10 Wild Facts About Clark's '79 Family Truckster - National Lampoon's Vacation

[@monroetoolman]

The Family Truckster being in every opening of Married with Children is hilarious.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed, up through season 3 that is; then they cut that part of the clip out.

[@Fedup10710]

I'll never unseen it now!

[@zeropoint546]

I reckon Clark and Al coulda drunk beers.

[@LJenkinsEsqIII]

@@zeropoint546 at the nudey bar

[@butter7734]

That's my new trivia question I ask people.

[@darinvierth1679]

The Truckster that sold at Barrett for over $90,000 was one that was built specifically for Beverly DeAngelo. She owned it for many years. She was there when it sold.

[@CarStarz42]

Yep; pretty cool!🙂👍

[@fmradio42]

did she say, Well, am I going to eat or am I gonna starve to death?

[@doctorfeinstone6524]

@fmradio42 why would she? That was aunt Edna's line

[@scottinnh88]

Beverly was a childhood milf crush of mine what a beautiful woman

[@zweihighkid]

If you watch the Directors Cut of the movie Chevy and others talk about the car. They actually drove the car across country during the filming of the movie. It was not trailered! I love that!

[@wilburross9709]

I cried when they crushed the Vista Cruiser Clark traded in. That was a cool wagon

[@CarStarz42]

True; a sad moment indeed.

[@deeveevideos]

you can cruse the vistas in it!

[@coleheister7390]

if you think you hate it now, wait until you drive it.

[@CarStarz42]

😁👍

[@richierawls8661]

I hear this in my head every time I talk to a car salesman.

[@wns808]

I don’t want to drive it, I just want my old car back

[@Perich29]

Its bullet proof.

[@drusmith3480]

@coleheister7390, I'm not your ordinary, everyday fool. Okay?

[@DuckReach432]

I never realised the Truckster made a cameo in the opening of Married With Children. Actually, I think the Dads in both would gotten along pretty well.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed, most didn't notice and they cut out the clip after the third season too, which is about the time the show really took off.

[@victorvance2573]

That blew my mind too!

[@AaronS11979]

I don't know. Clark is a hard core family man and Al is a hard core anti-family man. Polar opposites, Lol.

[@Paradigmfusion]

Yeah and Russ would be gawking at Kelly the whole time.

[@doctorfeinstone6524]

Actually no, Clark would have punched Al bundy out for numerous possible reasons. Clark, with all his flaws, was a very dedicated family man who loved family life and was mostly happy with it. Al was a bitter man who resented his family. Also, al would have surely commented on Clark's wife's hotness and it wouldn't go over well

[@arthuridis]

40 years. Unbelievable how time flies.

[@SaKOTR]

I miss station wagons. So many road trip memories.

[@chuckselvage3157]

One of the best comedies ever.

[@Racer997]

After the hubcaps go missing early on in the film, the Truckster’s look is wonderfully completed…

[@manFromPeterborough]

You saying it look better without hubcaps

[@chadakoin1]

The gradual trashing of the Truckster as the movie progresses is so much a part of what makes this movie a classic. The roof rack seemed to function well though. Don't remember the old lady's body falling off

[@CarStarz42]

lol, true 😁

[@rkirschner7175]

Wagons rule. My late brother earned a Wally in Indy. 69 Malibu wagon. 283,4 speed. RIP DAVID L KIRSCHNER. 😿❤🙏👍

[@GaryBrowder-kw2iq]

I love how they sprayed honkey on the side

[@jdsmith556]

That was a great classic movie that still withstands the test of time!

