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FS 1950 Roadmaster Woody Wagon, 1949 Super Woody


Guest BJM

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Searching Craigs List Iowa.

3 Antique Woody Autos - $5000 (Centerville, Iowa)

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Reply to: sale-1012468939@craigslist.org [?]

Date: 2009-01-29, 10:21AM CST

a 1950 Buick Roadmaster Woody; rough but rare needing restoration; a 1949 Packard Woody needing restoration; and a 1949 Buick Super Woody body only. Serious inquiries only. Chris: (641)895-2124

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am going to look at these on Thursday. (Centerville, Iowa) He sent me one photo of each. 1950 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, 1949 Buick Super Estate Wagon body only and 1950 Packard Station Sedan (Woody Wagon)

The 50 Roadmaster Woody is rough of course and the 49 Super body is too but they are woodies...

Only 400 or so of the 50 Roadmaster woodies made new.

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Look espeically for the parts made of "Unatainium"... Stuff like the back glass on the liftgate, the rear tailgate handles and hinges and the stainless on the back deck.

The lift gate holders are also hard to find.

Look at the floors as they will be rotted away. Check the wood on the ceiling on the 49 and the wood on the inside of the doors.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I totally disagree with you, "Mercer09".

These cars are probably not restoreable, but I see lots of scarce and salvageable parts. On the '49, I see good windshields, windshield mouldings, and rear door vent glass frames. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find '49 Buick wagon rear door vent glass frames? Obviously, you don't.

Total Buick woody wagon production for 1949, Supers and Roadmasters combined, is less than 2500. If we use the general guideline of 1% being left today, that is 25 vehicles. So, be my guest--go out and find some spare rear vent window frames for '49 Buick wagons! But you can't have these pictured above, because "there is obviously nothing salvageable there". Go ahead and find some somewhere else. I'll wait while you look.

The other items Bill Stoneberg mentioned are so rare as to be worth digging around in the debris of these cars, because they might just be there--things like tailgate hinges and other tailgate hardware; rear seat hardware, etc.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Sherman, Texas

1948 Roadmaster 4-dr. sedan

1949 Super Estate Wagon

1950 Roadmaster Riviera hardtop

1963 Wildcat conv. 4-spd.

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Sorry guys for not reporting back. It was a depressing day weatherwise and visually. I have meant to talk to Bill S about the 50. When so much is missing, it's hard to "visualize" an at least complete woody for an idea of what you are getting into.

2nd. I had to take photos with a genuine one use camera as my digitial camera died 3 months ago and my wife and daughter took her digital camera to Florida the same week. I don't know what I did before digital cameras were invented.

I did get about 6 photos of the 50 Roadmaster Woody, a few of the Packard. The 49 Super Woody is indeed rough. Pete knows more then I - of the value of those window pieces.

I could not tell if there was anything else of use on the 49 as it was raining hard, and the seller was talking to me. It's just the body on frame. As the tailgates disintegrate, I can image key pieces fall into the back area, but if that is rusted, those pieces fall away.

This car came from Southeast Iowa, the seller was wittled down to the point where it was thrown in for free (in the purchase of the 1950).

Now, the 50 Woody started as a complete car with bad wood, came from Kansas. It is a four port hole Roadmaster, one of only 420 made. That makes it the 2nd lowest postwar Woody production (1953) from 1949 to 1953.

The problem is there is no wood to use as patterns. The floors all need replaced. The motor is for sure stuck. This buyer is an odd fellow. He loved woodies so he purchased as many as 15 over a 25 year period, then like so many, never got to even one of them.

He has owned this one so long he really has no idea what it was like when he bought it. He showed me a photo of it before he took the front clip off and it was straight and complete.

Although this is a Buick post, the Packard Station Sedan is a favorite Woody of mine but poses huge problems as well. Packard used curved glass in the tailgate and it is non existent. The previous owner cut the back of the Packard roof off behind the driver to make a convertible out of it.

