Ms. Maple

reprinted from Woodie Times October 2000

As told by Wes Aplanalp

     As we all know, one of the great things about woodies is that almost every one comes with a story. This one does, too.

     In all likelihood this car would not even exist if it weren't for a certain California real estate developer and builder by the name of John Way. As the story goes, Mr. Way was a bit of a perfectionist. He had a penchant for quality and innovative ideas. He was also very interested in photography and travel. What better way to travel than a station wagon?

     In 1938 he bought a Pontiac station wagon and drove it for four years. The Pontiac had the normal rattles and squeaks of wagons of that vintage, this bothered the perfectionist in John Way. He wanted a station wagon that was of superior workmanship, reliability and performance. He decided the only way to achieve this was to find a custom coach builder and have one built to his specifications.

     In the city of Pasadena, California, Mr. Way located the custom body shop of Bohman & Schwartz. His next step was the acquisition of a 1939 Chrysler Imperial C-23 8-cylinder, four-door sedan. After several meetings between Mr. Way and Bohman & Schwartz, two sketches of the proposed wagon were submitted, one on June 10, 1941 and one on June 16, 1941. A detailed contract was submitted to Mr. Way on July 14 for his signature. After the contract was signed, the project took about 8 months to complete.

     The specifications stated that the wood body construction was to be of clear, white maple, with maple panels as well. All joints were to be glued, screwed and mortised. The body structure was to be reinforced by forged iron wherever needed. Safety glass was to be used in all windows with the front door windows controlled by mechanical regulators. The rear quarter windows were to be of the sliding type.

     The lower tailgate, when opened, was to be flush with the floor, supported by chains and secured by rigid manual catches. The upper tailgate was to have two stationary windows. The lower tailgate and rear flooring were to be lined with sheet metal. The front doors were to be made two inches narrower, the rear doors two inches wider and the beltline two inches lower than the original Chrysler sedan. The upper window structure of all four doors was to be made of steel channel and then painted. The idea was to "give as much clear vision as possible."

     The roof structure on the inside was to be insulated and lined with one-eighth inch three-ply panels. The outside roof structure was to be covered in fabric.

     Bohman & Schwartz charged the $1050 plus tax for the basic construction. Then some other items were added later, such as dual sidemount spare tires "not to exceed $125." In 1939 you could have your Chrysler equipped at the factory with dual sidemounts for $125. Some other extras were two 10-gallon gas tanks with individual controls, overload springs, new arm rests and carpet, special hood locks, reworking and rechroming the rear bumper and new hubcaps. The Bohman & Schwartz total came to $1560, and when added to Mr. Way's acquisition cost of $875, the grand total came to $2435. This amount was considerably higher than the most expensive production station wagon at that time.

     The station wagon was used a great deal by Mr. Way until 1947. At that time he had to give up driving. However, the car stayed in the family. His wife continued to use the car, hauling kids, garden supplies and feed.

     In 1963 the Imperial passed to Mr. Way's son, John Way, Jr. He used it sparingly until 1978. The car sat unused until 1983 when Phillip Way, grandson of the original owner, began using it occasionally. he had it only a short time before selling it to Bruce Thomas of Michigan in December, 1984.

     After getting the car back to Michigan, Mr. Thomas decided it needed restoration. This was completed in 1989. The engine apparently has never been out of the car, and the mileage of 65, 000 is thought to be correct.

     I first became aware of this car when my December, 1997, issue of The Classic Car arrived. On the cover, in full color, was a picture of one of the most striking woodie station wagons I had ever seen. It was love at first sight!

     Being a woodie owner and enthusiast I began wondering about the possibility of owning this great looking car. after some time passed I got up enough courage to call Bruce Thomas and asked if he might have an interest in selling his car. Much to my delight and surprise, he said he would.

     The following day I flew to Chicago to meet with him and view the car. Chrysler had invited the woodie, along with five of Chrysler's older cars, to be used in a press conference setting at the Chicago Auto Show. Mr. Thomas was just backing it onto the stage when I arrived. After looking it over, we struck a deal. The car arrived in Arizona about three weeks later.

     After having the car a short time, we took her to Barry Briskman, a local classic auto restorer of high repute. Between us, we decided the car deserved and would benefit from some freshening up. All the stainless and chrome trim was removed, polished and replated. All six hubcaps were straightened, replated and painted. The sheet metal was repainted the same color that was used in 1942-Cadillac Sand Tan.

     The car was then sent to the varnish shop where it was stripped, bleached where necessary, sanded and varnished until there were 12 coats in place. The last and final process was to completely detail and paint the engine and engine compartment.

     Along the way everything was done to ensure the car was even more roadworthy than it already was. The brakes were gone through, starter, generator, carburetor, fuel pump and water pump were all rebuilt or replaced. New spark plugs, points and condenser all made it run better than ever.

     In early May, 1999, we took Ms. Maple on the maiden voyage since the freshening process. The Arizona Region of the Classic Car Club of America was putting on an eight-day CARavan. Included were 93 Classics and over 200 people. Our route included the desert landscapes, pine filled mountains, painted cliffs and the Grand Canyon/Lake Powell area. We covered about 850 miles, saw some of the most magnificent scenery in Arizona, made many new friends and had a great time. Throughout it all, Ms. Maple performed beautifully and was one of the 88 cars to finish the trip.

     In June of 1999, she went to the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles to be part of the museum's "Surf's Up!" tribute and exhibit honoring the woodie. She was on display there through January, 2000

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