Woodie in the Woods 30 Year Story

Woodie world Mike was bantering a bit in the For Sale section and got my curiosity up.

We bought our house 30 years ago. It is on the edge of a small town and has almost 2 acres suitable for a big garden (and a good sized garage). My wife, still carrying over her hippy culture, wanted the garden and organic roots. Me, a gearhead redneck (opposites attract), thought what a great excuse for another old car. And to fit her demeanor what would be better than an old woodie!

I bought a 1950 Buick Super Estate, a real project. Hard to believe the car was only 30 years old at the time. I think I paid $40 or $50 for it, not running and the back corner of the wood rotted away. The car came from northern New York near the St. Lawrence River. I wasn't that bad, except it had been parked with the rear under pine trees.

As most stories go, buying the house, also a bit of a project, and the first of two children, I never got far with the Woodie.

After a couple of years I sold it or bartered with a friend and the car went on his long term project list.

Jim, my friend died in 1996. He left all his toys and projects unfinished. He had my '50 and a '68 Riviera I owned. I bought the Riviera in spring 1972, about 6 months after getting out of the Navy; another story.

So , out of sight but not forgotten all these years. Mike's joking around got me to take a ride up to Jim's today. I had a nice chat with his window and she assured me those cars were gone a long time ago. And there wasn't a woodie, for sure. She did let me walk out in the back. At this time nothing is for sale. Here is what i found.

Memories and thoughts of what could have been

Bernie

How to make a grown man cry..! Lot of good parts there, Bernie. Those vent windows in the rear doors are a woody-only item. So are the doors, for that matter, and the door garnish mouldings.Ditto for the rear seat with its folding steel framework and seat hinges. Impossible to find if you need them. Do I have to tell you how rare and valuable any tailgate hardware is? It fits 1950-53 Buick wood wagons only, and no one is parting these out, so you can virtually name your price if you have these items and want to sell them.

Pete Phillips

I bought a 53 a few years ago. It looked a little better than this one, but not much. It had come out of Canada, but I picked it up in WA state. It was sitting in a storage yard with all 4 doors open. I had to jack it up under each door to close them so that it would fit between the fenders on my trailer, it took hours!! It has been a wealth of parts for my other wagons, as Pete mentioned. Many lose their hardware when the wood rots and falls off, hardware falls also, and is usually gone. I suggest you look around the ground for some parts.

It must have been heartbreaking to find it like that. Mike

By the way, those upper rear corner brackets are unique to the 1950 model only. They were lengthened in 1951 and later years, to give more stability.

I spotted the drivers side one in the 2nd picture. Mike

Hey, did this poor thing ever get out of the woods?

Keith