Classic boat hauler...

[slo-mo]

...with doors that close!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nImEmCykYu4&feature=related"]YouTube - 59 Chevvy - now with doors that close![/ame]

[Tim McCrain]

My first car was a '59 Nomad wagon, bronze and white. It was in excellent condiition and worth every penney of the $75.00 I gave for it.

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Classic Tow Vehicles

We grew up with a '49 Chev woody wagon in the family, which my Dad used to tow boats all over creation, and later (in the 1970s and 80s) I enjoyed driving a '51 Chev tin woody wagon. I missed that car so much that I bought a similar '51 Pontiac tin woody a few months ago, and have been slowly getting it ready for boat-towing duty.

The Pontiac had been owned for years by the proprietor of a Pontiac dealership in Tacoma. He had plans to display the fully-restored wagon in his showroom, and over a several-year period he had one of his oldest mechanics (who'd worked on '51s when they were new) spending spare time doing a complete mechanical restoration of the car. Just when the car was mechanically sound and ready for body and paint work, Pontiac was killed as a GM brand, the recession hit hard, and the dealership went upside down. The old '51 wagon was by then in the hands of the bodyshop that was going to do the work, and that's where I found it last summer--owned at that point by the bodyshop's manager.

After buying the car, we turned it over to a semi-retired bodyman who dealt with some rust-repair issues (rear fender wells), removed a few small dents in the front fenders, and painted the sides to match the original hood and top. The Pontiac has a whisper-quiet 268-c.i. straight 8 flathead, smooth Hydramatic transmission and amazingly intact interior. The front seat is currently being partially reupholstered (usual tears in the seat bottom), and we're hoping to have the old girl on the road in time for the New Year's Lunch at Ivar's.

The real bonus with the Pontiac, vs. my old '51 Chev wagon, is that the Pontiac's flathead 8 is loaded with torque--far more than the 216 c.i. OHV 6 in the Chev. The tin woody should easily tow boats up to about 18 feet in our lowland Puget Sound area, but I probably won't attempt mountain passes with the heavy old wagon.

Next project with the Pontiac will be retouch/repainting of the faux woodgrain exterior trim. I'll go with the faux approach on the ash/oak trim, but will probably inlay genuine ribbon-grain mahogany veneer in the darker inset panels.

(And, yes, this tow vehicle's a keeper. I've spent years regretting sale of my old '51 Chev wagon, and I won't make the same mistake with the Pontiac--at least not in the near future.)

- Marty

[Tim McCrain]

Wow ...

Now that's a tow vehicle!

:GoodJob:

[westerner]

What a great tow vehicle that will be Marty. Beautiful lines, don't see many of those around. Makes me really miss my 50 Ford Club Coupe.

[Steve_Kiesel]

Sweet!! Now all you have to do is find an old boat to tow with it.

[slo-mo]

like a fine wine...

Beautiful ride Marty. It is great to hear all of the memories of the first car, one sold with regret, and the dream that got away.

Born in '66-the cars were different but the regrets the same. Between the '61 VW Camper Bus purchased for the princely sum of $15, and a 1960 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 with 31K that served as my first and last demo-derby car...Damn, if only we could get that time machine running!

Keep 'em coming
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-_8WGkJmFM"]YouTube - Pontioac.The development of the Pontiac 1951.4[/ame]

[Mark_Denis]

Sweet ride Marty! :cool1:

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

51 Pontiac Woody

WOW! That is sweet. Some guys have all the luck.....

Great find!

[Skagitguy]

Well ,Here's my 1941,1947 and my 1951 chevy's in 1957-60. Just like boats two to many. Had to keep two of them at the gas station i worked at. See the sign, Carter oil company became ENCO and then became EXXON Yep, those were the days. Chuck

[westerner]

Nice cars Chuck! Especially the '51 Chevy. I learned to drive with my Uncles '41 Dodge fluid drive. Here's a photo of a '50 Ford coupe that is identical to the one I had through my high school years. Great car but had a weak transmission until I put Lincoln Zephyr gears in it.

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Classic Tow Vehicles

Chuck -

Hey, is that the gas station on Gilman Avenue West, in the northern Magnolia area?

Kent -

I've always loved those 'shoebox' Fords of the '49-'51 period. Would be great to have that one today!

The other old straight-8 Pontiac I wish I had back was a '41 business coupe that was my daily driver during the 1973-76 period, just before I bought the '51 Chev tin woody. The '41 Pontiac was a sweetie, and the old flathead 8 was so quiet that you sometimes would get to a stoplight and think it had died.

- Marty

[Skagitguy]

Marty, Yes that was the one just outside Fort Lawton gate. And i use to go to Zesto at lunch time from Queen Anne High.Hell you never know, i could have been sitting there eating burgers and smoking cigs when you were there on maybe a friday or sat night ! Oh yea....One VERY nice "51" Pontiac for sure !!!!!!


Kent, My sister had one of those coupes. She wanted $75.00 bucks when she got ready to sale it and i could not afford it as i only made seventy five cents a hour ( under the table as i could not afford to be paying taxes ) at the gas station. All together i had 4 1947 besides the 41 and 51 chev's From 1957 - 1960 and then i started getting new one's. You would think that i would have learned my lesson on having to many cars and later on to many boats as well.......NO..NOT ME !


Best,Chuck

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Tow Vehicles

Chuck -

As you know, Kent and I are old Zesto's veterans, since we both graduated from Ballard High (just across the street from Zesto's) in '61.

At that time, I was towing boats around with the family's '49 Chev woody wagon, so I haven't come too far in the past 50 years. Still messing around with old boats, still driving old cars, and still going to Zesto's whenever I'm in the Ballard area...although the drive-in isn't quite the same these days.

- Marty

[Lootas1]

Bet I'm the only one in the club who towed his boat with a 1961 Corvair 4-door with an automatic. That was maybe 25 years ago. Had the car all beautifully repainted and reupholstered and pulled my 17 foot fiberglass daysailer with it. One day, it slipped going up a boat ramp and slid backward into the water. Water wasn't more than 3 feet deep but the running motor went under and it and tranny got a good shot of saltwater. I had it pulled out and home and drained engine and tranny and took a hose with fresh water to everything in site. Got it running pretty good but eventually the saltwater got to messing with wiring. Lights were shorting out and, if I recall right, when I turned on the radio, the windshield wipers would also come on. Had about $2,500 in it and sold it to a guy for $200 who thought he could do a complete restoration. Never heard from it again.