After upwards of eight years lurking the monthly banger meets and all of the early Ford build threads I have finally been inspired to register in order to respond to inquiries by 3-Window Larry. On Saturday a thread was started by Larry seeking information on my 1929 (actually '28) Model A roadster pickup. The car was built between late 2007 and September of 2009 when it had its debut at the F.A.S.T. hill climb in Northwood, Iowa. A lot has happened in the five years between then and now, although the outward appearance is pretty much the same. The car runs a hopped-up four banger that is currently in its fourth iteration; the learning curve has been a little steep, but always fun. While building I had a goal of sticking with prewar parts, but allowed a couple of more modern concessions to sneak in, primarily to try to maximize my set-up for the annual hill climb in Northwood. I also tried to complete the build with mostly Model A parts and home-built stuff that would reflect a garage-built pre-war hot rod. I'm sure the members will draw their own conclusions about whether or not I succeeded at that. I should probably also note that there's not a lot of paint or finish; the car was built to race and there's only paint on what got fabricated or modified in some way. I have to thank Ryan and the H.A.M.B. for a lot of great information that has helped me with my project. I have been active in the Model A hobby for almost 50 years and am old enough to remember hot rods from the late 50's and early 60's. Somehow in the last ten years or so my interests have shifted from restoration to early Ford hot rods thanks to the H.A.M.B., Hop-Up, the Bishop-Tardel roadster book, the Don Montgomery books and everything else I could get my hands on to study the early cars and racing venues, and especially the flathead Ford fours and eights. I have a garage full of parts, a remarkably understanding wife, and newly found free time due to recent retirement. I hope I can give something back to this forum and the members with similar interests.
The Jalopy Journal
