Will a 1970's Wagon SURVIVE 2,100 Miles with NO REVERSE? 

i loved this, can't wait to see what that engine looks like from the inside.

The engine deserves a full rebuild and the car deserves a full refurbish. That thing woke up from the dead, was asked to do a Lord of the Rings journey, and it somehow survived.

I can't wait to see the teardown. I'm curious to see what the engine is really like inside.

Anyone who’s had to make time on long roads will understand the madness that slowly sets in until you reach your destination lol

It’s journeys like this that make you glad to be a car enthusiast. If only you had someone to enjoy it with. It’d be awesome to have a friend on a trip like this.

That engine really deserves a rebuilt for getting you that far!

I was a Line Mechanic at Al Packer Ford in the 70's ..that motors condition was a pretty common problem I'd see ...The sludge ..not the low oil pressure .. I'd be interested in seeing how the crank bearings look on this motor ...sometimes they get so bad it causes the low oil pressure and the crank seal won't seal ..even if it's new ...but they usually leak out the back ..not the front ..

The oil pressure getting better when you let off the gas is pointing to a wore thrust bearing. Your crank is walking back and forth. We had a auto hobby shop back on NAS Oceania Airbase when I was in , it was a badass place.

This is the first time Mom was genuinely concerned knowing how the trip was going, knowing you were coming into Sub-Zero temperatures with a race against the clock for the start of a whiteout blizzard, all while breathing propane fumes. I might have a new gray hair now. I was so happy to get the phone call that you made it home! This video was awesome!

After surviving that trip, that beast *deserves* a complete overhaul. Congrats on making it home.

How cool is this!! Only tried this twice. First time, I bought a 78 Thunderbird Diamond Jubilee in Texas and drove it back to northern Ohio. Great trip, great car, only issue was the power seat was stuck in the up right position, so we left the tilt wheel up!! Second time was not as good! Bought a 93 Buick Park Avenue on line two hours away. I got the dealer down $2000 because he was in it so deeply, and because he was a new KIA store so no one wanted this Buick. Drove over to get it, and my wife followed me to go get dinner. It turned dark on our way to the restaurant; the whole lighting system failed. I called the salesman to tell him I’d be back. His general manager met me at the door. I told him I’d be happy with my check back since it was clear that it was as is. He calmed me down and asked me where I learned to negotiate. I told him I’d sold cars for a living before. I said it’s a matter of common sense. The chances of someone coming into a Kia store to buy a 10 year old Buick for $4000 was ridiculous when they could put half of that down on a new car. Besides, unless you know how bulletproof those cars were, you didn’t want one. He was so impressed that he agreed to fix everything, detail and fill the car and give me fuel money for having to come back!! Make that food Ford shine

This video is better than any Netflix movie ive watched in the last 2 yrs , maybe more. The suspense has me drinking wine at 11:30 am. Im not a drinker but its Sunday and this trip has me on the edge of my seat ( no pun intended) . I just found this channel this morning. Sometimes the youtube algorithm will bless you. This is some shit my father would have done except he would have had me and my brother along on this ,what i deem a terrifying ride !!❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊 rip daddy ! I miss you !

After refusing to die and getting you that far, that 351 deserves to be rebuilt with some real nice go fast parts

Reverse is optional, just park with something solid in front. When you need to leave drive forward, drop it into neutral before impact, and let the bounce propel you backwards.

My parents owned a Ford wagon like this in the 70s. It ate a lot of gas, but it had tons of space. We called it a "Land Yacht". I also owned one several years ago for hauling. It also did a great job for a 36 year old car. It was still running well, but sold it because the Reverse Gear quit working.

Yup. 1977 Chevy Impala for my first car. Carried a case of oil in the trunk, put a quart in every two to three days. It got me through college (it was ten years old when I bought it), and then something broke loose and I had to replace it with a newer car to move for my first job. I still miss that old urban battle cruiser.

The oil pump pick up screen was probably plugged up with all of that sludge. I can't believe you made it all the way home. That's amazing

That wagon was so solid even the engine was solid😂. Pleasure having you my friend!

