At first glance, this wagon posted by Mike Hayes might be thought to be a ’69 – ’70 Country Squire, given the way the “wood” creates a hip over the rear wheel. The Ford hubcap rather adds to that too. But no…and it’s got something else mighty strange going on in the front too.
Here’s the proof. This “wood job” is home-brewed, and maybe the owner missed his Ford from thta era. But wait; what’s going on by that front headlight?
Whoa!! Now that’s an unorthodox way of creating an anchor for a tie down.
*Pontiac* Country Squire? That’s different. I thought Country Squire was exclusively a Ford thing.
I believe that he was joking…
Do you actually read the text, or just the headline?
I am going to go ahead and say that a conversation with the owner/artist would most likely be ‘interesting’
I suspect that he’d very likely be sporting some handcrafted suspenders and an aluminum foil helmet. Interesting indeed!
Wow, the visual treats have no end. I think a person could get lost in all the details.
One can only wonder what is on the roof given the bulge over where the drivers head would be.
This took some thought. What kind I’m not sure, but it took some thought.
If I came across this “live”, I’d have to give up drinking!
I believe he was just calling it a Country Squire because someone added some styling touches that resemble a Ford wagon. Like the foe wood hips and Ford wheel cover
Did you mean “faux”?
Or perhaps trees are his nemesis?
That “weathering” looks very hand-painted-on, too. Interesting.
I saw a Sentra or Altima with a Toyota logo stuck on the decklid, unsure if it’s a droll joke or if the owner’s trying to say something, though I can’t imagine what.
Often I see logos & bumper stickers which are meaningless to me. Others are advertising, as if we don’t have enough already; Americans love to advertise.
sure looks like a Ford from the side view, until you see the grille. This one belongs on Wordless Outtake for sure.
Le Pontiac Parisienne Hobereau
That is where I’d hide my jewels too. Who would think to look under there? Or perhaps under that tarp is a portal to some underground top secret location.
Eat your heart out Clark Griswold!
The 69 Executive Wagon had DiNoc similar to this one. At first glance I thought that what it was. http://oldcarbrochures.org/NA/Pontiac/1969-Pontiac/album_001/1969-Pontiac-20-21
Not a bad looking combination – it gives curves to the downsized B-body that it never had. Almost like the lines on the pre-downsized ’71-’76 Grand Safari with wood paneling, albeit with a more Ford-like termination at the back of the quarter panel where it meets the rear tail light. My guess: he wanted to combine the lines and paneling of several favorite wagons. It would be interesting to talk to the owner, for sure.
Wow, lug wrench into the grille. I wonder if he cut big holes in the lower doors and rear quarters to finish off the Ford wagon effect?
Definitely not a Ford, as it is oozing low quality just sitting there…
But the era of Country Squire depicted here was total garbage.
Ill-handling to the point of being dangerous, poor fuel economy, anemic power, shockingly bad build quality, rusted at the drop of a hat.
Good brakes…that was about it. Many Fords had better brakes than the competition. But otherwise, they were arguably SO bad they made GM’s ’71-’76 B-Body counterparts look competent by comparison.
This wasn’t yet the Ford that adopted William Deming’s ideas, principles that made Toyota a powerhouse and gave Ford a renaissance it still enjoys, for the most part. This was the second-fiddle Ford of the 60’s and 70’s who may have led the market in new segments, but paled in execution to GM and Chrysler.
As big of a Mopar homer as I am, I would hesitate to put Ford’s mid 1970s execution down at Chrysler’s level. Chrysler may have been able to do OK up to about 1972 or 73, but from maybe 74 on, Ford’s build quality and rust resistance seemed to improve a bit while Chrysler’s ability to competently build a car went into a freefall.
Ford and quality in the same sentence?
You’re kidding, right?
After spending several years with a 1979 Fairmont (that was handed down by dad) it my last foray into Ford land. This car literally fell apart as I was driving it and gave new meaning to the term Found On Road Dead!
I 100% agree with you.
