Technical Why isn’t anyone doing Repro Steel Model A Coupe Panels ?

If you want to play, you have to pay. The best way to go about getting a model A coupe is buying a several year old restored coupe. If it was done correctly, starting with a good body, you will be far ahead, both dollars and time. I remember many years ago, Richie Willet from Malden, Mass. doing that. At first people thought he was nuts, but later realized he was ahead of the curve.

 

I like old Holdens but not enough to import one.

 

This coupe is listed at 10.9 on Hemming's. And Hemming's isn't ever really cheap. So there's not much sense in buying a rust bucket for $5000 unless you have all the other parts and lots of time and knowledge.

 

For reproducing it comes down to dollars and cents. They made a ton of and lots still available at a descent price.

 

Take a look at the ModelA sedan in the hamb
classified for $8500. I paid near that for my coupe
10 years ago. Same paint scheme, not junk but not
drive ready. The sedan looks like a very nice car
and a good deal as well. I do agree with the aging
of guys who are interested in vintage cars is a key factor.
I think the younger fellows see these vehicles archaic, more along the lines of horse drawn carriages, which they do bare a faint resemblance to.

 

If they did make coupe panels it would be easier to convert a 28-29 sedan to coupe since they use the same doors. Don’t know the differences in the subrails. 30-31 sedan uses longer doors so you’d basically just be using the cowl.


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well... '28-'29 sport coupes are the most overlooked quarters here in the USA.
plenty of them out there... coupe rooves for them should sell...
.
The depression started in September '29... 1928-'29 models were already sold...
the 1930-'31 models were affected, but not as bad as the depression throttled the hot rod royalty's production ['32-'34] …
Henry made a ton of model A coupes...
also the grey now white hairs realize that the car is going to outlive him... he is selling his extra parts...
his parts car coupe is usually pretty good or he wouldn't have bought it...
the parts car body/parts are showing up at swaps...
probably every tiquer club has guys in that particular spot... contacting those clubs and asking about parts cars might show results...
still, a '30 door to tail, window down quarter panel would sell... my $0.01 .

 

I keep thinking that those of us interested in cars of the Model A era are too few to support something like this, especially when I see ads for repro Camaro and Mustang bodies. Then I think about all the Dearborn Deuce bodied cars I saw at the last Deuce Days event which are obvious repro bodies and think maybe there is hope still.

 

I'm 39 for another month yet, so I feel like I might be in the younger-ish crowd here, but I will say that there are lots of hot rodders my age give or take 10 years in my area, and while I know a lot of them would love a Model A coupe or other early Ford, I can't think of a single one who has any desire for a reproduction body, in any material.

We want the real shit. We don't care how much extra bodywork it's going to take, or whatever. We'll drive a rough one before we'll build a replica. We don't value things just because they are "new".

I do agree though that some more reproduction panels in good quality sure would be nice for piecing back together the stuff we have left. When no one even wants to stamp out 49-51 Mercury rockers, I can't see big Model A panels having much of a chance.

 

I'm with @Squablow. I am in the northeast where every piece of early sheetmetal is precious. Sometimes you get lucky finding decent panels, most times you don't. Piecing little parts together is challenging but it can be fun too.

 

I am in Northern California, which is, oddly, roughly in the middle of the state.

I see ads for Model As for sale, that stay up for months, to years. Often times, they are not even over-priced, either.

The go-fast kids have no interest in them. For less than what we put into one of our cars, they can have a 1000hp Honda, that can stomp out the fastest street car on this board.

 

Ck Howell Sheetmetal in Texas they have it all. Link https://fordor.com/index.cfm

 

So why did they take the frames and grill shells to use on their model A and leave the 32 body behind?

I had an old time hot rodder tell me "We didn't care what kind of car it was, if it was fast it was cool. A fast model A was cooler then a slow 32!"

 

Racing was about speed and the A body was lighter.

 

Plus who wanted a Four door back then, dump the body off and swap it with an A roadster body.


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If you can get them to ship it in your lifetime!

 

And shipping not mangled.

 

I disagree! Hotrodding is very cheap compared to what New cars cost. Both serve the same purpose get you from point A to point B. I love it when my buddy comes over and tells me he can not afford a hot rod and then leaves in his 65K piece of shit plastic new truck. and there are a lot of guys just like him. I drive a beater and Hot rods

 

The OP is from Oz as I am , Hotrodding is definitely not cheap for us, especially when obtaining parts, old or new from the States, but it’s a choice.
Not arguing, but for instance, your paint and upholstery is insanely cheap compared to ours.

 

EMS is another source for sheet metal.

 

I like this picture a lot, @wheeldog57.
It shows hard work. Stick-to-itiveness. Tenacity. True desire.
Not to mention, skills.

 

Thank you @Rickybop for the kind words. I couldn't afford to buy a whole car so I pieced it together with anything I could get my hands on.
Still not mint but. . . .

 

Who wants mint, when you can have perfect?