Ultimate Woodie? 1979 “Oakbug H1”
Occasionally a car will appear on our desks here at Barn Finds that will leave us scratching our heads. That is the case with this Oakbug H1. We’ve seen some crazy customs, but this car has to rate up there with the best of them. I have to say a huge thank you to Barn Finder Jim C for spotting a classic that is sure to turn heads wherever it goes. If this is a car that firmly finds its way onto your “must-have” list, you will find it located in Creston, Ohio, and listed for sale here on Facebook. Hand the owner $8,700, and you could drive away in a custom that is like no other.
You know that you’re dealing with an unusual vehicle when you don’t need to consider panel rust for a moment, but you worry about the presence of termites! This Oakbug features panels made from genuine oak (surprise!), and it’s nothing if not distinctive. Below that radical exterior hides a 1979 Chevrolet Chevette, but its conservative exterior steel has been ditched in favor of solid timber. It isn’t clear how or why this work was completed, but there’s no arguing that the car is unique. If you took it to a Cars & Coffee, there’s not much chance that you’d find another example parked beside it. It might just be me, but when I look at the almost perfectly straight body lines and the finish of the wheel openings, there is a strong resemblance to a Moke. The builder put the vehicle together in the early 1990s, and the fact that it has survived in such good shape suggests that he completed the work to a high standard. The timber is in good condition, and the occasional wipe-over with Pledge should help it to stay that way. The owner doesn’t indicate any problems on the vehicle’s underside, so hopefully, it remains structurally sound.
The owner describes the vehicle’s interior as being of show condition, but I’m not sure I agree with that assessment. What can be seen of the upholstery is in good order, but it is the details that see this custom fall short of the mark. The carpet is ill-fitting, which I find particularly disappointing. The plastic section under the dash to the left of the steering column is also odd, while it appears that someone has jammed a piece of carpet between the upper edge of the column and the dash. I wonder whether there might have been a rattle there, and this was the owner’s solution to the problem. It appears that this convertible doesn’t come with a soft-top, although the owner does include a custom tonneau. He offers no engine photos and little information on the drivetrain, but if the Oakbug is based on a ’79 Chevette, it should be equipped with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 3-speed automatic transmission. With around 74hp available under the right foot, the Chevette would’ve taken 20.1 seconds to wander down the ¼ mile. While this vehicle is now a convertible, it is a fair bet that the oak body probably weighs more than the original steel. That will impede progress, but I’m sure that most potential buyers wouldn’t see that as an issue. The Oakbug is in sound mechanical health, and the owner has recently fitted a new radiator, a new master cylinder, and new hoses. It is worth noting that the vehicle has only accumulated around 3,600 since the build was completed, making it a long way from worn out.
Life can get serious at times, and it is in those moments many of us need something unusual to place a smile on our faces. There’s no denying that this Oakbug H1 is unique, and it should be capable of plastering a grin on the faces of many. However, it’s equally true that its appeal will be limited. There will be many people who will dismiss it out of hand, and I respect their opinion. I’m not sure where it fits within the world of classic or custom cars, but that might be missing where this vehicle could shine. As a daily driver, it would not be viable, but as a promotional vehicle for a business, very few could touch it. Maybe that will be the fate of this quirky custom. Of course, you might have other ideas. If so, I’m all ears.
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Comments
Chevette based? – This thing woodn’t get out of it’s own way.
No morning wood here; keep moving along, and watch out for sphincter splinters.
Knowing that highly attractive body has a Chevette underneath really cinches the deal. NOT!
Between the heavy wood body, and the fact that it has the same aerodynamic characteristics as a brick, I doubt it could even make it to 40 mph.
This had to have been created out of a rusted, dented beater Chevette by someone with WAAAAY too much time and beer on their hands.
You forget to mention the automatic transmission. I can imagine the acceleration would be glacial.
why why why?
I am canadian and live in quebec
This pile of lumber would be seized at our DMV
No way this jalopy would get approval
Lawn art at most !
