Technology They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore

[Laskar]

To make a long story short, when Henry Ford perfected his assembly line and sold cars that even the working man could afford, the days of the horse-drawn wagon were numbered. There was a whole industry built around breeding draft animals and extracting useful work out of them, and that industry was going to die because a gas-powered engine is less trouble and far more reliable than a horse.

But not all of the industry was doomed. Some wagonmakers adapted their coachbuilding techniques to manufacturing trucks. These trucks had metal frames and wooden bodies just like wagons. They are called "Woodies", and they were beautiful.

I recently found a thread by an Alabama craftsman who decided to restore a 1950 Power Wagon Woodie. The photos he's taking are beautiful, and really show the kind of skilled carpentry that once went into making these. There's more photos at the link.

Spoiler: The bed and frame

The Dodge Power Wagon was a medium duty truck, about equivalent to a Ford F350 or a Ram 3500. It was a post-war workhorse that Dodge manufactured until the mid-80s, and this Power Wagon is from the original series based on the 3/4 ton WC truck that Dodge manufactured in WWII.

Spoiler: The body takes shape

The original was boxier, but the restorer decided to shape the rear pillars to match the front ones.

Spoiler: The roof and doors take shape

Spoiler: The tailgate, unfinished

Seriously, go to the link and check out the rest of the pictures. This is an amazing piece of work, and I wish I had half of the skill and knowledge of cabinetry that this guy has.

 

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Looks beautiful! Hope to see what it looks like when finished. I wonder if he will paint it (the example photo of a finished one he showed seemed to leave the wood unpainted).

 

[PsihoKekec]

Unpainted wood is the best wood.

 

[Aaron Fox]

The real problem is that 1) people are idiots and likely to injure themselves and others and 2) we've made remarkable advances in safety and we've seen scenarios where if they were using these older cars most of the people in the crash would be dead now only have severe injuries at best (never underestimate the power of crumple zones and the Cage of Life along with seatbelts).

 

[Laskar]

The real problem is that 1) people are idiots and likely to injure themselves and others and 2) we've made remarkable advances in safety and we've seen scenarios where if they were using these older cars most of the people in the crash would be dead now only have severe injuries at best (never underestimate the power of crumple zones and the Cage of Life along with seatbelts).

That be the answer to the question nobody asked.
I'm not lamenting that nobody builds them that way because I'm deluded into thinking that the old cars are somehow safer or more reliable. I know better than that. They were good trucks for their time, but I know how dangerous car crashes used to be.

What I'm doing is, I'm noting the craftsmanship that went into these old cars, and showing an example that's probably going to end up at car shows or an auto museum.

 

[Battlestar]

Is the wood safe? Looks nice.

 

[PsihoKekec]

It doesn't comform to the modern day saftey standards for vehicle materials, but since it is an oldtimer it is grandfathered into regulations.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It's an absolutely beautiful work and I do love how you could customize old style cars with coach building. You can't quite do the same thing now, but the concept lives on in such cars as the Alfa Romeo Disco Volante.

 

[Doomsought]

Is the wood safe? Looks nice.

Wood is strong. We sometimes overlook it because there are materials that are harder or stronger, but until we could make steel cheaply enough to use it in construction wood was the best we had.

 

[Harlock]

Tends to be more for interiors these days, there are quite a few European coachbuilders who will strip out the inside of your car and rebuild it in high quality wood and leather. You can guess how much something like that would cost though.

 

[Laskar]

Not much to write home about. Since the frame and the paneling have finished assembly, it's time for endless hours of sanding and finishing. The results are beautiful, and I can't wait to see the finished product.

Spoiler

As always, there are a few more pictures at the link. Do give it a click.

Remember when I said that they don't build them like this anymore? I mean it. Even if someone set out to create a modern woodie, they would have to start from scratch. Sad to say, but the trucks of today are garish amalgamations of plastic and glass. The designers are curtailed at every stage of the design process by regulations intended to make vehicles as safe and streamlined as possible, and all of the plastic parts have to come from some sweatshop in China or Mexico. The only freedom they have is to make the grill and maybe the headlights as ugly as possible.

So, verily, a modern woodie would be an abomination.

Spoiler

What you're looking at is a '21 International Lonestar that was purchased from the factory and modified by a semi-retired truck dealer. This took about 2,000 hours and the help of a skilled carpenter to assemble, and honestly? It just don't look that good. The paneling looks more like like a horse trailer than a work of art.

Still, it's popular enough that offers to buy started rolling in just hours after it was revealed to the public.

Well, we ordered one from the factory and started the build. Our shop built the body and finish from scratch. I am lucky to have some very talented guys. We also have a very talented carpenter who did all the wood fit and finish. We tried to keep the theme of a 1933-35 woody wagon hot rod with surf boards, like the California surfers did in the 50s and 60s. Of course, you can see we added most of today's modern conveniences to it. We have four cameras front, rear and both sides with separate displays. Also, Collision Mitigation System with object alert, lane departure alert, over speed alert, with front radar and additional camera on the drivers display."

The interior looks pretty good, though.

 

[Captain X]

I can't wait to see that Power Wagon finished. Which, speaking of, I'd love to see Dodge bring back, and not just as a modified Ram or something lame like that.