Art & Inspiration Jesse James built 30 Model A

Hmmm, what was it that P.T. Barnum said?
Regarding the criticism of the white coupe I tend to agree, it’s overpriced, will we ever see it driving down the interstate at that price? If not I don’t see the point in it. JMO.

 

This is just my opinion and I am not trying to offend anyone or be derogatory it's just my first thought and opinion. The car is nice and done well but it looks like it was thought out by a girl for what a girl would want for her idea of a hotrod. I realize there are girls that think just like many of us guys but most women see hotrods through a different filter than most of us. I personally wouldn't be caught in it no matter what the cost. It just looks girly to me. Flame me if you feel the need but as I said, its just my thoughts and opinion .

 

price seems a bit crazy to me.. I like to look at it, but would not want to own it if I was one of these rich guys. I'm sure an equally nice A could be had for half that.... or even less. i'd rather have an anonymous car so I can tell everyone I built it myself.

 

The Ala Kart was mostly all white with a little purple and gold........

I really like the all white.........I just don't care much for the price tag.

 

Love it

 

I love the hemi and color is take it or leave it. Different. And I really think with today’s atmosphere they will be lucky get much. Hobby hasn’t seen worse yet. Personally I’d rather drive the shit out of my beater and smile to bank.

 

It is definitely a good looking car, but for the money it would take to buy it, you could build your dream car!!

 

It showed the construction of the steering wheel on the build show. It’s polished SS hand formed by Jesse


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I've read this post several times......laugh my ass off and still chuckle when I think of it. I'd have to do the "roll and crawl" also

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exactly the best thing you can say about your car is I built it myself with a little help from my friends

 

I love the car ,,,
The color, chrome, engine, pipes wheels tires, dash, interior. Even like the grill/nongrill and especially the double head lights up front.

all of it except for this view

From here it looks like dumbo,
Blows the whole thing for me.
Worse than butterface, like the hot stripper that wants to go home with you but you just saw the genital warts. No thank you!

I’m guessing some folks don’t don’t see everything at once and can over look the dumbo stance to get their tires above the trunk. It’s somebody’s dream car ,,, what the hell are they dreaming about I wonder.

 

That is a true "Correct 1950's East Coast" look, the out and above the wheel wells on a channeled car feature. There are a few that can get away with it, most can't. Bob

 

Sharp car, but for 135K I can build several!

 

Thintin, you said it all. There are thousands of beautifully built cars all over the United States. Lot's of people do some great work, but some clown like this guy comes along and everybody drools over the car. I watched his show once and that was it for me.

 

An interesting take haha.

Honestly, I can deal with the tires being above the decklid though it wouldn't be my preference. But to nitpick the car, the rear seems a few inches too wide and there seems to be some excessive space between the quarters and tires, which hurts the rear view more for me.

I still dig the hell out of this car. Some stuff like that is remedied easily enough. The shifter in the narrowed 55 Ford dash, the seats, the white.... just oozes cool. Like a Kustom hot rod. Love it.

 

This principle also applies to movie and TV show cars.

 

Still love the car but the rear bumper nerf bar reminds me of a dust mop frame. But I guess most of these type nerf bars do.

I don’t have an issue with the stance. Reminds me of an east coast heavy channeled car. Paul is a Yankee so maybe that’s what inspired the stance.

I would still roast those skinny bias ply tires into oblivion with a huge grin on my face.

 

Instant gratification for a guy with deep pockets and no building skills, 135,000 grand will buy a nicer car IMHO but part of the price tag justification is the notable individuates involved in the build along with the owner (Tutle's) notoriety.

I'm not throwing off on the car,the builders or the owner but IF I had that kind of money I wouldn't even consider it, looks like a show rod not a driver. HRP

 

I googled “east coast hot rod” and these came up

I see a lot of older pics of east coast rods that resemble this Model A.
Never thought of it as bad, just different.

 

Oh for sure by definition an east coast style build. But imo radical.

Here’s how I think this happens , the east coast build, and again really dig it.
So way back in traditional times guys were building stuff in the small 50’s sized garages in the winter. They make stuff look cool. Then in the spring time they roll it out and got the first look at the ass end of the thing. “Poopsohfuck that looks like shit (the first time they can actually see it) Hell I ain’t changing it now.” Is what they said.
I can’t believe anyone would actually start out wanting that rear view on their car but I don’t think like other folks either. There’s not much to do about dumbo because the cool as hell side profile forces that rear view puke down right down your throat with force.
By definition it’s an obvious design flaw because it breaks the flow and all the lines because the side’s lines and profile just can’t flow around to the back. It’s very confused because every decision and design change is dealt with and felt in the rear view.


The widest place on the body is the B pillar at the body line then narrower it goes down and narrow to the rear.
Lower the body between the wheels the side profile looks cool.
Space the wheels away from the body for clearance at the widest points B pillar and the body lines then the W I D E R dumbo gets. As the body narrows at the tail pan.
They’ve been doing it for years, like it if you must

yes and it’s very rare to see photos of the rear shot straight on. It’s very unflattering I guess. Lol. Maybe there’s another reason?

 

It's funny, in my opinion the rear view is nice. It's exactly what I'd expect from a coupe channelled to that extent and lots of cars in the early fifties already had that look with wider rear axles. All I know (not much) is just from looking at old pictures.

BUT if I had 135k I'd buy a Bridgeport mill, a big lathe, welders of all descriptions, an English wheel, add onto my shop, etc...and pick up a really nice fixable A coupe body to build for around 2-3k.

