1953 Woody Wagon Rescue
Not a Mopar but this is what I did today.
Rescue - 1953 Ford Woody Country Squire nine passenger wagon
My good friend Kevin recalls this car back when his age was in single digits - a very long time ago. He was able to acquire this 1953 woody from the second owner when he was only fifteen and has stored it ever since. I met my friend in the late eighties and I have never seen this car; actually since I have known him he hasn’t seen it either! He has always had visions of restoring or making it a restomod before that was even a word.
So after being locked in an off the beaten path storage unit (actually a converted chicken coup on a farm) we set off this morning to investigate the condition of his dream car. Kevin had assembled a crack team of amateur anarchic vintage car experts to investigate. I was politely informed I was not to touch anything and was only there to act as a witness and take pictures.
Once there at this remote mid-state site and with my ears still ringing from the incessant yakking during our short trip I immediately clipped off the padlock. The overhead door was lifted. To our amazement this seventy year old car was in exactly the same condition as it has been left four decades earlier. Rather shocking considering our Michigan climate. It was obviously kept dry and there was no evidence that any sort of critters had been residing in this majestic beast. One front door was really rusty but that was from mice getting in there before he purchased the car. And the seventy year old wood, real ash wood, was in sad shape but it has not gotten any worse.
Even more amazing is he had drained the coolant and removed the gas tank before putting it in long term storage. Marvels mystery oil has also been put into the cylinders. Three of the white wall tires even had air in them. None of us had known what to expect and each took a few minutes to admire the car and appreciate that it was in much better condition that any of us could have ever hoped for.
Our trip was a resounding success and now that we know the condition of the car we are already planning a trip to recover this grand automobile and bring it home.
Yes V8 Flat Head
Not a Mopar but this is what I did today.
Rescue - 1953 Ford Woody Country Squire nine passenger wagon
My good friend Kevin recalls this car back when his age was in single digits - a very long time ago. He was able to acquire this 1953 woody from the second owner when he was only fifteen and has stored it ever since. I met my friend in the late eighties and I have never seen this car; actually since I have known him he hasn’t seen it either! He has always had visions of restoring or making it a restomod before that was even a word.
So after being locked in an off the beaten path storage unit (actually a converted chicken coup on a farm) we set off this morning to investigate the condition of his dream car. Kevin had assembled a crack team of amateur anarchic vintage car experts to investigate. I was politely informed I was not to touch anything and was only there to act as a witness and take pictures.
Once there at this remote mid-state site and with my ears still ringing from the incessant yakking during our short trip I immediately clipped off the padlock. The overhead door was lifted. To our amazement this seventy year old car was in exactly the same condition as it has been left four decades earlier. Rather shocking considering our Michigan climate. It was obviously kept dry and there was no evidence that any sort of critters had been residing in this majestic beast. One front door was really rusty but that was from mice getting in there before he purchased the car. And the seventy year old wood, real ash wood, was in sad shape but it has not gotten any worse.
Even more amazing is he had drained the coolant and removed the gas tank before putting it in long term storage. Marvels mystery oil has also been put into the cylinders. Three of the white wall tires even had air in them. None of us had known what to expect and each took a few minutes to admire the car and appreciate that it was in much better condition that any of us could have ever hoped for.
Our trip was a resounding success and now that we know the condition of the car we are already planning a trip to recover this grand automobile and bring it home.
Yes V8 Flat Head
