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1954 Chevy Tin Woody


Guest BossMareBetty

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Guest BossMareBetty

Hi..

My name is Tracy and I am new here and new to my Woody.. In fact I am yet to see her in person yet am eager to know as much as I can before she arrives home to me..

So far trying to google history on her has me going in circles I guess because I don't really know where to start.

From the bits and pieces I do find and the pictures I am coming across the woody was made by many of the car manufactures of the times..?! I am wondering on history and details as to why the Tin Woody was made.. Is there other names I should be trying to google and did the Tin Woody receive the same wood treatment in their interiors..?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I appreciate your feedback..

Cheers..

post-90529-143139327239_thumb.jpg

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Guest Rob McDonald

Whoops, we overlapped - I just left you a note on Introductions. Love your Chevrolet! Many of these all-steel wagons have woodgrain either painted-on or DyNoc transfers applied to the exterior window surrounds, to look like wood framing. It may have been an option or yours might have been painted over at some point. Either method was prone to fading over time.

To me, the coolest thing about all old station wagons is the rear compartment. Each manufacturer had its own way of trimming the floor, roof, and side panels, of folding the seats, and of operating the tailgate. Please post some photos of the inside of your car when you get it home. Where is home for you?

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Guest BossMareBetty

Hi Rob,

I will keep my conversation here as it is easier for me to locate on my phone.

I really appreciate any feedback and don't want to lose anything.

I wish I had more pictures now yet I do not want to push the seller, I think I am to eager and he feels he is at a loss from the sale.

I am very curious to see the interior and the seat layout. Apparently she is very complete so I want to see how true this is and what her dash looks like.

The seller said he took the interior door panels off and kept the cardboard as templates.

I am in northern British Columbia in Canada.

My hubby is currently restoring a VW micro bus Deluxe and so we look forward to family time in this wagon.

Talk soon

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Guest plymouthwoody

Hi BossMareBetty:

Another member has a 54 chev woody and was asking for information a couple of weeks ago. The thread is here...

http://forums.aaca.org/f231/wood-imatation-340028.html

Chevrolet Townsman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Townsman name was first used in 1953 on the 210 series four-door station wagon. For 1954, the name was shifted to the luxury Bel Air series station wagon, which featured Di-Noc woodgrain paneling. In both years.

Heres what the interior and dash looks like. This is a 53, but I think they are the same

post-88997-143139327388_thumb.png

Edited by plymouthwoody
stupid keyboard (see edit history)
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Guest BossMareBetty

Thanks so much..!

You posted something I was not sure of in my own research about the name Bel Air.

Sorry if my question is repetitive or obvious. Would Betsy be considered a Bel Air and if so how does one insert the Tin woody term into this all.

I am familiar that cars will come out in 3 or so versions of the original depending on it's upgrades. Like a basic or a deluxe. So would the woody be a feature so to speak.

Hope that made sense.

Thank you so much for the links and picture. I read te thread and I still have questions.

;)

I have always seen the real wood woodies just wondering why the tin. We're they cheaper to manufacture even with the painted/ faux wood.

Thanks guys your time is greatly appreciated

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Guest BossMareBetty

Ok so now armed with the name 54 Chevy Bel Air I was shocked with what I could find.

So now I am wondering for sure where the Tin woody comes in.

Would this be a slang type term.

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Guest Rob McDonald

TRACY, yes, Tin Woodie is a nickname for early all-steel station wagons. Your car appears to be a model two-ten Handyman. (Chev liked to spell out the numbers in that time period.) Bel Air Townsman wagons had more chrome trim, Dynoc wood graining, and plusher seats, while model one-fiftys - also called Handyman - had very little chrome along the sides and more Spartan interiors.

Under the skin, they're really all the same. They originally came with overhead valve 6-cylinder engines. Most had three-speed manual transmissions, although a two-speed PowerGlide automatic was available.

Here you can find some very nice photos of what your car would look like completely restored, although this example has been modified with a V8 engine - Classic recollections: 1954 Chevrolet 210 Handyman station wagon - DailyHerald.com

post-59990-143139327781_thumb.jpg

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Guest BossMareBetty

Wow Fantastic..!!

Well you both have made my morning as it gives me a better place to work from..

It's rather exciting all of this..

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Guest plymouthwoody
Thanks so much..!

I am familiar that cars will come out in 3 or so versions of the original depending on it's upgrades. Like a basic or a deluxe. So would the woody be a feature so to speak.

Hope that made sense.

I have always seen the real wood woodies just wondering why the tin. We're they cheaper to manufacture even with the painted/ faux wood.

Thanks guys your time is greatly appreciated

The steel bodies were much cheaper to make and required a lot less maintainance by their owners. (Plymouth made both styles in 49/50, and steel wagons outsold wood by 10-1). People still liked the look of the wood, so "tin woodys" were made for them.

Rob is right. Yours looks like a Handyman. You can see the difference in the three styles here.

1954 Classic Chevrolet - Station Wagons

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Guest BossMareBetty

LOVE the link you posted and the additional info this is all helping to paint the big picture for me.

Is information still available to us as the OG paint an interior colour schemes?

I do not intend on a OG paint and did not intend on replicating the wood paint either.

I will keep her as she is this year and want to paint her lower Hal a flat black and her too white.

I think it is great to know what was what in the times.

Like I said before I really appreciate all of your feedback. I have learned so much and makes me that more eager to get her home.

I will take pics and post them for you all :)

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Guest BossMareBetty

Thank you so much.. This is really awesome.. Not that I have plans to take her back to that kind of a restoration it is still really neat to see where she came from.

It has been really fun discovering about her and thanks for helping make this process go a bit smoother for me.. xx

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Guest BossMareBetty

Since you boys have had great answers can you help me again..?

Would the bumper from the 54 Sedan be the same as the wagon.. From the first page of the catalogue it talks about the new bumper styling ect.. It is hard for me to see in the picture if they are all the same..

Thanks guys..

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Oh! Betty! Now I'm blushing...

I, too, have a 1954 210 Chevy Handyman. Do you know what the original interior foor covering was? I was thinking of putting in carpeting, but I'm not sure that was original to the car. Thanks!

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Guest Rob McDonald

BOCANA, I'm pretty sure it would have been equipped with black rubber mats, for the front seat anyway, with maybe loop pile carpet on the back seat floor. Check this site for more detailed information - 1954 Models

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BOCANA, I'm pretty sure it would have been equipped with black rubber mats, for the front seat anyway, with maybe loop pile carpet on the back seat floor. Check this site for more detailed information - 1954 Models

Thanks for your expertise Rob! :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Regarding interior, I believe the passenger area was carpet but the luggage area was a plastic type flooring with chrome strips on the tailgate

here is an original rear compartment

54Con20_8-vi.jpg

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  • 2 months later...
Guest BossMareBetty

Hi all..!

It has been awhile since I was here because I had nothing much to report on.

We finally found a hauler and Betsy made her way to Edmonton, we just got back from going and seeing her and I am so happy to have finally seen her in person.

I am glad I came over as I appreciate seeing what you all have posted about the interior and yes I also just learned the back bumper is not the same as the front and the piano hinge on the tailgate is OG..

What I am now trying to figure out because I know you can do this with VW's is by having the VIN# you can research details such as OG colour interior/exterior and would that be the same for this wagon. After seeing her in person I am not sure what is what on her as the main body had a multitude of different colours and what looked like over spray so I would love to figure this out.

post-90529-143141887408_thumb.jpg

Also curious from you all are the bumper guards on the lower bumper correct..? They could have been added at a later time yet I am not sure if they are correct.

Talk soon.. xx

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