A reader, Tom Lahey, sent in a burning question, so thought we'd pass it along and welcome comments. You can post them as responses or email to me directly.  Tom's note coincided with a related tip from bloggist Rick Hill, posted below Tom's note:

From Tom:

"HI, I burnt the wooden wheels on a car of mine, ….with the torch getting the hubs apart. They had paint on them them, and I saw the paint bubble a bit, but had no idea I was damaging the wood.

"Is there any chemical that will react with the black (carbon?) burnt area, and turn it back to the tan color, or at least so it is not so obvious?" --Tom Lahey

Rick Hill sent a note referring to kneeslider's blog on a wooden car. Some research finds the car is in the St. Louis Automobile Museum. It's not really a museum as much as a vintage car sales operation. This gem is going for $23,900, and you buy it through eBay.

Here's the seller's description, with a video of it driving embedded below:

"A truly One of a Kind work of automotive art! Built by a west coast boat builder in 1959, this awesome wood car will complete any collection. The story behind the car is that the builder wanted a unique hotrod, one that reflected his superior woodworking skills along with his knowledge and love for boats. He started by building a wood body modeled after a Modern Mechanics Magazine article, then he sourced out an ultra rare 1952 Ariel Square Four motorcycle engine and transmission for the power. The suspension was taken from a Citroen of the era, and rest was all hand fabricated. Many parts are period correct new car pieces, the taillights are Cadillac, the headlights are generic part store replacements, and the fuel cell is a California Speed shop special.

Driving this car is an experience only a lucky few will ever have. Starting the engine is easy, just turn the key. The pedals are like that of a normal car, the shifter is a sequential 4 speed, braking is done by four wheel hydraulic drum brakes. The real fun is cruising around town and seeing the looks on people’s faces, accelerating thru the gears is exhilarating, but the car stays stable while doing so. The exhaust note is fantastic due to the hand built side exit pipes. Proper running lights for legal street driving where installed when the car was built, however comforts like climate control are absent.

After building and driving the vehicle for a short time the builder put the car in storage, and later sold the car to a Nevada Collector. The car remained in the care of that collector until it was purchased by a friend of the museum during a Rare Motorcycle hunting trip to Vegas, shortly after the car was transported to St. Louis it was sold to the Museum. It is important to note the original condition of the vehicle, the high build quality and excellent care the car has received over the years has preserved it very well, a piece of Americana from a similar time of innovation and individual creativity. 

The car does have a clear Missouri title as a 1952 Ariel and carries the VIN from the motorcycles engine. Please do not hesitate to contact us about this rare opportunity to purchase this spectacular motorcar. If nothing else it is truly fun to show your friends the new piece of art you just acquired."