Colin's V8 Ford.

This 1936 Ford V8 model 68-790 wooden-bodied station wagon

has been lovingly restored by Woodie Car Club chairman,

Colin Peck, over a three year period and returned to the road

during 2010.  This original RHD car sold new for £245 and was

 dubbed the ‘Ford Utility Car’ although the 1936 advertising

 blurb described the car more creatively as the ‘Sportsman’s

Pullman’.

It was first restored in the early 1970s and then spent a number

of years in the ownership of a Ford Motor Co executive in Paris.

It returned to the UK in the late 1980s but only clocked up

approx 300 miles in the last 30 years.

Whilst the car was structurally sound when acquired by Colin,

the mechanicals left much to be desired. “If there were two of

something then one

was bodged, broken or missing”, comments Colin. The engine

had a military distributor and a combination of burnt valves,

and an exhaust manifold on one bank of the flathead V8 3.6 litre

motor that had a hole big enough to get a 50p piece inside,

which caused a chronic misfire. This, combined with a clutch

and brakes down to the rivets, cracked tyres, flaking paintwork

and chrome and an exhaust system made from Swiss cheese,

 meant that Colin had the car stripped to a shell within a couple

of weeks of ownership.

“Early Ford V8 owners must be the most enthusiastic and

knowledgeable people you’ll find anywhere, and they have

steered me through most of the problems I encountered during

the car’s restoration,” continues Colin. “The fact that most parts

 for Early Ford V8’s are also being reproduced in the US also

helped a great deal, along with helpful advice I got from

members of the dedicated old Ford website www.fordbarn.com.”

He had to completely rebuild the back end of the car, as a

previous owner had cut the bottom nine inches off the bottom

tailgate to accommodate a huge towbar, and whilst he was at

it Colin also replaced the fold-up plastic side and rear windows

with sliding glass. “I’ve got a number of subtle upgrades

planned for the car as I want it to be a great driving long

distance cruiser. So over this winter I’m rebuilding the rear axle

 with a slightly higher ratio crownwheel and pinion to improve

cruising speed and lower petrol consumption, and I’m also going

to have a custom dual exhaust system built to improve gas flow

and give it a nice exhaust note. I may also be shodding a spare

set of wheels with radials to improve handling.”

Whilst wooden-bodied shooting brakes, utilities, estate cars and

 station wagons, collectively known as Woodies, were to be seen

 on every street during the 1930s, 40s and 50s the ravages of

cold damp UK winters and woodworm have taken their toll on

 most since that time, and whilst the UK population of woodies

is estimated to be around 250 vehicles, only two 1936 Ford V8

 woodies are currently known to survive in the UK.