, the Australian J body wagon (Holden Camira) had the rear bumper attached to the tailgate so there was no loading lip. (I read an article that said they copied the Citroen GS)
In while in college in 87, I worked at a bank being a "vehicle messenger". Meaning I drove around and picked up proof and mail from different branches and brought them back to the operations center. At the time 1986 Cavalier wagons were used, and all the people I worked with were also all college students. Needless to say, we beat the snot out of them but never had one break down.
You do sound under the weather, but trust me when I say I appreciate the effort you put into producing another fantastic video. Hope you get better soon!
I thought the Ford Taurus wagon would be in this video too. I could swear they made one. If not, please disregard, LoL.
Keep up the great work Hawk!
There was a Ford Taurus wagon and its cousin Mercury Sable wagon manufactured from 1986-2003. I Love the Taurus but the wagon was kinda fuggly from/in the back. My friends' maw had a white 1987 one. Its successor, The Ford Freestyle/Taurus X, was WAYYYYY better looking! Two of my neighbors have one. And besides, The Taurus is a midsize.😎
What's up Stinger! You're absolutely right. They came out in 1986 and I personally love those wagons, but they just missed the cutoff and it didn't seem that fair to compare early '80s styled/engineered wagons to the newer late '80s models if that makes sense. Thank you for watching as always:)
3:59 - 😄
Feel better soon.
BTW - I like the K-wagon because it is the biggest, best balanced of the group, imo.
☮
Thank you man! I like them too, my dad told me he had one in 84'
My comment disappeared! Great vid Hawk! Grew up in the back of a 85 Sentra wagon. It was reliable and saw it many years after my folks sold it in town with its new owner.
I had to look that up - I had a B12 and a B13 Sentra, I totally forgot they made wagons.
@the_kombinator Yep..1st and 2nd gen Sentras had one.B13s had one for a long time in places like Mexico (Tusuru)...untill 2017?
Thank you as always! Just goes to show that I need to expand to other markets!😂
@@GreenHawkDrive😂
Best was the 74 amc hornet wagon hands down except for rust my dad never had issues with it loved riding in it. Followed by the Toyota Corolla wagon followed by Ford escort wagon. I settled on a Subaru Outback really only wagon left.
As a Ford and GM salesman of over 25 years I can say that the best wagon of the 80s was probably a Corolla. LoL
Or the Cressida if you wanted to be stylish.
Jokes aside.... For the US, I'd go with the downsized LTD.
Lol!!😊❤
AMC Eagle Wagon. The best option hands down!
Only option
My in-laws' neighbor had a dark blue wood trim one in mint condition until one sunny Sunday afternoon around 2013. A drunk driver came along and slammed into that parked Eagle. Crushed the cargo area like an accordian. Insurance totalled it out. I think the owner's Still Mad!! I would be!!!🤨
@@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE That’s sad to hear. I wonder how many Eagles are still on the road. If you maintain that AMC 4.2L 258 Inline 6 it will run forever. I have one in my CJ7. Almost 40 years old and still running.
Ford Taurus. My parents had a 1986 Ford Taurus station wagon. Seems like we had it but just until 1990 when my sister friend rolled it on the gravel road to our farm. Lol. No one was hurt.
CHRIST GHD!!! 1st of All, You Instantly took me back to my granddaddy's 7th generation (1969-78) Ford LTD Country Squire wagon with the rear facing 3rd row for the kiddies just inside the tailgate. I don't remember if there were seatbelts for that 3rd row or not, but I don't remember wearing one on those Indiana Toll Road/Ohio TurnPike trips between Chicago & Cleveland. NO air conditioning! In the summer, me & the family dog Mitzie'd sit in the 2nd row while "daddy" changed the oil while our neighbor across the alley would do the same. Back in the 70's, lots of men would d.i.y. basic maintenance in the alley; at least in Chicago. I even recall them letting the old antifreeze (& probably other fluids) run off into the sewer. We/they didn't know any better.😁 I drove my 1991 (3rd gen.) Escort into the ground but it was a tough s.o.b. That generation wagons are not hard to find and the decent ones can be had for well under $2,000.
Anywho, I'll never forget that scene in "Three O' Clock High" (1987) when Casey Siemaszko came thisclose to causing a chain-reaction crash at an intersection and escaped without a scratch in a Dodge Aries station wagon all while Tangerine Dream (a hit band that did several soundtracks) played in the background. And being a Star Trek fan, I gotta go with the Plymouth Reliant. Those K cars when they were new felt cheap quality-wise but not now. Not with all the aftermarket places that can do Anything to a car. Khan Starship-jacked the U.S.S. Reliant in Star Trek II. If they make a hundred more Trek films, Star Trek II will STILL and ALWAYS WILL be The BEST!!!!! 😎😎😎😎😎Great background music Again, GHD. I think this is your 2nd Best vid so far!! And so long as you don't have pneumonia, you'll be alright!
