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Nothing signifies surfing on the west coast of North America as much as “Woodies” – Wooden station wagons. They were inexpensive, could carry a surf board or boards easily. As well they could serve as a crash pad at night, parked along the beach or in a parking lot whether it be on the coast at a California, British Columbia or Oregon beach.

Initially woodies had a place since many potential car and automobile buyers who could not afford new station wagons would have bought such cars second hand. A wood body that was well card for seemed to last for years and years- even in humid climates such as Vancouver. It was true however that a portion of these woodies were not cared for by their owners and as such there were many lemons among this crowd.

When moisture gets into the cracks and open joints of a “Woodie” or as well into rips in the roof fabric, all sorts of decay can result. It’s a situation like the Titanic. What lies below the surface of the body of the vehicle can often be much more serious than an owner or potential buyer can think or even imagine.

A wagon that had been driven regularly every day is likely to be in better shape than one that stood around for weeks, or even months, in a damp garage – because the moisture would have been shaken out of it and dried up by the sun. It pays to look twice at a station wagon that has not gone as far as it its age would lead you to expect. It may be in worse shape than a similar vehicle with a much higher odometer reading or a newer vintage.

Neglect will be costly to you as a buyer of a vintage Woody automobile. Wood bodies were not self maintaining. A wooden body should have been maintained and revarnished every six months. The best finish is the most dangerous, however, if the joints are not filled properly. Wood filler should be worked into all cracks and coverered with a thin line of varnish. Otherwise water will have entered these cracks and be trapped under the heavy finish – eventually eating away the wood.

Similarly tears and small openings between the roof and the molding should be sealed promptly with weather strip cement. Paint, wax and varnish should not be used on fabric roofs. They will cause the fabric to crack. A light application of thin oil will keep these fabrics more than pliable.

Watch out that the drainage holes in the bottoms of doors and below the vintage sliding glass panes must also be kept open to preserve a Woodie Wagon’s body. This can be done very easily and simply by poking a stiff wire up through the holes occasionally.

Be careful of danger signs when evaluating vintage Woodie station wagons. Among the signs are – a musty smell, ugly fungus growths on the inside wood as well as discolored wood either inside or outside of the auto. Any of these signs of trouble can mean a fair amount of work will have to be done on the wagon within a year. Black or green discoloration is usually very serious, but gray areas along the top edges of horizontal frame members. The direct rays of the sun affect these edges most, and the grey spots usually can be bleached out and revarnished.

Lastly watch out decayed wood and patchwork repairs that have been concealed by paint. Look carefully for any depression in the surface of such a car body, and for cracks where there are no joints. Press these areas with your fingernail. If the wood is soft, and there are a number of such places move on. A very presentable Woodie station wagon auto is the very emblem of the California surfing image. Help maintain the tradition. one week marketing| one week marketing|one week marketing review

Holidaymakers from all over the world and in all probability most from the UK has traveled to the tiny Caribbean island of Barbados, and the British Travel Group Travelrobe is at present urging it as among the best Caribbean Destinations for 2009.

If you’re traveling from London and need Gatwick Airport Parking or a Gatwick Airport Hotel you can reserve your booking here.

For more than three centuries Barbados was a British colony and to this day still retains something of a British feel which is why top political figures and well known sports personalities frequent the island, the delightful climate, blue seas and brilliant white sandy beaches makes for the perfect holiday and the people of Barbados, known as Bajans, take great pride in welcoming its visitors.

The island has also produced top personalities such a writer George Lamming, top Caribbean calypso artist Mighty Gabby and cricket players including the great Sir Gary Sobers, who have for decades had an influence way out of proportion to the size of their home country. As a visitor you will feel welcomed in Barbados, visit Travelrobe.com to book a holiday.

Cricket, Horse racing, Polo and Anglican parish churches all add to the Britishness of the island including a hilly district known as Scotland, but make no mistake Barbados is distinctly a West Indian country, featuring sugarcane fields and rum shops where calypso is the music of choice and flying fish is the favored food.

The infrastructure and public transportation is first class and there is no sign of the poverty that continues to hunt many Caribbean islands. Development has mostly been pretty discreet and many of the facilities are locally owned, and Tourism plays a major part in the country’s economy with the revenue put to good use.

Mark Felix Travelrobe’s MD reminiscences on his last visit to the island, alleging, that the international airport Grantley Adams was under renovation when he arrived and it gave the visual aspect that millions were spent on the upgrade and modernization of the structure. He likewise continued to say that the nightlife including the nightspots made his stay very pleasurable.

Some of the major attractions on the island includes the old plantation houses, places like St Nicholas Abbey and Francia, superb botanical gardens at Andromeda and the Flower Forest, and the military forts and signal stations at Gun Hill and Grenade Hall, the capital Bridgetown is also a lively place with an excellent national museum and great nightlife with its Bars, Restaurants and Clubs.

As a tourist/visitor if you hire a rental car, the driving is excellent on the coral reefs around Barbados, with the good sites all off the calm west and southwest coasts, from Maycocks Bay in the north right round to Castle Bank near St Lawrence Gap, the tropical climate is hot and sunny year round but the weather is best however during mid December to mid April, with rainfall low and the heat tempered by cooling trade winds. Visit Travelrobe.com to book a holiday.

There are no direct flights from New Zealand or Australia, and travelers from these countries will need to fly to one of the major US gateways and pick up onward connections from there to Barbados.

Airport departure tax is presently B$25, payable at the airport when you leave, in local currency only.

To book a holiday including Hotel, Flight, Car Hire, and Cruise to Barbados visit Travelrobe.com, and British visitors can also book their Airport Parking through Travelrobe.info

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