(originally posted 5/19/2013) Opportunity was knocking, but thankfully the engine was not. After riding a motorcycle as my only mode of transportation for a while, my parents called and made me an offer that was quite tempting…
Uh, no; not a new car with insurance paid and a gas card. However, they did have a set of friends visiting from Germany that had flown into Seattle, purchased a used car there and then drove it all over the western seaboard, eventually making their way down to Los Angeles to fly back home. Problem was, what to do with the wagon? Well, for $500 I received the keys to a well-running, if slightly battle-scarred and definitely non-babe-magnetized station wagon.
This was all handled over the phone, and a few weeks later I actually laid eyes on the magnificent beast. Metallic “Gulf Green” outside, green inside, blackwalls, no hubcaps, a dent in the rear bumper and Washington plates. Oh baby! I got the keys and the first difference from my prior non-domestic rides struck me – different keys for the door and ignition. I got in, fired up the 350 and liked what I heard. (Note: the only picture of my actual car is the one at the very top, sadly no other pictures appear to have been either taken or saved.)
Pulling out of the driveway and down the street that first time was a revelation. So smooth, so relaxed. So…waftable! It just rode so well with that soft suspension, long wheelbase, and road-hugging weight. Then the first corner arrived and all that weight and the soft suspension made itself known all over again, but in not such a good way. She rolled like an overloaded freighter in a storm. But it’s something you get used to quickly; once my internals had recalibrated themselves, it became a non-issue over time.
When the car was built in 1972, things were changing in Detroit. Cars were peaking in size (the Colonnade Malibu wagon that arrived in 1973 was even bigger than this one), gas prices would soon be heading up, and compression ratios were dropping along with how power outputs were measured. The base V8 in CA that year for Chevelles was the 350 with a 165 net hp rating, with 280 ft-lb of easy torque. Of course it had to propel a mass of some 4000lbs! Top speed was supposedly 108mph, but I don’t think I ever topped 75 or 80, (the needle was a bit wobbly); anyway, it got to feeling just a wee bit unstable at those speeds.
After getting a set of CA plates for the car, up it went with me to college. I came to really love the way it rode down the freeway, and all the space inside. I still have a thing for large American cars that I can trace back to this one; whenever I have to rent a car these days I always hope I get upgraded to something large and domestic but non-SUV.
That big bench seat in the front made it possible to really lounge while driving and while the windows were not powered, the rear tailgate window was power, with a little rocker switch on the dash. As long as you opened the driver side window you got a great breeze going through the car instead of just the fumes being sucked back in.
Concours was the trim level of the wagons comparable to the Malibu version of the Chevelle of the time. As far as I can tell there was a fancier version called the Concours Estate with fake wood paneling, and there were the more budget versions Nomad (entry-level) and the mid-level Greenbrier. My source says that Chevrolet built 54,335 of these wagons for 1972, which seems like a huge number!
Other than the power tailgate glass and the tailgate that was hinged both at the bottom and at the side so you could open it either way, the car did not really have many other features of note. The engine was the ubiquitous 350 V-8, with the THM three-speed, over-boosted power steering, front disc brakes that seemed to work adequately and the kind of thirst for the cheapest gas that I could find that can only be described as vulgar. I’d hate to have to pay to fill this thing up these days, that’s for sure.
For spring break that year a couple of buddies and I decided to go to Mexico. This was the late 80’s when it was still sort of safe (compared to what’s on the news nowadays). One of my friends had recently fractured his back in a car accident and still had to wear a back brace for a large part of the day, he found it most comfortable to actually fold the rear bench down and lay in the back. So he did, for several hours until we actually entered Mexico. Safety First!
Driving through Tijuana and on the highway on the way to Rosarita, we realized that our car really blended in with the local traffic better than anything else we had ever taken down there or ever would in the future. It was also one of the few times that we were not stopped by the Federales and offered the opportunity to pay a “fine” on the spot. Never any receipts, of course.
