46 woodie

As others have mentioned take it part and replace the spring. McMaster-Carr has just about any spring you can need.

N.O.W., I know it's your job, but it looks like you are having way too much fun! Beautiful workmanship, thanks for posting those picture's!

Since it's been already mentioned, how much does it cost for a spectator to attend the Pebble Beach Car Show?

Bill, the images I see for the bumpers are simply flat steel. Any decent fabrication shop can make them for you. Probably 1/4" or 5/16" flat, cold rolled steel, chrome plated. If you can't locate originals I would get some original measurements and find a shop. The images I see have a unique rise in the Franklyn bumper, so you can not do the next thing I would recommend. I know of a beautifully restored car that has won many awards, that is using a single blade from a 1931 Model A and has never been questioned by a judge.

I just came across what was described as a very rare accessory for early Volkswagon's called a "Land Mine Gas Tank, made by a company called Quickly, Hammerich & Co. It's an accessory gas tank that fits into the spare tire rim and takes the place of the hubcap. I was told the reason they called it a Land Mine Tank is because it look's very similar to a WW II, land mine. It holds 8 liters of gas and has a brass cap and pull out spout. Its painted hammer-tone blue and was probably restored at one time. Anyone know anything about them, Im told they are very rare and desirable.

I need to send him an application to join the National Woodie Club!

The show in Maine is held in Ogunquit on August 13 this year and is the larger of the NE shows. There is usually about 30 Woodies at the event. In 2023 the National event will be held in Mystic Seaport and should bring quite a few Woodies. When the National event was held in Ogunquit two years ago there were about 80 Woodies. As far as finishing the inside of your door's, I would also recommend doing so.

Well, if you believe in miracles I have one for you, but no one in my area believes me. When I was researching YOM plates for my '46 Ford I saw a phone number listed to be able to call the NYSDMV to see if the plate number was already issued. I called the DMV number and an agent actually answered the phone on the third ring, I actually asked him if this was the DMV! I told the gentleman my numbers and he said to give him a minute. About 30 seconds went by and he came back on the line and told me the numbers were viable and I could use the plate. In NY you are usually on hold for the DMV for 30 minutes or after a while the line goes dead.

I think they are great, if you aren't breaking the law you have nothing to worry about. My city also has "red light cameras". There was a time that if you came to a stop light, two or three car's would literally pass you and go thru the light. Not anymore, dozens of citations mailed out in the first month alone. You get a picture of your car, a close up of your plate and the light showing that it was red and a $125 fine.

Well, as Yogi Berra once said, "when you get to the fork in the road, take it"!

I agree with Matt. This will be our 54th year at HERSHEY and I'm not going to stop until they plant me. Hotel rates are up, not only in the Hershey area but all across the country, in fact everything is up including the gas to get to Hershey and the food we will eat in the restaurants. My reservations for this year were made last October and I had no idea the country would be going thru a recession, but I'm still going, God willing.

I think that it's as simple as supply and demand. Last month I placed and order for 11 items from a well known supplier. Six were on backorder with no expected date of delivery. How many people like you are looking for a 1940 Ford hood ornament, probably not too many. Perhaps at one time they were needed, but realistically how many people like you need that part. If a vendor such as Bob Drake runs out of stock for a part, then he must evaluate how many have been sold and how long that particular part has sat on a shelf. He then needs to evaluate if he should re-order that part and is it economically a good idea. He might wait several months until he get's several orders to have his vendor replace his stock or he might to decide to discontinue that part altogether. "Dead" stock cost's money, the vendor has already paid for it and now it just sits on a shelf generating zero profit. I see this happening with many of the vendors we all use, it's simple economics. Ask yourself this question, how many people do you know that are presently restoring a car and I'll bet your answer is, not many.

Since you are a member of the NWC and live in CT. I hope you will be able to make one or more of the Woodie Car show's in the New England area. Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich MA on June 11th, will have a section just for Woodies. Mystic Seaport, Woodies and Wooden Boat's, on July 23rd, Ogunquit ME, Woodie's in the Cove Show on August 13th and Woodies on the Green, Wareham MA on Sept.11th.

