You Ford guys may know the answer to this.

[MrObsessive]

While I'm working on my Shelby (slowly but surely), I'm "air building" in my mind what I'd like to perhaps tackle as future projects. A few days ago, I won off the 'Bay a started '70 Ford Galaxie police car with the conversion pieces to change it to the nicer hardtop LTD model.

I have that conversion set already as I'd like to someday build The Modelhaus resin'70 Ford wagon with those LTD parts.

My question is this........I'm NOT a fan of the fake wood grain sides and tailgate that the Ford Country Squires had in those years. Yet, I like the fancier hideaway headlights and domed hood that came on the LTD. Did Ford make '70 Country Squires with that front end that did NOT have the fake wood paneling?  Was there an option to delete that? Has anyone ever seen such a beast or have pics?

To my eyes, those wagons look soooo much better without it!

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Never saw one without the vinyl decals. BUT, I've seen '66 Galaxies painted from the factory with Mercury colors, '66 Country Squires with bucket sets, console and four speed transmission, also from Ford. That being said, if Ford could make it with the parts they had on the factory, they would. One just had to know a dealer in your DSO that would place a special order. 

[unclescott58]

As far as I know, Country Squires all came with the fake wood. None of my dealer books from the era show a wood delete option. My thought, build it as a Country Sedan and claim that the early owner had an accident. And he liked the LTD/Country Squire front end better, and had it installed instead of the Galaxie/Country Sedan front end. Or you can claim it was a prototype of a wagon that Ford was considering. After all, they did starting in mid-1973 offering a Country Squire without the wood or the Country Squire name. Their new LTD station wagon. Say it's a very early prototype for that. 

That is what I'm doing with my AMT 1939 Ford. It can really only be built as a true '40, despite the '39 front end parts and taillights in the kit. My claim is that my '39 is a prototype for the '40 Ford that they really didn't want people notice. For that reason it's got the '39 front end and taillights. Heck it's a model. Right or wrong. It can be anything I want it to be. That's also why I'm okay with my MPC '76 Pontiac Ventura being factory stock, outside of the shaker hood. It's a prototype for the GTO they should have continued offering in '75, '76, and maybe beyond. 

So you can have a 1970 non-wood paneled, not a Country Squire, but LTD station wagon. Just like they started selling in the spring/summer of 1974.

[Snake45]

This isn't Model Airplane World, where 99.9% of us build for ACCURACY-ACCURACY-ACCURACY all day every day all the time, this is Model Car World, where we do exactly as we please. If you can dream it up, build it up! 

[Lovefordgalaxie]

This isn't Model Airplane World, where 99.9% of us build for ACCURACY-ACCURACY-ACCURACY all day every day all the time, this is Model Car World, where we do exactly as we please. If you can dream it up, build it up! 

Agreed, BUT if you want to call it factory stock, you have to build something the factory would build. 

If I wanted a Country Squire without wood graining I would just build it. Back in the day, you could even ask the dealer to do it for you. 

In 2001, when I bought my Ford Focus, I asked for steel wheels and wheelcovers from the base model, even tough 15 inch alloy wheels were standard on the LX version I got. Sure enough the Focus arrived a month latter with 14 inch steel wheels and wheel covers as I PAID!!! to be done. I'm not into alloy wheels. If I scratch one wheel cover I can just replace it, and no big deal. 

[MrObsessive]

This isn't Model Airplane World, where 99.9% of us build for ACCURACY-ACCURACY-ACCURACY all day every day all the time, this is Model Car World, where we do exactly as we please. If you can dream it up, build it up! 

Your comment reminded me of a line in the old "Heckyl and Jeckyl" cartoons............"We can do anything, we're cartoons!"

Back in those days I'm sure you could talk the dealer into almost anything when it came to ordering your car. They're weren't so apoplectic about doing something "out of the norm". If you had the cash and patience, your wish was their desire.

It would make for an interesting conversation piece just the same..........I'm just not a big fan of the cluttered look (IMO) of the wood grain appliques. At least not for this era of cars.

[1930fordpickup]

Live on the wild side for once Bill. Do it the way you would have ordered it from the factory. 

Back then if you had the cash you got it. Ok within reason. 

Edited November 23, 2017 by 1930fordpickup

[Ron Hamilton]

Bill,

In the early'70's, Ford marketed such a car, the LTD wagon. It was trimmed out as a LTD,  but was not a Country Squire. Back in the day, if your pockets were deep enough, and you had a dealer who was willing, that car would have been built by the factory.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

[unclescott58]

Bill,

In the early'70's, Ford marketed such a car, the LTD wagon. It was trimmed out as a LTD,  but was not a Country Squire. Back in the day, if your pockets were deep enough, and you had a dealer who was willing, that car would have been built by the factory.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Did you read my post above? I brought up the same thing. Though the "plain" non-wood LTD did not make an appearance until midway though the middle of the 1973 model year. Before that, the only LTD station wagon was the Country Squire. But also as noted, I can come up with a couple of excuses for having a 1970 LTD wagon without wood. And I read some other good ideas of how it could have been done, by others here. 

[Ron Hamilton]

Did you read my post above? I brought up the same thing. Though the "plain" non-wood LTD did not make an appearance until midway though the middle of the 1973 model year. Before that, the only LTD station wagon was the Country Squire. But also as noted, I can come up with a couple of excuses for having a 1970 LTD wagon without wood. And I read some other good ideas of how it could have been done, by others here. 

