Tom Boehm

Read ALL of my first post.

I want chrome plated. The originals were chrome plated steel. This is for my 1940 Lasalle woodie restoration. See pictures of it in the National Woodie Club section of this forum.

They do not have what I am looking for. A chrome plated steel sheet metal screw would work also with a slotted oval head.

Hello, I am looking for a source to get steel chrome plated wood screws. I need oval head slotted in sizes #8 x 1", #10 x 1", and #12 x 1". It seems any kind of slotted screws are getting harder to find. I have been all over the internet. My local hardware store has these in #4 and #6 but not the larger ones. I know I can get oval head slotted in chrome plated brass and stainless steel but I thought I would exhaust any chance of finding what I want before I go to alternatives. Thanks, Tom

Hello n, The slats on my car were screwed on originally. I am using Pettit Captains varnish. I sampled many varnishes and I liked the color of this the best. It is not orange, amber or yellow. It is "golden brown".

The longer wheelbase (135") allows the rear doors to be rectangular without the notch for the back wheel most woodies have. The longer wheelbase enables greater utility also. This car has three seats and a cargo area. It seems that all woodies sold by manufacturers in the showroom need to have the third seat removed to create a cargo area.

I have been working on the roof all spring and summer and I finished it today! 8 ribs and 31 slats all got 7 coats of varnish sanded between coats. 341 #8 x 5/8" wood screws hold the slats on. Next I want to install the linoleum on the middle and rear floors. Thanks for your interest, Tom

I particularly like this thread because of the craftsmanship and my family had a '66 Galaxie in Emberglo color when I was a kid. It was not a 7 litre however. Of all the cars we had I wish I had that one now.

Look closely at the logo at the bottom of the front label. If the Lasalle crest is part of it then the can is pre 1940.

Thank you for posting these pictures! I really enjoyed them. I did not know you were re wooding the entire body. Was there rot throughout that was not visible in the pictures? I like the nice grain in the wood selected for the panels in the quarterpanel. Great work. I am building the roof of my 1940 Lasalle woodie now. Tom

I am from St. Louis. Moon is one of the few cars from the 20's I can identify. I thought I could beat Keiser 31 to the answer. He posted mere seconds before me!

I like this "what is it?" forum. This is the first time I'll take a stab at an ID. I think it is a Moon. Made in St.Louis.

Hello Grimy, You are thinking of the 1939 series 50 Lasalle. That car has separate headlight pods on the side of the grill. Both the 50 and 52 series in 1940 have headlights sunk in the fenders. The difference is the body shell.

I am restoring a 1940 Lasalle woodie. The woodie body was built on a 50 series Lasalle commercial chassis in 1940 by Meteor Motor Car Co. of Piqua Ohio. They are better known for building hearses and ambulances. The black and white photos were taken about 1965. The next three are when I got the car in June 1997. Previous owners stored it outside way too long. The last three were taken in December 2017. Tom Boehm New Albany, Indiana.

Thank you for posting about your Packard. I am restoring a 1940 Lasalle woodie. I'm excited about seeing pictures of another custom bodied woodie being restored. All that rotten wood looks so familiar. There is no other car to compare to so you have to decide what the replacements look like based on splinters. I hope you post more pictures as you make progress. I'll post some pictures of mine on a new thread. Tom Boehm

Hello Packard fans, I am restoring a 1940 Lasalle. If I ever restore/get another one the 1940 Packard 120 is on my short list. After looking at many pictures of '40 120's I see some differences from car to car and I'd like to know what is correct. 1. Hood ornament. Is the donut chaser or the cormorant correct? 2. Hubcaps. Some cars have "PACKARD 120" in small letters surrounding the red hexagon in the center. Others have "Packard" in script over the top of the red hexagon. What is correct? 3. I understand there is a Deluxe version of the 1940 120. specifically, how is that different from a non Deluxe? 4. How can I get a copy of James Hollingsworth's book about 1940 Packards? Thanks, Tom Boehm New Albany, IN

Hello, You're right about the stained gumwood but I was thinking of the 1949, 1950 Fords. They did have mahogany veneer panels.

Most woodies including some Fords had mahogany veneered panels. Generally speaking, there are two types of mahogany, Honduran and African. Honduran is "genuine" mahogany. African is very similar and considered an acceptable substitute as supplies of Honduran dwindle and the price rises. I assumed the original veneer on woodies was Honduran. Some quick research on the internet revealed African mahogany was available in America in the '30s and '40s. SO THE QUESTION IS: Which mahogany was used on woodies originally? Disclaimer- I admit that I am way overthinking this because it is hard to tell the difference. Tom Boehm New Albany, IN

Hello, Mahogany on a Model A, very nice touch. I am restoring a woodie also. Not a model A. Where did you get your mahogany panels? What kind of plywood is under the veneer? What kind of mahogany is the veneer? Honduran or African? I am getting close to needing panels and I thought I would pick your brain. Thanks, Tom Boehm New Albany, IN

My son made a time lapse video of us assembling the body of my 1940 Lasalle woodie. I am doing a final fit check before gluing up each side. More pictures at www.lasallewoodie.com. Tom Boehm, New Albany Indiana WoodieTimelapse.mp4

Hello Mike, I have been trying/testing a variety of varnishes. I am surprised you used a marine spar varnish because the wood on your green '49 Buick did not have the deep yellow/amber tint typical of traditional varnishes. That is partly what I liked about your wood. Maybe the stain disguised that yellow/amber tint. Did you use Captains 1015 or Captains Ultra Clear 2067? I have made samples with Epifanes, Letonkinois, Sikkens cetol marine, and Flagship 2015. Flagship is made by the same company as Captains. Did you try Flagship? By the way, my sample of Epifanes on Ash and Mahogany has been outside in Indiana for 3 full years now and has yet to peel. It had a heavy amber tint however. As far as the wood panels, after much research I am going to get 3/8" marine plywood A/B grade from Menards(local big box home improvement store) and have a local veneer company apply ribbon grain mahogany veneer to one side and birch veneer to the other. All things considered, that is the closest I could get to the original while still being durable. The original panels on mine were 5/16" thick using a center core with birch and mahogany faces. Thanks, Tom

Hello Mike, I like the wood on your '49 Buick Super. It appears to have a light stain on it. How did you do that? What brand/color did you use? What clear coat did you use? Where did you get the panels? Did you have to have them custom made? How thick are they? Is the mahogany veneer honduran or african? I am researching these questions for my 1940 Lasalle woodie now. Thanks, Tom Boehm New Albany Indiana.

Hello again, I read the Technical Data Sheet in the link you provided. Penofin is not a varnish and does not form a film at the surface of the wood. It is an oil that soaks into the wood. The TDS suggests reapplying twice a year. A varnish is far more durable. A good marine varnish would last at least two years outdoors 100% of the time before a maintenence coat is required. Our woodies will be in the garage most of the time which is why Bob c49er varnish lasted 30 plus years. I recently came across a varnish made in France called Le Tonkinois. Is it made with Tung and Linseed oil and contains no solvents. Guys on the wood boat discussion forums say it has durability equal to that of other marine varnishes like Epifanes, Pettit, Awlspar,Interlux etc. Anyone out there used it? www.tarsmell.com is the website where it is sold in addition to Hamilton Marine.

Hello David, I am building an exact replica body for my woody to replace the original. Mother Nature destroyed the original. I have never refinished a woodie but if I were in your place I would remove the panels before I stripped them. Any of you guys out there with T&C s have an opinion if that is feasible? Tom

McCloskey Varnish is still sold but like many products it has been reformulated in recent years to meet more stringent VOC limits. In other words, they have less solvents in it.