Tom Boehm Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 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. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 My hat is off to you for taking on this huge project! Great looking vehicle from the 1960s photos, and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress and the final product. To pick a small nit, I believe that headlights in fenders indicate a Model 52 (new torpedo body) vs. the Model 50 (older vertical body with headlight pods off the grille surround. Mechanically, they're all called '50' but virtually all the front sheetmetal is different from 50 to 52. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Hard to believe it's the same car in all the photos. Amazing progress in the last photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Nice work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan arnett (2) Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 That is what is known as a project. Fantastic job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ng8264723 Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Hey we need updates!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted August 24, 2018 Author Share Posted August 24, 2018 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 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 That's going to be a beautiful car when you get it finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billorn Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Thats a very good looking wagon. I think the longer chassis makes for a better result when your building a wagon. Some just dont look quite right when their on a regular passenger car chassis. Very nice work!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted August 26, 2018 Author Share Posted August 26, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ng8264723 Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Tom what are using for varnish? When the factory installed the slats were they nailed or screwed in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted August 27, 2018 Author Share Posted August 27, 2018 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". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ng8264723 Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 Really nice car Tom. Keep us informed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ng8264723 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 I'm waiting!!!!!!!!!!! More pics please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 (edited) Wow, if you had been on my ass all along I might have finished this car years ago! Seriously though, I appreciate your interest in my project. I am getting close to installing the linoleum on the floor. There are numerous small tasks that need to be completed before I can do that. I had to make an aluminum trim piece, install a bracket between the floor and the c post, (The bracket was countersunk flush with the surface of the floor), carefully bend an extruded aluminum "T" molding around the hatch to the spare tire compartment in the floor, install latch hardware to the hatch, and install the original threshold pieces. I will have photos of the floor in a week or two. In the meantime, here are some photos of how I made a sample of the trim piece out of 18 gauge aluminum. Also ng..... are you restoring a car? Later edit... I looked up your threads on your '39 Pontiac. Take your time to become familiar with what you have (figure out what parts are there and what is missing and how they go together etc) I took three years to research history and become familiar with what I had before starting restoration. Edited September 23, 2018 by Tom Boehm (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ng8264723 Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 Niced! A simple hammer form. It looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted October 29, 2018 Author Share Posted October 29, 2018 Here is an update of my progress. I installed the linoleum on the floor and the aluminum trim around all the edges. I also finished the hatch to the spare tire compartment under the rear floor. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustDave Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Hello look forward to watching your progress,I don’t believe a lot of people have the patience to do a woody,good thing that project found you,great quality work, keep it up,looking forward to watching your progress, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodie123 Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 It's coming along nicely. Keep it going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan arnett (2) Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 fantastic job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) On 10/28/2018 at 6:37 PM, Tom Boehm said: Here is an update of my progress. I installed the linoleum on the floor and the aluminum trim around all the edges. I also finished the hatch to the spare tire compartment under the rear floor. Did you fabricate/cast new aluminum pieces? Or did you build up and rework the original pieces? Craig Edited January 25, 2019 by 8E45E (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted January 25, 2019 Author Share Posted January 25, 2019 Hello Craig, Those boomerang shaped pieces are made out of wood. The original pieces are wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 26, 2019 Share Posted January 26, 2019 Okay, thanks. The reason I asked is I have some heavily oxidized and corroded painted aluminum trim pieces for a project that I either have to refurbish or repop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted April 11, 2019 Author Share Posted April 11, 2019 I used a router and a chisel to make insets for the hardware on the B posts. Now I can varnish and permanently install these posts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 On 4/10/2019 at 7:30 PM, Tom Boehm said: I used a router and a chisel to make insets for the hardware on the B posts. Now I can varnish and permanently install these posts. Beautiful work! Hopefully one can appreciate the time it takes to get it right and all the effort that goes into it. One who works with wood knows how time consuming it is to shape and contour a piece to fit, and then have to route and chisel provisions for the hardware to fit. I only hope you have an understanding wife!! Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted July 18, 2019 Author Share Posted July 18, 2019 In June I drove my Lasalle across the river to Louisville for the Cadillac and Lasalle Club Grand National show. I live in the Louisville metro area in Indiana. It was the first time I drove the car outside of my subdivision. Everything went well and I had a blast. I rigged up the tail lights temporary. Since my last posting I installed the B post and the mahogany quarter panels. The red seat is temporary also. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29 franklin Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 Beautiful work. Good luck with this project. Before you know it you will be done. Looking forward to more pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BombsAway Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 Just ran across this post...what an amazing project and job you are doing! Looking forward to updated photos once available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 Thank you! My short term goals are to restore and paint the 4 piano hinges and the tailgate hardware and then build the tailgate. I probably won't have new pictures until spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 I am restoring the tailgate hardware now. I was lucky that most of the custom made/hand made body hardware was with the car. However it was all very rust pitted. I skimmed each piece with bondo and sanded it smooth. The piano hinges for the tailgate and back doors were rusted solid. I blasted them and soaked them in Evapo Rust for a month to get them loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted September 16, 2020 Share Posted September 16, 2020 Absolutely spectacular Tom, can't wait to see the finished product! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 16, 2020 Author Share Posted September 16, 2020 Thank you! Will have tailgate pictures soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 20, 2020 Author Share Posted September 20, 2020 New tailgate pictures. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewOldWood Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 Very nice, the last picture in particular, the grain didn't line up that way by accident. Gross mismatches in grain and color stick out like a sore thumb to me. Gaps look nice too, although I hope you're going to open them up some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 21, 2020 Author Share Posted September 21, 2020 Thank you for the nice complement from a pro. Only another woodworker would notice those things. Thinking ahead to when I drive the car, how do you prevent rain from leaking through the piano hinges on the liftgate and tailgate? I was thinking of putting a rubber weatherstrip between the leaves of the hinge that would be squeezed in the closed position. Everybody looks at me like "you're going to drive this in the rain?" Also what about the sides of the tailgate and liftgate? That is why I kept the gap tight so it would help out whatever weather strip I come up with for the sides. The original tailgate and liftgate had a clever overlapping lip design to prevent rain from coming through the horizontal seam between them. I replicated that. The original doors were designed with weatherstripping in mind. I will replicate that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Tom, I don't know if it's possible to completely weather proof a Woodie Station Wagon. When we drove our '46 Ford Wagon to California and back in 2010, the last three days from Cleveland to Long Island was in heavy rain. There are some areas around the tailgate and lift gate that don't have any weather seals and water gets in. Out of 33 day's on the road, with only three days of rain, I can't complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 21, 2020 Author Share Posted September 21, 2020 I suspected that these cars may just be leaky. I'm going to put a weatherstrip on all four sides of the tailgate/liftgate but I'm not going to worry about possible leaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Can you imagine the Ford workers at Iron Mountain slowing down the production line to match the woodgrain up to other pieces. Old Henry would flip out! I did read a rumor once, that when they came across "birds eye" or "curly maple" they set it aside for special order cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share Posted December 7, 2020 The tailgate and all the hardware is finished! There is still a horizontal rib to be installed on the tailgate and the quarter panels. I will do that when I make the doors so they all line up. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now