Of course I read your post, and I agree wholeheartedly with you. When I was a teenager, my dad bought a '68 Country Sedan, which was a very nice car, only lacking the Hideaways and the wood trim that the Country Squire had. I did not state it in my post, but I remember a particular '67 Country Squire with a 428/4-Speed combination that was supposedly not available from the factory, but Lee Iococca signed off on it, and the car was built. I plan to do a '68 LTD 4-Door Hardtop with a 428/4-speed combination, using the Missing Link Resin Transkit as a homage to that car, even though I have seen a couple of such LTD's in Hemmings

[Mike999]

You really could get anything built by Detroit, IF you were willing to pay for it.  Funny story from a Chrysler employee...

"One morning a caller on the distribution phone announced that he was Bill Harrah, president of Modern Classic Motors in Reno NV, a Chrysler-Plymouth-Imperial dealer...His question was simple and direct. How do I get a 426 Hemi in a Belvedere station wagon when the code books claim it is not available?"

http://www.chrysler300club.com/stories/jett/harrah.html

Harrah also built his own air-conditioned '66 Hemi Plymouth Satellite, when the factory wouldn't build it for him.  That car is still in his museum in Reno.  An earlier Harrah wagon, a '63 or '64 Pontiac, was legendary on Nevada roads.  Harrah ordered it with 421 Tri-Power and a 4-speed.  The legends say he loved to bait hot-rodding youngsters into races.

[tim boyd]

You really could get anything built by Detroit, IF you were willing to pay for it.  Funny story from a Chrysler employee...

"One morning a caller on the distribution phone announced that he was Bill Harrah, president of Modern Classic Motors in Reno NV, a Chrysler-Plymouth-Imperial dealer...His question was simple and direct. How do I get a 426 Hemi in a Belvedere station wagon when the code books claim it is not available?"

http://www.chrysler300club.com/stories/jett/harrah.html

Harrah also built his own air-conditioned '66 Hemi Plymouth Satellite, when the factory wouldn't build it for him.  That car is still in his museum in Reno.  An earlier Harrah wagon, a '63 or '64 Pontiac, was legendary on Nevada roads.  Harrah ordered it with 421 Tri-Power and a 4-speed.  The legends say he loved to bait hot-rodding youngsters into races.

My first job at Ford was very similar to the one the quoted by the gentleman in the link above.  But I didn't get any requests for such a car during my time in that slot.  TIM

[Carmak]

I have a 1:1 63 Ford Country Sedan wagon. It has a 352/three on the tree/overdrive. It is also chestnut in color. In 63 you could not get overdrive in a big block wagon and chestnut was not available on wagons. I bought it from the son of the original owner (it is an 80% plus original paint car) and his dad ordered it that way. He was not a big wig, just a loyal Ford buyer the dealer wanted to keep happy.

 

[DumpyDan]

On 11/26/2017 at 11:27 PM, Carmak said:

I have a 1:1 63 Ford Country Sedan wagon. It has a 352/three on the tree/overdrive. It is also chestnut in color. In 63 you could not get overdrive in a big block wagon and chestnut was not available on wagons. I bought it from the son of the original owner (it is an 80% plus original paint car) and his dad ordered it that way. He was not a big wig, just a loyal Ford buyer the dealer wanted to keep happy.

 

Great stories. any/ pictures Craig?

[Carmak]

14 hours ago, DumpyDan said:

Great stories. any/ pictures Craig?

Here is a picture I took tonight. My son and I were working on the brakes. She has been off the road since the mid 90's.

 

[DumpyDan]

Very cool, great father and son project.  Keep us informed on the progress.

[Snake45]

11 hours ago, Carmak said:

Here is a picture I took tonight. My son and I were working on the brakes. She has been off the road since the mid 90's.

 

This picture proves Snake's Law: ANYTHING looks better sitting on American Torq-Thrusts. 

[randyc]

I think the non woodgrain version was a different name.  Country Sedan or something.

[Ron Hamilton]

19 hours ago, Carmak said:

Here is a picture I took tonight. My son and I were working on the brakes. She has been off the road since the mid 90's.

 

That is a handsome car.

[wku88]

On ‎11‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 2:51 PM, Ron Hamilton said:

 I did not state it in my post, but I remember a particular '67 Country Squire with a 428/4-Speed combination that was supposedly not available from the factory, but Lee Iococca signed off on it, and the car was built.

I have seen that car in the flesh, sitting on a side street in downtown Anderson, SC. If you google 67 428 country squire, there are lots of pics. I bet it is a hoot to drive! It also has buckets and console.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2017 by wku88

[Mike999]

12 minutes ago, wku88 said:

I have seen that car in the flesh, sitting on a side street in downtown Anderson, SC. If you google 67 428 country squire, there are lots of pics. I bet it is a hoot to drive! It also has buckets and console.

Small world!  Thanks, I'll have to keep an eye out for that wagon.  I go to Anderson every couple of weeks to hit Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Ollie's and Books-A-Million.  It's only about 25 miles away from me.

[Carmak]

14 hours ago, Snake45 said:

This picture proves Snake's Law: ANYTHING looks better sitting on American Torq-Thrusts. 

I could not agree more. I bought those wheels from the original owner who bought them in 67 for his new Camaro as summer wheels. When he traded the Camaro for a 73 Monte Carlo they would not fit (14") so he put them in the garage attic. I have owned them since 1992.

[Carmak]

12 hours ago, randyc said:

I think the non woodgrain version was a different name.  Country Sedan or something.

My 63 is a Country Sedan. Not sure if they used the name all the way to 1970.

[wku88]

1 hour ago, Mike999 said:

Small world!  Thanks, I'll have to keep an eye out for that wagon.  I go to Anderson every couple of weeks to hit Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Ollie's and Books-A-Million.  It's only about 25 miles away from me.

I only get here on business, but it is several times a year.

 

[unclescott58]

1 hour ago, Carmak said:

My 63 is a Country Sedan. Not sure if they used the name all the way to 1970.

1952 through 1974. Country Sedan lasted 22 years. So your is right in the middle.