Featured in this article is a 1929 Phantom Woodie. One definition of a Phantom vehicle is one in which a wooden body was placed on a chassis, either a custom chassis or a chassis made for an all steel body. Some of these creative vehicles you see may be hot rods.It was probably in the 1980’s that the Woodies started to be popular at hot rod runs.
The Early Woodie Wagons
Ford Motor Company became the chief builder of wood bodied station wagons although Woodie Wagons were never really produced in huge quantities.
The company even went ahead and owned the forests from where the wood for their wagons originated from. It took all the way to 1929 before Ford added a wood-bodied station wagon to its product lineup. As you can see, the Woodie Wagon featured in this article was a Ford.
Go Surfing in Your Woodie
The wood paneled Ford wagon was actually produced for decades before it became the definitive California surfers’ car.
The open air nature of the Woodie Wagon made them especially suited to the mild climate of southern California. Surfing and a Woodie Wagon seem to go together as shown in our photo collection in this article. During the mid 1960’s there was a strong connection between rock and roll, automobiles, and surfing. The song “Surf City” by Jan and Dean was a perfect example. Surfers especially liked woodies, thus the line in the song, “I bought a ’34 wagon and we call it a woodie.”
It was not until after World War Two that all steel bodies spelled the end of real wood woodies. After that of course woodie wagons, when they were built, appeared with a veneer wood grain substitute. Woodie wagons are surely rare, but their popularity is as strong or stronger than any steel bodied street rod wagons. It’s our opinion and most likely the opinion of most that the Woodie Wagon will stay popular and even increase their popularity as years go by.
Placing a Wood Body on a Steel Chassis
Probably one of the most critical elements in construction a Phantom Woodie is fastening the body to the frame. The goal is to fasten the body to the car frame so that frame twisting wouldn’t bend and damage the wood. Where you’re more likely to have problems is, for instance, going up an incline and actually hearing the wood body make a sound such as a creak. One way to alleviate this is to put girders on the frame for added strength. Always consider that wood expands and moves with changes in humidity and weather conditions.
Commonly, you might use a metal floor pan.attached with cushions from an existing car and build from that. With a wood body on the rear of the vehicle the body could be bolted to 2X4 oak runners 4 up and 2 across. This is one example. The car’s body will then sit upon this oak sub frame. Everyone knows that wood can and will deteriorate over time. A reason more of the early Woodies didn’t survive was that they worked themselves apart with regular twisting and this allowed water to get into the joints and speed up deterioration.
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1929 Ford Woodie Wagon Specifications
The 1929 Ford Woodie Wagon, built on a Model A chassis, came with a Ford Flathead four cylinder engine delivering 40 horsepower.
Transmission on the 1929 Ford Wagon was a three speed manual.
The vehicles wheelbase was 103.0 inches and had a curb weight of 2,482 lbs.
Everything on the dashboard of the vehicle is quite simple. You have an “On” and “Off’ switch, a speedometer, plus amp and oil gauges. To read the water temperature you look at a gauge set in the radiator cap that’s visible from the cabin.
In general, Ford Station Wagon production was very small in 1929. Ford produced a total of 1,507,000 vehicles in 1929. Out of that number only a total of 4,950 station wagons were built.
Collector Woodies
If you locate a Woodie Station Wagon for sale you’ll find a variety of asking prices. As of this writing we see a fully restored 1936 Ford Woody Wagon in museum quality condition with an asking price of $89, 900. We also see a 1937 model at $155,000 and a 1931 model at $39,900.
Anyone owning a Woodie or contemplating a Woodie project should check out the National Woodie Club.
On their website…http://www.nationalwoodieclub.com…the club’s purpose is ” to promote interest in woodies; to educate owners and the public on their history, beauty, usefulness and uniqueness; and to provide an association through which woodie owners and enthusiasts may exchange information on history, building, restoration or modification techniques and share experiences. The woodie is a special kind of car, which deserves special recognition. The National Woodie Club will work toward that goal”.
The National Woodie Club is an excellent source for bodies, parts and tools for sale by woodie members.
The National Woodie Club is an excellent source for bodies, parts and tools for sale by woodie members.
A few good books and reference material regarding the Woodie Wagons include…Famous Ford Woodies: America’s Favorite Station Wagons, 1929-1951 by author Laura Sorensen….American Woodies by author Donald F. Wood and “Do-It-Yourself Guide To Woodie Woodworking: A Hands-On Guide To Restoring Wood-Bodied Station Wagons” by author Richard Bloechl.
(Article and photos copyright AutoMuseumOnline)