Start Here
New here? Welcome to the chaos.
One 1985 Chrysler Town & Country wagon, kept alive on determination, optimism, and a genuinely unreasonable amount of cursing.
Here's the Deal
New here? You're probably wondering one of three things.
Why is someone restoring a forty-year-old Chrysler wagon?
Why would someone have fake wood on the sides?
What exactly is wrong with this person?
The answer to all three: I love this car.
Start With the Buyer's Guide
Before the repair logs: everything I've learned so far about owning a 1985 Town & Country wagon.
Meet the Wagon
1985 Chrysler Town & Country Wagon.
This isn't a show car, and it isn't a six-figure restoration: though if I had the cash, it'd be close.
It's a driver, a project, a memory machine, and occasionally a source of chaos.
It's the same year wagon that was a huge part of my childhood. Having one back in my driveway still feels unreal.
How I Got It
The short version.
I saw the wagon on Facebook Marketplace and joked that if I had an extra $3,400 lying around, I'd buy it on the spot.
My friends saw that post and decided to make it happen. To this day, I'm still blown away by that. The wagon came home because of their generosity.
It wasn't perfect. The paint job was worse than rough: recently done, and rust was already creeping back in. Parts were scattered everywhere in the back.
None of that mattered. That first drive reminded me exactly why I wanted it. Needed it, honestly.
The Goal
Get the wagon back on the road and keep it there.
Not perfection. Just back on the road, and staying there.
Every repair, upgrade, mistake, and victory gets documented here.
Sometimes it goes according to plan. Sometimes it absolutely does not. Either way, you get the full story.
Where to Start
Your first few stops.
Start with the bigger story, then dive into the repairs: the logs make a lot more sense once you know why this wagon matters and what I'm trying to do with it.
Useful Repair Rabbit Holes
Then start with these repairs.
If you own one of these cars, these are the most useful projects so far. I'm no pro: if I could figure this out with zero experience, so can you.
Engine & Turbo
Cooling System
Suspension
Current Situation
Cylinder #1 has something to say.
After a few months of driving, a hard-start turned into stalling, then overheating, then actual diagnostic testing.
Pulled the spark plugs. Plug #1's firing tip was wet. The other three were dry, but all four were sooty.
Then the compression test: Cylinder #1 measured 61 psi. Twice: once with the radiator cap on, once off. Cylinders #2, #3, and #4 each measured 140 psi.
That's a real compression problem in cylinder #1. Combine that with the wet plug and the coolant that erupted from the radiator neck, and a head-gasket or cylinder-head failure is the leading theory. It doesn't tell me exactly what failed, though.
Right now, the wagon is parked and the engine isn't running again until I know more. I know the problem lives in cylinder #1. I don't yet know which part failed.
I still want to repair it myself, if that's realistic. First, my dad and I need to figure out whether we can tackle it together, where the work could happen safely, and what parts and machine-shop time might cost. I'm also job hunting, so the rest of the project is paused for now.
Current mission: build a real repair plan with my dad, nail down budget and workspace, and keep this thing parked until it can be fixed right.
Follow the Adventure
I'm constantly learning new things about this wagon. Usually because something just broke.
If you enjoy old Mopars, turbo oddballs, station wagons, DIY repairs, or watching somebody learn as they go, you're in the right place.