Almost There

Wrong place, wrong time. Right place, right time. Wrong place, right time. Right place, wrong time? Those were the jumbled thoughts running through my head when my friend sent me the link to this Model A roadster for sale. I was in the middle of a work project, so I wasn’t able to take the time to really study it. All I saw was a rust-free body, an overhead V8 and an unforgettably heavy channel.

My first impression was this: if I had seen this car while I was looking for mine, I would have bought it. Not knowing much about the dimensions of a Model A roadster, I would have assumed I’d fit nicely in the cockpit. Pull the smallblock, install a flathead. Find a cut-down Deuce grille shell, a chopped windshield frame and finish out the rest.

Later in the week, I revisited the ad. That’s when I got the full story.

Unfinished teenage [project] from the ’50s living in storage ever since. Lifelong Southern California car. Channeled over a highly modified ’46 Ford frame. ’46 rear and front. 1955 Corvette 265 (stuck) and a 1939 transmission.

The closer I looked, the more interesting it got. For all intents and purposes, the builder was creative with their fabrication. The frame has been shortened and outfitted with a tubular front crossmember and custom motor mounts. Hanging pedals have been mounted on the firewall, and a flat piece of aluminum serves as the dash.

The part that really gives it personality, however, is the T radiator and the high-riding headlights. They drive home the point that this car was built by a kid big on dreams but short on cash. They used what they could get their hands on rather than what’s hot. They wanted to run this car—but never had the chance. What’s the rest of the story?

I’d love to see someone put this one back on the road. For more info, check out the ad here.

—Joey Ukrop

Photos by sparkydeluxe