[@CarStarz42]

Sure does!🙂👍

[@Pauley_in_GP]

The car lot where Clark picked up the Truckster was actually a Chrysler dealer on Brand Blvd. in Glendale, CA. At some point in the years that followed, it changed to Star Ford. I can't seem to post a link to my picture, but in 2007, I picked up a newly delivered Mustang on the exact same spot as 00:32. (I've had much better luck than Clark - in fact, I still have it. :)

[@CarStarz42]

Very cool👍

[@Pauley_in_GP]

@@CarStarz42 When I asked the salesman to have the car parked in that spot when I came to pick it up, he knew there had been a movie filmed there many years before but didn't know which one. :)

[@CarStarz42]

@@Pauley_in_GP Lol, 😆

[@Darkk6969]

I just looked up the car dealership on Google Maps. It really hasn't changed all that much.

[@manFromPeterborough]

I thought the dealer was in Chicago were Clark lived

[@johnsaunders1435]

I have a huge soft spot in my heart for this vehicle. Growing up and coming of driving age in 1986, we also had a 1982 mercury colony park station wagon i learned to drive in, sister model to this country squire. So i could more than relate to the whole griswald family. I absolutely loved what they did to the front and the entire vehicle. I also like to believe when clark was looking for the fuel door at the gas station, the blue wagon on the other side of the pump from clark was the Antarctic blue super sports wagon he originally wanted. Great video!

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks, yeah a lot of folks learned to drive on good old station wagons in the 80s for sure🙂

[@sdrape4964]

We had an 83 Colony Park, which my parents were forced to buy to accommodate me, having been born in 84. Prior to that, they and my 3 siblings made due with a 64 Mustang and a 79 Lincoln Versailles to get around 😁

[@angeldawnmorningstar]

" She's a beaut Clark..I like them greenwalls " ~ Cousin Eddy 🤣😂 😇❤

[@Maximum_Warp]

Rusty actually said 50 yards so that would have 150 ft. He was pretty spot on. Other than that, enjoyable video. I watch this movie a few times a year, every year.

[@andrewhaywood1262]

I feel like it was replaced with a Taurus wagon in Christmas Vacation, just so we could see Chevy Chase driving a Ford. My friend bought me a "Lou Glutz Motors" front plate for my Sentra at a convention we went to. No regrets!

[@marksman4004]

This is how the front end of the new ford f 250 is looking like.

[@gordonhall9871]

yes -- and you can't see anything at night when they are behind you

[@marksman4004]

@@gordonhall9871 nothing.

[@captlazer5509]

Ed was the best car salesman in movie history to convince anyone to drive away with the Family Truckster!

[@CarStarz42]

Lol, well; he sure had a way of forcing them to buy by destroying the car they drove in with, lol 😁

[@cujoedaman]

"You think you hate it now... but wait till you drive it".

[@txgunguy2766]

​@@cujoedaman Reminds me of Leigh Ann's advice to Michael in 'The Blind Side', "If you don't like it in the store you won't like it later."

[@jasonperry7970]

A "perfectly natural " salesman. He had apple pie for dessert that night.

[@txgunguy2766]

@@jasonperry7970 He was a better salesman than he was a lawyer.

[@marktatum2592]

✨️The Truckster was a modern art masterpiece! ✨️

[@Westley909]

The legendary George Barris designed and built that car

[@kevinmoffatt]

Loved this film from day one release in the UK. Always thought it was called the family 'thruster'. Favourite line from the film; 'that man has given his life for food additives', like it was something to admire! Whenever the family gets together quotes from the film are frequently used.

[@tonyk8653]

I like that your videos are short and to the point. Thank you for providing this information without 10 minutes of pointless dialog.

[@CarStarz42]

Your very welcome and glad you enjoy them🙂👍

[@butter7734]

Omg, the truckster was on the opening credits of the Married with Children show. That is a very good trivia question.

[@rickallen9864]

Awesome. My favorite movie. Im building the model of the wagon now

[@CarStarz42]

Very cool 🙂👍

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

We had a '79 LTD wagon growing up, it had the 351W engine, though it was not a Squire with the wood trim. The Truckster (s) started as Squires, and most of the '79-'80 Squires I've seen had the optional 351W, so it may not have had a 302 - unless it was a 1982 model, in which case the 351 was not available.