Claudio, I believe you are being extremely generous by calling it yard art lol. I say take an axe to it for a bonfire or the fireplace.
I see a lot of good potential furniture there. Tables, side tables. bedside stands, etc.
Other than that, nada.
Maybe he made it out of furniture
It’s hip to be square…
Definitely from the slab-side school of automotive design.
Hard to find yourself underwater with a build like this but this guy may have succeeded…
how underwater? it floats…
Amphicar ?
Amphibarge I think…
Does it have an “Ash”-tray?
Be sure to check for termites in the rockers – a common problem in these models !!!
It is quite obvious you fellas haven’t been watching lumber prices late. This this might be your heating savior this winter.
Be sure and check for termites in the rockers – a common problem in this model !!!
With the price of wood , this THING is worth a mint right now , i think Min wax gun stock red stain may make it worth more than the gas in its gas tank.
Builder was just board to death . . . It lumbers down the highway, has roots in the Chevette, but could lead to a whole new branch of GM, you should hear that exhaust bark, but what a trunk, ok,ok, I will leave now . . .
Leave or leaf?
I would buy it for camping in case we ran low on fire wood.
My inner Fred Flintstone is calling. “Quick Wilma, grab the kids and don’t forget Dino. We’re heading to the drive in for brantesorous burgers with Rubbles!”
Time to stock up on Lemon Pledge.
What, no wood steering wheel?
That’s a Chevette steering wheel & i think it would be blasphemous not to use it.
Actually , I think the Chevette steering wheel is is the most attractive aspect of this rolling (?) monstrosity . .
Let’s not let differences of opinion splinter us here . . .
You would think with this design aesthetic he wooda used a VW Thing as a donor vehicle.
Seller may disprove the saying “there’s a sucker born every minute”.
The Termite mobile, see what happens when your locked down for 18 months.
Here’s one-time when it needs 20″ wheels with flare wheel wells and a Blower (wooden) coming out of the hood.
Elon Musk’s first design of the Tesla Convertible.
It’s good for laughs. You guys a great at coming up jokes.
God bless America
That was my first thought. Who would of ever guessed a Chevette!
I would drive this to a local Cars and Coffee.
And when I die I want to be buried in it. I would call this my Cars and Coffin.
Skip the undercoating and go right to the Terminex!
I’m disappointed: When I read that title before opening this, (OakBUG), I expected to be greeted by a VW Beetle with woodie treatment on the sides!
All I can say is just D – – N . . . . . Just because you can does not mean you should . . . Heard that a time or two . .
Gordon:
Like with that super-raised monster chassis ’70s Granada featured here some weeks ago? That was a hoot! And they had the guts to drive around the body unbolted to the chassis!
Obviously the builder had a square. On his next model, hopefully they will have completed their second Art class, and be introduced to exotic tools such as a compass and a French curve. Perhaps one of the big plywood companies (Weyerhauser, Georgia Pacific) will purchase it as a moving (???) advertisement for plywood. Those plywood sides give me the shutters . . . I mean shudders.
Wow . . . You guys have a way with words . . . My Dad used to say . . “This makes my butt crave cord wood” . . I never asked what he meant . .
I don’t know that I would have shared that Gordon. Unless that’s some kind of regional saying.
Pretty sure that was a regional saying . . Wish I’d asked what it meant . . . He had a bunch of those. . My favorite was . . “ I’m so hungry , I could lick the sweat off the kitchen window” . .
Wow Gordon, those are some weird-ass sayings!
Well, at least this solved some of the Shovette’s complaints of being ” tinny”.
Still laughing at the seller for saying it would take 6 figures to reproduce this. Maybe decimal point placement has something to do with that statement.
And for the love of Pete, replace the Chevette wheel and seats!!!!!
One pic shows a toll bar ? Must have ran out of wood after he cut the door openings . . Looks like cloth . . . Wooden you just know it . .