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Hey, this is something close to Buicks...Pontiacs


MikesWoodieWorld

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I have a slew of Buick Woodies, and I have threads open on some of them. But, I recently was offered a pair of 1948 Pontiac Woodies that the seller wanted to keep together. His main objective is to see both restored, and they need each other to provide all the wood patterns.

I feel like the "Woodie Rescue"!!

But, I do feel that same way, so perhaps it is appropriate.

I am going to pick the first one up in the AM, and probably won't get much sleep tonight...OK, since I have to leave at O'dark:30!!

Read that as way early!!

Yes, this is a Buick forum, but I just had to say something...I am so excited!!

I will post some pictures of the venture.

And I will be picking up the other one at the end of the month, so those will be added also.

Talk about pins & needles!!

Cheers, Mike

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Guest Rob McDonald

ABSOLUTELY! There are things more important than brand loyalty among us lovers of things that roll, particularly when those things have wooden bodies. Once the excitement wanes, you - or the next owner - can post over on the Pontiac Forum. Can't imagine that it would be as lively as we are here, though.

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Hey, forget the chrome, there is very restorable wood on this Woodie, too bad so much is missing!!

No, don't forget the chrome, I was just as surprised, it is very nice, and this one runs, drives, and the brakes even work!!

On the way home...

I was accosted by a young lady, while in a gas station, who was staring at this beast the moment she alighted from her car on the other side of our pump island.

As I approached after paying for fuel, she was looking at it, and blurted out loud, "Hey, this door has wood on it!"

As she got closer, she exclaimed, "No, it is ALL wood!"

Totally mesmerized, she didn't even notice me as I arrived there, so funny.

I tried to explain to her it is a station wagon, but she didn't want to hear that. NO, she said, it is a truck, and you must keep it that way!!

Meanwhile, Frank, my helping buddy was returning with some refreshments on the other side of our rig, and then took his cellphone and started to take some pictures of it.

When he appeared from the rear, she exclaimed, "Wow, you are taking some pictures?"

And she promptly took a pose, saying, "Take a shot of me with this beauty."

Which he did, several.

She insisted in giving me her email address, and insisted on me sending her some pictures of it, which I will do.

Woodies are great, making all kinds of friends.....

(It is not the first time that a youngster has never even heard of wood bodied wagons,

I love to show them off, and enlighten them!!)

Loving it all the time!!

I will be unloading it this weekend, and will try to get some better pictures here.

Cheers, Mike

PS: Picking up the other one a week tomorrow, Sat Mar 31...

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Guest Rob McDonald

Who knew that Pontiac pioneered the club cab pickup truck? Your new friend is kind of right - this configuration is unique and potentially quite attractive. However, wagons rule!

I love the netting you use to keep most of the loose bits from flying off, as you roll down the highway.

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Actually there wasn't much in the way of loose wood on this one. I have a large sheet of shade cloth I use under this cargo net if there is worry about small pieces coming off.

These work well because air can pass through, so no flapping. A flapping tarp can do more damage than good.

I don't worry about rain, since it will dry quickly at 60 mph!!

I think the second Woodie will need the shade cloth...

Mike

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And no I haven't done anything with the '51 motor and trans we got from you last month except set it on a rolling stand that Kevin and I made for it. What a heavy weight she is.LOL I'm waiting on more that three days of warm,dry weather to explore the possibilities. Can you tell that I'm still jealous of your shop? Good Luck with the Indians!!! Mark

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Guest Rob McDonald

MIKE, I was crossing the border last night with my latest winter beater, albeit an awfully nice one (and a wagon!). Got chatting with a trucker who hauls special cars into Canada for BATS Motorsports, out of Biggs OR. Northern car lovers like me are happy with the Loonie and Greenback sitting at par these days.

Yesterday, he had several muscle cars (I think he mentioned a Hemi 'Cuda, ho hum) and a '48 Chevy station wagon. Although I didn't get to see it, he said it's beautifully done, looking all original except with a modern power train. Even has a stock-looking column shifter for the automatic transmission. Wood Is Good!

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I unloaded it today, and tidied it up a bit. The left front tire kept going soft, so I had to keep filling it. Once it was off the trailer, I changed it with an extra tire & rim that was in the bed. All three seats are there, in not too bad shape.

Mark, I have it outside under my awning, but it will soon be shoehorned inside, as soon as I can figure out where!!

Then, there is the second one...... LOL

Rob, too bad you couldn't get a peek at the Chevy Woodie!!

Cheers, Mike

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Thanks, Keith, the other one has enough patterns to finish off both, at least I do believe. I won't really know until I actually see it...this coming Sat. (Pins & needles!!)