I used to own a 1979 Mercury Zephyr, it was a 4cyl. For a mid sized car, back in those days, I couldn’t believe how wafer-thin the doors were.
It reminded me of my friend’s dad’s 1979 VW Rabbit… Not that insanely thin, but very close, with the flimsiest, cheapest plastic door handles ever.
It ran like clockwork, till one day, nothing. It wouldn’t even take a jump start. Stupid 70’s-80’s Fords with their external voltage regulators and 50,000 solenoids.
Yep, Fix or Repair Daily.
Nightmare on wheels. Sorry.
Andy Warhol meets Pontiac Grand Safari. Film at 11.
I have to wonder if this thing started out life as an intended movie prop, a la the Wagon Queen Family Truckster, but plans for the film fell through and the wagon just kinda… lost its way. Now it is clearly nothing if not the recipient of many a DIY dream.
Thomas, that makes sense. Now I’d be curious to hear from the owner. I’m sure you’re probably not far off.
I would’ve guessed a 1977 Mercury Villager wagon judging by the sloping wood panels.
It’s……..unique .
-Nate
Aren’t you glad?
I love the wooden push bumper (CHP take note), but can’t make out the two objects on the hood. Are they mounted or just randomly placed there?
Looks to me like a lamp with reflector at the back of the hood (miner’s lamp?) and a focusing or shadowing device at the front. Maybe it casts a Bat Signal or something similar.
The lamp thing was once a gum drop type flashing red light but the outer red lens is missing. The reflector revolves around the lamp casting a rotating red beam. It’s like one of the cheap warning devices you plug in the lighter socket to warn motorist if you are on the roadside at night. The other thing at front l have not a clue unless it serves as a means to pry the hood open when released given that the header panel is broken along with the other engineering marvels of this car
Looked like the silhouette of a Pinto Squire at first glance!
Wow, that’s…something. So much weird.
I do wonder if that dinoc is completely a homebrew? I’m not sure how one would go about creating your own shape like that though–but what’s it from if not? Confusing, confusing.
Fooled me. I thought Country Squire at first glance too…
I’m glad to see my photos being put to such good use. It was interesting to see someone go to so much trouble to make a Pontiac look like a Ford, but the tire iron really seemed unnecessary to me. I mean, he could have just used the corner of the bumper as a tie-down point if he’d just used a longer cord. But then again, after all that customizing work, maybe he was at the end of his rope.
I’m surprised the Pontiac nose lined up with the Country Squire’s body.
Woulda looked better, if he kept it in the family(Ford).
Now, a 1979-83 Panther, Mercury Grand Marquis would be kinda interesting… Uh, kinda.
^^
Another case, of me looking at the pics, THEN posting. Shoulda read the text, first.
Looked like a Ford LTD with a Pontiac B body nose.
How embarrassing. 🙁
Well, I’m just going to have to track this down and check it out for myself…….
I think the bump on the roof is a taxi sign, and the paint job is a rolling ad for uberZombie.
Does it belong to Baby Gramps?
Could it be a movie car? From Harry and the hendersons? Might explain the bump?
its funny how with all the customizing on the woodwork on the back to give it the country squire look, he left the massive and distinctive Pontiac hood ornament on it.
I also wonder what was attached further up the hood from the bubble gum light as I see a hole about a third of the way back by the trim.
I wonder if the distressed paint look is paint or grease? a buddy’s FIL used to coat his caprice every winter from top to bottom with a thick coating of grease and not wash it again til spring. this looks familiar!
finally, anybody want to take a shot(excuse the pun) at the chromed gun mounted on the passenger side fender? I thought a first glance he was maybe going for the full ford effect with pinto or mustang side trim but that definitely looks to me like a revolver!
The distressed look was paint, pretty obviously applied with a brush. I posted a close-up shot of the toy gun on the Cohort:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/78946127@N04/24317873452/in/dateposted-public/
It was just one of many bizarre details on that car! My first thought when I saw this car was to imagine it when it was new, transporting the kids to soccer practice and softball games, long before it became a pseudo-Ford artcar.
I’d call it a Crust-a-Cruiser