I appreciate your support, Landon. You have been such a great member to this community and I'm glad I was able to take you back to your childhood. Do you like Star Trek more than Star Wars?!😂
@@GreenHawkDrive Trekkie For Life, Baby!! I like Star Wars but George Lucas got on my bad side when he thought he was gonna march Right into Chicago and Tell US where He was gonna build His museum just beacuse his wife is from Chicago. WELL, Those of us who Love our LakeFront (where I grew up) had SomeThing to say about THATTT!!!!!
Anywho, a LOTTA Reliants AND Voyagers were bought & sold because of and thanks to the Star Trek Franchise!!!😎😎
Lovin' it 💯🚘💪🏻
Heck yeah!
I vote chevy! A z-24 edition with a v6, stick shift wagon would have been sick!
My first car was an Aries K. I bought it for $300, drove it 3 years, and sold it for $500. It had no power to speak of, but it was pretty reliable and got good gas mileage. I never realized at the time having a full bench up front was out of the ordinary.
Compact station wagons make total sense.
GREAT !WONDERFFUL VIDEO!!! I GREW UP IN A 1960S FORD FALCOON WAGON AND A 1970S FORD WAGOON SQUIRE ,,. MY SON MAX 8 YR.S OLD LOVES WAGONS WHEN WE GO TO CAR SHOWS OR SEEING THEM GOING DOWN THE STREET AT!! TIMES.. YOUR SO RIGHT THE GAS PRICES KILLED THE BIG BABES OF THE CARS.. THEN MY PARENTS YES WENT TO THE ESCORTS ,, NOT GOOD TO PLAN.. EVERY THING YOU SAID IS SO TRUE.. I ONLY DRIVE OLD CARS ,,1978 BUICK REGAL,, AND MY SON CRYED AND BEGGED WHEN HE SAW A 1958 DODGE CUSTOM ROYALE , SWEEP WING FOR SALE AT A CAR SHOW SO WE HAD TO BUY IT ,, ITS A GASER BUT WE ENJOY IT... HE CARES AND WASHES IT, KIDS NEED THIS FUN TOO.. HOPE YOUR FEELING BETTER !!! NEVER SAY SORRY ,
No need to yell Mr.Miller
@@alanespejel465 I AM NOT YELLING LOOKAT MY WRITTING ,, I AM A VETERAN AND USE ONE HAND DONT JUDGE ME!!
@@ronaldmiller2740 it was a joke
Thank you again Ronald! It's always nice reading what you have to say:)
Own new 1988 Buick Skyhawk wagon. I recall it was loaded. Blue on Blue. 🇺🇲
Mom had an '83 Cavalier, drove it for more than a decade. When she sold it it had almost 350,000 miles on it, with nothing but routine maintenance. Never had any major issues with either the engine or the transmission.
My family bought a 1984 Buick Skyhawk Limited wagon. We bought it brand new, and owned it for about 7 or eight years. It was brown inside and outside. It was a good car. It was a Limited, but it still had manual windows and no cassette player. It did have power locks, wire wheels, a power antenna, AC, and cruise control. It was an automatic.
AAAAhh, the Good Ol' Days when you could purchase options SEPARATELY instead of in thousand-dollar Packages / bundles!!!!!
One of my many Aunts had a 1983 Plymouth Reliant Special Edition Station Wagon and I got to drive it a few times, seemed pretty impressive (but not my style at the time). Given MY choice it would have been the 1983 Chrysler Cordoba that was in the showroom when she bought the station wagon!!!
Rich Corinthian leather...!
@@anonymousplanetfambly4598 Actually the one in the showroom had beige cloth seats but I sat in it and it was quite nice!
The Malibu wagon was handily the best '80s wagon, I can't imagine another answer.
Oh, COMPACT wagons. Escort, then, nearly indestructible.
I still own and daily a modern station. Buck imported an opel and badged it as their own. It's the rare 2018 buick regal tourx awd station wagon. Grew up riding in station wagons, glad I found a modern one for myself.
Great video GreenHawk! Personally I love wagons but the minivan was so much more of a better option. Then the SUV came along and really took over. So sorry to hear that you have been under the weather. Feel better and get well soon!
Thank you, James! I'm feeling a lot better😀
my dad had a 79 Toyota Corolla station wagon until 1986 then he had a used 1980 Buick regal after that
Been dailying an 88 RT4WD Civic Wagon for nearly a decade in the northern hemisphere and while these have died and went well over a couple decades ago, ive had plenty of trust with trailing in dry and snow off road, camped and started in -50c with no hesitations. I enjoy its double wishbone suspension, its comfy and has no issue with being agile and doing exactly how you intend.
