Did tin woodies have factory woodgraining?

[Tom Boehm]

Did the 1949, 1950 Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile all steel station wagons have factory painted fake woodgraining on the outside? I see so many of these cars restored with painted woodgraining applied by hand. Most of it is really poorly done. 

Edited October 21 by Tom Boehm (see edit history)

[46 woodie]

Tom, I'm not sure of the years, but I have seen some tin woodies with factory woodgraining but don't know when they discontinued it for paint only. From what I have read, it was very costly to do at the factory. I once read of a company in Florida that did woodgrain a '50 Chevrolet station wagon at one time and the cost was staggering. Last week at HERSHEY there was a beautiful woodgrained Pontiac "tin woodie" in the flea market, but I don't know the year.

[PhilWood54]

Hi Tom,

 

The 1949 to 54 Chevy, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac tin woodies used a 3M vinyl film called Di-Noc for the woodgraining.  You can actually see the seaming where the film changed from vertical to horizontal.  These days most people do a hand-applied woodgrain, to varying degrees of success.  I did see the Pontiac tin woodie in the flea market, it belongs to Tom Myers, who is the president of the Pontiac Early Times Chapter.  It its very well done.  BTW, the Di-Noc was also used on the '50's Buick woodies, though I epoxied actual veneer to my 1943 Super Estate Wagon.  It was also used on some Chryslers

Phil

[JosephSatterlee]

On 10/22/2024 at 1:52 AM, PhilWood54 said:

Hi Tom,

 

The 1949 to 54 Chevy, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac tin woodies used a 3M vinyl film called Di-Noc for the woodgraining.  You can actually see the seaming where the film changed from vertical to horizontal.  These days most people do a hand-applied woodgrain, to varying degrees of success.  I did see the Pontiac tin woodie in the flea market, it belongs to Tom Myers, who is the president of the Pontiac Early Times Chapter.  It its very well done.  BTW, the Di-Noc was also used on the '50's Buick woodies, though I epoxied actual veneer to my 1943 Super Estate Wagon.  It was also used on some Chryslers

Phil

 
Yes, the 1949 and 1950 Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile station wagons, often called "Tin Woodies," came with factory-applied faux woodgraining, which was a painted finish to imitate real wood. This was a common practice at the time, but modern restorations sometimes resulted in poorly executed woodgrain paintwork compared to the original factory technique. As an international student studying in Canada, I sometimes struggle to meet the academic writing standards here. A friend suggested canadianwritings.com and it was a game-changer. The writer crafted an excellent essay that reflected a deep understanding of the subject. The service was affordable, and the delivery was on time. It really helped me improve my grades, and I highly recommend it to anyone needing reliable writing assistance.

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Edited November 20 by JosephSatterlee (see edit history)

[Shootey]

I seem to remember Dinoc in the context of my years-ago restoration of my 1938 Buick Century. I know 1930’s and 1940’s restorations have dash and window surrounds done by, usually, professional woodgrainers. But is it true that originally Dinoc was used for the woodgraining of these earlier cars?

[Tom Boehm]

My understanding of the original factory process for fake woodgrain on metal is that the grain was rolled on by hand with a large soft rubber roller. This is the process offered by "Grain It" in Florida. The 1939 and 1940 GM Fisher Body Manual calls this process a "transfer roll". According to this book, transfer roll and 2 versions of Di noc were used on interior fake woodgraining in 1940 GM cars. Di noc was basically an applied decal.  One version of Di noc was applied to sheet metal before it was stamped. Another Di noc version and transfer roll was applied after stamping. A third version of Di noc was recommended to dealers for repairing damage to the original factory finish.  

 

Many restorers attempt to reproduce the factory look with paint and brushes. This never looks like the original factory finish and seldom even looks good. This is true for the pre war interiors and exteriors of 1949 and 1950 Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile station wagons. 

[PhilWood54]

This from the November / December Issue of the Antique Automobile from the AACA, Steve Rossi's column.  .....DI-NOC is short for Diurno Nocturn, which means "beautiful all day and night"  Its a self-adhesive architectural film that provides a striking woodgrain finish with a seamless impression over complex surface areas.  What's now a 3M product proved especially appealing for faux woodgraining on late model American station wagons.  The idea began with lacquer decals and transfer-type labels with translucent properties in 1923, which looked good during both day and night in store window displays.  The appliqués were then applied as synthetic veneer to radio cabinets and home furnishings, along with automotive instrument panels beginning in 1937.  An extensive DI-NOC history appears on curbsideclassic.com ( I have not gone there yet)