Superchargers, Straight Axles and Splinters

Four doors. Wood paneling. Billowing smoke and deafening noise. No, I’m not roping you into a descriptive analysis of your parent’s basement during your angst-filled teen years – I’m introducing Jeff Courtie’s 1948 Oldsmobile Woody.

Originally a motorcycle enthusiast, Courtie drove the Woody as a straight-eight-motivated stocker in high school. According to an interview with Draglist, a succession of Oldsmobile motors eventually gave way to a fuel burning, 6-71 equipped 392 c.i. Chrysler. As the power plants progressed, Courtie installed a tube axle on parallel leaf springs and a beefy ’57 Pontiac rear end. Prior to the Hemi transplant, the high-riding machine was featured in the November 1969 issue of Rod & Custom.

This almost-streetable guise drew my attention as a wide-eyed pre-teen. Everything about the low angle, ¾ front photo of the 1969 version was inexplicably bitchin’. From the ubiquitous California black plate and the bumperless front end to the neatly radiused rear fenders, the level of craftsmanship was impeccable. Notice the masterfully trimmed aluminum inner fenderwells, flowing headers and beautiful woodwork. I studied this image for years, dreaming this machine would one day find its way back into the public eye.

Fast forward to 2009, when I still knew very little about Courtie’s Nitro Woody. Being a fairly resourceful 16-year-old, I started a thread searching for answers. Through the power of the H.A.M.B., responses started piling up, and pieces of the puzzle clicked together. After lying dormant for months at a time, the thread came back to life last Monday with news that the car had been fully restored to it’s 1969 version. Only one question remains – how soon until it starts terrorizing the streets?

Note: If you’re interested in checking out some killer photos of the restored version in glossy print, mosey on over to your local newsstand and you’ll instantly spot Marc Gewertz’s handiwork. 

-Joey Ukrop