V-8 Corvair, a Wood family affair

This article is a history piece, illustrating what went on during that time. All photos are historic, nearly 50 years old.

Adjust the time frame to 1966. Back in the days when skills, hard work, ingenuity and the personal challenge to do something different led to innovation. Improving on what one knew, and what one could do resulted in the unusual and unique, more times than not, mostly by the unsung.

In the carports, back yards, and garages of countless locations, folks with capability were challenging themselves, adding to their skills, and doing what they loved: building cars that defined a moment. Perhaps that moment was a ‘what if’ scenario, or because a donor vehicle became available, and the parts and components sitting around might be drawn together. Sure, on any local scene, there were the car guys that could do anything, and did. They were also the go-to guys if one needed advice, a helping hand, or a few knowledgeable words that might solve an automotive project problem. In Bakersfield, Ed Wood was clearly such a man. The work that came out of his home garage was detail oriented, and the final outcome, creativity that was known for its individuality. And for the work being of immaculate quality.

Read the rest of this article in Issue #42 John D’Agostino’s Pantheon