So much of this is instantly relatable to me. I still own and drive a 1969 Ford Galaxy 500 4dr. It was my first car; a handmedown originally purchased by by grandfather I've had since '87. Wish it still looked as good as this wonderful wagon ! Shame about the hood but the same thing happened with mine about 30 years ago. I "flattened it's ears" as best I could and filled with JB Weld. Not perfect but it passes. If that engine is original to the car it has definitely earned a rebuild ! By the condition of the balancer, it probably has around 300k miles. The cam should be inspected as well. The 302 in mine still ran very smooth with a rounded off cam lobe on the exhaust. The only noticeable symptom was crankcase oil tinting dark soon after changing. I found the sludge when I pulled the timing cover after noticing chain noise. The lube ports had nearly closed off as well which probably lead to the chain wear which I'm now greatful for ! It had given me warning in enough time. She got a new cam, lifters, timing kit, balancer, front crank seal, and the best cleanings I could manage without pulling the block. A couple of oil changes later and she was good to go. This was back in 2014. I think your in for about the same on this "wonder wagon" but an original engine is worth it ! It looks like this thing is in very solid condition, better than mine which is beat to death but still drives and rides great. Please note that the AM/FM STEREO radio in this is EXCEPTIONALLY RARE and should definitely be kept and restored ! The "cockpit" style instrumentation in these cars is beautiful even though it rendered the gloveboxes virtually inaccessible 😂. Enter through the passenger side to check the contents of the latter 😅. The front dash is usually destroyed in these old cars and that's up to ones own enginuity 🤔 but, on the bright side, there's seldom much to lose 😅. All in all, this is a comfortable riding, good driving keeper ! Give her a chance and you'll love her! Just hope for better driving conditions 🥶.

Whatever happened to this car?

This Windsor has earned a second chance at life. I'd love to see the teardown and rebuild. This old gal is wonderful.

I'll join the choir and say that I can't wait to see the insides of that motor! After making that trip it totally deserves a rebuild if it's at all salvageable. As for the wagon itself, it would make one hell of a rad cruiser for Power Tour!

You gotta save her. She deserves a rebuild and restoration. Such a beautiful beast can't be left to die

Part 2 Please. Engine teardown, im sure i speaks for most of us here that we want and need to see the inside of that engine in more detail!! :)

After surviving the drive getting you home. This engine most definitely deserves getting a full rebuild and lease on life with way better oil maintenance. May you and Mook and the family have a great and safe new year's

Love the wagon and the episode. Nothing like a good old fashion road trip. You were worried about showing some people your exit and address but you left a liquid and vapor petroleum based trail from California to your front door that you can track from the International Space Station! 😮😆

u left a 2100 mile oiltrail trough the country that must be somekind of record i think u count as ecological desaster now

Even a year after this video being posted I still find myself coming back to it and rewatching it. I think this is rewatch time 4. I’m not 100% sure. But I’ve rewatched it many times

The "that would be some Ken Block stuff" hit me pretty hard. Rest easy legend you will be missed. Kevin rebuild that 351 but remember if you modify it, that's a 9.48 deck. I think.

That valet dude was chill af 😂

lmao the thumbnail had me rolling • NO REVERSE • NO OIL PSI • NO HEATER • NO CHOICE 😂😂😂

That engine deserves to be preserved, I can't believe it made it so far. Found this video, loved it, so subscribed :) love this type of video!!

That engine deserves a full resto and rebuild! What a legend!

I think that engine deserves a rebuild after that heroic effort of getting you home

This was my first video I ever saw of yours, and I still come back to it now & again because of how insane this little engine that could really was. She definitely deserves a rebuild after making it home. Cannot wait to see inside!

Hey, that's one tough little Windsor engine. Making it that far and not throwing a rod out the side of the block is a testament to Ford's engineering. Looking at the old wagon is sure does look like a early 1970s XA series Australian Ford Fairmont released here in the country Down Under. That's a hint for sorting that HVAC system out. Our early Ford's were based on US versions and just as big. Great video.

That was one of your best videos to date....Laughed my ass off. That engine really deserves a rebuild for hanging on for 2,500 miles.

That tear-down is going to be your best video today. Calling it now. That engine should get some love and get redone because it got you home, survived as long as it did, and over all still kept you going.

I like these station wagons over today's SUV's.

45:28 even the music reflected what Kevin thought was gonna happen lmao

Had a 91 Bronco with the 351 in High School. All 4 years, never saw more than 2psi of oil pressure. Last 6 months of it's life, it had virtually no oil pressure, and still got me to College. Lol. I swear those 351s will run on hopes and dreams

That Ken block shout out really hit. Rest in peace, legend, and master of gasoline.

I just sat here an entire hour and watched this video from beginning to end. I don’t even have that kind of attention span for movies! Awesome video

My first car was a 1979 LTD Ford with a 351 Windsor engine: it was a big, blue boat of a car. I wish I still had it now. That engine always started, it would pass everything but a gas station, went through PC Valves once a month, and always had fresh oil in it. That engine was indeed bullet proof.

