When he was in high school, Wayne Yada found himself driving a 1951 Ford; it was his first car ever, and he loved it. However, he says that he liked the looks of the station wagon/Woodie version of the ’51 Ford even better.  But, unfortunately, he says that he couldn’t justify the expense of the station wagon, and he adds that he wasn’t a surfer, either (the typical owner of these vehicles, during that time). Wayne was simply an admirer of the Woodie, and at that point, it wouldn’t have been practical to buy one.

Some years went by, and Wayne says that marriage, kids and jobs became priorities in his life, so he wasn’t able to play out his love for classic cars. But, by 2005, Wayne found himself at the “mother of all Woodie shows,” Wavecrest, in San Diego, Ca.  It was there that he says that all of the memories of his days in high school and that desire to own the Woodie came back to him. 

Throughout the years, Wayne had maintained an interest in old cars and had attended collector car shows.  But, it was at this show, in particular, that Wayne formed a special bond with collectors of Woodies, and a real passion was reignited. After talking to people at the show, he learned that maybe it was the right time to jump into the hobby head-on, buy a collector car of his own and get involved.

“I wasn’t just interested in the cars,” says Wayne. “I was interested in the people.  They were so helpful and friendly. And, I kept thinking back to the ’51 Ford, and I learned that the ‘Shoebox Fords’ (’49-’51) were the most common of Woodies. I then asked about pricing, and after the show, I knew the price range and started looking… mostly online.”

Wayne says that he came across his beautiful 1950 Ford Woodie on the Hemmings Web site. It was being sold from a collector car showroom in North Carolina, so he made a special trip out to take a look at the car.

“I was like a kid in a candy store,” exclaims Wayne. “I made the offer, and the only mistake I made was forgetting to call my wife before I made the deal. She has since forgiven me, especially after she saw what a great investment it was.”

Wayne says that this car is special to him, as it’s a virtual clone of the car he had as a teenager.  And, he made sure that the car was restored to original condition, doing a lot of the work himself. Wayne says that during the last three and a half years, this car has been an ongoing project, for him.  Most recently, he removed all of the wood and had it refinished. 

He adds that there is always something more to do.

“There are probably 20 different items that I want to work on,” explains Wayne. “It’s just a matter of time and money.  And, they may seem like small projects, but if I worked on them every day, it would take a couple of months to finish.”

In the meantime, in between projects, Wayne enjoys driving his Ford to shows all over California.  He adds that there are a string of all-Woodie shows throughout the state, and he attempts to make those shows, along with some local ones. Among many locations, he travels to San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach for these shows.  His car club, the Central Valley Woodie Club (a part of the National Woodie Club) hosts their own show in Reedley, Ca.  This year’s show is scheduled for March 1, 2008.

At the shows he has attended over recent years, Wayne has picked up some awards, but he mentions that he didn’t build his car for that reason.

“It’s a driver, not a ‘concours car.’ I built it to drive and to have fun.”

And as mentioned before, Wayne enjoys the camaraderie and unity among Woodie owners.

“Everyone is so open, friendly and helpful. There aren’t any power trips. Some Woodies are originals, some are restored, some are super modified and some are hot rods.  You could have a $100,000 car next to an original on which the wood had been destroyed by termites—but, no one will treat you any differently.”

Story by: Becky McLaughlin

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