[@gregbenwell6173]

I owned a 1985 Crown Vic LTD that had a similar front end as the LTD wagons of that time period, and had a 302 V8 under the hood!! It was a wonderful car for a four door land yacht, though my car was NOT a station wagon....and looked like a cop car, with grey paint!!

[@sometimesleela5947]

They also misquoted the weight @ 2 tons. I have the '79 sedan (marquis brougham, 302, 142hp). It's 5500 gvwr and I imagine the wagons are a touch heavier still.

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

@@sometimesleela5947 GVWR means gross vehicle weight rating, or the total allowable weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo. It's always quite a bit more than curb weight, or the weight of the vehicle empty. I don't know the weight of a '79 sedan, but if I had to guess, it's around 3700-3800 lbs. Ford downsized the full size cars that year, and shed a lot of weight on the new Panther platform.

[@briansearles4473]

I had an 87 LTD Crown Victoria Wagon and it had a 351 with dual exhaust. Car was light blue with a dark blue interior, no fake wood side panels. A very comfortable car to drive, I wish I still owned it.

[@melrose9252]

@@briansearles4473< The only engine available for the 1987 Ford Wagon/Crown was a fuel Injected 5.0 liter V8. If you opted for the trailer tow package. you got a 3:55 rear axle and dual exhaust. Once again. no 351 option.

[@milfordh.mercado2787]

Well i never guessed that someone would really want this oddball of wagon but turns out there fans for truckster even after 40 years is incredible fact anyway thanks for the video and have nice day bye now.

[@CarStarz42]

True indeed; glad you enjoyed it 🙂👍

[@milfordh.mercado2787]

@CarStarz42 Thanks for responding carstarz and a couple of things to ask: Do you know there's a website where your favorite tv/ movie is built on a small scale and second will you do cuda form Phantasm movie.

[@CarStarz42]

@@milfordh.mercado2787 There's a diecast car brand called GreenLight that I like who make a ton of quality movie diecast car replicas and yes, Phantasm is on my long list too 😉👍

[@1928ModelA1931]

This may be the most entertaining video you've done. No one seems to want to go to this car for subject material unless they are trying to sell a copy. I did wonder what were used for the rear side windows and if they closed the larger openings with metal.

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks, I try my best to make every video a bit better than the last as I learn to do more with video editing 😉 Yeah, that rear window area is apparently the more difficult part of a replica build.

[@charleykeenan6171]

The Histic Auto Attractions Museum in Roscoe, IL is a "must visit" for movie and television car enthusiasts everywhere.. Great episode as always! Thanks for the wonderful content!

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks much; yep it's on my list of places to check out next time I'm back in Illinois for sure 👍

[@bikinglikebecker]

Probably the most beloved movie across all generations

[@perpetualgrin5804]

I had a Dodge Aspen wagon when I toured the States in 1988. Greeting from Australia😅

[@desolategrey]

Always thought the double headlight was a special touch

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day now.

[@CarStarz42]

Thanks, you too.

[@hughjass1044]

One of the coolest cars ever made!

[@steveb7310]

I can never forgive them for crushing that beautiful 1971 Vista Cruiser at the beginning of the movie.

[@AtheistOrphan]

One of the most iconic movie cars.

[@freeman10000]

As an Aussie I wasn't sure if the "Truckster" was a legitimate vehicle. Thank you for enlightening me.

[@izom]

love the movies- like tha car- always wonder how many people today messin around with too small cars- we had a caprice wagon and loved it- let the wagons be alive !

[@tedium37]

Awesome car from an absolute classic movie. Just watching this vid made me lol remembering some of the bits.

[@jimcole2648]

These are great to see. Thanks. Lol. I was hoping to hear how the wabble wheels were done. I can take a guess but was funny

[@CarStarz42]

You're welcome; yeah I didn't find any write ups about the wheel wobble, but most likely offset them cheaply with spacers/extensions or something since they didn't drive it like that for very far at all, fortunately, lol.😁

[@jimcole2648]

@@CarStarz42 i figured spacers. Lol

[@steven-vn9ui]

Class film, Clark could not be played by anyone but Chevy.

