51 Ford Woody

[Pech33]

The seller of this car says the discoloration in the wood is just "a light spot" in the wood. I don't think so. Any idea what it costs to replace the wood? Price is reasonable for a Woody, but . . .

[51504bat]

Just one wood supplier:
http://www.woodncarr.net/kits.html
Per the site a complete kit is 6 grand plus shipping. Individual pieces available as well. And of course the pieces aren't a simple remove the old and install the new.

[woodiewagon46]

There are several suppliers for the wood you are looking for. Unfortunately, Doug Carr from "The Woodencar" has passed away, so check on if the shop is still doing work. Heiden's woodworking is excellent 760-753-8047 and I can give you a few more if you are interested. Mick Nickels is also great, but had a tragic shop fire and might not be back up and running. I would not hesitate using Ron Heiden's shop as he does quality work. You can also try bleaching the wood to bring back it's original color.

[alanwoodieman]

that wood has serious problems, the dark stains could be rot. Is the wood soft? if it is not soft then it can be removed and stripped. bleached and re finished to be presentable

[mercman from oz]

1951 Ford Woody with faded wood?

[woodiewagon46]

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Is it possible that someone had stained the wood at one time? I can't imagine why it is so "blotchy" It looks like someone might have tried to refinish the wood and possibly sanded some sections. They might have also brushed on some type of finish but didn't sand between coats. You need to access the rest of the car and figure out if replacing the wood would be cost effective. What do you consider "reasonable"?

[GB SISSON]

Something doesn't look right. I've been a career woodworker for 50 years. Boats, cabinets, furniture and the woodie in my avatar. That wood needs an ice pick to see if the discoloration is rot. It's so odd looking I don't know if the dark part is rot or the light part. A person could have stripped the wood and stained and the dry, porous rotten wood takes the stain and solid hard maple rejects it. If you like the 'beater woodie' look it would be ok, if you want it to look like it's a nice car it would need wood replaced. Do some math with the suppliers and decide if it's worth it. Like many here you may not care if it 'pencils out' because it's pretty fun rebuilding a woodie. If you are an investor, a complete nice woodie might make more sense, but before you pull the trigger you might want to look at the values of woodie wagons in the last ten years. And I haven't even started on the drivetrain/interior etc.

[Pech33]

The seller is looking for $36,000.

[Pech33]

Here are some more pictures. Some of the floor has been replaced. 9 passenger model.

[Pech33]

More pics.

[Pech33]

Try again.

[rotorwrench]

A person can try to sand the "new" finish off and see how the old wood responds to that. If the wood is sound then the original grain may show up from under the current surface. This would be the only way I know of to try to salvage it to good condition. If nothing else, it will let a person know what is salvageable and what is not. Veneers are thin and tricky to sand. There may not be much left of the original surface to bring the color back.

So many folks now days try to go for a "patina" finish but they end up with a polished turd in my opinion. I respect others that like that stuff but it's not my cup of tea.

[Pech33]

Headliner looks good, interior has been replaced. Appears to be an electric fuel pump inside the frame. Some oil underneath, no surprise.

[deuce_roadster]

IN MY OPINION you would be farther ahead just replacing it all if yu bought it.. Keep in mind there are tenons that go into adjacent pieces of wood that will often break off in the mortise or be rotted when you try to remove any of the pieces. Rick Mack in the Tacoma Washington area I believe is also still making all the 49-51 Ford and Mercury wood.
On my 40, every piece of wood is new and it was a LONG process as I traded work with a wood artist friend who also has a 40 woodie. He cut out ALL the wood, made the plywood, and I did all the mechanical, body, paint, varnish and top work on both cars. If you are not skilled to fit new wood, you should pass on this car. You would be $ and time ahead to buy a finished one. Prices on woodies has been dropping since Nick Alexander sold most of his. That looks more like a 20k at most car to me.

[woodiewagon46]

In post number 9, the passenger side view, shows a serious sag in the door. You can also see where it is rubbing in another photo. Why they didn't correct that before painting the car is strange. It also looks to be a cosmetic restoration, as it appears that nothing was done to the underside of the car. I gotta agree with deuce roadster and think $36K is too much to pay for this car. There is usually one or two '49 thru '51 Woodies that are advertised in the "Woodie Times". For example there is a nice 1949 Mercury in the June WT asking $39.500 that was completely done including a total Rick Mack re-wood and rebuilt engine.

[mfirth]

Having owned wooden Lyman boats for years I'd agree with ww46 & GB. Could be rot, maybe not. I've seen some nasty looking wood bleached & brought back, but would be very concerned about what is behind the really dark spots. You might be able to use the handle of a small wood handled screw driver to tap on the dark spots & the good spots. If the dark sound soft, then they are even if you don't feel it with your finger. Good wood will sound different, more solid. Nice woody though, I like it.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by mfirth

Having owned wooden Lyman boats for years I'd agree with ww46 & GB. Could be rot, maybe not. I've seen some nasty looking wood bleached & brought back, but would be very concerned about what is behind the really dark spots. You might be able to use the handle of a small wood handled screw driver to tap on the dark spots & the good spots. If the dark sound soft, then they are even if you don't feel it with your finger. Good wood will sound different, more solid. Nice woody though, I like it.

Those Lymans were a helluva nice boat but like the wood wagons they are a bit over the hill.. The buyers of the product had a lot of great times with the kids and grandkids, and even the great grandkids, but now they are starting to compost unless some of the folks like Mike here are willing to replace the wood or do serious maintenance.

[woodiewagon46]

GB, if you are interested and a member of the A.A.C.A., go onto their web site. Go to A.A.C.A. Forums and scroll down to the National Woodie Club. Then go to "Ultimate Woodie Accessory" and check out the restoration of a 1937 Gar-Wood boat. What a task and superior workmanship.