Just purchased a 1941 Oldsmobile 66 woodie wagon-Where do I start?

[Countryman]

Hello all, I just bought a '41 Olds woodie and am planning on a frame off full restoration. I am looking for help for contacts and parts suppliers. I would love to bend someones ear that has gone through this. I am looking for chrome trim, radio, dashboard, steering wheel repair or replacement, proper screws and hardware, door liner and roof replacement, literature, forums, someone to share their expertise and knowledge, pretty much everything. If anyone could help please.

 

Jeff Nussdorfer

Mason, MI 48854

517-604-9794

[blind pew]

That's that one from ebay. That is a beauty. 

 

Restoration hardware will have all the rubber pieces. 

 

Chevs of the 40s has all the chevrolet parts. I would assume there is "cross over" with Olds. For other things, you can score woodie parts from different makers (like tailgate hardware). cmgford parts has such things. Lastly, ebay has a ton more than one would expect. I scored International interior pieces, radio, and heater off ebay, as well as knee shocks. 

 

There are maker specific forums all over the place. I would assume there is one for Olds as well in which one could score maker specific parts. 

 

The patina of the wood is fantastic- I would leave that alone, as it looks great. 

 

 

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[blind pew]

Tom Boehm, who is on this site restoring a LaSalle, is a master scrounger who has directed me to MANY parts.

[46 woodie]

Join the National Woodie Club, P.O. Box 82886, Lincoln, NE, 68501-2886. A $40 membership includes the Woodie Times Magazine.  

[PFindlay]

Very nice car, Jeff, and a rare one.  Only 604 were made.  Is yours a Hydramatic or standard transmission?

 

I picked up a 1940 Olds Convertible Series 60 Coupe last fall and I've been surprised at how few Oldsmobiles are around.   I don't know where they all went. 

 

There are some parts available at a few places such as these:

 

https://collectorsautosupply.com/search-result#/ymm/Year=1941&Make=Oldsmobile/1/All

 

https://www.oldsobsolete.com/product-category/oldsmobile-parts-for-sale/

 

It will help you to get familiar with Chev, Pontiac, and  Buick models as well because various parts cross over.  And I'd guess the Oldsmobile Club would be a good place to connect with other Olds owners.

 

Good luck with your restoration.

 

Peter

 

 

[Tom Boehm]

Hello Jeff, To repeat good advice from above, Join an Oldsmobile club as they will be the best source for rare Oldsmobile parts and authenticity advice. Join the National Woodie Club and get access to their roster and network with other owners of Oldsmobile woodies. Steele Rubber products for all rubber on the car. That's true that there is possible overlap between GM makes so look in Bob's Automobilia Buick parts, and the Filling Station Chevy parts and Chevys of the Forties. Look over the catalog for Restoration Specialties carefully because they have a wide variety of hardware, screws, rubber, window channel, everything. Look at www.gardner-westcott.com for hard to find chrome plated screws. The top fabric may be hard to find since Lebaron Bonney closed. SMS Auto Fabric in Oregon is the only source I know of for black cobra grain top fabric that is used on woodies. I think they carry it in 54 inch width which is not wide enough to cover a station wagon in one piece. You will have to have SMS or a local upholsterer seam it to make up the full width. Typically you see two seams instead of one down the middle. Is the dashboard in this car originally woodgrained? www.woodgraining.com   otherwise known as Grain-it technologies can reproduce the factory woodgraining. Why do you need to replace the dashboard? Chrome trim for prewar cars in general is hard to find in good condition and harder to find for woodie specific pieces. I would suggest having any stainless trim restored. Potmetal chrome restoration and replating is a big challenge to any restorer and worthy of an entire thread by itself. This info here is a start. 

[dcaddick]

Beautiful. Make it run and stop, and drive it. It is perfect

[Joe Cocuzza]

Hi Jeff,

That's the car I had spoken to the owner about months before it was put on Ebay.

I wanted to buy it but he wanted to wait.

Anyway, did you get the original engine and trans with the car? The car now has a V8 and Hydramatic in it, right?

If I had bought it I would have replaced the V8 with the original engine and trans. But that's just me.

I know the owner stated that the dashboard was "modified" so I can see why you need another one.

Did you get the missing "header" that goes in the front section of the interior of the roof panel? Hopefully so.

Good luck with it.

Joe

 

[8E45E]

That car is damn nice!  I think all I would restore on it are the painted areas, mainly the front clip and the rear fenders, and leave all that wood alone.  And if some rechroming and reupholstering needs to be done, then of course do it.  

 

Craig