I always wanted a shoebox woodie. They are pretty much extinct in my area. I answered a CL ad for a '51 Ford a few years ago. It had one photo which was a straight on front shot - you had to look close to see it was a woodie. Anyway I go and check it out and the guy who had it remembers it from his youth and kept track of it all these years. The wagon is from very rural Adirondack, NY which is in the southwestern part of the state where they didn't use road salt way back when. We struck a deal and I took ownership. It is a 3 on the tree non-overdrive wagon with it's original very tired flathead v8. I tore into it mid November with a goal of having it on the road early summer. I have been in a mad-covid-thrash going all out to get there. As of now it is sporting it's rebuilt flattie, totally rebuilt front end with discs with attention given to all mechanical systems. The full frame and bottom of the wagon has been scrubbed and repainted. The firewall has had it's once spray bombed black carefully removed to show it's original sea foam green paint. It doesn't match the rest of the car but I dig it and like keeping some originality intact. No real body repair needed except for some rusty patches that I plan on spotting in. Someday I may repaint it but I do like the old green enamel job that it has. It has character which gets lost the more you improve it.
Hey IM, That is a nice gathering of woodies. It looks like it may have been taken up in the local So Cal mountains. The San Bernardino National Forest covers a wide range of places with some nice destinations, lakes and local small towns. The drive is historic for us as my wife used to spend summers in Lake Arrowhead and in our high school days, our group from Long Beach used to spend a week in Big Bear City. But, in the time we owned the 2nd Ford Sedan Delivery and the El Camino, together, we had some great road trips up into those same mountain ranges covering both of the major lakes and towns. It is only a 1.5-2 hour drive from the coastal cities and the views back to the ocean are outstanding. Now, the drives are shorter with the new freeways, toll roads and highways put in over the years. Jnaki As far as So Cal woody fanatics are, there were two times that the San Bernardino National Forest had an automotive attraction from back 25+ years ago. The Big Bear Lake Antique Car Club used to put on a fun run for hot rods, including woodies. Big Bear Lake, CA – The Big Bear Lake Antique Car Club presents it’s 30th Annual Fun Run this weekend in the Big Bear Lake Village. This show is considered one of Southern California’s premier car shows which attracts over 15,000 people each year and is free to the public. Latest news: The 2021 event was cancelled "THE FUN RUN FOR 2022 WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 12TH, 13TH, AND 14TH. WE THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT YEAR. PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR ANY UPDATES OR CLUB INFORMATION." The other big event up in the local mountains is/was the Antique and Classis Wooden Boat Show and Classic Woodie Show held annually at Lake Arrowhead, just a few miles west in the same mountain range. "BRING YOUR FAMILY TO LAKE ARROWHEAD FOR THE ANTIQUE & CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SHOW AND CLASSIC WOODIE CAR SHOW – A FAMILY EVENT The 2019 Antique & Classic Wooden Boat Show and Classic Woodie Car Show will take place on Saturday, June 8th from 9AM to 4PM, at the beautiful Lake Arrowhead Village in the San Bernardino Mountains. In addition to the Classic Boats and Cars, families can enjoy the village with many restaurants and shops. The view of Lake Arrowhead is priceless. In addition, there will be vendors at the show selling their wares." The 2020 woody car show was cancelled due to the pandemic. So far, it seems like the 2021 show will also be cancelled due to the pandemic. No word on the event for 2022.
Rene' gave it to his younger brother that lives in North Carolina, he has never built a hot rod but he has restored a lot of tractors, I'm sure he will do a good job of building it. HRP
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