Baja Mexico has a very smooth coastal highway, however once you get off of that the roads are very bad. The big Chevy really did great on all the bad and unpaved roads; it handled the bumps and giant potholes with aplomb, and we cruised smoothly to the liquor store nearest our hotel, where we filled the back of the Chevelle with cases of Pacifico and Tecate for our vacation week.
It’s weird, but this was one of the older cars I ever owned (and would own going forward) and yet it turns out that I really do not recall ever having to do anything to it. Sure, I changed the oil and checked the tires, but on virtually every other car I have owned I remember all the repairs, but not with this one. I’m assuming there weren’t any, certainly nothing that ever caused any worries. In some ways I suppose they really don’t build them like they used to (and in other ways that is good I guess!) but this big wagon really was a great car. Engineered and built here for the conditions at hand, with the well-proven drive train and mechanicals, it did what it was supposed to very well and without complaint; always faithful and eager to head down the road.
Eventually I moved on again, and something different caught my eye. I vaguely recall giving this one to my mother to drive for a while when something happened to her car; between her and my little brother it acquired a few more dents and then it eventually was sold off. I really liked this wagon a lot, but weirdly do not have a lot of strong memories of it; I suppose it just did its job quietly and as expected without drama. Upon reflection, that’s a very nice thing…
Sounds like one of those cars you might not have fully appreciated while it competently did its job, but looking back you see how special it actually was.
Funny how that often seems to be the case with wagons or other utilitarian vehicles. We remember the muscle cars and the sports cars fondly when it was the wagon or the economy cars that were really the cars that we spent the most time with, and usually had the least problems.
Yep, you are right. I did like it, but I think now I “get” it if that makes sense.
Rarer than Mustangs,Camaros etc now I should think.When was the last time you saw one of these at a show or in a magazine?Solid workhorses that were commonplace once.Thanks for a great read Jim
+1 Nice writeup!
Mid-sized domestic wagons were Really Useful machines, but I hear you on them being female repellent. I had a ’78 Malibu wagon, bought new, in roughly that metallic green color, and a young lady who I’d been getting on with very well to that point actually stopped seeing me when she got a look at the car. On the other hand, a good friend had exactly the same car in white and it dodn’t seem to drive anyone off. Of course, he played in a rock band and had those smoldering Brando eyes, so…
Not sure why I felt the need to tell that story. Oh, well.
She probably figured you wanted to fill it with 12 kids 🙂
It’s a dumb parameter of car ownership but obviously valid with some people. In the end, anyone judging you by your wheels isn’t the right person anyway.
Well…that depends. You can get some basic clues.
For example…a guy who makes $30,000 and has a tricked-out diesel Tall Truck…is in all likelihood a FOOL.
An old fart behind the wheel of a Corvette…has issues. Potency, or denial of reality, or self-image. But he ain’t wrapped too tight.
Beyond such extremes, though…you can judge a person by his cars, the same way you can judge him by his other actions. Is it rooted in practicality? Done to impress? Impress WHO? Does the car reflect needs, or desires, or desired image?
A young person driving an old car, one that’s sound…is probably being realistic about his options.
Where I grew up [Southern Ontario] the ” A body” GM’s were quite a common sight . Oddly I don’t recall seeing a lot of “A” Chev Wagons. The Olds A wagon was probably the most popular.
72 was the last year that I liked the “A” styling. I don’t think the Chevelle/Malibu ever made a come back. It wasn’t until 81-82 Monte Carlo,Grand Prix that I ever warmed up to the B.O.F. A car.
i’m glad that you got to experience what many of your generation haven’t: a no bs chevy that just works. they can’t sell a modern version of this car because no one out there under the age of fifty remembers them or how much better they were than suv’s. i drive a volvo wagon because it’s the closest thing out there to a proper station wagon. still, it’s over priced and over engineered.
one more thing… this chevy was equipped with the two way tailgate. a great feature usually remembered as a ford exclusive. it was ubiquitous in my recollection and a great feature.