 

Top right, 2nd pic. Car in question?

 

The new owner could roast the skinny rear tires in a few minutes. Then swap with some wider pie crust slicks that fit tighter to the body.
The only change needed.

 

I don’t think you understand the controlling point. It’s about as tight to the body as it can get right now as it is.

 

Plenty of room to lose there.
If the paint gets warm, it gets warm.
I finger tip of clearance is plenty.

 

I agree that it is a beautiful ride,,,,not my cup of tea,,,but still a beautiful piece of work .
And while most guys look at body lines,,,I look at mechanical stuff .
Engines and drive lines capture my attention.

If you look at pics 58 and 59 ,,,,you will notice that the oil pan has been off and the cover off the bell housing since it was built .
Now,,,that captures my attention,,,why would it have been removed ?
Only for one reason,,,,to solve a problem!
Now,,,,it was built by one of the best,,,, not Jessie but I read another name mentioned at the start here .
In my book a piece like this should not have any engine problems,,,,,,not any !
And for 135,000 dollars,,,,it should be looked at closely .

Maybe I’m way off base,,,,,,maybe not ,,,,,who knows ?
Like I said ,,,I’m an engine guy,,,I notice stuff like that first .
It is a beautiful Hemi,,,,,awesome looks,,,,but how sound is it ?
I just hope whoever gets it ,,is happy with it .

Tommy

 

This car was a 'lark' when I saw it on 'ASS' (Austin Speed Shop) under the artful tutelage of Sandra Bullock's ex husband. It rang a bell...
1956, I was attending Santa Clara High, we had a good Auto shop, Mr. "Dizzy" Gillespie (not to his face!) was our teach. Gillespie hated hot rods, or anything with 'twin pipes', 'dual mufflers', et al. His shop had been 'violated' by some elder subjects, with said cars.
I had a '30 Model A coupe, no rust, full fendered stocker. All there, a runner. Sold it to a classmate, fellow sophmore, Stu Gates.
Stu wanted a hot rod...
Mr. Gillespie bought an oceanic cruise vacation for his wife and self, 2 weeks.
Monday morning we had a student teacher, nice guy, knew something, was a grad student out of Santa Clara University, an aeronautics college.
But he didn't know hot rods were 'taboo'.
Tuesday morning, Stu and friends pushed the '30 Coupe in the shop, I directed some now infamous names to do various tasks in disassembly, over the pit. By the end of the period 2nd day, Wednesday, we had a body standing on its firewall, and I had all the under subrails trimmed to let it down 7" over the frame!
Long story short, Pena's (honest) Auto wreckers arrived with a '39 Ford flathead, and the transmission attached. Eng./trans were swinging from a long boom on an ancient Chev truck chassis, 15+ feet in the air! I mean swinging! Pena dropped the package in front of the auto shop, and my 'staff' went to work.
Separate the eng./trans. Overhaul the engine, taper less than .008", ridge removed, rings...Fly it!
Joe Esperanca (remember San Jose's "Farmer Joe"?) A close bud. He did the tranny rebuild, with Mel Urich. (roundy round champ)
The car came together, round 3" pipe with 'suicide' mount rear, '37 front spring out back, '34 rear, driveline shortened in Machine Shop, thru the swingin' door...
'39 pedals, shortened '38 radiator. Stu wanted it LOW, so it got a $9.95 Mor-Drop from American Auto after school...
The car was now on wheels, student teacher gave everyone involved an 'A' for the 2 weeks. Made the exhaust system from 'U' bends from Louie Fahrberger at the new Babe's Muffler shop.
Fired it up on Friday, the last day. Stu backed it out with a vise grip on the clutch shaft, and a coat hanger to the single 94 carb.
Straight home to Stu's, where he painted it white primer!
Yep...7.00 X 16" whitewalls rear, and 5.00 X 15 VW fronts, (whitewalls) The rear tires towered above the trunk by 2". (I hated it...but Stu spec'd it.)
To say the Jesse James/Big Paul Model A Coupe looked familiar? I spilled a full glass of Beefeater and tonic when they rolled this butt-draggin' white channel job out for Big Paul! "Look!", I fairly screamed at my learned wife. She: "Looks like that high school venture you pulled when the teacher was on vacation."
That was it, all right. She'd seen pics at my shop that Joe ("Bluto") had from the day.
Gillespie got wind of it later, but the student teacher gave such high marks he didn't push it.
Stu drove the car to school one day, he had a Clay Smith woodpecker on the cowl...Gillespie thought it was a caricature of his redhead self!
Fast times... LOL
O.K., Jesse and Bob's was LOTS cleaner, and 'finished'...but the style mimicked it to a T! (er, an 'A'.) "at a glance"

 

If it was a high boy with 8 inch wheels and pie crust wide whites it would be cool and something I could build for 25% of the price. And yes Jesse has an ego as big as all out doors , but he also has more fabricating skill in one hand than a lot of high and mighty know it all's on here put together. Larry

 

I remember when John Buterra built his WHITE Model a roadster. The roadster was a jewel!! And just about everybody said DAMN it looks good in WHITE. Who'da thunk it? I like the coupe my self. In my tastes I'd have preferred a simple straight bar for the rear bumper. I'm curious about why Paul put it up for sale soon after he bought it. Personnaly, he might not have been comfortable in it. Or like his son, he might have changed directions, and sold off a few cars to make room for a new idea. Anyway---- I like the car. Bill Rinaldi

 

Cool ass car, wicked ass price !