I've been looking for a '30-'31 A Coupe for a while now and finally ran across this thing a few months ago. A really nice 80 year old gentleman owned it. I wanted to find a black one that was fairly rust and bondo free with no surprises, I think I lucked out with this one. It's fairly original and unrestored. Originally an Arizona car, it doesn't have any filler and is completely rust free. It's an original black car that has been resprayed once at one point. The old black lacquer is cracking in some spots and the roof insert was done back in the 40s, but I think it looks just fine. It cranks up and runs great! Heres a few pics:
I was aproached in a restaurant once by a guy and he wanted to know why I had cut up and ruined a perfectly good car and turned it into trash!? I thought he was joking and just laughed and he got really pissed and started telling me how people like me made him mad, ruining all the original cars. I explained this car was retrieved from a washout area and was missing to many parts to restore and the top was rusted through so I saved it the best way I could by cutting it off and making an open car. Blasphemy! More ranting! I started laughing more to his dismay and he asked what was so damn funny? I told him, the good news is you will probally die before I do and I will make it a point to go to your family auction and buy your pristine Model A coupe and chop it before the first night fall! He was pissed, cussed some more as he walked away! Funny stuff. So with that said, you got a nice car, do with it what you will but remember, it is your car now, enjoy it what ever your vision is. Just my 2 cents, I would chop it and go to work!
I'm not a restoration guy, but i am thinking it is going to be hard to improve on what you got there. Maybe some banger stuff, a flattie V8? I am thinking that since you looked so hard for such a complete and original car then that is pretty much the way you'll keep it, am i right? And yes, original black model T & A are not common, relatively few were painted black.
Please don't break it's cherry, there are a lot of neat things that can be done that are reverseable to orig. (bolt-ons, wheels, remove fenders, engine mods, etc.) and still make it "your car" until it gets passed along to anouther caretaker.
IIRC "Henry" had them all painted black (any color as long as it is black) because black was cheaper and dried quicker to fit into his assembly line requirements.
I think oj may have been inserting a bit of sarcasm there. Actually there were quite a few colors available including copra and chicle. I'm sure a Model A expert can tell us just how many others may have been available other than the aforementioned black.
They're the correct '30-'31 19" wheels. I'm actually a broke college kid, but this car is exactly what I wanted to find. I just wanted a nice solid car that I could leave full fendered, I don't plan on chopping this one. I wanted to have something I could bomb around in while I worked on it. I've been collecting parts for a while now, I just needed a car. I have a few things in mind, but it won't involve cutting the solid body, and I can't stress enough how rust free this thing is.
Lothiandon is right. There a quite a few websites that have taken the time to post all of the original color combinations of body paint and wheel color. The surprising thing is the Model A offered an apple green wheel color that looks like it came right off a 1970's blacklight poster. This is the same wheel color Brookeville used when one of their first all-steel repops passed for original in an antique car scoring competition. It's shown on their website. (One last bit, I am extremely jealous that this car was snuck out of AZ!)
This car actually came out of Dallas, it was originally an AZ car though. I think the factory black Model As were uncommon because black wasn't offered as a standard color. I remember reading that at the time black was associated with the older "out of date" cars.
Thanks! I don't know about this car, but we'll see. I'm still going to build that 354 whenever the funds allow it.
Nice find. Build it anyway you like it, but if it were mine, I wouldn't change anything that couldn't be unbolted and changed back to the original part.
Awesome find!! Good for you....not that many left to be found from a gentleman, instead of a broker or scalper.. Now Enjoy!! Cheers..........
Thanks, they were a nice older couple. The fella I bought it from was tickled that he was one year younger than the car.
i hope it stays mostly original. I have to admit; it does get old seeing the same A coupes with the same top chop job and the entirely same deal done to them. I'd love it if this thing didnt have a chop top and id love it even more if it stayed the way it was. Some cars deserve to be hot rodded. I can see wanting a better engine and some minor changes but i like the stock look on this one. There are plenty of great hot rod candidates out there but one thats been imaculately taken care of by an 80 yr old guy and has ben preserved....i just cant see it being hotrodded. I like it just the way it is. what a cool cruiser.
i agree with farmergal. lots of others out there that have be robbed of orginal parts already. too far gone. this is very nice and complete leave it alone. or at least thats what i would do. but its your car. have fun.
All I'd do to that would be to lower it. Maybe some speed parts on the motor, and up grade the brakes. Very good find.
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