Monster Garage 1950 Ford Woody Surfmobile

Monster Garage 1950 Ford Woody Surfmobile

It took six builders and live music from Dick Dale, The King of Surf Guitar himself, to complete the challenge of transforming a broken-down, rusted-out 1950 Ford Woody station wagon into the ultimate wave-chasing, 4-wheelin' off-road machine. Dealing with the Woody's rusted-out body and parts of the frame proved to be a major obstacle. The team swapped out the front end of a donor Ford Bronco and fit the transfer case and larger engine into the old Woody. Woody fabricator. Getting the engine timing and wiring correct also became nerve-racking toward the end of the build on the final day. We still can't get over the fact that Dick Dale performed during this build. Sorry, we just can't.

THE DESIGNERS: Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, CA, Doug Carr, Woody restorer/builder and owner, Wood N' Carr, Signal Hill, CA, Mike Desmond, graphic artist and custom-car designer, MAD Machines, Long Beach, CA, and David Snoddy, off-road vehicle fabricator and chief engineer/mechanic, Wide Open Baja, Chino, CA.

THE BUILDERS: Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, CA, Jim T. Cocores, Woody enthusiast and owner, Jim's VW Service and Thalia St. Surf Shop, Laguna Beach, CA, Nicole Downey, sales representative, NAPA Auto Parts, Escondido, CA, Ron Heiden, Woody fabricator and owner, Heiden's Woodworking, Carlsbad, CA, Jay Hodge, surfboard shaper and owner, jhodge Island Shapes Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, Bob Lopez, Woody restorer and artist, Lake Tahoe, CA, and David Snoddy, off-road vehicle fabricator and chief engineer/mechanic, Wide Open Baja, Chino, CA.

VEHICLE SPECS: Height: 92"; Width: 77"; Length: 214"; Ground Clearance: 24"; Weight: 4,800 pounds. Painter: Pete "Hot Dog" Finlin, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, CA. Additional Acquired or Machined Parts: Includes a lift kit, four-wheel-drive transfer case, rims, all-terrain tires, Ford Bronco front end and off-road suspension. Special Welds: Special welds were performed on the engine and fuel-cell mounts, battery box, floor, front and rear bumpers, tailgate hinges and the Bronco front end. Body Modifications: The team installed a 1950s wood-panel kit, replaced the front and rear bumpers, and added an interior surf rack, spare-tire holder and off-road lights.