It seems like nearly all the ’40 woodies that survived into the 21st century have been modified into resto-rods with modern drivetrains, tilt wheels, automatic and chrome wheels. This is one of the very few whose history wasn’t lost to the street rod culture. It flew under that cult’s radar for decades and managed to hide until a gentleman named Alan Grant found it in 1986 and decided he wanted to make it brand new again…which he did, and it only took him 27 years!
We have a hard-bound book that is full of photographs detailing the car’s total restoration—even the original 221-inch flathead V8 was rebuilt along with all the rest of the chassis. Great effort resulted in finding a source for the exact same maple wood Ford used in their wagons’ original construction and it was carefully fit and finished by professional woodworkers. Fortunately, there was little rust or wood rot in the body structure and it is now as solid as it was before the second world war.
Woodie Times magazine featured the car on its cover in March 2018, and printed the story of its reconstruction. This car is famous! Correct Ford Cloud Mist Grey accents the beautiful honey-blond coloration of the authentic wood, and all three seats were covered in new Tobacco leather—which was unique to the Deluxe models.
This woodie is a sweetheart to drive, with its smooth, silent engine and slick-shifting column 3-speed. Tight suspension with new kingpins, authentic tires and absolutely no aftermarket stuff perfectly replicates the feel of those bygone years. Best of all, the car hasn’t been allowed to be dormant and acquire ‘sittin’ disease’ like so many once-top-drawer restorations do. It always starts right up and is eager to take your grandkids to Dairy Queen this summer!
