I was on Facebook, in the group "Vintage Station Wagons" and one of the members had pictures posted of a Country Squire he is restoring in his shop. He was installing new wood grain. One of the other members asked about the supplier of the material because it looks go very good. He manufactures it himself. His web site is: Woodgrain4wagons.com I know nothing at all about him, his shop, or his product, but with all the discussions on here about how difficult it is to find good wood grain, I thought it may bear checking out for anyone wanting to bring theirs back to rights.
Hi Mike, I have samples from him and the product looks decent from a distance, but is somewhat blurry upon closer examination. The background medium brown tone under the black grain pattern lines is appealing, and some of the blurriness of the grain pattern is disguised by the high-gloss finish of the vinyl. Overall, I think more realistic looking woodgrain vinyl can be found at stripeman.com (different colors and patterns to choose from, I have samples of these also, finish is also glossy). Neither woodgrain4wagons nor stripeman is inexpensive though. A lower cost but good alternative is JC Whitney vinyl woodgrain. Vetteman Brandon put this on his Grand Safari and it looks very good, with more of a matte finish, dark brown tones, and wide grain pattern.
Hey MikeT, I think that was me that asked him about his woodgrain. I found his postcard in my glovebox. I wasn't sure if my woodgrain was done by him or if a previous owner just had that in there for future reference. My woodgrain is pretty good condition other than the fading. My tan trim is white now and the brown looks greenish. The tailgate had almost a gray look to it so I used Old English for dark woods on it and it did darken it a bit. I'm sure it won't last long but it was a good quick fix. If there was only something for the tan trim pieces, just to tide me over until I redo it.
TripleJ, love your Colony Preserving the old wood is a bugger, isn't it? 90Merc who posted above you started a great thread some where about preserving the wood, anyway... He and myself have been using leather conditioner on the wood and it does a great job IMO. I have one wagon that when I got it, the wood on the tailgate was dry/brittle to begin with and the conditioner saved it, I know had I not used it the wood would have flaked away with in the first year (That was 4 years ago) However the damage was done. I needed to seal it and you mentioning your wood trim made me remember what I did to my wood a year ago. It's not a fix, but it stopped the pealing/deterioration dead in it's tracks. Maybe this could help yours, but test a small area first, you don't want to risk a chemical reaction that could make things worse. http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26064
Thanks Tedy. I actually was just reading that today. Mine is not flaking or peeling, knock on wood(grain)! Just the color has faded. The conditioners I've seen you guys post will probably help that from fading more & peeling but the trim is pretty white now. You can still see some woodgrain design but I imagine that will be gone too someday. I read somewhere that it's about a 6 yr warranty on the replacements (if you're lucky). It must have been redone before the guy I bought it from because he has pictures of the trim in the tan color. Just good to know if I ever redo it. I need to keep it out the sun as much as possible and UV protect the crap out of it.
I also ordered samples from Woodgrain4wagons.com last year for my 72 Plymouth Suburban. The look and feel of the product was Ok but not that much superior to other cheaper alternatives like JCWhitney. Decided to go with JCWhitney and i am satisfied. Depending on sunlight, woodgrain does look a little bit to pale for my taste when compared to original. Do not underestimate the installation process and if possible subcontract the install to a reliable, matured and experienced "car warp" specialist in you area. Before After
I bought a roll of wood grain from JC whitney for my colony park, a few years ago. Had to replace a section on rear quarter. Think it was like $200 for a 20 foot roll.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/spartan-wood-grain-customizing-kit/p2006573.jcwx?filterid=d1592y1980g2u0j1 Here is what I bought. Its actually cheaper than I thought.
That's what I thought too. Plus, it is pretty durable/sticky stuff and responds to the heat gun well.
$200?!? I have a pair of Rubbermaid vinyl shelf roll I bought at a car parts swap meet for my '74 Ranchero (till it was rear-ended), then when I got the Colony Park, I had planned to paint it and use this wrap on it, but I never got around to doing it due to lack of funds (then the engine blew). So it has sat in my boxes of stuff since then, and I almost sold it to another member on here the other day, but I bought both rolls for $14, and the original price tags said $6.97!!! I just can't believe it...$200!
That shelf wood is not UV rated and will fade out faster than you would believe on the side of a car. It has been discussed several years back on the forum as one member (can't remember who) tried it on one door and it did not last long at all, a month I believe. Your time and effort to save a buck and use shelf roll on your car will cost you more in the long run. There is a reason it's cheap, it's made for inside your house use (shelves/kitchen cupboards), not the side of a car that is out in all kinds of weather.
That looks pretty good MikeMerkury. I thought I read some negative comments on the JC Whitney stuff. I wouldn't mind paying if it meant a good quality product that had a nice grain & would last several years. My next question was going to be installation. I'm a DYI'er but something this important does sound like it should be left to a pro. I can just imagine if I did it myself, I would end up with cat hairs under it just like the scotchtape when I wrap presents!!!
OK, since you have told me that, I will not offer it for sale on here. I can see charging more for UV-resistant vinyl, but $200? IMHO, that's ridiculous.
