Classic Wheels Spotlight: 1950 Dodge Wayfarer

Michaela Weaver has fond memories of growing up with her dad’s 1950 Dodge Wayfarer 2-door sedan. While he owned the car, she remembers him letting her sit on his lap and steer it. The steering wheel was huge to her at the time, she says, and she still thinks that today. She also remembers all the kids piling into the back of the car and going for ice cream.

The Wayfarer has been in her family and owned by several different family members since it was purchased new, says Michaela, who has the original bill of sale. The car took an interesting detour along the way and was gone for about a decade.

Slight Detour

When Michaela was planning to go to college, her father sold it to help pay for her tuition. During her senior year in college, while looking through some ads on Facebook Marketplace, she came across an ad for a 1950 Dodge Wayfarer, opened the ad, and knew immediately that it was her family’s car.

Michaela contacted the seller, and he remembered buying the car from her father. Although she couldn’t afford to buy it outright, the seller said that he would set up a payment plan for her. The car was in a garage in the downtown Chicago area and she was given access to it while she made the payments.

Named Etta, after Etta James, Michaela finished college, made the last payment, and surprised the whole family when she brought it home. Michaela has made some new memories with Etta. It was her wedding car! She says she drove the Wayfarer to the ceremony herself, barefoot, because she couldn’t push in the clutch in her wedding heels.

All Original

The car is still dressed in its factory green paint. The engine is the 1950 Dodge 230.2-cubic-inch flathead powerplant, mated to a standard three-speed manual transmission. Nothing has been upgraded, it doesn’t have power steering, it features the original 6-volt electrical system, and of course the ‘three on the tree’ column stalk.

Michaela says that while the interior is a bit worn, it hasn’t been touched. The factory markings are still in the door jams and the engine bay! When her family purchased the car, the only options they got were turn signals and a heater. They paid a whopping $1,800, plus $100 for the options.

As far as Michaela knows, the only thing that has been changed is one of the headlights. When it was taken out, it was stamped 1950. Etta was featured in ABC’s show, Fargo, and it may be in a new show coming soon.

As the youngest member of Worth Cruisers Car Club, and a member of the Rat Pack Car Club, Michaela takes Etta to as many car shows as she can. She loves her Dodge, especially the look and the feel of it – and no seat belts! She especially enjoys getting a thumbs-up from other drivers.

Michaela says she is grateful to the previous owner for helping her get Etta back into the family.

She says Etta will never be away from the family again. Sometimes she likes to take it out for a ride to “just put down the windows and roll down the road.” Michaela says she has taken up the job of driving the family to get ice cream and keeping that tradition alive!

Michaela and her husband Rodger, along with a friend, have recently started a charitable foundation, visit KFG Racing on Facebook, to benefit veterans' suicidal and mental health organizations. Part of the profit from racing and/or merchandise goes to those vets in need.

If you have a car you would like to see featured in Classic Wheels, contact Rudy Host, Jr. at Classic.Wheels.Rudy@gmail.com.