However, I feel a little self conscious having it in the Buick section, due to the previous entry above yours.

He has a valid point, but I have enjoyed this Buick section so very much, and most of the other sections don't seem nearly as enthusiastic.

This pair is my first venture into Pontiacs, well, since I discovered this forum, and I am head over heels into Buicks...Woodies, of course, so it seemed natural to add some other Woodies here.

Maybe I am wrong...I am sorry if so.

Perhaps I noticed some other threads I have followed and enjoyed seemed to deviate from the original thought, so I thought, in my enthusiasm, it was OK.

Perhaps there needs to be a Woodie section!!

Woodies can combine any make, and that is what I am used to, being into Woodies for the last 40+ years.

Cheers, Mike

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I have found that Google provides so much, and pictures of ANYTHING your heart so desires.

Note at the bottom of the list of pictures is OFTEN a prompt that says, "SHOW MORE", and there you go, lots more pictures, and more being added all the time. Great way to learn details about your car.

I wish you well,

Dale in Indy

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Guest shadetree77
However, I feel a little self conscious having it in the Buick section, due to the previous entry above yours.

He has a valid point, but I have enjoyed this Buick section so very much, and most of the other sections don't seem nearly as enthusiastic.

I agree wholeheartedly Mike. The other sections are nowhere near as enthusiastic. I face the same dilemma on here sometimes as to whether or not to post something a little off-topic. The way I look at it, I've come to know the guys that hang out on the Buick section and consider a lot of them friends. So when I post something on here(Buick related or not)I feel that I'm sharing something that interests me with my friends who may not otherwise see my post if I put it on a section they don't normally go to. For that reason, I believe if a person is a regular on the Buick section, he/she should be able to post whatever they want here in order to share with their friends. After a while, it becomes less about it being strictly Buick related and more about sharing with good friends who just happen to have something in common with you. So post away my friend!! I love all things related to the automobile and don't really care what section they are posted on! My two cents.....

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Thanks, Robert, I feel like you and I are friends, as are others, reading about our plights and our great achievements...Like mine, too!!

We all go through good days and bad ones, where nothing works!!

I enjoy when I feel like I made good progress at the end of the day, but these treasures can be elusive!!

Some days can be disappointing, until I look here, and see some other's progress.

That makes it OK!!

Cheers, Mike

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Guest Rob McDonald

ROBERT, I love your new animated signature! You are a man of many talents and well-developed interests, whom I also consider to be a friend.

MIKE, I understand your desire to share your new project excitement with your pals here in the Buick world. It really is a special community. I lurked around the Packard Forum for a while, when I was seriously considering the purchase of a '48 Station Sedan last year. It was a dry experience, with scant humour and much more interest in the price of things than you'll find 'round here. On some level, that turned me off buying the car, although there were other significant dissuasions, too.

Asking the moderators to help set up a Woodie Forum could be an option. There are already sites for commercial cars, replicas, and electric- and steam-powered vehicles. The only one of these with a lot of activity, though, is for pre-1916 Horseless Carriages, which overlaps many other brand-oriented sites. I'd be afraid that your posts would get lost out there.

Keith does have a good point, of course, that keeping things categorized is part of this website's function. Maybe, too, Pontiac people are being denied the pleasure of your adventure because they're not looking in the Buick section. Still, I selfishly ask you to keep posting here, at least until your bring the other almost-a-Buick home.

Naturally, we will keep enjoying your progress on the Buick woodies also in your care.

Edited by Rob McDonald
clarity, a rare thing in life (see edit history)
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Guest shadetree77
Keith does have a good point, of course, that keeping things categorized is part of this website's function. Maybe, too, Pontiac people are being denied the pleasure of your adventure because they're not looking in the Buick section.

Why, thank you, Rob! I consider you a good friend as well. I can see the point you have raised about the Pontiac guys missing out down on their section. Perhaps, from now on, one could do like I did with my "Scenes From A Georgia Junkyard" post recently. I wanted to make sure that my Buick buddies saw the thread, but at the same time I realized that the number of non-Buicks pictured in my post was far greater than the actual Buicks. So, I posted the thread on the appropriate forum(AACA General Discussion in this case)but I also posted a thread on the Buick section under the same name which simply contained a small explanation and a link back to the post I made on the AACA General section. That way, all of the guys and gals that frequent the AACA General section could see it as well as all the guys and gals that hang out primarily on the Buick section. This seems to have worked out well and allowed many more people to view what I had to share. On a lighter note, Mike, I can't wait to see the next Pontiac to come out of the woodwork.....oh wow, that was a lame joke. Sorry, I couldn't resist!:rolleyes::D

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Hey Mike-- The second set of pictures on the Pontiac tell the whole story. It was Walt Disney's first attempt at what is now "Imagineengineering" at the Disney Company. As far as posting the "Indians" here I totally agree with Robert. I've found most of the other forums interesting and informative but not near as lively and fun as the people that I've encountered here. IMO as long as it has wood on it and GM stamped somewhere on it belongs here. We all have made or taken a "spurline" on this forum. I just don't see being a big deal. Mark

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I think that this seems to a very nice and active forum, one of the best that I belong to.

