Post # 5: 

Back to the wagon...so, although the wagon's original straight 6 cylinder motor (192cid) was looking good and would have been kool to have kept in the wagon, I opted to go with a little more power so I sold the straight 6 and began shopping for a V8....

I also probably could have used the V6 that came with the blazer I bought for its frame, but the blazer's V6 had well over 100K miles and was pretty beat up.  A V8 with an auto trans makes more sense cruisin one day with my beautiful wife, the pups and our bestest friends!

So, although I wasn't looking for another S10,  I found an 80s S10 truck on Craigslist that someone had converted to V8 with a sbc305 and a 700R4 trans combo.  Yeah I know, I know, why not hold out for a 350 instead.  Well, the deal was pretty good and the motor and trans seemed in good shape.  Plus, I just want a cruiser anyway.

After dragging the S10 truck to the speed shop, she immediately went into surgery to relieve her of the V8 motor:

Next, the plan WAS to use some of the truck bed sheet metal for the wagon's rear floor pan, since they're both similarly ribbed.  Below is what the wagon's rear floor pan looked like (before I cut it out).

Well, plans changed.  I ended up having to immediately haul the blue S10 to a salvage yard, BECAUSE I now needed the parking space for ANOTHER project.....

I couldn't pass up a 1967 Mercury Comet I bought at a local auction:

This was actually the first Ford I've ever owned.  To make a long story short on the Comet, I didn't even get her running.  I merely media blasted some wheels I picked up on Craigslist (the ones that came with the Comet were in bad shape).  After painting the wheels and installing some newer tires, I posted the Comet on Craigslist.  She sold real quick and I made a little coin.