VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Wood Kits and Pieces for our cars.

I'm curious how many out there would be interested in purchasing wood kits or pieces for their cars if new, high quality kits and pieces were readily available for purchase. It's a probing question to see how many people actually would need wood for their cars.

In the future I might want to do my Canadian 1934 Master Sedan Delivery. David Entler hold all the patterns for this car & I've purchased everything for the sills, floors, & front hinge posts from him so far. His eye sight is failing him....Joe

I will be looking for a complete kit for my '31 5 window coupe in the future. Most of the wood is totally gone (top), well worn, broken or rotten. How soon? Two other projects first.

The need for good quality wood pieces will be there for many years to come. The problem is that there are a multitude of years and body styles. Which ones do you make?

Talking to the current wood part suppliers should give the most accurate information on current demand and projections for the future.

As an example: When I started rebuilding carburetors some 15+ years ago, the current wisdom was that very few people were working on 4-cylinder Chevrolets. Well that proved to not be the case. Though I have not taken the effort to count all the 4-cylinder carburetors I have rebuilt, I am sure it is over 300 with only a couple for a second time (they were sent by new owners). I have surely rebuilt over 300 1930-31 RJH-08 carbs as well. Just received a Zenith O-4 from a '23 (not the original carburetor) to rebuild. Is is number 850!

So my advise is check with the experts (already doing it). With their age, health and backlog I expect they will be willing to give you accurate information.

Well guys i am wore out reading all about wood suppliers and wood for our cars so i am turning the other cheek.We own a 1932 deluxe roadster that has sat outside for many many years.and i am 74 yeas young and about to start My thoughts on this are.I think i have enough wood and wood parts that i can fix and glue in parts and pieces so that i can come up with a relative piece so close to the exact piece and purchase a copier and copy the old piece so i can make a new piece.I have no problem finding wood.the biggest problem i am having at this time is finding measurments so i think the answer to this is to get all my pieces together and mock up the car body and take measurments and go from there.I can not think of any other way.Just wishing there was someone out here in cyber space that rebuilt a 32 roadster and used wood instead of tossing it all out and making a steel structure like a hot rod vette59jdwl

I came close to seriously thinking about purchasing one of the reputable wood suppliers who is currently in business. He gave me a price and it included all his patterns and inventory. I was told that he had "X" many orders on the books and that business was very good but he was looking to retire. So, as anyone who is half smart about buying any business, I asked to see the books for the last few years and I was refused because I was told it wasn't a good reflection because the work was only done part time. The business is in two divisions, cars and trucks so I offered to purchase only the car related patterns and inventory as I was told he had a buyer for the truck end who couldn't swing the whole business, and said I was serious but needed to see the books. The owner has no contacted me since that last correspondence! Not sure how he can figure anyone would purchase a business that they can't see how much money is made or lost. So it appears to be the end of it.

Vette59: on your roadster, I don't know of anyone making wood for a roadster as I think they were not made by Fisher if I remember what I've read here on these forums before. So I assume things like main sills and most wood would be different even though the body mount locations are the same. It's funny when we look for help how some will help, and others will just not answer even though they could help. My suggestion would be to try and locate another 32 roadster and bring along a measuring tape and camera. I do that all the time and will be doing it next week to take pictures of a 31 cabriolet.

If the wood would be the same as a '31 Roadster I could help. I reproduced the wood in one '31 Roadster and have another with a wood kit made by another VCCA member 30+ years ago. It will require a little adjustment to fit well. Don't know if the patterns for a '32 Roadster exist or not. The premier restorer and wood provider passed away earlier this year. I know he had others making wood pieces the past several years. One of them as also passed on but still think there is at least one that survives.

To many models to cover. Exactly why I am not considering kits. I am working on re-wooding actual bodies as that is the best way to ensure fit which is another concern with a kit. I can help people to determine dimensions and shapes and even make pieces but at a price. This is what I work at now and can't honestly do it for free. Wish I could but not really feasible and if I have do get some "free" time (very rare) I will spend it on my own cars. This is not counting renovations my wife wants done. The good thing for me is by not focusing on kits I get to work on a variety of cars like the 1928 Durant I am presently doing, a 1924 Star touring coming in April and also pending is a 1930 Nash 8 cyl sedan body. Every one adds to my knowledge and hones the skill that much more. Making kits is too much like factory work for me.
Regards to all.

Probably you would be looking at $700-900 for the pieces for the back of this car. Additional cost may be travel to your location to measure and verify chassis and panel widths, lengths and shapes if the parts could not be sent to me.

CHIPPER...........and who would that survivor be and how does one get in touch with him ????

Secondly on the subject......if the wood in a 32 roadster is anything like the wood in my 34-35 standard roadster. You better have excellent patterns to copy because the wood is a lot more complicated than you think !!!!!!!!!!!

mike lynch

I don't know the name of the person that is doing wood for roadsters. He is so busy that he hasn't yet filled my last order. I coordinate through another person that is also too busy to complete my order. I respect their wishes to not have their names spread.

The wood in my '31 Roadster is fairly complicated and requires a reasonable amount of expertise and several pieces of wood working equipment. It is far easier with excellent patterns however they are rare to non-existent. Therefore, it is more often necessary to use the sheet metal to guide forming the wood pieces. Not recommended for the amateur.

I just started a Go Fund Me campaign for "Automotive Wood Bodies". I am wondering if there is support and help out there to get a service fully up and running that can provide auto woodworking as well as train future craftspeople to be available to provide restoration and preservation services into the future.
Maybe just a dream but maybe with the right help it could happen.