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1939 Ford Deluxe Woody — SOLD

Chassis No.: 91A791338
Miles: 64389

REQUeST A printable PDF document with Photos

In the 50’s and 60’s a woody was THE car to have to pile your buddies in along with your surfboards and head to the beach. Because of the lack of maintenance and exposure to salt air few cars survived. This particular Woody was found stored in a hanger and had not been subjected to the ravages of teenage surfers. With only 60,000 miles of use it is in remarkable condition. All mechanical systems are totally original and recently serviced. All the wood in the car is totally original.

In the early 1970’s by a collector purchased the car from an estate on the east coast. It was stored inside and rarely driven. In the early 80’s the car changed hands again, the new owner had the body repainted, the front seats re-upholstered in original material, a new top installed, and all the wood re-varnished. The car then spent the next 15 years in a hanger and again was rarely driven.

Recently the car was completely serviced and cosmetically refurbished. The bumpers were re-chromed, the wheels powder-coated and new Coker Vintage tires installed. The body was detailed and two fresh coats of varnish were applied to the wood. The engine was serviced including a new coil, rebuilt distributor and carburetor. All fluids in the car were changed. A new old stock heater, heater switch and hoses were installed. A completely new period correct wiring loom was installed along with a new Optmia battery hidden by a period Ford battery cover.

About The Ford Woody
Ford had become the leader in wood-bodied station wagons with 16,000 units being produced annually. Most automakers commissioned outside builders and suppliers like Cantrell or US Body and Forging to build their wagons. Henry Ford’s obsession with efficiency led him to bring the task in-house.

Assembly of complete wagon bodies was moved to a newly created Ford plat at Iron Mountain in the summer of 1939. The initial intent was to produce 75 station wagons per day. Within a short period of time, the number escalated to 100 units per day.

The role of the wood-bodied station wagons began to change during the 1930s. They became popular on the estates of wealthy customers, which helped in gaining distinction. They could often be seen driven by the gardener, chauffeur or tradesman.

By 1939, Ford was offering the wagon as either a Standard or Deluxe model. The Deluxe wagons were given the 221 cubic-inch V8, which had 85 horsepower on tap. This was a necessary unit as the wagons tipped the scale at 3,260 pounds making them the heaviest vehicle available in the Ford catalog.
By the 1950s and 1960s these cars were bought up by teenagers and in particular surfers because of there cheap price and the ease of hauling surf boards.