| Old School..... in more than just knives |
[Apr. 17th, 2008|11:24 pm] |
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The day before yesterday, my wife got a phone call asking if we wanted to sell the Model A. My brother used to drive this in high school, and folks would drive up beside him, roll down the window and yell "sell it?!" So with us having our phone number on our sign out front I guess I should have expected that call.
Well, with everything that has been going on around here, that's what was needed to remind me that my brother had sent all the estate release paperwork weeks ago, and I still needed to finish the transfer and register the Model A in Tennessee. That is what I did today. After registering it I cleaned it off and started to take a really good look at the project ahead of us.
It's really in much better shape then I though. At first blush the only things stopping us from starting it up appear to be electrical and fluids. Then there are a ton of misc. parts needed to tie down body parts, tail lights, front bumper, head lights and horn, mirrors and so on. It looks like a bigger job then it really is, because each job is real, real simple. There are just a whole bunch of simple things that need doing. After that the job is mostly cosmetic restoration.
Tonight was about searching the web for suppliers. And I think I found one I like, Mike's "A" Ford-able Parts in Maysville, GA http://www.mikes-afordable.com/
I just ordered about $300 in small parts (Just things I could remember off the top of my head, from my inspection). That will be a good trial before moving on to some of the more major parts.
During my inspection and during the ordering process I think I can confirm some of the thoughts my father had. He was sold the car as a 1929, which he liked because he was a 1929. But then he was a little disappointed because he thought it really was a 1930. Well I think both are correct. Model years were not as important back then. In fact the change in frame and and chassis parts appears to take place not in the fall or at the end of 1929. But, rather at the end of march 1930. With everything before that called a 1929 style part and everything after a 1930 style.
Now from what I can see. looking at the parts I needed (from the examples of the parts I had). Everything in the rolling chassis appears to be in the 1929 style. But everything in the body appears to be in the 1930 style. So what I have is an "official" 1929/1930 Model A Ford Deluxe Coupe! (The title still says 1929, however)
Scott B. Jaqua
Hagerson Forge
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You mean to tell me I could have parked inside the garage when I was up at S's place? I thought that car was still inside.
Oh and I finally fixed her porch light too :)
Yes....... I thought you knew we hauled it back here when we made our second furniture run in November. It was loads of fur. A U-haul truck and an auto trailer all the way across the country (with, yes, yet more looky loos all the way home).
Some of those are their strategies for sell those parts, which is bad! That's why, when it comes to my car, there is only one site I trust when I buy my Ford parts. I trust only Car Stuff site.
I don't think that is the case here. I have a pretty good memory of what parts came with this car originally and it was a pretty clear mix of model years.
For example, one telling feature is the position of the emergency break lever. It's to the right of the gear shift in a "1930". It's in front of the gear shift on the "1929" As that is part of the rolling chassis it's in front on this car.
Another example are the hood hold down latch assembly's. On the "1930" they are mounted with two screws. On a "1929" they mount with three screws. This is a body part and on mine they are the two screw version.
The bumper parts (part of the frame assembly) are in the 1929 style. The mirrors and rumble seat steps (body parts) are in the 1930 style.
And the list goes on.
Oh! and your supplier doesn't go back any early then 1946. No Model A parts
From: ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) whc
2008-04-18 11:49 am (UTC)
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Yeah, model years are a modern invention. My mom's '61 bug had features of both a '60 and a '61.
Actually Henry Ford did announce Model Years for the Model A. He would announce the new features and body style in the beginning of the year (not in the middle of summer like they do now).
It's just that he didn't lock the design and technology. He used a process he called evolution to continuously update the engine and rolling chassis. Plus some interior features would be changed mid year. For example the dash counsel changed shape (along with the shape and style of speedometer)in the spring of 1930 (mine is the earlier style).The lighting switch plan (4 position vs 3 position) changed mid 1929 (I have the later plan)
I have dated my engine to May of 1929, based the the number stamped in the block. But in 1929, engine production was ahead of overall auto production. So an engine might sit on the shelf for four months before being mounted in a chassis. (Oh! and a may 1929 engine in a 1929 chassis, makes it look like if have the original engine)
On Mopar lists (I'm a Mopar fan, don't you know...) we have a saying, Any sentence that starts with "Ma Mopar never used/built/sold X in model year Y and one have never been seen." should be re-written as "never been seen, Yet."
By the way, you know anyone into older Buicks? early 50's? I have a '53 Series 40 2 door at my Dad's rusting away and I would love to get it in the hands on someone who could use the straight-8 engine & other parts, or use it as the basis of a restoration project... | |
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