Projects From 500 horses to 40....maybe 35

So about 3 weeks ago I sold my full built 31 Tudor Sedan, its no fun trying to go slow in a fast car is what they say and I have to agree now especially living in Houston area, traffic, lights, suck ass drivers.... you know suburban hell. So to further punish myself I was looking up projects left and right after I sold the car, I knew I still had a love for model a fords and I guess once you get bit by the early bug you are infected. This last sat night I was browsing the web and found this lil 29 coupe, not much of a description online, couple decent photos, so contacted the guy and made the 250 mile trip yesterday to go get it, then the 250 home. Was part of a museum collection that the museum folded and gave this guy who was a curator the car for his hard work. He has had his hands on the car for quite a while for sure. It was also supposedly used as an extra in some bonnie and clyde movie and he showed me the damage the studio transport guy did to it. Its very original only one repaint 13 years ago. So here I am going from a huge big block sedan to a banger in 2 weeks roughly. What a change, I had wanted to strip the fenders off the old girl but its hard to pull a nice one apart and do that to it. The interior is orig other than the seat cover. Has rumble seat also that's recovered.

Am I nuts for having a hard time taking it apart for some vintage racing like TROG or Hotrod hill climb? I know if I was on fordbarn they would say to keep it like it is, but I am not there probably for good reason.

But none the less, here is the lil 29 coupe in all her glory, going to remove package tray for my tall dumb self. So what you guys think of the ole gal?

 

It looks like a very cool solid car. I completely get wanting to keep original, but it's your car, have fun with it. Take off the original parts and put them away so you can put it back together one day if you want. Until then run it at TROG, the Hill Climb and anywhere else that will take you!

 

So what are your plans for the A?

 

Think Clyde would have already hopped it up .... and Bonnie would have shot that lil' b#tch, when the cops closed in. Hurry up and chop it, before the world ends !!

 

You can hop up the A and still have lots of fun.Good looking lil coupe.

 

Leave the fenders on . Hop up that banger and bring it to the hillclimb. Lots of cars with fenders here

 

Originally, I was going to strip fenders, high comp head, holley 97 downdraft and alum intake, possibly distributor upgrade. 17" wires probably.

Now that I have her here, I got to rebuild the fuel shutoff valve, some carb tweaks for the time being. Remove package tray and drive it. Wife got in it and said she may want it, so I got to make the seat adjustable now.

Ultimate goal is drop axle, good traditional 40s style hotrod with banger motor, then when I get tired of the banger drop a flathead v8 in there for some 50s era traditional. Just wanting something very traditional, functional, dependable, and all in all FUN. Maybe put a taller rear gear in to get some more top end speed out of her.

 

Too nice to take apart/strip.......I think the car looks great and you might find it a refreshing change of pace.
Congratualtions on your find.
Ray

p.s. any damn fool can put a V8 in something....but with 200 cubes that Banger can be made to perform very nicely and the satisfaction of unleashing it's potential should be it's own reward.

 

X2 what he said. So few of those left. You could sell that one for a profit then buy another already butchered. You'll save money+time and that car is saved going to someone who appreciates it as is.

 

It looks like a pretty nice car. HRP

 

Or sell it to ME!.....I have family in Katy.....would be a good excuse to drive down there

(or don't,.... the very LAST thing I need is another car! ......still.....

Ray

 

Well my friend when it comes to fenders think about it this way. They never had a problem pulling them off in the beginning. The upside is that they unbolt. Keep as many of the original bolts as you can and you can loose the guilt knowing that you can always bolt them back on.

Now as for the HP loss you may find that you don't like owning acar that cannot even get out of its own way. I have lived in a city or two in my time and always enjoyed having enough zot to get out into traffic when I needed to.

That said good for you. Its a good starting place for whatever you decide to do with it.

 

I'd take the fenders off in a heartbeat. If you think you may want the fendered look later stick aside somewhere in the corner of the yard. I'd sell them to somebody doing a restoration and use the funds to build the banger.

 

So a museum curator sold a "very original" car to a hot rodder.
How did that happen?

 

I'm pretty savvy when I turn on that southern gentlemen thing.

His first words were, "you don't look like the person I was expecting to come buy this car" 5 minutes into the arrival he showed me all his stuff and his 34 coupe project.

 

Thanks Beaner, yeah the HP may be something I will always want, but motor swaps are easy, I really feel good about this one, and having a banger cruising around really makes me feel transported wayyyy back. I may just pull the fenders off and tuck em away sooner than later, leave the side skirts for now as a lot of folks seem to be doing. Thinking if I can even get into the 60 hp range with this thing it will be plenty fun for what I want it for. Don't know what it is maybe its me getting older but I have been enjoying bangers and flatheads tons more these days. Keeping this old vintage tin going.