FYI, Ford marketed theirs as the 3-Way Magic Doorgate, because you could open it sideways with the rear window down — or up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_wagon#Tailgate_evolution
I grew up with Ford wagons but that’s a nice-looking Chevy.
Y had to lower the window on the Aussie Ford Doorgates not having to lower the window, Churr I do like that idea
Hey, nothing like the party college wagon. I briefly inherited our family’s tan Ford Ranch Wagon, which I believe was the low trim level. 12 passenger as needed.
I can’t think of stronger salt peter than driving a station wagon in college.
Good story. I love the old wagons. They were just honest vehicles to serve a purpose.
Having a large family we grew up with large domestic wagons, and one of my first cars was a hand-me down wagon. Good old cars that were under appreciated but never let us down. That’s a great story about the old Chevelle, I used to own a 1972 2-door (250 six). The red and green wagon pics you have shown (front view) are 1971 models. I always preferred the 1972 grille, but maybe because I owned one.
Ive had few wagons kinda miss them too however a goverment single parent benefit and large V8 engines do not live together for long.Very few Chevs and other US wagons here we made do with the Aussie versions but they still have plenty of room and power, A Ford XB I drove had a power rear window the only one that still worked and with that down the rumble from the 351 was better than the stereo side exit pipes just ahead of the rear bumper meant fumes werent drawn in. Nice car.
looks like the car that was used in ‘The Karate Kid’. Though I think the one they used was slightly older.
They used a ’72 with woodgrain in The Partridge Family (Shirley’s driver…). The brown one at the bottom is from a TV show as well.
’69, in THAT green.
http://imcdb.org/vehicle_1152-Chevrolet-Chevelle-Malibu-1969.html
This Chevy’s bones dated back to the ’68 redo and I’d think that accounts for the car’s seeming indestructability as anything. It just had good bones. Certainly better than the new-for-’71 B-bodies or the Colonnade ’73-’77 generation (although the Colonnades offered better handling)
I’m guessing from your description of how it handled that it didn’t have the optional F-41 package, which really cleaned up the cornering on that vintage Chevy.
It looks like Chevy grafted the 70-72 front clip onto the 68-69 wagon body.
Since nobody gave a simple answer that I noticed, I’ll try. Icon. My 77 hit me pretty much the same way. Virtually gave it away and kicked myself ever since. Could and did replace both a truck and a car many times.
The Karate Kid is on TV tonight here, and a 68 Chevelle Malibu wagon is featured prominently in the original movie.
nice wagon! I love this body style. It’s a shame so few wagons survive. If I go to a car show, an original looking old wagon will excite me way more than a restored mustang or camaro. I’m not trying to diss the muscle cars (I love those, too), but you just see so many of them, it’s not even funny. I guess they just begin to all look the same after you see the 10th red mustang or camaro. A wagon, or an old 4 door, though… those are so rarely seen that I’ll definitely take the time to appreciate them.
“This car apparently was built with 165hp (SAE net) but a torque rating of 280 ft-lb. …. To move 4,000 lb.”
The TDi Beetle I recently bought is rated at 140hp and 235 ft-lb and is moving 25% less weight… Compare that to the Beetle of 1972, which was making a very optimistic 55hp (34 net is one figure I found) and ~61 ft-lb. to move 1,900lb.
It’s amazing how current cars have beefed up so much in the HP/torque area. Not so sure that’s all of a Good Thing, though. Our ’90 Honda Civic easily got in the low ’40s for fuel economy, where you’d need a Hybrid Civic to touch that today… Other factors are there, of course – there’s a lot more weight in cars today due to regulatory-required equipment, etc.
Anyway, I found the HP comparison interesting…
It does seem that fuel efficiency has taken a back seat to power these days. The best I got so far with my ’10 Civic was 37 mpg on I-10, very good but not what its ancestors could do. Even the smaller Fit, one would think, ought to get 40 mpg but generally is rated no better, if not worse. The Civic Hybrid wasn’t better enough to rate our interest, considering the price premium for it.
Good observation about minivan weight growth: Our 2004 Sienna weighs about a half-ton more than the original Chryslers. Its engine compensates by developing over 200hp.
