COLLECTOR CLASSICS
Wood you believe it?
Approximately 25 years ago, Bill Milligan sketched out a wood-bodied hot rod after attending a car show in Vancouver with some friends that featured old ‘woody’ station wagons.
“You could build a better car than those,” one friend said, throwing out a challenge.
Bill went home and planned the wood-bodied hot rod that was in his mind. It would take 13 more years before Bill found the beginnings for his vision.
The front cowl and doors from the remains of a 1927 Durant sedan had been outside on a property near Merritt for more than half a century. Bill traded a windshield frame from a Ford Model A for the bones of the old Durant car, dragged it home and got busy building his dream.
The master carpenter, who ironically failed woodworking in high school but went on to do custom millwork across Canada, the U.S. and as far away as Japan, was determined to do all the work on his car himself. That would take 10 years and a total of 8,000 hours with support from his partner Bev.
The two-inch African mahogany plank framework for the car body came from the deck of an old forestry boat salvaged from the bottom of the nearby Fraser River.
For the chassis, he boxed all the steel frame rails for strength, installed a front axle from a 1940 Ford, coil over front suspension and triangulated four-bar rear suspension using parts from a 1974 Ford Maverick.
The hopped-up flathead engine from a 1946 Ford makes this hot rod look like it is from the 1950s. Edelbrock finned heads and dual carburetor manifold with custom exhaust headers top off the engine with vintage speed equipment. For drivability, the engine runs through a five-speed manual transmission donated by a 1989 Chevrolet Camaro IROC.
Birdseye maple, Brazilian mahogany and other exotic wood were used to hand craft the body of the ‘woody.’ He built the entire body out of light panels that can be quickly disassembled.
“It takes two guys about 12 hours to take the car completely apart,” he says. “I had to build it that way so I could put it together myself.”
There are numerous unique features including a shifter made from a branch from an apple tree in the backyard at his home in Mission. The door openers are hand carved along with the tail light stanchions.
To keep the character of the 1927 Durant, which was built in a Toronto factory as a Star model, Bill Milligan used the original nameplates and radiator shell with unique ‘flying star’ ornamentation.
Over the decade it took to complete this car, Bill built two other vehicles — both starting as 1928 Ford Model A’s. His pickup truck has a long history in the Fraser Valley. Made from a coupe by Yarrow orchardist George Epp, the old pickup originally hauled fruit. It was sold in the 1950s and used by two young entrepreneurs to distribute Coca-Cola products in the Fraser Valley.
Milligan turned it into a period-correct hot rod with speed equipment added to the original four-cylinder engine.
“I drive it all the time,” he says proudly.
Nineteen teenagers learned to drive in the 1928 Ford coach he bought from the original family from Lansing, Mich., who owned the old car for 70 years. It had been left outside and was falling apart when Bill came to the rescue. It’s now powered by a Mitsubishi engine and transmission for reliability.
Once he had completed his woody hot rod, Milligan had the idea to look for a vintage wooden boat to complete the package. He had no idea what a barn find he would stumble upon.
The 1961 Chris Craft runabout had been stored in a Steveston garage south of Vancouver for more than half a century. In that era, Chris Craft sold plans for their watercraft so people could build their own mahogany powerboats.
A Steveston boat builder decided to do just that in his Fraser River shop so he could transport his wife across the water to Victoria to attend high tea at the Empress Hotel. The nearly-completed noble endeavour came to a halt when the boat builder developed health issues. The boat sat for decades, and when an attempt to complete the project by the man’s son failed, the boat was put up for sale.
Milligan saw the possibilities straightaway and bought the boat and trailer.
“It had no seats, windshield or engine cover,” he says. “But it was a brand new 1961 Chris Craft runabout that had never been put in the water.”
It took 300 hours to complete the boat to show quality standards. The previous owner had already rebuilt the six-cylinder General Motors marine engine and Mercruiser Outdrive.
The pairing of the woody hot rod and mahogany runabout was debuted at the Vancouver International Auto Show last month. People could see the woody hot rod and boat through the windows at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre and mobbed the exhibit.
“They were amazed to see the woody with the new 1961 Chris Craft that has never been used. People ask me what it’s worth. It’s hard to put a price on it. It’s the only new one in the world like it,” he says.