Hello. I have been lurking here for years, watching, learning , and loving the information and builds. I have always been a vintage motorcycle guy with a dream of someday building a traditional Hot Rod. Well last weekend after months of searching the right start to a build showed up on my local craigslist. A 1930 Model A Roadster body , frame , and misc parts for the right price. I have the Tardel book and have been reading and learning. Anyways I thought I would introduce myself and post some pictures of my pile of parts.
You'll have plenty of company, lots of A builds. Post some pics ' Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
welcome to the "coupester" group. Yours was a coupe, or cabriolet, etc.... not a roadster originally. I turned my ex-coupe into a convertible style with roll-up side windows and a heater/defroster, because we have a lot of non-summer days.
Meaning what this car body was? If so, look at the width of the door, from front to back. A roadster door is very narrow compared to yours, and roadster doors are very thin due to not having space for side glass. Not to cause dismay, as there are quite a few Model A coupsters on here that look great. I will find some pics or a thread...soon .
Here we go...the recent Coupester thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/calling-all-coupesters-lets-see-em.945002/ Don't pay any attention to the hamb haters... they have their heads up you know where.. Coupes have been converted to open rods longer than they have been alive. Some converions are not so good, some are fantastic. The sky is the limit, and my advice is not to try to disguise what it once was. Make it nice, and it will get you own the road just fine. Speaking of hamb asshats.... we were once told by a 32 Ford cabriolet owner here, that "we were wasting our time, trying to build a cabriolet from a coupe" (that lost it's roof decades ago) I just got mine on the road this month. Not to sound obnoxious, but I have driven countless cool cars including fancy customers cars, for 49 years, and my coupester gets 10 times the smiles and waves of any of them. These "smilers" likely don't know the year/model, nor what decade it represents....they just like the heck out of it
Thank you F&J. I now understand. Very new to this but eager to learn. I am finishing up( by finishing up I mean mechanically not a restore) the 1959 Harley Duo Glide in above pictures then settling in on the model A. There was a brand new black canvas top that came with the parts that I will not be using. How do I tell if it is for a coupester or roadster?
The upper body line on a roadster is different then the closed cars such as a Coupe which your car started out as. Nothing wrong with that, it can still be a cool car.
Welcome to the HAMB bro. The original roadster will have longer quarter panels to make up the difference of the doors. Roadster doors are only 23 or so inches wide from cowl to quarter. Coupes doors are 4 inches wider. Mine is a roadster (29) look at quarter in front of rear wheel then compare to yours. You will have more room in your car too, enjoy. Don't be afraid to ask questions, many of us are here to help. Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Welcome to the HAMB, good luck with your A project, looks like you have a full shop with everything you need to build it. Bob
Welcome to the HAMB....you've got a real nice project there for sure! A lot of us live and breathe this stuff every day & we all start with a lot of questions....have fun with your car!
Good group here thanks for the welcomes and comments. So I have a coupe! It's all good. More room is better and maybe I will chop a top and put it on. Lots of decisions to be made. For now its going to sit and watch me finish up the pan head and I do have a triumph to do some work on for a friend. Then it will be Hot Rod time! I have learned over the years that it best to ease into it and develop a solid plan to deviate from. I have always admired the Rod scene but the bug bit me when a friend of mine went to TROG as a spectator then back the next year on a bike. I am not looking to race there but love the event and the machines. I love the idea of a flat head but I have a good 283 and transmission squirreled away. So for now its gather parts hang around here and learn. The body parts I have are in amazingly good condition for the rust belt. I am thinking the paint is already finished?
I'm not the guy to ask; I'm not familiar enough with anything approaching a subtle difference on A coupe/roadster bodies. BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. It's a nice body in nice shape and will make a nice hot rod in short order.
welcome to the party ... nice set of part(s) you have there and cant wait to see the end result of it =0)
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