[@legacyturbo8485]

Same goes for Ed O’Neil in married with children ..!!!

[@steven-vn9ui]

@@legacyturbo8485 Definately!

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Cool, Good movie 🥰

[@PressedSteel1919]

Cool.

[@JakeAadil]

This Truckster resembles the new FORD pickups with their in your face 4 big lights and the small signal light between them, that can hardly be seen in use because of the glaring lights above and below.

[@BusyMEOW]

I thought that married with children footage was familiar now I know why

[@mikegirard4388]

That car should be in the Smithsonian. It’s a cultural icon of the 80’s.

[@rahulshah1408]

I loved that machine.

[@Rob_1776]

Clark, isn't this the gas tank? Oh I know honey! I was just fixing! The license plate here! 😁🤣🤣 Love this movie!

[@CarStarz42]

😁👍

[@tripbreaker]

And sold to Clark by the one and only Eugene Levy! That guy became a national treasure.

[@scottbaxendale323]

‘Metallic Pea’ was one of my bands.

[@lab1042]

As someone who watched Married With Children when it was on, and am currently rewatching the entire series on Hulu, I never once noticed the opening was taken from Vacation 🤷. I guess it doesn't help that I usually just skip past the opening credits...

[@johnh3476]

The precursor to the Pontiac Aztec.

[@CarStarz42]

😄

[@daniellang1513]

Yeah Ed Helms should've driven the pontiac Aztec in the remake same metallic pea green color and the wood panels 😂😂

[@dafunkester]

Time for another play of "Holiday Road" thanks for the video.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed one of the most infectious songs ever made for sure🙂👍

[@sking2173]

⁠@@CarStarz42 - The flip-side, “Dancin’ Across the USA”, was none to shabby either …

[@charlesjames1442]

I had a 1977 Chrysler Town & Country wagon with the reversed third seat. 6000 pounds of it. It got all seven of us around town but 180 mile trips to Chicago required pulling over to refill the tank. Our next car was a Dodge Caravan.

[@FullThrottleMonty]

Less than 180 miles to a tank. Wow!

[@redshiftexperiment]

Great info here! Thanks

[@CarStarz42]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@jerrydawg4434]

The peak a boos of Ellen in that movie are fantastic. ❤

[@reallyhappenings5597]

"Vacation '58" by the great John Hughes was the hilarious short story on which this movie was based, worth a read.

[@oochyme]

Still better looking than most American cars

[@robertknight4672]

I honestly think that shade of green was a little bit ahead of its time. Anytime I go outside I usually see at least 3 modern cars with a very similar shade of green. The traditional darker shade only started coming back about 2 years ago.

[@helidude3502]

That “metallic P” was very common in the ‘70s. (P for puke 🤮) I’m surprised that it’s been brought back.

[@Name-ps9fx]

In the '70s (which had just ended when this movie came out), everything was avocado green or pumpkin orange. I'm glad they went with green....🤮

[@wisteela]

I actually love the look of it. I bet there is one original one out there somewhere.

[@Rob_1776]

And my other favorite lines were! Look at that car! Yeah that's the Family Truckster, like those green walls! Yeah we had a little trouble in St Louis! 😁🤣

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@thomasballenger1158]

Love these videos

[@CarStarz42]

Glad to hear you are enjoying them😉👍

[@DesmondBedarte]

The narrator of this clip is just as graceful and proficient at naration as the truckster is as a family cruiser.

[@sf-dn8rh]

Love to find out about the old vista wagon Clark drive in, if you watch the movie, there are 2 wagons, one Clark drove and one crushed, the crushed one an ivory white with a hitch, the drove in one was a rally white. Could we see more cars soon, the chevrolet van from cheech and chongs next movie, or the 64 from up in smoke, 79 camaro from fast times?