I realized why I enjoy this channel so much: I get all the suspense and worry of distance-driving time-bomb automobiles without any of the consequences. Thank you, from an ex-volkswagen driver

This car is a survivor, the fact that it got you home is amazing. Please give it some of the TLC it really deserves

Kevin, This is exactly the way that you make memories and great stories. By doing crazy things and actually pulling them off. My wife I drove a 1985 Jeep CJ (which we traded her son for my 91 Chevy extended cab truck to have a reliable vehicle for his new daughter to be safer in) from Detroit Michigan to southern Texas doing exactly the same thing as you. When the oil pressure gauge started fluctuating I would stop, add 4 to 5 quarts of oil in the motor and fill it up with fuel, My gas stops were dictated by the oil pressure and lack of oil in the engine. We made it 1400 miles without dying or breaking down. Was it an adventure, yep, but we survived with a great story that we laugh at today, we aptly named it scary jeep as the front end was toast and would throw the jeep all over the road when you hit a bump. We weren't the brightest bulbs in the pack for doing it, but it was an adventure we talk about to this day. Great content on this one as usual, thanks for entertaining us with your crazy adventures.

An insane project, and a knack for agravation! And you survived -- the Wagon truly surprised me. Thank you for an excellent video

Man to be 25 years younger... I'll just live vicariously thru you Kevin. Well done.

Whenever folks try to say how "solid California cars are" I always try to tell em "just the metal is solid, everything else will be gone" LOL .. thanks for bringing us along on the ride, glad you beat out that insane storm front.

Oh man, that was entertaining. I had a '72 Cougar with a 351 Cleveland engine. It was a beast and shocked the Hell out of guys who challenged me with Corvettes back in the day. Very strong powerfull engines that could take a beating and not surrender. Thanks for the great video!

where is the teardown?

I know it wouldn't be worth it, but I feel like that engine deserves a rebuild. The end says it all, when you floor it in the snow and it sounds like a monster, blasting black smoke out the exhaust, and it's still going!

Man, I hope it's not too late, but before you tear it down, you should try running different engine cleaners through the oil and see how much it improves, like Seafoam, BG EPR, automatic transmission fluid, etc. I'd LOVE to see what happens to it, how much it actually cleans up, how it affects the oil pressure.

17:59 We had one like that on Fort Carson!! But usually we just used the motor pool

Respect for driving that huge journey in a pure American classic. From the UK.

This definitely had that OG Roadkill feel. I always wondered why they never took the time to get the heat working.

Junkyard digs out here giving us the Roadkill content MT took away cuz of greed and doing it better! Lets get some more of this!!!!

This is my favorite video that you've done. The journey paired with the risk is really something to watch.

Thank you for your service!!!

You got better gas mileage than oil mileage. Love the road trip videos.

70's big wagons are just absolutely beautiful.

By far the funniest " will it make it home" vid ever 😂 brings back memory's of many cross country adventures as a youngster in many junk piles .. the Riverview mirror shaking on the dash and the no gas key had me dying

Hey this is 4 months behind, i enjoyed your adventure driving the Ford Wagon many miles home, that was brave. I also say the ole 351 C really hung in there despite the hard life it had lead. I would definitely rebuild it and let it live for more cross country trips. Good job young man.

What a legendary car. After so many years it still did what its supposed to do. Insane.

Definitely keen to see a teardown of that engine. Maybe even a cheeky rebuild if it's salvageable. That thing deserves another chance, it wants to live lol

I've never been so genuinely humbled (Edit: And intriged!) watching some RU-vidr's weekly stuff. Lets hope that beauty keeps on 'singing' up & down to everywhere & beyond. Lovely watch mate. Keep up the awesome all-round work! Epic :)

This is by far my favorite video so far. Thanks!

Those old station wagons are great to drive on long road trips. I want to see the autopsy on the engine soon.

Awesome! That engine deserves to be rebuilt, she got you almost 2000 miles home!

Man, this has to be one of my favorite videos of yours! Long live that 351 Windsor! I hope she is getting rebuilt!

what a trip nice to be back, thanks fo the ride,

Oh man, this might be your best video to date! The diesel smoke at the end had me crying😂 Merry Christmas!

After all that, I think the engine has earned a rebuild.

The autoskills center looks beautiful. A place where - if you have the know how - you just rent tools and do the work yourself for a down payment. I've always wanted to try my hand at doing some more advanced maintenance on my vehicle but there's nothing like that nearby, and Family loves hogging the garage.

I love that car! I'm a Mopar guy but I wound up with a '68 Galaxie 500 4-door, 390/FMX that I flipped. I was sad to see it go. It was a really nice car. IMHO, '68-'70 big Fords were the best looking of all.

