Hot Rods Young guy wanting to finish his dads Model A

A young guy stopped by the shop today,he ask for the man driving the old car out front,he immediately introduced himself and said he had noticed my car many times as he past the shop,he then showed me some photos of a Model A sedan project his dad was building but he had gotten ill and passed away a couple of years ago.

He confessed he didn't know very much about old cars but wanted to finish it as a tribute to his dad,it looks like he was on the right track,at first glance it looked like his dad was well on his way to building the style car we like,with 2 exceptions,huge billet wheels & a raised ribbed van type roof.

Jeff said one thing his dad did almost 1o years ago and was always unhappy with the way it looked was the roof and he ask me what could he do to put a original vinyl roof back on the Model A like what's on my sedan and since the car is still in the rough in stage I suggested cutting the van roof out and go back with the stock materials or flat sheet metal,padded and then cover.

I also suggested he get rid of the wheels,especially if he want's the original look.

I told Jeff,I would bring it up with my friends tonight and get their thoughts/opinions. HRP

 

You’re right HRP, those wheels gotta go (ASAP that is). As for the roof,it too needs to go. Sure, it’s a lot of work, but that’s the beauty of our hobby, you’re always learning how to do it as you go.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Sounds like a nice kid. He has the good sense to ask a local guy who drives his car rather than his buddies who would probably tell him to rat rod it.
When I built my model T I spent many hours asking questions of any of the older guys in the area who had traditional styled cars. Of course they weren't called that then, nor was there a resource like this to draw info from.

Well done HRP

 

I've actually seen several sedans built in a traditional style that had the ribbed roof that looked good. I think the other aspects being right will help draw your eye away from the roof.

I say if it's on there let it ride. Stance and cool wheels will go a long way toward bringing it around.

 

Pics?

The ribbed roof could look cool, or could look like a$$. Then again, if his dad did it and didn’t like it, I’d be looking to cut it out and re-do it the way dad would have, if he had gotten to it.

Wheels are an easy swap.


Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

I don't have any photos.

I looked around the net and the photo I am posting looks much better than the top.



The ribs were laid out similar but looked like they could be 2" wide. HRP

 

I believe I remember hearing that 73ish vega wagon roofs were almost a direct fit on Tudor. Wasn't this a quick fad in the mid 1970's . Believe I've seen some photos of model A's with Vega roofs. If I remember correctly, the guys in the photos all had knit slacks and Tom Sellick mustaches.

 

Danny, did you tell him about the hamb?

 

That ribbed roof would look cool on a wagon. Gave me ideas.

Sent from my Z971 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Wait, I vaguely remember hearing that early Plymouth voyager mini vans roofs worked too. They had ribs. Knit slacks optional.

 

highly recommended is one by Walden Speed Shop, Pomona, CA - expensive but, works good from what I have read: www.hotrod.com/articles/killer-filler-roof-insert/

 

Good for you Danny.
I too had a young fellow who lost his dad and wanted to finish an early 40s Chevy. At least that’s what I thought at the time.

I took a good look at the car and went over step by step with him explaining the amount of work needed.
I asked him to visit the H.A.M.B. and read read read. Then I went on to tell him I would help direct him but he will be doing every bit of the work.
I knew his dad and helped him do some welding and fab work on it when he was alive. I also thought the boy didn’t have this dedication. I asked him to contact me when he was ready to begin.
Hoping I was wrong I waited 9 yrs until one day I seen the garage door open and an empty bay. Sad.
I would take a look at the work of this ribbed roof and go from there.
If done well, show him some traditional cars with this done.

 

Ribs may not be bad ,but if your saying they are the super wide 80's looking ribs ,that would be a no go . He took the initiative to stop and ask for info ,that car may have a chance.

 

I wouldn't press the ribbed roof issue too much. Get him into something way over his head, and his kids will be in the same position he is now. Get the thing going first.

 

...............................................If you clear it with your club, you might want to see if the young lad might be interested in attending a meeting. Tell him if he is respectful of your pals and the club itself, he might become a member. I know we old guys can be a little "reserved" sometimes regarding his generation but, there's nothing like some new blood to re-vitalize a group that may be getting a little long in the tooth.

 

Withe the ribbed roof done, I'd just cover it with foam and vinyl. Why cut a hole in a sealed up roof?
As long as there's a headliner, no one will know it's done that way and you would be covering with vinyl and padding anyway.
Maybe some old style R&P vinyl and running board covers?

I believe that electro-welded R&P would be good for this as it doesn't really have stitches to leak

 

I talked to guy at the Run to the Sun one year that had a top on a Tudor filled with one from a Jeep Cherokee. It probably would not meet the approval here, but it was a running, driving car, and I would rather see that than a project that never got finished.
A roof is a big project for a beginner, help him get it running, worry about the roof later, if ever. Jmho. Good luck.

 

Undoing a filled roof may be kid stuff (no pun intended) for some HAMBers, but it might prove to be a major stumbling block for this young man. How 'bout if we be a little less retentive about the details and just help this guy get the car running and on the road...

 

Forget about the frigging roof!

Help the kid get it running driving and safe. Change out the billet wheels to something that fits and looks right for the style of the car. If that is a set of cheap Chrome smoothies or cragars so be it.

Not everything needs to be a 1940's style car.

 

I am with the "leave the roof alone" crowd. If the young man has limited skills/tools etc (just like I did when I was young, now I have more tools but the same limited skills) just get the darn thing on the road. It's not a big job to sell the wheel/tire combo and getting a "older" styled wheel tire combo isn't like "fixing" the roof. It's his car and if his dad did the ribbed roof, then that is part of the heritage of the car, keeping dad's vision is part of the experience.

 

Yes I did. HRP

 

Gotta agree with everyone: get him nice wheels, get him running, get him on the Hamb. Forget the roof. He's got the rest of his life to change that roof, so don't overwhelm him now. Something else to consider--even if he knows that roof is wrong, it was done by his recently deceased dad. So there could be some emotion in undoing the work. Let it go for now.

 

Obviously some of you are under the impression it was me that initiated the conversation about the roof,it was Jeff who said his dad was not happy with the look and ask me what could be done to correct the problem.

From what I could see in the one photo of the top it's just tacked in.HRP

 

Ah, the rest of the story. I'm sure most, like me, assumed finished. Without knowing his skill level, I'd say get him on the Hamb so he can investigate what's involved in redoing the roof. Which you've already done.

 

Don,We have a pretty open door policy with our club,Tri-City Rod & Custom and I did extend a invitation for him to come to a meeting as my guest and if he thought he could put up with a bunch of old farts we would love to have him join us.

It turns out he is going to Tech at night and unable to visit now but would like to come to a meeting in the future.

BTW,long in the tooth,you bet our club is celebrating 45 years this year,we need new blood if the club is going to last many more years. HRP

 

And just wtf is wrong with Tom Sellick mustaches ?


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I talked to Jeff this morning and he informed me that his uncle is going to be helping him during the Thanksgiving holidays remove the ribbed top and they will replace it with a smooth piece of metal and in the future use padding and cover it with vinyl.

Sounds as though he has a plan. HRP

 

does he go to tri county tech.?

 

I believe that or Greenville Tech. HRP

 

Too bad you aren’t a little closer. I have a smooth roof off of a falcon wagon with a nice contour I would give him. We hung onto it because it was hard to find one when I did mine. My A sedan I used a corvair van. It is a little flat but ok.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.