Two questions on Station Wagons...

Steve Plucker

Steve Plucker

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When was the change from the 150-A to the 150-B month wise in 1930? May-June

Who provided the Station Wagon bodies for the 150-A? Was it Murray? Yes

Who provided bodies for the 150-B? Was it (Briggs or Murray or both) and Baker Raulang?

Any other body builders?

Thanks.

Pluck
 
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Not a whole lot of info out there regarding your question, all I can come up with is a picture.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge then I will respond.
1930 150-B
 

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Hi Steve:

100 % to what Jim states. I own a 1930 chassis (matching numbers) and title for a 1930 Station Wagon that I am in the process of restoring back to original. Jim's research and the Editor of Woody Wagon confirms the above.
 
Steve, I finally had time to read the chapter in Famous Ford Woodies, this is it in a nutshell. Ford contracted Murray to provide, "Design, Drafting and Blueprints" for the new 150-B Station Wagon. Production was to start in March of 1930 at a cost of $203.95 per body. Murray was overwhelmed with other Ford contracts and C.W. Avery, Company President, sub contracted it's competitor, Baker-Rulang to provide "a good share of the bodies". Production started June 1st. In 1930 when Baker made the deal with C.W. Avery there were "strings attached". Most significant was that Baker had to use the Murray supplied Cowl Assembly. When Murray solved it's overwhelmed production problems, Ford transferred all production back to Murray. Exact numbers are not given as to how many bodies were produced by each company. It does go on to say however that "This created one of those Ford production oddities; the unusual sequential numbering of wagon bodies for quality control was all but abandoned on the Model 150-B job".
 
Steve, some info on the 150-A. In the fall of 1928 the Murray Body Co. built the first "Prototype" Model A Station Wagon. That car went to Edsel's summer home in Maine. The second prototype went to C.A. Avery, President of Murray Body. If you look closely at production pictures of the first five cars, you can actually see several changes in body bolt holes, number of holes and other small changes. In January of 1929, Ford officially introduced the Station Wagon. Contrary to popular belief Ford's Iron Mountain Plant did not furnish the finished wood for the Wagon. Iron Mountain shipped kiln-dried hardwood to the Mengel Body Co. in Louisville KY. Mengel furnished finished wood parts and sub assemblies to the Murray Co. in Detroit, for body assembly. Another interesting fact is, that if you add up all of the so called 1928 Ford Station Wagons, in all of the related car clubs you get something like 30 cars. Again only 5 were produced in '28.
 
Hate to disagree with Woodiewagon46, BUT Iron Mountain did indeed ship wooden Parts to the ROUGE where the first 28 wagons were assembled in DEC 27. Later the Rouge shipped the chassis to the body builders in 29-30-31. Ford did not contract with the Mengel Body Co in Louisville, KY UNTIL 1932, THEN back to Iron Mountain in 1933 and until 1951...
 
Correction, Just was reading some of my Iron Mountain Research Materials. Ford did ship Iron Mountain wooden wagon parts to Briggs, Murray, and Baker-Raulang. These parts were rough cut, trimmed to finish size berfore shipping to the body builders. At that time the body builders provided the assembly and metal stamping work on all wooden wagon bodies. The graders at the Iron Mountain Ford mills were fastidious about what they selected for shaping, trimming and shipping. Henry Ford discovered the Mengel Body Co. in Louisville, KY and this co. could make the wooden parts cheaper than Birggs or Murray, he contracted and the 1932 wagon bodies (wooden parts) were made i Louisville. Briggs and Murray continued the metal stamping AND the assembly work. With that work finished, the bodies were shipped to the various assembly plants. This work with Memgel concluded with 1932 and the woodwork was returned to Iron Mountain. The wooden body construction there continued until 1951. In 1937, Ford started shipping chassis to IM to build complete wagons Ford instance, Ford in 1940 shipped IM 25 boxcars a day containing the steel parts including floor pans, inner rear wheel well panels, fenders, and all other needed steel parts. I could on on in great detail, BUT I believe my point has been made. Sincerely Jimalabam..
 
Jim, as a Station Wagon owner, I would like to read the Iron Mountain Research Material you refer to, where can I find it? All I can tell you, is the info I reported on, is by Lorin Sorensen in his book Famous Ford Woodies.
 
Jim, Iron Mountain did not build complete cars in 1937 as you state. In fact, Iron Mountain did not build any complete cars. Iron Mountain only built complete bodies starting, in 1940. After the body was built it was shipped to the various assembly plants by special designed rail cars. I don't know where you are getting your information from, but it simply isn't correct.
 
Woodie Wagon - Send me a pm with your snail mail address and I will send you copies of my information researched over the years from 2004. Majority of info comes from Ford archives researched at the Benson Ford. I have accession #s which you can also see for yourself that most of Sorenson's, IM memorys are NOT factual. Let me hear from you, Glad to cooperate. If you have better info, maybe we both can learn something new. Jim Langley jimalabam@gmail.com
 
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