Everyone thanks for the words of wisdom this thing should be a lot of fun after I rebuild the fuel shutoff.

 

Pulled the package tray, and low and behold the floor is different than the 30-31s I am used to, having a hard time taking a cutoff wheel to the seat support and foot support for the rumble seat. I guess the nice and orig car has me scared to make a cut. Only found one patch job under the rumble seat rest is 100% solid. Ugggggg

 

I understand being leery about cutting up a good solid original car thats nearly 100 years old. I had a 28 roadster pickup that was so original I couldn't bring myself to change anything on it. But it is impractical to drive one on today's roads because they are so slow and unresponsive so I sold it to someone who wanted to keep it original. I think if you keep it you need to hop up the banger so you don't get run over by someone in a hurry.

 

I’ve had, and still have, both banger powered and V8 powered Model As. The most fun to drive are the four bangers, imho. My ‘29 cabriolet is highly modified, subtly, but still runs a four cylinder A motor. I took it on a solo 500 mile trip last year with no problems.

 

Sell it and buy a Hotrod A.
I couldn’t cut that one either.

 

Never be afraid to modify a super nice Model A; there were millions produced and there are still plenty of original/restored cars of every year and body style, excepting a handful that are not really desirable body styles for hot rods.

My “rare” 29 cabriolet was produced in a quantity of maybe 25,000. Make the car into what you want with no regrets.

 

I agree. Starting with a clean super nice car means less work needed to repair rot issues that aren't there.

 

Whoa. Don't make too many plans for the boss's car. Maybe a high-comp head & dual carbs (for driveability of course), juice brakes perhaps. If she likes this one uncut, maybe it's time to find a stalled project that you will enjoy modifying.

 

Really good looking A. Just remember taking fenders off, chopping it doesn’t make it a traditional hot rod. The owner respect for the car with their subtle changes do. When I got my 32 when Christ was a corporal I had big plans then took it out for a ride I was sunk. More freaking power then brakes! Tweaked the engine and added juice brakes and some other stuff to the drive train, done. My friends ask when am I going to dump the fenders and put a flathead V8 in it? I just smile.

 

The banger has really grown on me, went out last night to address some other issues on her, fuel valve needs a rebuild so drained the tank and decided to see how long she would run on float bowl, fired right up and just clicked em off for about 7 minutes. After making the mixture adjustment it runs pretty dang good.

I think yall hit the point, at least I have a floor to cut and modify, my last one had nothing at all. I will move the stock seat back about 6" -8" and modify the package tray and re install I think. I think a high compression head is going to be on the list for sure, single 2 barrel down draft, thinking a finned lifter cover also. Don't know why these lil bangers are so much fun, but honestly glad I got one that's a runner.

Sorry pumpman, "When Christ was a corporal" I just pissed myself laughing.

 

Well, I found a cool way to re use almost everything in the seat relocate, I now have too much room but not complaining. 6" setback with package tray removed, cut the rivets that held the floor to the seat brace cut 1" off the floor skin coming from the rumble seat forward, laid it down into the subrails, So I re used all the seat brackets, just had to add 2 cross beams from one side of subrail to the other and 2 additional braces for the seat back. Been ordering a few parts for it, and going to change that RED coil out.... uggg...

 

So took her to breakfast sat morning, then got into doing some odds and ends... Had a couple Edison plugs that snapped the cap off so had to do new plugs, thankfully my local parts store had them in about a day. So I looked at those straps going to distributor and said hummm, lets polish that and see. 0000 steel wool and some mothers later, put some little knobs on top for a better look and bam, looks tons better already. Now to finish hacking out the crap wiring job, and re do with some of my touches. Stay tuned.

 

Ok....spent the weekend de wiring and re wiring. I swear some folks should never touch wires ever again. Duct tape and twisted wires are not safe for the love of god...... Here are some progress pics, Finally have a horn that works, headlights that work and parking lights that work oh yeah it still runs. All connections other than 3 at the switches are soldered, everything is overbuilt, minimum gauge is 14 and that's for the parking lights. Alternator conversion done, I know I know alternators look dumb but its what I had and will work for now. Anywhere that has a junction with metal, like the radiator wire straps, heat shrink was used then the wires placed into the wire strap, just for added precaution. Used some 5/8" copper tube for a wire run like the vintage speedsters etc, once polished it should shine like hell. Where the junction box would go I am going to make something to cover that up and look correct also without looking dumb. Hope everyone is doing good.

 

Great model a.

 

I'd say you're on the right track, or at least close to the one I'd take. My heartburn about pulling into traffic is changing gears. You might consider a modern transmission. A top shift Ford top loader is on my list of improvements. Also a set of "Flathead Ted's" floating brake parts to get it stopped.

Cool car.

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