The Emblem Of "The Beach" And Surfing - The Woodie Station Wagon

By: Terry Z. Voster

Nothing signifies surfing on the west coast of North America as
much as "Woodies" - Wooden station wagons. They were
inexpensive and could carry a surf board or boards easily. As well,
they could serve as a crash pad at night, parked along the beach
or in a parking lot, whether it be on the coast at a California,
British Columbia or Oregon beach.

Initially woodies had a place since many potential car and
automobile buyers who could not afford new station wagons would
have bought such cars second hand. A wood body that was well
card for seemed to last for years and years- even in humid
climates such as Vancouver. It was true however that a portion
of these woodies were not cared for by their owners and as such
there were many lemons among this crowd.

When moisture gets into the cracks and open joints of a "Woodie"
or as well into rips in the roof fabric, all sorts of decay can
result. It's a situation like the Titanic. What lies below the
surface of the body of the vehicle can often be much more
serious than an owner or potential buyer can think or even
imagine.

A wagon that had been driven regularly every day is likely to be
in better shape than one that stood around for weeks, or even
months, in a damp garage - because the moisture would have been
shaken out of it and dried up by the sun. It pays to look twice
at a station wagon that has not gone as far as it its age would
lead you to expect. It may be in worse shape than a similar
vehicle with a much higher odometer reading or a newer vintage.

Neglect will be costly to you as a buyer of a vintage Woody
automobile. Wood bodies were not self maintaining. A wooden body
should have been maintained and revarnished every six months.
The best finish is the most dangerous, however, if the joints
are not filled properly. Wood filler should be worked into all
cracks and covered with a thin line of varnish. Otherwise water
will have entered these cracks and be trapped under the heavy
finish - eventually eating away the wood.

Similarly tears and small openings between the roof and the
molding should be sealed promptly with weather strip cement.
Paint, wax and varnish should not be used on fabric roofs. They
will cause the fabric to crack. A light application of thin oil
will keep these fabrics more than pliable.

Watch out that the drainage holes in the bottoms of doors and
below the vintage sliding glass panes must also be kept open to
preserve a Woodie Wagon's body. This can be done very easily and
simply by poking a stiff wire up through the holes occasionally.

Be careful of danger signs when evaluating vintage Woodie
station wagons. Among the signs are - a musty smell, ugly fungus
growths on the inside wood as well as discolored wood either
inside or outside of the auto. Any of these signs of trouble can
mean a fair amount of work will have to be done on the wagon
within a year. Black or green discoloration is usually very
serious, but gray areas along the top edges of horizontal frame
members. The direct rays of the sun affect these edges most, and
the grey spots usually can be bleached out and revarnished.

Lastly watch out decayed wood and patchwork repairs that have
been concealed by paint. Look carefully for any depression in
the surface of such a car body, and for cracks where there are
no joints. Press these areas with your fingernail. If the wood
is soft, and there are a number of such places move on. A very
presentable Woodie station wagon auto is the very emblem of the
California surfing image. Help maintain the tradition.

Article Source: http://collectibles-articles.com

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