Classic car owners will occasionally perform work on a vehicle with the best intentions. Often, the result will leave a subsequent owner with significant effort and expense to return the vehicle to its former glory. For this 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Woody, the opposite was true. The previous owner performed an action that would seem like a bad move on the face of it. However, it allowed the Wagon to remain remarkably well preserved. The seller returned the Woody to its former glory and feels that the time is right for it to find a new home. Located in Whitefish, Montana, this Ford is listed for sale here on Craigslist. The seller has set an asking price of $69,000, and I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this gem for us.
The seller located this Woody hidden in a Montana barn twenty-two years ago. It had occupied that spot for more than two decades, and the first impression it made would not have been positive. The vehicle had served as guest transport on a Dude Ranch, but it had fallen on hard times. The varnish had peeled away from its timber, so the previous owner applied an unflattering coat of olive drab paint. However, this proved to be a long-term wise move. When the seller stripped away the awful paint, they revealed original timber that had avoided much of the rot common in Woody Wagons. Some pieces had succumbed to the passage of time, so they replaced those items and stained them to match the original wood. The panels are as straight as an arrow, wearing Lockhaven Green with Vermillion Red wheel rims. The overall impression is positive, with the paint shining beautifully and the timber retaining loads of character. The trim shines as impressively as the paint, and trim rings have added a further splash of class to the exterior. The addition of splashes of Red in the stainless trim ties the paint and wheel colors together nicely. Optional extras include a grille guard, fog lights, a pair of exterior mirrors, and a chrome luggage rack.
Buyers in 1946 could order their new Woody equipped with a six-cylinder motor, but this classic’s original owner selected the 239ci flathead V8. Producing 100hp, the ponies find their way to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. While it will never be mistaken for a muscle wagon, a ¼-mile ET of 21.9 seconds was still very acceptable in 1946. After more than two decades in hibernation, the vehicle required some work before returning to its rightful place on our roads. The seller achieved this, stating that the Woody runs and drives exceptionally well. They have undertaken many extended journeys in this classic, including venturing as far as Idaho. They described the journeys as a cool experience. With warm weather just around the corner, this Woody holds the promise of some relaxed weekend touring for its new owner.
If this Woody’s exterior presents beautifully, its interior serves up more of the same. The seats wear LeBaron Bonney Dark Brown upholstery that is in as-new condition. Larger families don’t miss out with this Wagon because it features the versatility of third-row seating. The carpet looks excellent, while the timber that is this interior’s defining characteristic looks as good as it would have the day the Wagon rolled off the line. The dash shows no evidence of flaws or issues, and while the factory AM radio only functions intermittently, addressing the problem will provide the buyer with one task to tackle.
The level of preservation of this 1946 Ford Woody Wagon is remarkable, and its next owner could be rightfully proud of its overall condition. It is a guaranteed head-turner. It is not a cheap classic, but its price would seem justified for a vehicle that retains so much of its original timber and character. Have you ever owned a Woody? If so, was the experience enjoyable enough for you to consider pursuing this one further?
I’m not even going to complain about this price tag for this, though even with a 50% reduction it would still be beyond mile pile right now.
Nope. Just going to say I want it, and if I could, I’d write the seller a check for what he’s asking — or a pretty close approximation — today.
Not to whine — okay, I’m whining — but as a paid-up member of this here website, I’d really (REALLY!) love to see the comments system tweaked so’s we “early access” types can edit our comments, and thus avoid being seen by everyone else as sloppy typists, dimbulbs, or both.
RayT ……😂😂😂
Autocorrect, I’m tired of your shirt.
I proofread everything before posting but still (very seldomly) miss a typo here and there. We all know what you meant. I, for one agree that we should be allowed to correct our comment while it’s still fresh, say within 10 minutes or so. The two other platforms I’m on, YouTube and Facebook, I can edit any time after posting. One more thought, get off your phone and get back to your PC as phones are notorious for making their users appear uh, slow or downright stupid. My Verizon smart phone is simply a phone with a camera and that’s all I use it for. Oftentimes, at the end of the day it’ll dawn on me that I forgot my phone in the house. Ah, freedom!
I’m write with yew they’re.
Just jaw dropping! Nicely presented and a definite worthwhile opportunity.
You’ve jostled something deep inside the memory bank that I can’t remember, but it had something to do with unintentionally saving a car.
Could it have been slathering it with kerosene?
I remember reading somewhere, an anecdote about some guy’s father or grandfather who used to coat the underside of his car with used motor oil every fall and/or winter to stave off rust.
Wow… What a beautiful ride to have. I was looking the pictures and thinking how time has changed and it was simple back then. Good luck to the next owner and enjoy it. 🐻🇺🇸
One of my favorites! You can’t beat a Woodie. They always portray the feeling of a mountain retreat or a camping trip. My Dad could never understand the modern attraction of a Woodie. He said they were cold, drafty, dusty and squeaky. The latter he equated to castrating a cat—the old-fashioned way. And he was a vet. Just the same you could take this car to the other side of the mountains and park it at my place…
That is a man sized roof rack! Cool rig for sure but missing a cedar strip canoe. Best of luck to the next owner.
Once upon a time I had a good friend who could have built a great canoe for this. Unfortunately, he has been gone to many years now.
It’s absolutely splashy. A splash here a splash there, makes for a beautiful old wooden wagon. I have a sad memory of these cars, but I won’t relate it here. I did that once and got some bad feedback. These make great cars for conversation and show, but for me I agree they’re too squeaky, drafty, noisy and all the other non appreciative objections known to exist with wooden cars. Yet I find myself attracted to this car for nostalgic reasons.
God Bless America
P.S. you can edit if you do it before posting.
You can edit it for the following five minutes AFTER posting as well. I know because I often post a comment, then re read it and discover either a foul up or find half a word or sentence missing.
I have owned a Woody and it is an experience ,second to none. All, I drive is old cars ,pre-1955. It is fun ,but when you drive a Woody, everybody likes you and its always fun. I think this 46 is exceptional and I build and like modified cars, but this one has a very high COOL factor just the way it is. The only negative I have and I could certainly be wrong, I think for today’s market it is over priced. However, we all know it just takes one seller and one buyer.
Happiness is: a sunny Saturday morning, and you’re driving the wagon, bouncing and squeaking your way up the dusty trail through the forest, headed up to the lake for a fishing weekend, Bing Crosby on the radio . . .
Even the door panels are wood! Is that stock? There’s an interesting older square woodie in the background of one pic. An International?
Nicely done for sure but for the coin one would think the door handles would be straightened up, yes?
Adam, you put 1/4 times in almost all car articles you write, I guess that’s just your thing and I’ve more or less learned to live with it. My question is this…Where do you get those figures from though? I cannot imagine anyone ever took a stock 46 Ford Woodie wagon down the drag strip so I am curious where you get the figures you use on cars like this.
Whoever buys this should order a set of the correct molded radiator hoses. Those “Fitz-all” ribbed hoses are not designed to be used in a large curve when the upper end is at a copper radiator flange. The soldered joint can’t take the strain as the upper hose tries to straighten back out, and it WILL eventually break the joint. I’ve seen this happen on several older copper radiators on Ford and Cadillac flathead engines.