Woodies on the Wharf

How surfers reclaimed a forgotten automobile and made it their own

There’s nothing like a sweet classic car. It’s generally agreed upon in the classic car collecting community that cars over 100 years and older should fall into the antique class, while the coolest classic cars are old enough to have enough historical interest to be collectible and worth the upkeep and preservation, while still looking tricked out and pristine. There’s a range of classic cars: Jaguars, Aston Martins, Ferrari Enzos…the list goes on and on, but there’s nothing cooler than a shiny “woodie”.

Woodies are a kind of car that went out of favor with the general public and was reclaimed and repurposed by broke surfers. This is the story of the vintage, as well as the long-running Vintage Cars by the Pier event in Santa Cruz, California, which draws owners from around the country to show off their beloved rides.

For this profile, we’ll be focusing on the vintage, car body style with rear bodywork constructed of wood framework and infill wood panels. Originally, the 1929 Model A was the first mass-produced vehicle; with a passenger compartment made entirely from wood, its hood, front bumper, and rails were composed of steel. This style caught on, and soon other manufacturers jumped in the fray; including Chrysler, Chevrolet, Plymouth, and Buick. During the 1940’s, the cars began to be called station wagons. Their sizable passenger compartments came in handy while freighting people to and from train stations.

As one might imagine, these wooden materials did not age well. For a piece of machinery hurtling you through space at high speeds, these natural wagon bodies had fatal and predictable problems; like splintering, rot, and moisture damage. By 1950, manufacturers and consumers alike realized that building cars out of wood wasn’t the brightest idea. From thereafter, the wood on most wagons was merely pasted on, in the form of wood-grain decals.

As woodies faded in popularity, one fringe group of society decided to adopt these vehicles as their own—surfers. Surfers have always been looked upon as an unusual tribe with reckless courage yet limited intellect. While the former statement checks out, the latter is the one generally undeserved. These surfers were clever when they claimed vintages as their own.

First off, as all the original vintage rotted away in yards and garages across the country, their owners were eager to sell the trashed vehicles to surfers, who were usually broke. Not only did these surfers get the vehicles for a steal, but they also relished the space the cars provided; enough room to fit as many boards, bros, and babes as possible.

As surfing grew, the association with vintages became woven into the lore of our culture. There they remain as a symbol for the days of surfing overwork, of the thriftiness and eccentric nature of surfers, of good days passed. Nowadays, owners have their sub-division within the surf culture itself. They espouse a sense of nostalgia and good times, and owners across the country keep the spirit alive with the National Woodie Club and their respective chapters.

The National Vehicle Club promotes interest in vintages. According to their website, the club “aims to educate owners and the public on their history, beauty, usefulness, and uniqueness; as well as providing an association through which owners and enthusiasts may exchange information on history, building, restoration or modification techniques and share experiences.” They feel that since the vintage is a special kind of car, it deserves special recognition, a goal that the club continues to work towards.

The Club has its magazine, the “Woodie Times”, organizes shows and meetings, and has even designated May 20th as “Drive Your Woodie Day”. The event hopes to encourage owners to pull their prized rides out of barns, garages, backyards, and storage units across the country, and take them for a joy ride somewhere they like, all the while documenting their experience. The MotorTimes encourages readers to send in their pictures with appropriate captions, with the best ones being published.

National Woodie Club members will be undoubtedly looking forward to the biggest vintage show there is, Santa Cruz’s own “Woodies on the Wharf” event, hosted by The Santa Cruz Vehicle Club. With over 180 vintages lining up on the Municipal Wharf, the occasion is a chance for vehicle clubs from all around to show off their prized rides in the warm California sun, followed by a procession leaving the quay in the afternoon.

Dave Welles, a prominent member of the Woodie Club has been a fan since Junior High. His friend’s older brother had a ’48 Ford, which he used to give them free lifts to the beach in the early ’60s.

Today he owns a 1938 Ford vintage he bought in 1994 which he found in a barn in the Mountains. “It needed everything,” says Welles referring to his first vehicle. “But I got it running and it now has over 50,000 miles on it. It’s been back and forth to Southern California a bunch of times and one summer we drove it to Colorado!”

Welles is one of the founders of the Club, which is celebrating its 23rd anniversary. He can’t wait to see what turns up at this year’s occurrence.

“The first year we had no idea how many vehicles would show up, so we were blown away when three dozen cars arrived. In recent years we’ve had over 200. The city told us the event has grown to become the biggest in town. Vintage Cars by the Pier is a ton of work, but by now we’ve developed a formula. There’s a core group of club members that step up every year and make it happen.”

Barb Bacon is one of those vehicle devotees who credits the surf lifestyle in the area and the West Coast as part of her life-long fascination with motors.

“I read everything I could find about vintage and knew one day I would just have to have one!” recalls Bacon. “Believe it or not, I had been saving since I was 12 years old! I had a fascination with the Beach Boys, going to the beach, and vintage seemed to be part of that scene, so I decided one day I would have to own a vehicle and a surfboard! I didn't much care what kind --it just had to be in my price range”.

With guidance from SC Woodie member and legendary Santa Cruz surf photographer, Bob Barbour, Bacon was able to find her slice of vehicle heaven.

“Bob knew the history of most of the cars that were for sale. I finally found a 1949 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon; it was an automatic, teal green, and in my price range. Once I got the car I became very involved in the club, helping every year with merchandise sales and set up for the Woodies on the Wharf occasion, which I look forward to every year” remembers Bacon.

Welles is looking forward to this year’s WOW event, which, not only is a tribute to vehicles, but the surf culture that spawned their resurgence and preservation.

“Most of our members still surf. Many of the owners up and down the coast are old surfers, too. So the club decided early on to make surfing a big part of its culture. We’re like a tribe and when folk meet up in the area in June, they’re ready to party.”

For more information check out www.nationalwoodieclub.com, www.santacruzwoodies.com

Make sure to check out this year’s occasion on Saturday, June 23rd-26th at the Municipal Wharf

Learn more about shipping vintage and other classic automobiles by visiting https://www.a1autotransport.com/classics/.