Woodie station wagons were rare when new and, given the dedicated care it took to preserve them, their attrition rate was high. Many original wood-bodied station wagons have been restored if enough original components remained, but others have used all new wood behind an original cowl section. Still other builders have made Woodie wagons from scratch. That’s the case with this custom 1936 Chevrolet Phantom Woodie street rod. Chevrolet didn’t make a two-door Woodie (although the Chevrolet Suburban was a two-door), so the builder of this street rod fabricated his own. The limited number of “factory” 1936 Chevy woodies were four-door station wagons, so this custom street rod is essentially “one of none,” The engine and suspension components all came from a 1978 Camaro donor car. The 350-cu.in V-8 has been rebuilt and is equipped with Edelbrock components that include an aluminum intake manifold, four-barrel carburetor, and custom valve covers. Cold starts are described as “easy with a fine idle” and no smoke or leaking. The Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 three-speed automatic transmission was rebuilt in 2018 and “shifts very smoothly, without clunks or thumps,” This custom Woodie street rod started out as a 1936 Chevrolet two-door sedan as shown in the construction photos. It was built in 2004. The wood is all white ash. Some minor flaws and cracks were filled, and the entire body was re-varnished a few years ago. The car has been garaged every night since it was built. The seller says there is no rust on the car and that the black paint is in “excellent” condition, with only a few very minor chips (from driving). The wood and coated canvas roof are also rated as “excellent,” per the seller. All the glass is in good condition, without cracks or scratches, and the seals appear quite good with no apparent water leakage. All lighting components function as expected. Black leatherette upholstery was used throughout the interior. There are no rips or tears, and the seat adjustments work well, per the seller. The carpet is said to be “excellent,” with no rips, holes, or worn areas. Matching carpet mats with Velcro protects the main carpet. The headliner is all wood and appears to be a visual highlight of the interior. The gauges are modern retro-style TPI-Tech units that work as expected, according to the seller. An upgraded JVC stereo resides in the glove compartment and plays well through a pair of Pioneer speakers in the kick panels. An original-style steering wheel sits atop a GM tilt steering column. Vents for the modern air conditioning are mounted to the bottom of the dashboard and the A/C controls are in the glovebox. The floor shifter is a Lokar item. The suspension consists of a 1978 Camaro front clip that includes power steering and front disc brakes. The rear brakes are drums mounted on the rear axle from the same 1978 Camaro donor car. The suspension has Air Lift air bags in the rear to help support the extra weight of the wood body. The whitewall radial tires date from 2015 and have approximately 80-percent remaining tread, per the seller, who adds that there is no play in the steering and that all the brakes work fine. The car is described as a “an excellent driver” as it was driven (not trailered) to many California Woodie shows, some as far away as several hundred miles.
