I have a 73 ltd with bad woody panels . I have considered not doing woodgrain at all and painting a color to create a two tone effect maybe a lace job on that ???? Would appreciate any pics advice etc . Thanks
Before you jump in and do anything check out some of the other threads and ideas here. Everything from modern vinyl wrap to contrasting paint and fake woodgrain has been tried. Show us your wagon and I'm sure you will get some positive feedback.
Other than being faded out the wagon looks straight. Depends on what the main color will be but I think a contrasting color in place of the wood grain would look nice. Some members have ways to come up with photo changing pictures to get ideas. A few members have had vinyl wraps done and they make amazing changes. Even rattle can or roller paint jobs can look decent at a low cost.
Yes it is pretty solid. No rust except surface on the hood and top. Someone stripped both and either did not repaint or did it badly . I'm going for a ratrod /surfer thing but not this ratty.
For the "surfer" look, I would keep it a "woody". The faded wood paneling looks good as it is if you are going for the rat rod look. Since the body sides are relatively flat with no bulges or fender flares, attaching new di-noc wood paneling would be relatively easy. If you don't like the color or wood grain of the original, you could go with a lighter or darker wood grain. Whether going for a nice shiny paint job or a flat rat rod look, I would spring for a new paint job to protect the body (especially the hood and roof). If you don't want to go with the wood grain on the sides (whether a di-noc decal or airbrushed), there are plenty of other options. You could do a contrasting color or a slightly darker or lighter shade of the same color as the rest of the car. You could do the lace type paint treatment or any other pattern as well. If you do paint rather than woodgrain di-noc, you could still even paint (or tape stripe) horizontal parallel black lines (about 3" apart) on that section to give the impression of paneling even if it isn't wood grain. A mural of a beach scene would work as well. Maybe airbrushed wood paneling towards the rear with airbrushed flames consuming the wood towards the front. Maybe even a custom paint job where the wood used to be showing a cutaway view of the inside of the car such as a side view of the engine in front, surfboards stowed in the way back, and the bodies of bikini clad women in each seat in the car (though that would look like you were the one in the bikini while you were driving). The possibilities are endless.
Jim I had all of those ideas for my 48 Chevy panel truck but decided just plain red. It's still in primer. One idea was to make phoney side windows like a suburban with Elvis, Marilyn, etc sitting inside. Or a bikini beach scene. The ideas are endless. Sadly the time and money aren't. That's what separated me from the greats.
Thanks for all the ideas . I guess what I have is a giant blank canvas in need of a creative spark . I pick it up this AM . Let the games begin
Grab a chair, sit and stare at the wagon, walk around it, and the light bulb in your head will shine on your canvas. Also check out all the other finished wagons in ads and magazines. You can always alter your design to be different.
You could try to "bring out" the existing vinyl woodgrain, depending on how cracked, faded, and peeling it is. Some folks have used Pledge to shine it up and bring out the color. I've also heard of using "Back to Black". Check out other threads for more ideas on that. Some folks have also used stain ( for staining real wood) to brighten things up. The previous owner of my '77 LTD Squire II Wagon had done that. I thought it looked pretty decent, and have thought about doing that on my current '76 Montego Villager. Unfortunately, I don't have a before pic, but here's the after.
I remember old houses with aluminum siding turning chaulky. It would wipe right off. This side wood almost looks chaulky. I'd guess like fordmuscle and others mentioned a good cleaning may help. Then as long as the wood is not all cracked out a stain or clear coat possibly may also bring out the shine. You have nothing but a few dollars and time to loose.
Yippy! The hood almost looks like it was bare metal that was left outside. Maybe a good sanding and a rust inhibitor or Rustolium will help.