Red, I think that the car auctions that we see on TV are part of the issue, people see a beautiful '55 Chevrolet sell for $50 grand and think that the rust bucket behind their house is also worth that kind of money. A couple of years ago I looked at a '59 Thunderbird, this car was virtually sitting up to the floorboard's in dirt. The white interior was black from mildew and at best it was a part's car, if that. The owner told me that he was keeping the car until his grand kid's were ready for collage and then he will sell it and it would pay for their education. How do you answer that, I certainly did not want to "burst his bubble". Some people refuse to believe that their car/part simply isn't worth what they think it is, true the car might have been a big dollar car once, but those day's are gone. Model A Ford's aren't worth what they were in the early 70's, real nice sedans can be had for around $8000 to $10,000. Roadster's that were $20,000 back then are still the around same price. Try to sell a Model T, you practically have to give them away, a really nice '23 T just sold for $8000 and I'm sure the owner spent twice that amount to restore it. How many people do you know are in the process of restoring a car today. Back in the '60s and '70s there were about 10 guy's in my area that were building some sort of antique car, now their are none that I know of.

31Plymouth, if I knew how to post pictures I would show you my HERSHEY wooden Nickel collection. I have every wooden nickel since 1980 including the "banned" 2020 nickel.

Wayne, I found out that the biggest thing about varnishing is to not "overthink" it. When I was ready to start the varnishing process on my '46 Ford wagon I went out to Wavecrest, the biggest Woodie show in the world. I talked to several people that did their own varnish work and this is what I got from our conversations. I researched varnishing and actually purchased a book from a woodworking supply company on finishes. It recommended these very expensive brushes made in Finland that cost about $150 each. One guy that had a beautiful finish on his car told me "BS, buy cheap foam brushes and throw them away when you are done between your coat's. Well, that is exactly what I used. Next thing I did is fabricate a simple "clean room" in my basement using plastic sheeting/drop cloth's. Varnish likes it about 70-74 degrees, so I used a small electric heater and thermometer to keep it in that range. Never sand or use an air hose to clean off your wood in the "clean room", everything you do to clean off the sanding dust is done outside the room. Use a tack cloth outside the room, just before you varnish, not in the room. Before you enter the room blow yourself off, you would be surprised how much sanding dust can get carried into you varnish room, on your clothing and in your hair. Don't be tempted to keep playing with the finish, any blemishes can be sanded out. I did my car 20 years and 50,000 miles ago and have driven the car from N.Y. to California with the last three day's in rain coming home and my varnish is holding up nicely. Where are you located Wayne and are you a member of the National Woodie Club?

Dodge, I don't have any of the bags, but I do have several of the old cardboard street sign's that were stapled to the wooden posts that were placed at the end of every row. In fact, if you look closely at the picture you can see a post and sign in the middle of the group. Kind of hard pounding in wooden stakes now that everything is on blacktop.

I don't know where they got their fact's and figure's. Copper is only rated second to silver in conductivity rating, it's ranked higher than gold. If I remember stainless steel isn't even ranked in the top 20.

Back in the early 70's we would laugh at the "junk" that was piled around the 55 gallon drums. The funny part is that many parts had prices written on them. During the swap meet some vendors were trying to sell this stuff and now it's trash.

As Joe points out 10 coats is not unusual, remember the first few coats should be thinned and will soak into your wood. Sanding between coat's is a must, varnish doesn't like to stick to varnish with out being sanded. I also used Epifanes and did about 12 coats. An old timer gave me a tip on preserving the varnish in the can. Air is an enemy of varnish so when you are done putting a coat on and seal the can turn it over and makes the can air tight.

Chevy, I looked up MW in the Encyclopedia of Motor Cars and it shows "M.W., see Wegmann". So I went to Wegmann and it shows "Wegmann, 1925-1926, This railway carriage builder also introduced a small 4/20PS car with a 4 cylinder 1016cc engine". Being 7 1/4" diameter I would doubt that it's from a "Wegmann". At first I thought Marmon Wasp but that was a race car with smaller hubcaps. There is a "WM" listed as a small Polish car made only one year, 1927 but never went into production. So the mystery continues.

Ford used varnish, so I would assume other makes also used the same material. I know a few street rodded "Woodies" that used automotive clear, but to me it looks too "plastic". Varnish can be sprayed or brushed, I used cheap foam brushes and got great results. Varathane makes varnish in spray can's for touch up work. If you do go with varnish, make sure it's a good quality product with the highest UV rating you can get. I thinned the first few coat's and sanded between coat's with 220 and changed to 320 for the final few coat's.

If you can hear the window trying to open then because the car sat for 30 years the glass might have "glued" itself to the weather strip. I would run a thin putty knife around the edge of the glass on both sides and see if it works itself loose.

Okiejoe, I see two questions here. Are you talking too fast for an older car as to not damage anything or too fast as a safety issue? If your car has been restored, new brakes, steering, lighting etc then 60 MPH might be fine. If you're talking stock Studebaker 70 MPH might be an issue. I cruse about 60-65 in my '46 station wagon but 50 in my Model A is a nice speed.

McMaster-Carr, water pump packing 9316K4, 10 feet for $13.00.