Hey Kevin, do you think that the Titanic could have turned around that iceberg if it had QA1 suspension? 🤣

The literal black smoke at the end made my jaw drop🤯 Lucas got that motor back home. Awesome video

That was one of the best videos I have ever watched on youtube Great job👏

Loved this video so much. Especially worth it for the very ending few minutes

It’s wild seeing fresh oil come out black black within 200 miles. I’d rebuild that 351, it deserves another chance for sure. Happy New Year Kevin and Mook

Dear Kevin that engine truly deserves to live on, may I suggest a budget rebuild, the way cars used to be back in the good ol days, bearings bushes hone re-ring and valve grind. Thanks for a great video best wishes to you and Mook ❤

Great video! Watched it from start to finish which I never manage. Thanks for the great content

I’ve never heard anything as accurate as your statement about old cars having a time warp around them. Time means nothing to an old car😅😅

Literally the best commercial for Lucas of all time 😂😂. You’re a brave hero. Great video and great job with it.

Dude! We freaking LOVED this one! EXACTLY our kind of journey! Huge huge kudos to you and the car for the commitment it took to make this happen. As fellow ridiculous road trip people we felt this one in our bones! Definitely looking forward to you bringing this big bad boat back to life and you are right this would be an EXCELLENT Power Tour car!

the beanie you bought ( 1:03:00 ) is the exact same my best friend used to wear years, he sadly passed away last summer on drugs, 20yrs old. i just was full lean into that fantastic video and then that little spark of him in your video made it even more perfect to me.

Nice parking at the end. LIKE A GLOVE!

I wanna see the oil filter. Might have also contributed to pressure being so low.

I think you should try all of the snake oil stuff to clean an engine like the 5 minute motor flushes, Sea Foam, Marvel Mystery oil, Transmission fluid, see if anything will clean up the crud.

Epic journey! I love these cars and this story. Can't wait to see what's next for it.

I laughed out loud when you went through Pendelton with the expired CAC. Gotta love our tight security lol. Second, I actually loved how the base had a place where you can rent a space to work on your car. It's a DIY guy's dream come true. Back when I was in 29 Palms I would go do work on my Jetta which saved me a ton of money. Honestly don't know why they're not more common as they could really be a good business. My guess is the EPA stuff would be too expensive. Great video Kevin! Love this stuff.

I am in love with that wagon. She deserves a rebuild!!! That motor is a BEAST!!!

This video and this trip was bad ass! I really really hope you show what you do to that engine, I low key loved the way that car looks

EPIC video, 100% old roadkill style. Loved every second of it. That car is a BEAST. Engine out, and either rebuild it and put it back in, or put something slightly bigger in with a real nice exhaust. And, y'know, rebuild the trans. Or do a manual conversion.

Love the 70's wagons! Beautiful styling. Great job keeping her alive for that long trip home ! I worked on many of those in the late 70's and 80's. It was common to find engines of that era jammed with baked on sludge. I cleaned out many oil drain holes while replacing valve cover gaskets. People just didn't have the cash to change the oil every 3.5K. Also, You could have a clogged pickup screen in the oil pan after seeing the sludge up top. I've seen a lot worse during my career and that was common too. It could have been that gasoline was much dirtier which it was, and or engine oil in the 70's didn't have the high detergents that the modern oils have. And that the owner assumed that the factory engine oil was good for the life of the engine. lol.( a customer of mine actually thought this and ruined her engine at 30,000 miles!) There was NOTHING in the pan but 3 inches of baked on oil ! Oil Well That Ends Well i guess!

Hey Junkyard Digs! Ive been watching for a year or 2... or maybe something like that, but Im about 3 hours west of Ames in Iowa, and youve been an inspiration for me. Ive started buying old things, mainly motorcycles and dirt bikes, but non the less ive learned many things on my journey. Thank you for the content!

This brings back fond memories for sure. There is a unique excitement in purchasing and fiddling with an old automobile. My latest is a 1998 Thor Hurricane with 454 engine. It does not get fuel milage to brag about but the gas "yardage" sound more impressive. The 200 mile trip home was uneventfull but on the way back from DMV the front brakes locked up and caused some expensive dammitage. I still have "grinning cramps" reliving the old memories.

Such a great video. It was the first junkyard digs video that i ever saw, from there a i watched pretty much every single video and mook's too. A nd now I'm watching this one again

Dude, you know exactly what that oil pressure shit was about. The engine was clogged in multiple passages and the sensor was one of them. It just cleared itself better than before. As long as you kept feeding the engine more oil, it kept chuggimg after the clearance. We all know you lucked out and got it to clear the issues. You'll find that blockage later in another area, be it the pan or another part of the block. Love ya bud, be safe.