Iconic woodie wagon remains a beloved throwback

It's not surprising that Phil Derrig's uncle drove a woodie wagon. He was, after all, a carpenter.

It also makes full sense that Derrig grew up possessing a passion for these unique haulers.

"As a kid, every Saturday we took a trip in his '38 Oldsmobile woodie to the lumber yards," the Barrington resident said. "Afterward we'd always go out for lunch and get a hot dog."

Those regular jaunts became ingrained in his memory. Derrig moved to the California coast at age 18 and "saw woodies up and down the beaches." The youngster at the time lived along the shore in a Volkswagen bus.

"Over the years, I bought a couple (woodies) from surfers," Derrig said. "I'd sleep in the bus and the woodies would be my 'day car' for driving around."

Derrig would go on to own four and each one would carry him and his surfboards to such memorable places as Redondo Beach and Huntington Beach. He owned a '39 Ford woodie when he was called to serve in Vietnam. That was his last wagon until the late 1980s.

By that time, Derrig was living in Park Ridge and his neighbor, Bud, owned a 1940 Ford Woodie Deluxe. The vehicle had been sold new to area resident Raymond T. Smith. Smith was a chicken farmer and used the vehicle to haul his fowl to market from his farm on Golf Road.

Derrig's neighbor purchased the Ford from Smith in the 1960s and, shortly thereafter, restored it with his father. The rough-and-ready ranch usage had banged up the bodywork.

The father and son located four new, old-stock fenders and installed them. The vehicle was then painted in factory correct Mandarin Maroon color. The Maple and Mahogany wood body was retained and is all original. Smith's painted chicken logo and name was preserved and can still be faintly seen overlaid on the front doors.

Inside, the interior was given new leather upholstery. While the neighbor Bud loved this Ford, his priorities changed in 1988. The car enthusiast was diagnosed with cancer and sold his beloved cruiser to Derrig. For several years after the sale, Derrig would "give" Bud back the Woodie to use for days at a time.

"He loved the car," Derrig said. "It was like a family member to him."

Bud's and his father's restoration work was top notch as Derrig has only had to do basic maintenance on the special vehicle during his years of ownership.

"Driving it brings back those memories of being a kid on the beach," Derrig said. "This car has such a unique scent inside. I'll always love the smell of wood."

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