Doesn't bother me that this thread is a bit off-topic.

Keith

X2. The thread is noted that it's off topic, and I am glad to see other cars shown on here. Without the metal top as in the case of the Buicks, this car is going to require a extra special touch, and you do such nice work Mike that I anticipate following this thread and seeing how you accomplish rebuilding what is not even there.

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John, only 1949-1953 Buicks had steel tops, prior to that they were all wood.

I have a bundle of the steel tops, but I am working on a 1947 Wood-roofed Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, pretty slowly though!!

Perhaps I should start a thread on that one.

I also have a 1942 Oldsmobile Wagon, all wood bodied, one of two left.

I added a couple of shots of each.

I want to add a thanks for all your positive inputs, I'll hang in here!!

And will try to spice it up with some Buick stuff!! LOL

Cheers, Mike

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I thought I would add a few shots of the 2nd Woodie, but they took forever to upload...must be really big files.

I had emailed some of the original pics of both Pontiacs to some friends, and they took ages to upload.

They all were sent to me by the seller.

My camera takes pretty nice pics, and they can be enlarged quite successfully, with good detail, but they upload in less than half the time.

Go figure!! Over my head!!

I will take more when I go on Sat, if I can only remember to take my camera!!

You youngsters out there can only begin to look forward to old age, and memory loss!!

Although it can be fun at times!!! Usually not!!

I was 2 hours on the road when going for the first one before I realized I had forgotten my camera!!

Will try to avoid that on the second!!

Cheers, Mike

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I had scheduled to pick up the 2nd Woodie Sat., 3-31, but heavy rain was forecast, and my buddy, Gary, had to back out at the last minute. He let me know he couldn't go on Wed. evening. So Thursday AM, I called Jenny, and asked if she would like to go on a venture, and she said, "No, not on Sat. in the rain, let's go today!"

So after a few phone calls, we were on our way, got it, and it is now here.

The first few pictures show it enroute, complete with every tie-down, bungee cord I own, and of course the shade cloth and cargo net!!

The last few pics show it today, with all the safety netting removed.

I was amazed to see the rear license plate, yellow with black letters. It was issued in 1956, and replaced in 1963 with a black plate with yellow letters. But this wagon still carries the yellow plate with a 1962 sticker on it, meaning it was not registered since 1962. Only 14 years of service.

The odometer shows 17,xxx miles, and the foot pedals look old and original, but do not show any wear at all, making me think that the odometer is correct.

The rear has collapsed from years of neglect, but it looks much worse than it is. The missing front passenger door is in the back.

I won't be unloading it until next week, when I have finished making a spot for both of them, so I will be covering it to keep the rain off it.

Mike

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Guest Rob McDonald

MIKE, MIKE, MIKE. Does every barn in California hide an amazing old car that's just waiting for you to come and get it? Remember that bus that you thought just missed you last year? Actually, it flattened you and you're now texting us from heaven. Ever wonder why you never have to go outside, except to go pick up another dream machine? Lord, take me now!

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Guest Rob McDonald

MIKE, you've gotta step over to the AACA General Discussion Forum, under Our Cars and Restoration Projects, "1915 Fiat Tipo 2B Skiff". There's a guy in New Zealand doing things with a couple of cords of wood and a little bit of car, that's got to be categorized as Fine Art. Here's a teaser...

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  • 4 months later...

Sorry it took so long to respond, Shadetree, but I have been so very busy.

I appreciate your opinion, and wholeheartedly agree.

I must confess I was a little self conscious in starting this thread, and the comment about why it is here hit home...knocked the wind out of my sails, so to speak.

I have not made very much progress on the Pontiacs, except for gloating over them!!

But, I will be soon, they are going to be power washed...truly needed...and will come into my shop...a complete reshuffling endeavor, but worthwhile!!

One of them had a packrat nest under the hood!!

Meanwhile, I have been finding some good parts they need on eBay...what a wonderful "swapmeet" without all the walking!! Especially past vendors selling non-car related products!!

I just let my fingers do the walking!! LOL

Thanks again for all your support, it truly helps me to keep going!! Mike

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