Real Wood Panels On Roadmaster

I want to put real wood panels on my 94 Roadmaster. It currently has the factory vinyl panels, which have seen better days. Instead of putting new vinyl on, I thought it would be awesome to install real wood panels like the original woodies. Has anyone ever done this? Any tips on types of wood and the general process? Any feedback would be great!

You should use a plywood for the panels. Birch aircraft plywood can be purchased in extremely thin sheets, as thin as 1/64th of an inch. They will be flat, and require steaming, or soaking in hot water and ammonia to soften it, then drying it in place to match the compound curve of the body panels. Sometimes you can get lucky, and they have a curve to them, that will match the panel

If you use 1/64th plywood, you could use the original trim.

If you use thicker plywood, you will have to make a frame of strip wood. A lighter color wood or unstained wood can be used for the frame. The frame around the panels is bent with steam (or buy a warped piece to match the curve). You could use stainless screws to hold the frame to the body, and plug the holes with the same type of wood as the frame. The panels need to be sealed on all sides, and around the edges under the frame to keep water out.

Another option is to use small strips, and assemble them on the car with glue so that they take the shape of the panel. The surface would require sanding to make it even and smooth. The frame could be added after the interior panel is complete.

Fred what about a single ply veneer?

That's what i was wondering. Biggest concern if it were me would be getting a piece wide enough so that the grain would go side to side, not up and down. A vertical grain would not bend to follow contours as easily as would a horizontal grain.

Dave

A veneer is generally too thin, and fragile to use by itself on a compound curve, unless you could mount it on a substrate. That is pretty much what 1/64 inch plywood is. I do not think the veneer would conform to the curves any better than the plywood, because the curves are compound. You also have to glue it to the body with a waterproof glue, then stain and seal it with some sort of clearcoat (many coats with sanding between coats).

where are the compound curves on a wagon,..

Front to rear curvature, top to bottom curvature, and the complex concave curvature for the lower body line. Just try to run a long, flat bondo sander on a wagon when doing body work and you'll soon have a ton of waves so bad you can feel them. One of the worst cars for complex, compound curves is the 72 -76 Gran Torino, it adds crisp lines with their own curves into the mix.

ah,. i never knew,.

and all those 100+ hours of long board sanding on my black wagon,.. i guess i just got lucky it came out dead straight,.

phantom, never heard of a black wagon you painted. Went and looked at 'threads you started' and I'll just say.....no comment....

I was actually talking about the long, flat, cheesegrater rather than sandpaper. A split second too long with that and just start over. 80 grit can be a pain too but 200 is a lot easier. After my brother had to redo a 68 charger roof to quarter area I had DA'd with 80 I only used a paint stir stick with paper on it, by hand, from then on. He does SEMA cars and I can't do daily driver quality so I don't try anymore.

Adding to this post to avoid further hijacking of same.
I was going to comment that you got me thinking you were serious on post above but you were obviously just being funny. I was going to say that you are a funny guy but reading a few posts of yours made me think it was more of 'touched in the head' but then reading a post of how much trouble the black wagon has given you made me feel sorry for you. Felt it was better left unsaid but rather than have you assume I was not believing you I posted this comment.

On the first video, do these wagons really understeer THAT much? I'm used to Mopars and always managed to get neutral handling to moderate oversteer. (Major oversteer on a 69 Super Bee I put a 440 in but didn't add the extra leaf to the rear spring on passenger side, learned to drive that one very well and scared the mess out of a friend I took for a ride through a tight S-curve who thought he could really drive his 69 Impala SS.) I have to relearn how to drive country roads if I have to live with understeer in the wagon!

just me wrote:

phantom, never heard of a black wagon you painted. Went and looked at 'threads you started' and I'll just say.....no comment....

Now when you say "no comment" what exactly are you insinuating?  that i might be making things up?

I thought there were pics on here of the black wagon
and the blue wagon,.
definitely the orange wagon,.

before the flames

I,ve had wagons for a lot of years now,.
I think silverfox might have a few pics of the car,.
and tim made a video of us going around watkins glen,..

Get with the times, it's 2015 nowadays they sell real wood veneers that have peel and stick backing just like the DiNoc 3M made for our wagons. It's not cheap but should work well and have few issues with the body contours of the 91-96 wagons.

http://www.wiusa.com/curvwood/psa.htm

My only concern with real wood is the outdoor environment and how is can damage wood finishes.

Look up "cold molded" boatbuilding techniques and "vacuum bagging".

just me wrote:

On the first video, do these wagons really understeer THAT much? I'm used to Mopars and always managed to get neutral handling to moderate oversteer. (Major oversteer on a 69 Super Bee I put a 440 in but didn't add the extra leaf to the rear spring on passenger side, learned to drive that one very well and scared the mess out of a friend I took for a ride through a tight S-curve who thought he could really drive his 69 Impala SS.) I have to relearn how to drive country roads if I have to live with understeer in the wagon!

In stock form they have plenty of understeer. You can mod them to make them handle better, and a big boost in HP will also give you some oversteer. The also tend to roll a good bit when cornering, but a little lowering, and some hefty anti roll bars will control at least some of that.