[@CarStarz42]

Yep, I have a large and ever growing to do list and those you mentioned are on it to look into eventually. I'm just a one man show here with hundreds of movie/TV cars that I want to cover, so I'll most likely be at this for years to come

[@Bernard_Ashtree]

Great facts, would have liked a small section on their previous car as it looked more practical with observation dome and funny that the stacked lights were on the mini vans that you show for sales

[@john_toss]

The only wagons on the market now are European station wagons. Audi, Mercedes, Volvo, Porsche.

[@realitypreferred7084]

I miss the station wagons.

[@arri275555]

I worked with Dick Ziker on a WB show in the early 2000s. He was such a great guy and down to earth.

[@joe6096]

My Dad had a '79 LTD Country Squire. Red with red interior. He was in an accident with it (he was ok) and they totaled it....... best day of my childhood. I hated that thing after this movie came out, all the kids at school made fun of me with the family truckster lol

[@keganpatterson5671]

Speaking of the Griswolds' Truckster having a cameo on Married...with Children, and that explains how Rusty fell in love with Kelly

[@CarStarz42]

😉👍

[@leegoldeneagle9003]

Cool thanks 👍👍👍👍😊

[@CarStarz42]

No problem 👍

[@raitchison]

In many ways the Family Truckster predicted the modern car-based SUV. Where they take a practical car design and make it worse in every way.

[@Beaula2]

I friggin love everything about the Wagon Queen Faimly Truckster, I’m really surprised with its general cultural popularity that no one‘s ever made a digital, full size, or model replica of the car Clark actually ordered, the sport one with blue metallic paint, that would be quite something as well!

[@manFromPeterborough]

Super sport was a Chevy name

[@Beaula2]

@@manFromPeterborough no one said anything about “super sport“

[@manFromPeterborough]

@@Beaula2 Chevy Chase said "I ordered the antartic blue super sports wagon"

[@Beaula2]

@@manFromPeterborough Super Sport is a Chevy performance trim level, yes. It, “Super Sports” or “Super Sports Wagon.”

[@irishrover4658]

Very interesting!!

[@gavincurtis]

Metallic Pea with wood accents is gorgeous.

[@theboyx323]

Fact #11 the car was a Ford but was being sold at a Chrysler dealership because the WQFT was actually making fun of the 1979 Chrysler LeBaron Town and Country Wagon.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Please do the hire car from Planes, Trains and Automobiles

[@CarStarz42]

I'll add that to the list to look into. Thanks

[@grumpyoltimer7523]

Looking forward to the Munster and Monkey Mobile videos

[@CarStarz42]

Those are on indeed on my very lengthy list 😉👍

[@scanman975]

I rolled with my family as a child in a '77 Country Squire all the way until 1990.

[@joemasters2270]

I never knew that the Griswolds & the Bundys existed in the same universe 😂

[@CarStarz42]

Apparently Trustees Theater 😁👍

[@TheCousinEddie]

"I bet you jumped the car 50 yards!" "That's nothing to be proud of, Russ." "Fifty yards."

[@CarStarz42]

😁👍

[@gregbenwell6173]

Another "contributing factor" to the decline of Station Wagon sales is simply too the lack of station wagons available for sale as well!! AND this is due to the fact that a lot of station wagons in the 1980s saw "life" in the demolition derby arena as well!!! Because of their large bodies, they were ideal for slamming into other cars in these events!! And a lot of station wagons, that people no longer wanted, got destroyed because of this!!!

[@CarStarz42]

True indeed; I went to many demo-derbies back in the 90s at least and the majority of the vehicles were certainly modded station wagons for sure, lol 😁

[@RodBeauvex]

Demolition derbies, monster truck rallies, cash for clunkers...kind of makes you go hmmm.....