The Civic is a fat turd the original Honda Hybrid was tested here but it could not drive out of our capital city either on gas or electric the Rimutuka hill completely overwhelmed it.
When comparing the mileage ratings of 2013 vehicles to vehicles built in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, it’s important to remember that the EPA revised its testing regimen a few years ago to achieve ratings more consistent (i.e., lower) with real-world driving experiences.
I know this post is a couple of years old, but I want to reply to Ed’s comments about the fuel economy of earlier compact cars. In 1984, in the interest of bettr fuel economy, I traded a V8 powered and loaded Gran Prix for a 1984 Pontiac 2000 Sunbird. Four cylinder engine with 5 speed transmission. No options other than ps and brakes. The day I took delivery, I thought, what have I done? When I filled it’s 11 gallon tank, nine days later, after nearly 400 miles of driving, I changed my tune. A few years later, I went to a 1987 Honda Civic sedan. Same options, except it had a sunroof. Both of those cars got 39 – 42 mpg is all conditions, and they were both very good cars. Today, If a young person of limited means wanted to get into the old car hobby, or to have an older car as a daily driver, this type of car would be an excellent choice.
“When the car was built in 1972, things were changing in Detroit. Cars were getting smaller, gas prices were going up..”
72 was not yet the gas crisis. Contrary to popular belief, the first Gas Crisis did not start until Oct 1973. Not 1970.
1972 was still cheap, cheap, gas. And even though the muscle car era was ending, car sales were record setting, going into 1973 model year.
People, who are too young to remember, assume the entire decade of the 1970’s was all recession, disco, and gas lines.
Also, mid size and large cars didnt start to downsize until 1977 model year. Nearly 5 years after ’72.
Point is, don’t lump all the 70’s years into one definition.
It’s like when average folk think the entire decade of the 60’s was all hippies and war protests.
Very odd: I edited this piece, including that particular sentence, for exactly this reason. But somehow, the unedited version ran. (we’ve been having some site tech issues). But it’s fixed now….
Cool, I’ve seen many stories, on other car sites, where writers will generalize with lines like “by 1970, gas prices and recession ended Muscle Car era”. Along with calling the whole entire decade ‘malaise’, just becuase of the lower Net HP #’s, etc.
Anyway, Chevelle wagons are cool, to me, and highly underated.
Thank you for fixing and thanks for Chicagoland for pointing out my inaccuracy! Since I was 3 yeas old at the time and on the other side of the globe, I relied on the “common knowledge” that so often turns out to be wrong…
If you read the road tests conducted by the “buff books” in 1972, they were noting concerns over inflation and gas mileage well before the big oil shock in late 1973. There wasn’t yet a mass movement – or mass panic – over gas mileage in 1972, but the concerns were bubbling to the surface in various quarters.
Small car sales were fairly strong before the first gas crunch, and it’s worth noting that VW was already under assault from Toyota and Datsun. Which is important, as the VW Beetle wasn’t THAT economical for its size and (lack of) power. It was, in many ways, a novelty purchase for people. The Toyotas and Datsuns, on the other hand, were cars that could actually serve as a substitute for a traditional intermediate or compact domestic car. They were much more of a threat to the Big Three than VW ever was.
On a more ligh-hearted note, on the “Partridge Family” TV show, mom Shirley Partridge’s ‘normal’ car, when not driving the old school bus, was a Chevelle wagon.
A 1972 Yellow Concours Estate, and was feautred in a few episodes. One where they had to go on a scavenger hunt, and another where Laurie [Susan Dey] was learning auto mechanics, but couldn’t figure out how to open the hood.
One other thing, to impress some, just call it an “El Camino SUV”
The intermediate station wagon to own during these years was the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. The Chevrolet intermediate wagon may have been more popular, but the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser was more prestigious.
Yep, I would have loved a Vista Cruiser, both for the roofline and the disappearing tailgate!
