Real Wood Framing!

Hehehe! Making a real woody just got easier!

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/0802rc_wood_framing_kit/index.html

Good in-depth article on the whole process, with pics. Nice.

 

Check out these Woodies.

http://www.oldwoodies.com/gallery-phantoms.htm

 

I see a future Cougar Woodie in there.

They're nice machines. Artwork, plain and not so simple. Thanks.

 

http://www.zapnat.com/2008/02/22/a-supercar-faster-than-a-porsche-or-lamborghini-but-made-of-wood/

How about something a little more modern?

 

The guys commenting make some really valid points. Driving a solid wooden car at 240 MPH is a good way to get skewered!

 

ya know i was gonna post this earlier but i got a couple of magazines i dont remember right off hand which one had a good article on a early 50,s 52 or 53 ford they were doin the wood on and had some good pics on fitting the real wood trim and i was thinking that would kinda neat on a later model wagon if i remember right i think wood-n-car was the outfit doin the work,,,,i,ll try to post the details on the article after i find it

 

Lookin' forward to it!

I came up with a couple of ideas for a more practical setup for the rear cargo door(s) setup.

Starting at the roof line, instead of the typical Wagon rear deflector, which just keeps the rear window free of exhaust gasses coming back in (if its open), I'd actually form a real 'spoiler' in the sliding roof panel from solid wood to swoop the air UP. The top half of the tailgate would swing up and slide under the sliding roof and be removable if the sliding roof was opened (slid to the front like the Stude wagons), and the bottom half of the tailgate would be 2 small doors that slid into the rear quarters. All wooden doors and sliding roof panels with steel structures inside (hinges, hardware, security, etc.)

What that does is let me use a pickup truck cargo net hooked to concealed bars in the rear quarters to haul stuff longer than an 8 foot sheet of plywood or drywall. And not knock my shins on a drop down tailgate. With the smaller bottom doors hiding away, I don't have a huge door-weight hinge issue or wiring to deal with (put the backup lights in the bumper, with the license plate), and my rear window stays clean(er). So far, that's it on the rear end of it.

I'd like to mount two spares (one on each side) with running boards. Just makes more sense than under the cargo floor. And use that space for tools, hydraulic jacks and stands, etc. Fuel tank(s) in front of the rear axle or in the rear side quarters.

Still working on ideas for the frontend, but swing-out fenders to get to engine bay have a definite appeal (like the old Mack trucks.) Still thinking about that. :confused:

 

My Real Woody First Draft Drawing

I built a sketching program with a few features from MS Paint and MS Photo Editor so I could draw adjustable Bezier curves.

This just shows a side view and a frame view. The fender-mounted wheels won't show - the fenders would be hinged and locked from the inside. The rear roof line swoops up to act as a built-in rear air deflector, to create a vacuum at the rear window. The rear corners would be treated like old Cabriolet corners on the outside, and rear speaker mounting areas on the inside.



The front / grille / nose would be along the 1935 Chrysler Imperial C2 Airflow like this:



I got through this and thought about finding a decent Toronado front-wheel drive engine, or build up a rear-engined machine (AKA Small block chevy with the Corvair transaxle conversion kit).

Comments?

 

Stormin' I have a idea for you instead of making a provision for jacks under the floor why not do like F1 cars they have built in jacks which lowers when you hook a air line to it.You are making plans for a built in air compressor?

I think a Olds Toronado combo which would give it the old Cord style. But a Chevy SBC and transaxle out of a late Corvette would give you great handling capabilities.If you can find a wrecked one where you can get all the electronics out of.

I think the airflow style is a great way to go,but the rear pillar is a little modern looking any way to give it a old Dusie look?

 

I think I'll call it Madera Madre (Wood Mother). Or the Mother of all Wood(ies)!!!

I don't know, really. That Imperial Airflow hood/grille swooping up into the hood with the chrome trim 'pinstripes' on each side of the hood just turns my 'crank'. I like that line. I can see all kinds of ways to make good use of it, from a hood-mounted gauges, air scoop, closable air vent to the interior, etc. (AirWood?)

For now, Madre Madera or Madera Madre.

 

Never liked the tupperware Chevies ('vettes). But the transaxle drivetrain at the back frees up some braking weight from the front (usually 65% at the front, with a regular front-mounted engine. The only problems are controlling the weight with a 400 lb trailer tongue weight on a hitch.

But it would make the exhaust system really easy!

 

Steam Bending Machines - DIY

There's some parts of a Real Woody that need to be bent without stress. If you just glue or fasten a piece without pre-shaping, the humidity from daily driving will eventually separate it, or it will blister (really thin).

So here's two good articles on building your own small steambending chamber. One is a PVC unit, the other is all wooden. Once the chamber is hot enough from steam (from a kettle or 750 watt element) you insert the wood for a specific time (X minutes per inch of thickness), and then shape it to a template you already have prepared.

Here's the article explaining the cellular/fibrous change to the wood's structure:
http://www.primitiveways.com/bending.html

Here's the machine articles:

PVC tubing unit:
http://www.instructables.com/id/PVC-Steambox-to-Steam-Wood/

Wooden unit: (allows larger wood strips)
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-steambox-for-bending-wood/

 

Real wood steam bending

Lee Valley Tools has a great 4-part article on Steam Bending:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?page=43626&category=1,42172&ccurrency=3&sid=

 

Dynaflow79R is my guiding light, so...

As far as I know, he's the only member actively doing a real wood resto on a Wood trimmed wagon, so I'm linking to his intro where I posted a lot of good related links, just to keep things clear in my CRS affected brain:banghead3: :

http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1697