I'd like some opinions on which 35+ years US stationcars are good cars, if any.

Hi everyone.

I'm comtemplating buying one of those huge old station cars,
for importing to Denmark , Europe. One of those where a family
of four, dogs and a load of luggage will fit, with room to spare.
It will be a year or so before we come visit you all overthere
in the great country. So i thought i'd start narroving down the
selection some, by getting som opinions; on which car i should
bring back as a souvenir ;-)

I know it will seem a bit silly to go looking for a car that old.
But there is a good reason: The car taxes are horrendous here
in Denmark. An imported car gets taxed with 180% of the
new car price + 25% sales tax!!! Only cars older than 35 years
are classed as collectors cars and they are much more reasonably
taxed. Registration fees and such are also much cheaper.
Gas prices are aching toward highway robbery: 5.8 $/gallon.
So cars that can be converted to diesel are interesting, especially
those where the GM V8 diesels fit. I know those diesels well
and have the tools for rebuilding and servicing them.

So, here goes with the silly questions:
What 35+ years old stationcars would you go looking for?
And why that one?
Anyone happen to know which of them can be converted
to diesel engines?

Happy motoring,
Henrik Badger

On Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:35:06 +0200, "Basil" > wrote:

>Hi everyone.
>
>I'm comtemplating buying one of those huge old station cars,
>for importing to Denmark , Europe. One of those where a family
>of four, dogs and a load of luggage will fit, with room to spare.
>It will be a year or so before we come visit you all overthere
>in the great country. So i thought i'd start narroving down the
>selection some, by getting som opinions; on which car i should
>bring back as a souvenir ;-)
>
>I know it will seem a bit silly to go looking for a car that old.
>But there is a good reason: The car taxes are horrendous here
>in Denmark. An imported car gets taxed with 180% of the
>new car price + 25% sales tax!!! Only cars older than 35 years
>are classed as collectors cars and they are much more reasonably
>taxed. Registration fees and such are also much cheaper.
>Gas prices are aching toward highway robbery: 5.8 $/gallon.
>So cars that can be converted to diesel are interesting, especially
>those where the GM V8 diesels fit. I know those diesels well
>and have the tools for rebuilding and servicing them.
>
>So, here goes with the silly questions:
>What 35+ years old stationcars would you go looking for?
>And why that one?
>Anyone happen to know which of them can be converted
>to diesel engines?
>
>Happy motoring,
>Henrik Badger
>
>
>

Any of them that are not rusted past repair would be good. Any can be
converted to diesel if you are willing to make the mounts, and use
the transmission from the diesel engine. Pick one that you like the
looks of. They came in various sizes, and some are a reasonable size,
while others are truly land yachts.

On Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:35:06 +0200, "Basil" > wrote:
>
>I'm comtemplating buying one of those huge old station cars,
>for importing to Denmark , Europe.

Well, we called them "station wagons" rather than station cars, but
okay :-)
Anyway, wouldn't a Mercedes-Benz estate make a lot more sense in
terms of parts availability, car availability, and diesel options?
Emanuel

--
Sony VAIO 505 info - http://home.att.net/~epbrown01/sony505.html
Join the 505 Mailing List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sony505/

Hi Emanuel

The Mercedes are nice cars, but there aint any (as wifey say it,
she is from Alabama)
Well in fact, there is a MB station wagon from before 67: The 200D
which MB started making in 1966. Those aren't really that big and
they are much to rare for me to get hold of one.
On the other hand I would love using a driveline from a Mercer
to pull the land yacht.

What wifey wants is a huuuge stationcar. Economy dictates that
is should be from before 67 and that gasoline engines are out of the
question. And since life is to short for boring cars :-) That only leaves
the good old yankee steel from the fifties and sixties. Equipped with
a modern diesel driveline.

I've been sniffing around and have gotten a few offers already. My
favourite so far is a Desoto Firesweep Explorer from 1959.

Happy motoring,
Henrik


> >I'm comtemplating buying one of those huge old station cars,
> >for importing to Denmark , Europe.
>
> Well, we called them "station wagons" rather than station cars, but
> okay :-)
> Anyway, wouldn't a Mercedes-Benz estate make a lot more sense in
> terms of parts availability, car availability, and diesel options?
> Emanuel
>
> --
> Sony VAIO 505 info - http://home.att.net/~epbrown01/sony505.html
> Join the 505 Mailing List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sony505/

Hi Roger

Land yacht.... I love that one! Now, how to squeeze
that one down to a 7 letter personalized licence plate?

There are some truly avesome cars in the "target group" 2 ton
cars are more the rule than the exception here.
Another thing i have been looking out for is availability of
the trivial little things like rubbers and glass. That might be the
deciding factor after all. And really only leaves me with the
Chevy Nomads. All other seem to be problematic.

Happy Motoring
Henrik

"Roger Kaputnick" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 8 Sep 2003 19:35:06 +0200, "Basil" > wrote:
>
> >Hi everyone.
> >
> >I'm comtemplating buying one of those huge old station cars,
> >for importing to Denmark , Europe. One of those where a family
> >of four, dogs and a load of luggage will fit, with room to spare.
> >It will be a year or so before we come visit you all overthere
> >in the great country. So i thought i'd start narroving down the
> >selection some, by getting som opinions; on which car i should
> >bring back as a souvenir ;-)
> >
> >I know it will seem a bit silly to go looking for a car that old.
> >But there is a good reason: The car taxes are horrendous here
> >in Denmark. An imported car gets taxed with 180% of the
> >new car price + 25% sales tax!!! Only cars older than 35 years
> >are classed as collectors cars and they are much more reasonably
> >taxed. Registration fees and such are also much cheaper.
> >Gas prices are aching toward highway robbery: 5.8 $/gallon.
> >So cars that can be converted to diesel are interesting, especially
> >those where the GM V8 diesels fit. I know those diesels well
> >and have the tools for rebuilding and servicing them.
> >
> >So, here goes with the silly questions:
> >What 35+ years old stationcars would you go looking for?
> >And why that one?
> >Anyone happen to know which of them can be converted
> >to diesel engines?
> >
> >Happy motoring,
> >Henrik Badger
> >
> >
> >
>
> Any of them that are not rusted past repair would be good. Any can be
> converted to diesel if you are willing to make the mounts, and use
> the transmission from the diesel engine. Pick one that you like the
> looks of. They came in various sizes, and some are a reasonable size,
> while others are truly land yachts.

>
> > >I'm comtemplating buying one of those huge old station cars,
> > >for importing to Denmark , Europe.
> >
> > Well, we called them "station wagons" rather than station cars, but
> > okay :-)
> > Anyway, wouldn't a Mercedes-Benz estate make a lot more sense in
> > terms of parts availability, car availability, and diesel options?
> > Emanuel
> >
> > --
>
you might consider the Peugeot 404 wagon (huge, cheap, available - and
beautiful...)

Eugenio