By Jim Brennan
Hooniverse and Station Wagons… Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate, they seem to go together, which bring me to this dilemma. This is an almost flawless 1972 Plymouth Sport Suburban Brougham Nine Passenger Wagon that has only one thing wrong with it… the colors. You see, it looks like the previous owner wanted to have a car born during the “Age of Aquarius” painted to look like it belonged during the birth of Rock & Roll. Like most customs, this car is the end product of the previous owners personal taste, which may limit the marketability of the vehicle to a new owner.
Full Sized Station Wagons of the 70s were very unique, depending on which brand you were drawn to. The GM Wagons introduced their “Clam Shell” tailgate wagons in 1971, with their disappearing rear gate. Ford was king of the Wagons with their traditional looks, often bathed in Vinyl Wood Trim. Chrysler on the other hand combined the two styles, with an aerodynamic rear end mated to a traditional tailgate. Chrysler also a roof faring that actually kept the rear window clear, which was very clever.
All of these wagons are lust worthy today if you can find one in decent shape… Like this Plymouth. Here is the pinnacle of the Plymouth line during the 70s, a Sport Suburban Brougham. It had the single year “Twin Hoop” front bumper with hidden headlamps, a 400 CID V-8, Automatic, A/C, individual front seats, 3rd row seat, luggage rack, and presence by yhr barrel-full. Unfortunately, the primary color pallet is usually reserved for the Easter Bunny, and comes across as garish (or nauseating, depending on how drunk you are) which usually turns potential buyers off. Which bring me to my Question of the Weekend. Would you spend the $3,000 or so to repaint this car if it’s as flawless as the pictures show. I would probably re-paint the car in the original color scheme, with a new vinyl-wood insert, but that’s me. What would you do? See the ad here: [sc:ebay itemid=”360642924157″ linktext=”1972 Plymouth Sport Suburban Brougham” ]
Jeff Glucker
If you want a true 70's wagon look paint it green and add wood. if this was my car I would paint it black with deep dark red as the second color.
Id also get rid of the huge white walls for some a little thinner and lower the car to get rid of the four wheel drive stance.
I think I'd keep it. I normally don't think pink really works for a car, but this sort of pulls it off.
Definite repaint! Either brown with some nice fake-o woodgrain, or all black with a menacing stance and torq thrust wheels. Wagons rock, but pink isn't cutting it here.
Fifties colors salmon-pink and cream, fifties style hubcaps and wide whitewalls on a seventies wagon. HowAboutNo.jpg
My favorite color for these wagons was a sort of mid-dark green, Sherwood Green Metallic, but they could be had in any of 27 colors (!) with all kinds of trim and interior options.
I'd pass on this one and find another nice original. They're still out there…
From pink it would have to go to green, brown or yellow… No, I would sell it!
If the paintwork is as serviceable as it looks, I'd be inclined to leave it alone for now. There's a small part of me that kind of likes it as-is, although I think the whitewalls and tri-bar wheel covers are a bit much. I'd change them to something a bit more in keeping with the era the car was built in – I'm thinking classic-styled 5-spoke mags with plain or narrow white band rubber would be more appropriate.
Pink, white and salmon??? WTF is wrong with some people?? On an Avenger or a Sebring, maybe, as it could only improve the marketability, but this, this, Im sorry, there are no words…
Maybe there's a Mary Kay rep out there somewhere who's into 70's Mopars?! I think I'd have to do a repaint, and DEFINITELY Ditch the "fifities" combo, for a set of OEM Magnums or Road Wheels. 🙂
Jim, no hat tip? 🙁
If I had it, I would add some 15" Rally wheels with raised while letter tires, toss the keys to my wife, and call it a day.
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3172/2974789710_8fdcd34f05_o.jpg" width=500>
"Chrysler also a roof faring that actually kept the rear window clear, which was very clever."
Don't forget that when this was a new car, air conditioning was still an optional feature. It wasn't unheard of to motor around with the rear window down for passenger comfort. In addition to window cleaning, the fairing also contributed to keeping dirt and exhaust off of your way-back passengers.
I might consider a repaint sometime in the future, but I'd roll in this car as-is for several years.
That car has three obvious flaws. The wide whites, '50s spinners, and most glaringly that paint job. That being said, Panther Pink single tone, a set of rally wheels and some appropriate tires, and it'd be a winner. Or this- Ladies and gentlemen, the ultimate "72 Fury wagon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5_jNHxWcSw&fe…
We had a big discussion on this one on the Station Wagon Forums: http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthre…
Concensus was, while done really well, the paint job was just too 'out there' for most of us.
I would repaint it.
Most of us liked this one a lot better: http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthre…
or this one: http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthre…
The first one is the car in the video I posted above- the police package/ sunroof wagon. I so want that car.
I'm much more disturbed by the twin-hoop nose than the American Graffiti paint job. Some of the Fuselage wagons are very attractive, but this isn't one of them.
Put Moons on it and roll.
I hate to sound like a curmudgeon, but the older I get, the more I appreciate a true original. Maybe that's because unmolested classic machines are getting hard to come by. In this case, yes, I would repaint it.
Oh, the colour is so wrong…but how much more swag can you ask for? Grease your hair back, put on your pink checkered pants, and brace for conversation.
This is the family car Mike Brady really wanted.
I wonder how many people will get that comment…
I got it……
Some shade of brown or green, most likely with woodgrain accents, in a heartbeat!
I'd have to either repaint it, or set fire to it.
The chick you pick up in a pink Plymouth wagon is a chick you WANT to pick up.
Chop the top 5" and repaint the beast diamond dust midnight black. Whorehouse Red velour interior with black-tinted windows. 2,000 watt stereo with a couple of nuclear-powered subs aimed out the back for added passing power with the tailgate dropped. Flame throwers in the tailpipes for extra intimidation factor. Last, but not least : Buick Skylark wires and airbags on all fours! Personalized plates with WARPIG ! on them. Remember, if attacked by a mob of clowns, be sure to go for the juggler!
You must have been crushed when bohab central shut down.
Not OEM colours, so I have no issues with a respray.
However, if the base colour were copper, and the secondary a similar shade of pink, maybe a but more muted, it might could pull it off.
The wide whites look wrong. Normal WW tires and correct wheel covers, though, and I'd rock it.
Whatever is done do it, I just hope it doesn't wind up douched, er, I mean 'donked'. Leave ride height and tire/wheel size alone.
No, but I would change the tires, wheels and ride height.
Seconded!
Vinyl. Wrap.
If this is the original colors of this car it should stay the same. After all a true Mopar person doesn't follow the herd but secure and brave enough to be a true individual. Think of it this way you'll always be able to find your car. If you're into car shows, a person gets tired looking at all the red, blue, white, etc… cars but a unique two tone wagon people will come over and debate amongst themselves if it's original.