1979 Volare wagon

[Raff]

Work on the wagon continues. I got the front end parts back from the blaster. I pressed out lower control arm bushings and ball joints with minimal fuss. The reassembly was easy and a quick coat of paint had the arms looking good.

The upper arms did not go so well. The ball joints weren't too bad. Just a big 3 foot breaker bar and the right socket made removal pretty easy. Installing the new joints was no problem. The passenger side upper arm bushings gave a bit of a fight but eventually surrendered. Installation was just the reverse after a little cleaning up of the pivot shaft. Unfortunately the same cant be said for the drivers side. The nuts on the pivot shaft were really seized. After lots of heat and pounding with the impact the nuts were off but the threads were badly chewed up. The bushings were just as much trouble. After much fighting the arm was apart but the area that the bushing goes onto was so crusty it's essentially unusable. So I'm now in need of a good driver side upper control arm and pivot shaft.

Ball joint persuader

the old parts

some new stuff

Passenger side done with sway bar also put back in. Still have to pick up some brake pads and connect the brake line

 

[Raff]

Wagon update. Transmission is back in. Front suspension is back together. Brakes are done all around. I picked up another pair of torq thrusts for the rear. The list is getting shorter. I still have to bleed the brakes, install the shifter, install the driveshaft, get an alignment and a safety inspection. At that point we should be good to hit the road. As usual my ambition is far greater than my available time so my goal of being done by spring has long since vanished. I’m hoping to have the wagon mobile before the weather turns nasty....maybe...hopefully

 

[Raff]

So I got the shifter in, driveshaft in, brakes bled and the wagon is back on the ground. Brakes will need to be bled again. We have about 40 friends and family coming over tomorrow for an annual bbq and pool party. In preparation for that I had strict instructions from the Mrs to get the garage emptied out and cleaned up. We have a sunroom attached to the back of the garage that leads out to the patio so lots of people congregate in the garage.

A rare shot of the wagon on four wheels and a more rare shot of a clean and empty garage.

 

[Duke5A]

I am envious of both your car and your garage.

 

[Aspen500]

I am envious of both your car and your garage.

Same here, ESPECIALLY the garage!

The pics of your car prove what I've always thought. Torque-Thrusts look good on any car. Please don't take that as a hit on the car itself!

 

[Raff]

I am envious of both your car and your garage.

Thanks

 

[Raff]

Same here, ESPECIALLY the garage!

The pics of your car prove what I've always thought. Torque-Thrusts look good on any car. Please don't take that as a hit on the car itself!

No hit taken and you are right about the TQ’s.
Four years ago we looking to buy another house that had a big garage a renovated interior and a decent yard. Couldn’t find a single thing at a $$ I could ever hope to afford. Ended up keeping this place. We redid the entire exterior which was old and tired and we added 1000 square feet onto the existing garage. I got 800 square feet plus the original 300, my wife got 200 at the back for a sunroom/gardening workshop. It cost a lot but still way less than a new place. I’ve done a big chunk of the finish work myself so it’s taking forever. I hope to retire next year and then it’s payback time. My wife says with my newfound freedom I’ll have no problem building her the interior of her dreams while she’s still at work.

 

[DCAspen]

Car looks great,has a nice stance,love the garage,enjoy the party.

 

[old yellow 78]

A rare shot of the wagon on four wheels and a more rare shot of a clean and empty garage.

Now THAT is a beautiful wagon!!! (not that I'm biased or anything). I love the TT wheels and blackwalls. Your wagon is so similar to OY except for the slight difference in paint and interior color, the roof rack and of course the wheels. And maybe a very slight difference in horsepower lol. I am planning on replacing the white letter Uniroyals on OY with new blackwalls when I finally get the time to repaint the Road Wheels. I'm also going to remove the ugly black side strips on OY. I have to find the post you made about how you did that again. REALLY nice wagon Raff!!

 

[VWagon]

This was a great thread. I'm working away on a '79 Wagon winter project and this has been good inspiration!

 

[Aspen500]

You should start a build thread and, of course, post photo's of the progress.

Wonder if Raff got his wagon done. He hasn't posted on here for over 2 years now (Nov 2019)

 

[VWagon]

I might do that....i prefer message boards to Facebook....not great posting pictures but what the hell

 

[BudW]

I rarely visit Facebook, myself.

 

[Aspen500]

I don't even have a FB account anymore. It's too much of a cess pool..........................

What does your wagon have for a power plant?

 

[VWagon]

It was a slant and is in the process of being converted to a factory appearing 360 combo. I started a build thread in the project forum with some pics

 

[armataz]

nice valare, this was my aspen shortly after I got it. but I took her in a different direction. rather then restoration, I did heavy modification.

this is how she is now

 

[VWagon]

nice valare, this was my aspen shortly after I got it. but I took her in a different direction. rather then restoration, I did heavy modification.

View attachment 46284
this is how she is now
View attachment 46285

I like the centerline look!

 

[armataz]

I like the centerline look!

thank you,
, theres more pics in my introduction on the welcome wagon board, if your interested to see more.
TAZ

 

[Wander Wagon]

Can’t go wrong with a wagon !!!