Re: Bring back the station wagon!

Closest you can get now are the "crossover" SUVs, mostly Japanese. I think the Ford Contour was the last domestic "station wagon," and it got dumped because of slow sales.

There are small ones which seem to sell fairly well (Volvo, VW, Focus). And the Magnum seems to be doing OK. But if you mean the big ones, they haven't sold well since the introduction of the Minivan in the 80s.

I liked my 1977 Plymouth Fury wagon. Built like a tank, the size of a small aircraft carrier, appetite for gas to match. But it ate its main bearings, and that was that for big wagons for me.

A Chrysler engine that ate main bearings?? Odd...was it a 383? What happened to precipitate this failure? I've never seen a B or LB engine do this, and that includes many that endured heaps of abuse. Perhaps if you were driving it without oil pressure, yes, but I can't think of any other scenario.

LB? Don't you mean RB?

Larry Behold Beware Believe

Durrr...yes, I do.

I do remember a couple of 383s spinning rod bearings when revved too high, but I don't remember hearing of a single >>>RB

Chrysler stopped building the 383 in 1970 or '71, IIRC. It was bored out, emmissionized and sold as a 400 thereafter.

Europe has seen a big surge in wagons and AWD wagons over the years, sort of like our SUV boom. I think they sell fairly well in Europe and in fact they have some sport wagons that handle real well. Yeah, they're smaller than the old Galaxie 500's with wood grain on the side but some are getting larger. I've always like wagons, have had a couple too.

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I ate the bearings in my 360 once. 7K rpm with HV pump & stock pan doesn't work sucked the pan dry

The 400 block is the basis for one of the most popular low-buck big-block builds you can do: the 451 stroker. The recipe is a 400 block (common as dirt in the junkyards because no one wants that low-compression "smogger.") Add one 440 crank with the main bearings turned down to 361/383/400 size. 440 rods, and "custom" pistons that are available for this build off-the-shelf from several manufacturers (and in overbore sizes).

Same stroke as a 440, same bore as a 400, same good rod length/stroke ratio as the 440, more cubic inches, and a smaller overall package than a 440 (slightly- its about 2 inches narrower and 3/4 inch shorter, 30-40 pounds lighter.

A 360 should never see 7k, PERIOD. That engine has a longer stroke than a 383, so it does NOT like to rev like a 340 does. And I'll bet it didn't suck the pan dry either, what happens in the smallblock is that the oil "misses a turn" shooting down the side gallery at high (> 6000) RPM and "forgets" to oil #4 and sometimes #3 main. There's a 70's factory race program tech bulletin on fixing that for sustained high RPM operation of the 340.

I agree. I've never had > HAve you not seen or heard of a Dodge Magnum? A Dodge Caliber? A

Magnum, heavy, poor visibility, too low and inferior RWD handling. Pacifica, heavy and yes like a mini van. IMO the mini van is just as function-able and a very good price, but doesn't meet my handling requirements. Caliber is a possibility, a few inches slightly higher I like, up to date technology, very well priced, but I have concerns re loading two golf bags across the back. Those clubs do fit across my wife's Sebring at the very back, leaving adequate room for 4+ std. luggage bags. I'll be renting the Caliber to assess it. I'm in no rush, such new technology needs a few years to shake it out and hear real reports from owners.

"Spam Begone" wrote in

Give it another look. I love my 2000 Canadian Focus wagon so much that I still look forward to driving it. The little dear has never read Consumer Reports so it doesn't know it's not supposed to be the best car I've owned in 4 1/2 decades.

Because Ford in North America decided not to redesign the Focus like in Europe, they've been able to drop the price substantially. Plus all the bugs (which were never as bad as the press made them out to be) have long since been worked out.

Anyway back to Chryslers. I also like my Grand Voyager.

Not as it was in the UK last May, I won't waste my time looking at it. It was a brand new Focus SW and the road noise was so bad we couldn't talk while driving. Friends who took a drive in the back seat said the noise was coming from the rear wheels. I suspect lack of adequate sound insulation which the large roof amplified. Previously we had two Focus hatch backs and didn't experience this road noise problem. The fuel mileage was also not that great, for a stick shift smaller engine. Only 36 MPG with 90% highway, only about 1 MPG better than my wife's Sebring V6 Auto gets under similar driving.

"Spam Begone" wrote

Your loss, but also your choice. Cheers.

Visit your Dodge dealer and buy one.

Have you tried driving one? It is way underpowered. But I believe Chrysler plans a new engine for the next version.

I rent lots of cars and have had a number of Pacifica's as rentals. Extremely nice car. Would love to have one. They definitely aren't road rockets but the creature comforts inside make the trip a nice one. I would have one but the close to $40k sticker is a bit much for me. Wagon...SUV...mini-van...what the heck, it's like all 3 rolled into one. Still a nice vehicle. I was impressed.

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I'd opine that certain people here need excessive power as some sort of "prick entension." ALL cars sold in the US, with the exception of the base, bone stock subcompacts, are simply overpowered, period.

I'll pass, even though they are being cleared out at very attractive prices, well below the list price you state. I pay for my own fuel and drive 75% in the city.