[@Novusod]

I don't think the movie contributed to the decline of the station wagon. The movie just hit at just the right time when consumer sentiment was shifting. The rise of the station wagon began in the 1950s and peaked in the late 60s and early 70s just when the baby boom kids were coming of age. As the 70s wore on families got smaller as the baby boom ended and thus the need for large family station wagons that could haul six kids disappeared. The station wagons themselves also declined in quality thanks to the oil crisis and government regulations. Early wagons from the 60s were big but were still powerful and stylish. But by the early 80s they had evolved in cheese boxes on wheels that had the performance characteristics of a dump truck. So when Family Vacation came out it struck a chord with the public who was thinking the exact some thing as the producers. The American station wagon had basically become a joke that fully deserved the Lampooning it got.

[@toddwebb7521]

I think much of the decline of the Wagon in the 80s had to do with many of the smaller fwd cars of the 80s not having the 3rd row of seats in the back and basically being a hatchback with a bigger trunk rather than a true wagon with the 3rd row of seats. If you needed more seats than a regular sedan they didn't have it

[@keithlowe1982]

Actually, the Ford (Mercury) wagons with rear seats, were side facing. Claimed to be 10 passenger, but, *zero* leg room in back

[@MGlass-xg9no]

The minivan killed the wagon and the SUV killed the minivan 😅 lot's of parent persona going on.

[@toddwebb7521]

@@MGlass-xg9no yes first the minivan and later the SUV took over from it but even as or slightly before the first minivans where invented much less became popular in the mid 80s or so some of the early 80s and maybe even very late 70s unibody fwd "wagons" started the no 3rd row big hatchback instead of a true wagon trend.

[@FerrariCarr]

I always wondered about that weird looking station wagon on the highway during the intro to Married with Children…I always thought it was Al’s car 😂 To be honest, having the Family Truckster make a cameo in Married with Children seems fitting, as if they both exist in the same “universe”.

[@bartmix8994]

This never gets old.

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed 😉👍

[@unstablebobgable]

Yo Boss I love your vids but how can you not have love for the Truckster? Lol

[@CarStarz42]

Lol, gotta love that ugly duckling for sure 😉😁

[@Ransume]

The most interesting part is the correlation between wagon sales and the release of the film. Not to say it's directly related. Simply pointing at the relationship between media and how it effects public perception.

[@nickpolselli2032]

I would love to own it. I’d cruise it proudly

[@CarStarz42]

😁

[@T.R.R.Jolkien]

My parents bought that same year green station wagon from a Ford dealership in 1979. When grocers carried our groceries to the car, they would always comment about some car like this. I didn’t see the movie for many years and finally now I know what they meant…

[@ohioken1]

If you think you hate it now, wait till you drive it!

[@mattheweburns]

You know, I never realized there was anything out of the ordinary about the vehicle they drove, and that movie… I thought it was a caprice or LTD style wagon. That’s it. Why did they go through all the trouble? Do you know maybe there are more cars like that out there now as a result, I am sure it would be cool to re-create.

[@brose2323]

I thought that vehicle was familiar. We had a 78 Country Squire wagon like that in the early 80s.

[@spamanator666]

The movie did not cause the decline of station wagons... as you mentioned mini vans (Dodge Caravan) and also mini SUV's (S10 Blazer, Bronco II, Jeep XJ) did.

[@CarStarz42]

Didn't say it caused it; it was just a contributing factor accelerating the shift of public opinion of them😉

[@jimnite4919]

What is the interest rate on that $91,000 family trickster?

[@ljmorris6496]

I'd always assumed it was an '83 since the car was new in the movie.

[@mbd501]

It was probably cheaper to buy 6 used ‘79s than 6 brand new cars for the movie.

[@CrazyPetez]

❤️ed your video.

[@CarStarz42]

Glad you enjoyed it 🙂👍

[@JimFlanagan4206]

"If you think you hate it now, wait 'til you drive it!"

[@SteveDull]

Feeling like a roadtrip now 😂

[@CarStarz42]

Indeed, and it is Summer time; tis the season for crazy travels for sure 😁👍

[@SteveDull]

@@CarStarz42 meet you down at Wallys World! 😜 And don't forget the dog...

[@CarStarz42]

@@SteveDull 😆