I point this out because it seems this seller would purchase anything Woody without thinking about the complexities. Then when he goes to sell, he says (and he was a nice guy really but...) it would be no big deal to weld in a sedan roof, or I was going to do the wood on the Roadmaster like it was as easy as waving his hand in the air. (poof, there's a wood body) We all know how truly difficult it would be to restore either of these cars and I am getting weary of hearing these "it's no big deal to..." comments from owners who themselves have never gotten a round to it.

The 50 Roadmaster Woody would HAVE TO be an all consuming standalone project. You would probably need a four door sedan for metal in the floors, etc. and for supporting knick knacks that have been lost.

The seats for the Roadmaster are in the Packard, sticking up.

It's probably too much for me to take on. I would need to purchase a wood kit for it. The main issue I have is the tailgate. I have only seen ONE Woody project -->

http://www.azclassics.com/vehicles.php?/1060

that had an intact rear "tailgate/door" for a pattern. I know of a 52ish Super Woody in Iowa missing the same parts. So it is hard for me to buy something that I don't even "see" a critical body panel for without thinking "this will never get done"

What if you do your best and then get to a show and see an original one and yours is way off that people laugh at it? Then you have just created nothing really - so a wood kit that is accurate and complete is 100% essential to anyone considering this car. To ask a carpenter to create the wood from skill and photos could still end in failure as the fitment is crucial I would think.

By the way, the Packard was an interesting Woody. It was mostly for "show" and is not that practical. They smartly used a metal "D" pillar sloping down and attached the wood to it (see photo) as decorative. The interior swept volume is low and some have suggested the four door sedan had more trunk room then a station sedan.

Prices: $2000 to $2500 on the 1950 Roadmaster Woody (by itself)

$1000 on the 1949 Packard Station Sedan

$500 or free on the 1949 Super Woody body (free with the 50 Roadmaster Woody)

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$2500 worth, plus transport?

Other then a few Woody only parts, not sure you would have anything a grocery getter 4 door sedan wouldn't have.

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: First Born</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Too bad, Keiser. You dont know what you are missing.</div></div>

Well, you gotta know that Walter P. Chrysler was president of Buick for a while....

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  • 2 weeks later...

If anyone come across any rear driver side door for a 52 Woody let me know. Also I am looking fort the outside trim (rockers and door spears). is this guy selling parts from this car?

Got mine project a few months ago and just trucking on it. I am looking at about 3 years to get it done. I work from a wheelchair so it is a little slow. I rented a storage place and am taking it apart, bagging and tagging it. Will follow Bill's advice and fix the floor panels first and then take the body off. But to do that I have to get all the outside body straight (a few door dings an replace to rocker panels). Any advice?

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  • 3 years later...

I stumbled on this thread, after having read it long ago...fun to reminisce!!

I also had spoken to this seller, years ago, but never went to see the 3 Woodies...too far away!!

I wonder what ever happened to them.

But I have a 1950 Roadmaster awaiting a full restoration, maybe as intimate as the one in this thread, but at least the wood is not a problem, for me, anyway!!

And I do have a sedan donor car, and a full set of wood patterns.

Perhaps, one day..... LOL

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I suspect these cars are gone. Just around Christmas I believe I tossed this fellow's business card away. His name was Chris Strube and he was a nice fellow, but a little odd. He had wanted to buy a bunch of woodies to use in a Church youth missionary role where he would get kids into wholesome activities, like doing woodies.

The Super might still be there. The Packard Station Sedan is gone. I communictaed with that buyer who was VERY disappointed in the condition of the car when it arrived. He thought though, that the seller had accidentally sent the Buick's rear hatch hardware with the Packard "and let me know if you buy the Woody I will send these to you."

Since, as Bill Stoneberg once opined, these hinges/latches are unobtainium, I almost said send them.

I hesitated calling or emailing Chris to see if he still had the 50 Roadmaster Woody, but then knew I don't have the time or energy for such a garage clearing project, so I tossed the business card.

Obviously, wood is one thing BUT this was a complete, driving car when Chris tore into it years ago. It could be restored, but as mentioned, sell everything else and uber-focus on this one rare car - would be required.

Edited by BJM (see edit history)
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