Headed back outside after the rain . . .
Read MoreThe idea of a wood-bodied vehicle has been around since the early days of the automobile. Back then, the metal chassis of commercial vehicle was often fitted with a passenger/cargo compartment made of wood specifically for the purpose of hauling people and/or cargo. As the industry shifted to all-steel body construction, wood-bodied vehicles were designed and marketed as high-end luxury vehicles that showcased custom craftsmanship.
Ford began mass-producing an upscale "Woodie Wagon" in 1929. It was beautiful to behold, but required a lot of maintenance such as regular stripping and varnishing to keep the wood intact. By the late 1940s, labor-intensive and expensive wood bodies, (this Country Squire wagon was the most expensive car in Ford's lineup with a base price of $2,028), were being phased out in favor of an all-steel body that had pieces of wood attached to the outer panels. After the mid-1950s, actual wood bodywork had disappeared and was replaced by something that looked like wood, but was easy to maintain. The woodgrain on my mom's 1982 Mercury Colony Park wagon was actually a long decal.
This car is somewhat rare. Of the more than 1.2 million Fords cars built for 1950, only 22,929 were Country Squires. This particular example looked to be well taken care of. Even so, one price reduction from $38,000 down to $35,000 had already taken place by the time I saw the car.The Zimmer Golden Spirit falls under the category of a neoclassic car. Its body design is influenced by the style of the 1920s and 1930s. But under the skin lies a fully modern chassis and drivetrain, (in this case, a contemporary Ford Mustang GT).
I'm not sure about the owner's production number of 301 cars. The number I most often see is that somewhere around 1,500 cars were produced over the production runUnlike other neoclassics, the Golden Spirit is not a kit car. A production Ford Mustang GT would be shipped to Zimmer's Pompano Beach, Florida factory where the transformation to a Golden Spirit was performed. Most of the stock Mustang body was replaced with a retro fiberglass creation with long flowing fenders and lots of chrome, which required lengthening the chassis. Part of the conversion was an actual "trunk" seen in the photo above.
Several upgrades were made to the Mustang interior. The power Recaro seats feature imported leather. The steering wheel is an upgrade Nardi unit. Plush carpeting and burled wood are plentiful. All of the typical options, (power steering, power brakes, power windows and locks, cruise control, etc.) are present and accounted for.This car features the Super Stock Stage III 426 CID V8 with two 4-bbl carburetors on top of a cross-ram intake manifold. A whole host of drag racing oriented upgrades were fitted underneath. Depending on compression ratio, the Stage III made either 415hp or 425 hp, both of which were considered to be underrated at that time.
This was the last gasp for the traditionally-sized luxury car. Both GM and Chrysler had already downsized for 1979, and Ford would be forced to do the same thing for 1980. The buying public loved the cars and purchased almost 168,000 Continentals and Mark Vs in 1979.
As near as I can determine, 12,673 Collector Series Continental sedans and 6,262 Collector Series Mark V coupes were built in 1979. Four colors were available: Midnight Blue Moondust Metallic, White, Light Silver Moondust Metallic, and Diamond Blue Moondust Metallic.
I love these cars and would own one in a heartbeat ! But like the previous Fox body Mustang, these big Lincolns have escalated in value lately.