As automobile-obsessed Americans, we deal with fender benders regularly, mostly involving late-model vehicles. However, sometimes disaster strikes the collectible and classic cars that we love. What happens to those vehicles when the damage is not easy to repair at the average body shop? We have seen numerous cars featured on Barn Finds that have been sent off to Copart and other damaged vehicle auctions when the insurance company simply wrote a check and the owner moved on. For this 1933 Ford woody wagon, we do not know how it ended up with the seller after it was totaled by the insurance appraiser. What we do know is that it will need a lot of work to bring it back to its pre-accident glory. Would you be interested in taking on this project?
The story on this Ford is that it was being hauled by an uninsured truck, perhaps one of those low-cost car haulers we see advertised from time to time. While being towed, the transporter ran a red light and plowed into a semi. The next part is a bit fuzzy. From what the seller wrote, it seems that this car broke free from the trailer and was hit by the car being hauled behind it. That impact caused this poor Ford to tip over on its side.
Assessing the damage, the seller tells us that the frame is bent on the right front side. The front end is also heavily damaged, as is some of the wood due to the tip-over. There is also damage on the passenger rear, which we assume to be where the car behind it struck. In one of the pictures, we see a ripped nylon safety strap. Working on the theory that the car was strapped up at all four corners, straps of this size in good condition should have held the car in place. Either the impact force was incredible, which is not likely due to the limited damage to the rear of the car, or the car only had a few straps securing it. There is also the possibility that the straps had decayed over time.
The sad part is that the car was in great shape prior to the accident. In the ad, the seller has placed a video link showing the car’s condition before the unfortunate incident. The good news is that the pictures reveal nothing that cannot be repaired. The front end, frame, and chassis are the same on every car Ford produced in 1933, and nearly all of those parts were used on the 1934 Ford automobile as well. This is a subtle way of saying that parts for 1933 Fords are out there. While not plentiful, you can get a complete front end if you look in the right places. One of those places would be in the V-8 Times magazine published by The Early Ford V-8 Club of America. Perhaps the new owner could put out an ad in the magazine’s wanted section.
Straightening the frame and repairing the minimal damage to the wood should also be straightforward. Body-on-frame automobiles used to be the norm before unibody construction came about. While the restoration of this Ford will cost some serious money if farmed out, the overall cost of repairs added to the winning bid will potentially be far less than purchasing another 1933 Ford wagon. Hopefully, it is brought back to life and not parted out. It would be a shame for the car to survive this long only to be taken out by an irresponsible individual.
If you have always been a fan of wood-bodied American classics, but your budget is a little too light for a pristine example and you are good with repairs, then this 1933 Ford woody wagon for sale on eBay in Lake Village, Indiana may be your golden opportunity. With just one day left in the auction, this poor Ford has received no interest with the starting bid set at $5,000.
gone. sold
I looked and it said, not sold, 0 bids, reserve not met. I would have thought that someone would’ve taken this project on.
I think there’s a stern lesson to be learned here at the unfortunate owners expense, you get what you pay for in vehicle transport these days.
If the car had been strapped down with 2″ straps they wouldn’t have broken unless they were as old as the car. Have seen lots of race cars show up at the track with 1″ motorcycle straps that probably would have snapped in even a minor crash.
The eBay ad says that it had a clean title. How is that possible?
No insurance means that car was not officially totaled, therefore the title was retained.
Ted – eBay’s No Longer Available is usually shorthand for “Someone made me an offer I couldn’t refuse…”
It appears that it has sold for $5,000 dollars. I think that is about what it is worth and I am very familiar with model 40 Fords ,having owned one for 60 years. The buyer of this car needs to be very aware of the market now. Not that many years ago a 33/34 woody was very desirable, with prices approaching 6 figures! That is not the case anymore. I think this car is very
save-able for the right person. It is a big jig saw puzzle. I would take it all apart and start my search ,with a ll my friends who are model 40 fans ,collectors and builders. Some parts will be fairly easy and others not so much, hood and grill shell will take you a step back. Anyway, I think it can be done and would be a fun project. However, at 81 years old I have probably had my share of fun.
Joe Haska: It must have sold for more than 7600 offline because this was the last bid that was cancelled. Early ad cancellation-Offline e-bay sales are usually more than the posted amount unless someone wants to lose money to get rid of immediately.
I missed the “no insurance.” Wow.
The article states that the carrier had no insurance. It also states that the owner got the car back after the insurance adjuster did his part so, it appears the car itself was insured. In the past, I know that the owner has the option to buy the car back after insurance has settled. Maybe this is how the owner got it back?
So then the CAR was insuired, and was totalled by the insurance company! When my Volvo 123GT was totalled in an accident and I bouight the remains back, it came with a Salvage title, NOT a clean title..
I must be missing solmething…
I have an original paint ‘63 VW Beetle that got crunched several years ago. My brother was driving it and another car pulled out in front of him but stopped instead of speeding up to get out of his way. On top of no one getting hurt we also got very lucky in that the damage was limited to the right front fender and spare tire well and we found a guy who was able to fix the car without disturbing the original paint!