# A wooden car **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 2, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748 "2008-05-02T14:26:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/1 "2008-05-02T14:26:31Z")
[Yes,](http://woodworking.about.com/b/2008/04/23/introducing-the-ultimate-woodencar.htm) [a car made entirely of wood.](http://woodworking.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=woodworking&cdn=hobbies&tm=8&gps=109_397_1276_816&f=00&su=p445.92.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.joeharmondesign.com/) It is absolutely gorgeous! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/2 "2008-05-02T14:28:21Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] [Yes,](http://woodworking.about.com/b/2008/04/23/introducing-the-ultimate-woodencar.htm) [a car made entirely of wood.](http://woodworking.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=woodworking&cdn=hobbies&tm=8&gps=109_397_1276_816&f=00&su=p445.92.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.joeharmondesign.com/) It is absolutely gorgeous! [/QUOTE] Looks like it’s completely made out of _ **software** _ at this point… ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/3 "2008-05-02T14:32:54Z")
I had a wooden car once. Wooden chassis, wooden wheels, wooden bodywork, wooden engine, wooden transmission… wooden go. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/4 "2008-05-02T14:36:36Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] [Yes,](http://woodworking.about.com/b/2008/04/23/introducing-the-ultimate-woodencar.htm) [a car made entirely of wood.](http://woodworking.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=woodworking&cdn=hobbies&tm=8&gps=109_397_1276_816&f=00&su=p445.92.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.joeharmondesign.com/) [/QUOTE] You know what they said about the wooden car.. it wooden go. :smack: Beaten to the punch. :smack: Si ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/5 "2008-05-02T15:33:13Z")
Go to museums of old cars. Most of those cars back in the 20s _were_ built largely of wood. The bodywork was often a wooden framing overlaid with sheet metal. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/6 "2008-05-02T15:39:27Z")
Wow. That car is cherry. It’s be a nice car to cruise along the beech in. Knot that you can’t branch out and explore Elm Street in it, but wood you be a sap and leave the chicks behind? You wood knot be poplar if you did. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/7 "2008-05-02T15:48:30Z")
[QUOTE=Philster] Knot that you can’t branch out and explore Elm Street in it, but wood you be a sap and leave the chicks behind? [/QUOTE] Are they going to chip in for gas? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/8 "2008-05-02T15:50:59Z")
I bet this car has a huge trunk! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/9 "2008-05-02T16:09:46Z")
The designers are barking up the wrong tree. In these deforested times, do we really want to encourage more use of wood? Stone is the way to go! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/10 "2008-05-02T16:24:33Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] The designers are barking up the wrong tree. In these deforested times, do we really want to encourage more use of wood? Stone is the way to go! [/QUOTE] How about [both](http://www.pipeline.com/~bkyaffe/altfuel/section/biped.html)? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/11 "2008-05-02T16:29:06Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff] Looks like it’s completely made out of _ **software** _ at this point… [/QUOTE] Yeah, and it’s going to be hell building that internal combustion engine out of wood. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/12 "2008-05-02T16:36:48Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] [Yes,](http://woodworking.about.com/b/2008/04/23/introducing-the-ultimate-woodencar.htm) [a car made entirely of wood.](http://woodworking.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=woodworking&cdn=hobbies&tm=8&gps=109_397_1276_816&f=00&su=p445.92.150.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.joeharmondesign.com/) It is absolutely gorgeous! [/QUOTE] Yes, it is cool. Yes, it is gorgeous. But it isn’t even close to being made “entirely” of wood. There are a lot of metal parts in there. I want to know how you make a wood firewall, given the temperature of the engine compartment. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/13 "2008-05-02T16:41:39Z")
[QUOTE=Philster] Wow. That car is cherry. It’s be a nice car to cruise along the beech in. Knot that you can’t branch out and explore Elm Street in it, but wood you be a sap and leave the chicks behind? You wood knot be poplar if you did. [/QUOTE] Oakey dokey, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree here. It’s plane to see you’re a smart ash, but we need to cut a deal. Spruce up that wit, fir you can call me a saw head if you like, but you’re on the wrong root with these old chestnuts. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/14 "2008-05-02T16:45:36Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] Yeah, and it’s going to be hell building that internal combustion engine out of wood. [/QUOTE] Or the windows. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/15 "2008-05-02T16:48:49Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] Yeah, and it’s going to be hell building that internal combustion engine out of wood. [/QUOTE] _Petrified_ wood. In other words, stone. 🙂 And the firewall could be made of ironwood. What? ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/16 "2008-05-02T16:56:49Z")
I guess an ashtray would be too much to ask. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/17 "2008-05-02T17:17:00Z")
Wooden glass? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/18 "2008-05-02T20:29:59Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Or the windows. [/QUOTE] It costs more, but you can still buy “clear pine.” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/19 "2008-05-02T20:38:05Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] I had a wooden car once. Wooden chassis, wooden wheels, wooden bodywork, wooden engine, wooden transmission… [/QUOTE] We must have had the same model. Mine started started making weird noises one day. It took it to the mechanic. Termites. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748/20 "2008-05-02T20:40:21Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Go to museums of old cars. Most of those cars back in the 20s _were_ built largely of wood. The bodywork was often a wooden framing overlaid with sheet metal. [/QUOTE] That’s true. In fact, that’s why Henry Ford invented the charcoal grill industry. Ol’ Henry hated to waste anything, so he arranged to have the scrap and sawdust from the Model T bodies cooked and pressed into charcoal briquets. Ford made charcoal grills, too, and they were sold in the Ford showrooms, right next to the cars. You already know the name of the man Ford put in charge of the charcoal operation. Kingsford. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wooden-car/447748.md?page=2)