All great cars. The Vista Cruiser and Buick Sport wagon had a wheelbase stretch to 121,making it full size. Thats why my home town of Duxbury, Ma used them as Police cruisers 68-72 woodgrain and all. After the 73 redesign wheelbase was reduced to 116, making them ineligible. The Vista Cruiser had a staring roll in ” That 70’S Show ” but thats for another CC posting.
I would LOVE to pro-tour one of these chevelle wagons out.
Always liked this body style Chevelle. My mom had one, and if could go back in time, I’d beg, borrow and steal to get her to keep it.
This green wagon looks exactly like my first car. In fact, the rims are identical and were not the rims that came on the car, but the guy my dad purchased it from “threw them in”. We had to put air shocks to lift the back because the tires were too wide. The original paint job was oxidized and there were rust spots. I had begun to sand it down but decided not to go further and hit the sanded areas with primer and carried my band around in it for a couple years. My bandmates and friends came to know it as The Flying Booger. I lived near Hemet, Ca in those days. I saw this pic and wondered if it could possibly actually be the very same car, due to the unlikelyhood of having those same rims, or if it were just a crazy coincidence…
It’s kind of interesting that you mentioned that the Colonnade Wagons of 73-77 were larger (or at least longer) than this 72 model, because I remember the Colonnades being knocked for their less usable cargo space due to the liftgate and the raked rear window.
While not a fan originally, I grew to appreciate these GM intermediates, especially compared to the shoddy, overweight Colonnade generation, with their heavy sagging doors and buckling hoods.
These were solid cars, with vent-windows, simpler but better-quality interiors, and little of that molded plastic that changed color and crumbled after several years in the sun!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Forgive my ignorance, but judging from the lead photo, it looks as if the tailgate handle is in the bumper? Seems to be a very odd placement that’s bound to be perpetually dirty if so.
No, if I remember it correctly you actually had to lower the rear glass with the key and then the latch was in the inside. It doesn’t open like a modern wagon or SUV rear hatch.
Thanks! So since that wasn’t the handle I had to know what it really is, and thank you Google! It’s a built in step. Go figure.
A feature Ford didn’t have?
Wow,! Think on this: The 1928 National series coach in the second ad was then, newer than a 1972 Chevelle is today!
Yeah, and did it strike you like it did me how much it looks like today’s most popular form factor, i.e. CUV/SUV?
Really nice wagon. Cool color too. I’d bet it has higher ground clearance than 90% of today’s CUVs (one of the things I appreciate on older wagons)
Guy in HS drove a ’68 Chevelle wagon with the same Cragar wheels as his first car, his had new paint, gold as I recall.
Saw a dark green 71 chevelle concours at work recently, looked stock other than the typical ss stripes on the hood, owner said it had a 350.
Light metallic green 1972 GM car with green interior? Well there’s a color combo I got pretty familiar with.
I never thought this generation of wagon was all that attractive. However I always liked this A body series better than I liked the colonnades. This would have been a great college car.
With as quickly as you cycle through wheels, maybe it’s time for another? 🙂
Although the Concours is more “sexy” than the boxy Opala Caravan, I can see too much of him on the second make up for the Opel Rekord Caravan derivative in Brazil.
Thanks for running this one again, I must have missed it the first time.
Nothing like a reliable midsize for a college car! And the 350/350 powertrain combo was ubiquitous because it was so darn good.
A great car then as now .
-Nate
First, I love this Chevelle wagon, and if I were looking for a grocery-getter and this car came up for sale( and if my family let me buy it(lately they think I have enough cars-two) I’d snap it up if the price were reasonable.
Second, I realize that the writer only had a photo of the rear view of his old car, but the photos where you can see the front view(with the exception of the brochure/ads), are of the 1971 Chevelle wagon. The difference is slight-the 1971 had a split lens for the front directionals, and the 1972 was one piece-some were all amber and some were clear with amber bulbs-a first and second design but I don’t remember which order the 1972 design was introduced. See the Chevrolet illustration of the 1972 Chevelle Concours Estate Wagon for a look at the amber version of the front directional lens.