I really wish some things were different nowadays 😕
We had an 1978 Volare with an 8-track player and radio! ❤
4:43
famous = widely known
infamous = widely known for bad reasons
Was the wood grain bad?
In hindsight, not really. As a Generation Nexter, we saw wood trim as being for old folks and we didn't want to be seen in one. But now that I'm older, if an 80's car I wanted had wood trim, I'd consider it. A Jeep XJ Cherokee Wagoneer is an excellent example. I'd buy one of those in a New York Minute!!!!❤❤❤😊
@landonbenford8369 Born in '78. I always thought the wood-like stickers looked dumb on then-new vehicles, especially on something like the K-car convertibles. I liked it on the Grand Wagoneer, but even in the 80s, that was an ancient design, so it still fit. Now... If we bring back any retro styling trends, I hope it's 2-tone paint jobs. Even on trucks, those look nice. 🤞
@@doug6191 Two tone paint looks Totally Cool!! DAMN Automotive Corporate board rooms and their cost-cutting moves. This is why older cars are going up in value.
Thanks Hawk another great video upload I actually had a 1990 two-door Ford Escort throttle body injected it was a good car manual transmission it was 2nd cars I learned to drive a manual transmission on first being a 2nd gen geo metro I'm still here for you always!!!💯👍
I appreciate that man, thank you so much
Had a cavalier. It was a great running car . The Chrysler car I had had a comfy couch feel. I drove A Escort was fine vehicle. My vote is cavalier wagon had the get up and go
Hello new subscriber, love your videos. Since you seem receptive to comments I just thought id mention At 6:19 you mention the Plymouth Volaire. The correct pronunciaton is Voll-are-ray... cuz of that french accent thing over the e
What is That Chevy @ 0:28 with the rear window retracting into the roof?!? A Bel Air or Caprice?!? Omg! I've Never seen that before except maybe the GMC Envoy XUV?!?😮😮
I was shocked by it too! It’s a Caprice😎
The GM A-body wagons are my favorites.
Dude I love your videos so much please keep them coming, a quick FYI try checking out the Australian motoring history from the 50s to 2000 a lot of great info there. Including the 245ci and 265ci HEMIs
I appreciate that man, thank you! I have trouble expanding to the other markets, I definitely need to😂
The Cavalier and the Escort were great for a single person with "stuff". A new family would go for the K- cars or the Celebrity. I like the Cavalier but only with the FI 2 liter engine.
I had a second generation 1993 Mazda engineered escort wagon and it was amazingly solid and dependable.
My winner is the Chrysler K wagons. They were larger than the GM J wagons and the Escort wagons. My opinion is that they had better styling. The 2.2 Chrysler built I4 was a hell of a reliable little engine if you took care of it, which most people did not. The Mitsubishi engines were okay but i think the 2.2 had an edge in reliability. The interiors felt bigger than they actually were at it was easier for full size wagon buyers to go to the slightly larger K than the GM or Ford offerings. Then of course, Chrysler also had the minivans that were also based on the K platform and those basically killed by full size wagon segment by themselves. Chrysler knew how to build a solid, simple people mover back in the 80s. Great video as always!
the fuel system of the 2.2 was lousy, though
The Cavalier with the 2.8L V6 was definitely the most peppy of the bunch while the Escort was terribly slow and seemed to share ergonomics right out of the 70s rather than the 80s. The Reliant/ Aries/ Town and Country were by most metrics more advanced being clean sheet from the tires up. The 2.2L and eventual 2.5L with TBI in my opinion were more reliable than either the crap Ford 1.9 or the GM motors. I wish you had included the Chrysler Town and Country wagon with woody sides and the option of the turbocharged 2.2L good for 146 h.p. which made it a screamer in relative terms! The ergonomics of the Chrysler products were also much more modern than the Ford or GM.
My mom had black dodge Aries wagon w/ woodgrain. pretty good car
Cool little vid bro, even though I'm a blue oval junkie, I have to go with the dodge wagon.
Thank you man!
Idk but I like those K car designs, especially the wagons 👌🏽
Amazing to think that back then, the meaning of "luxury" was less about unique features and creature comforts, and more about styling that would be considered tacky by today's standards.
Back in the early 80's, the Fairmont/Zephyr twins were considered compacts while the Escort was considered subcompact.
2nd car downsized. 86 Dodge Aires SE. Bucket seats, consule floor shift. Light weight small, nimble. Started first time every time no mater how cold.
I drive a 2015 VW Jetta Wagon and I love its compact size but huge storage space.
