[woodiewagon46]

Any unfinished wood will absorb water. Remember all the panels on your car are installed without any gaskets or sealer. Any water, such as getting caught in rain or even washing your car will migrate between the joints and panels. McClostiey's and Epifanes are great products. Ford recommended a re-varnish every three years. You do not need to take it down to the raw wood again, scuff it up lightly with 320 and make sure you blow it off and tack rag the surface. Dust is your enemy, so the cleaner you can get it before you varnish is mandatory. Air is the enemy of open varnish cans. I ladled out just what I was using into a container and closed the can AND flipped the can over to prevent any air to get in. Practice makes perfect. My car was varnished in 2008 and has been driven cross country to Wavecrest, in CA. The return trip from about Chicago to Long Island was in rain and my varnish still looks good.