We had the xbody phoenix that was comfortable, roomy and economical but it was one of the first years built and it couldn't keep a clutch, or parking brake on hills aside from that it was fairly reliable but after a bad New England winter we crossed over to Subaru 4wd GL wagons. Subaru would rust easily and leak oil like Jaguar but we're great in snow and ran well and 2 /3 of them went 150 to 213k miles until rust failed them out of state inspections. In winter at College they were irreplaceable for moving in and out of the dorms and driving through blizzards and deep snow. few friend had the buick skylark wagon which was good, reliable and more powerful than the Subaru but the Suby felt better built as a whole and second to a SUV only in snow.
Honestly I love the wagon. So much better than today’s SUV. They look good too
1986 ford escort diesel, 55 mpg summer 50 mpg winter
😂
You missed the best wagon of the 1980s, that being the AMC Concord/Eagle. The design was tested, reliable, bulletproof, and really smart and versatile. Had two of them, both excellent, and capable.
Wasn't the Eagle AWD a midsize??🧐
Hope you feel better soon!
Thank you! I'm feeling a lot better now:)
Thank you for not including a clip from National Lampoons Vacation.
VO- LAHR- E. Not Vo-lare. haha. Otherwise, great video!
My mistake, thank you!
Ares/reliant were the best of the three…..had an escort and lebaron (same platform as ares)……like them both but preferred the mopar
My first car was a cavalier wagon cs package it was a very good car
I'd love to have a Pontiac 6000 wagon (or something like it) today. I had a 6000, but a sedan. Decent car.
I've seen some Buick Century wagons on FB MarketPlace.
I had a used Escort wagon, think it had a manual 3 speed ?
Great video I own a 85 caviler wagon as well as a Chevy celebrity wagon good old cars!
I think what's the MOST amazing thing about looking back at old cars... isn't the look, or the style or features... no... it's the amazing fact that most if not all these old cars have V6's and V8's that put out less horsepower and torque than most of today's 4-cylinder engines!
We had a 1980 Chevy caprese wagon with 3row was used till 93 wish we kept 😢
Ford Escort Wagon SS😂 Loved the "Top Secret" movie reference!
I remember my moms car was a delta 88 wagon. I think it was a 77 or 78. We would drop the rear seats and layout in the cargo area and sleep on long trips.
I would have loved to have seen a Cavalier z24 wagon as our first family car that I can remember was a '92-93 z24. I guess for me I'd take the J2000 wagon from Pontiac.
little side thing on the shifter comment. On the V6 Blazer/Jimmy it kinda had that option with some trims having a column vs floor shifter. I think the 3800 Impalas were the same.
Heck yeah, thank you for telling me that man!
Ahhhhh, the good old days when we didn’t need 450 horsepower to go to the grocery store.
The Good Old Days when 450 horses in a civilian vehicle was mathematically impossible!!😆🤔
I love wagons. I am from Europe so we use them a lot. I like the Chevrolet Caprice.
What year was the pushrod 2.0? I was thinking 1986 was first year. I know early J's got a 2.0 OHC.
I have had first gen cavalier and escort coupe. Handing and suspension is so much more stable on the Js.
According to wikipedia, First generation engines were: Engines
1982: 1.8 L L46 carbureted OHV I4
1983-1986: 2.0 L LQ5 TBI OHV I4
1987: 2.0 L LL8 TBI OHV I4
1985-1989: 2.8 L LB6 MPFI OHV V6
I wish they would bring back those car's. Those cars didn't have the problems the car's of today has, and the recalls, as well as easier on the pocket book.
My mother used to have a 1980 Ford Escort station wagon in brown with rusty interior. She gotten a 1985 Ford Tempo as her next car.
Many cars of the 60's and 70's had a choice between column or optional floor shift automatics. Some only had column shift. For instance, a '68 Mercury Montego or a '77 Chevy Monte Carlo could have either. But then, something such as a Lincoln Town Car or Chrysler New Yorker would be column only. My current '71 Charger is a floor shift automatic. The '71 Charger that my parents drove when we were kids was a column shift automatic. I used to own a '67 Galaxie 500 that had the optional floor shift automatic. Even in the 80's... an Olds Cutlass could have either... as did many others. This was, indeed, quite common. You also had a choice between a floor shift with or without an optional center console. Automobiles used to offer choices. Not today. Nowadays, you get either grey or black interiors and only power windows. Years ago, there could be as many as 7 engine choices for ONE car. Imagine that! Nowadays, you don't even have 7 color choices on some cars!
Hardly exist anymore is kind of a stretch. It is true in USA, but in Europe wagons are still popular (many european imports offer a wagon).
That’s what I said😂