What's the difference in a '30 & '31 A?

I'm respectfully asking for y'all's knowledge and expertise!!

Recently my father-in-law drug home an A coupe. It's been in a barn east of Kansas City since 1955. It had a MO title (as a 1930), now has an OK title, as a 1930.

My f-i-l owned several 32's back in the 60's to early 70's (he's in his 70's), but this is his first A. It has all the appearances of being all original and not pieced together from other cars. Still wearing some of the original paint; black fenders and blue-ish/gray everywhere else, no evidence of ever been painted again, but mostly patina everywhere. He thinks it has a 31 radiator shell, it is inset/recessed at the top and painted black in the inset, he remembers the 30 being flush, not inset. Correct or not? And, he thinks he remembers the 30 having two piece splash panels between running board and body, and the 31 having a one-piece splash panel. His coupe has one piece splash panels.

The instrument panel has horizontal lines on it, if that helps any from one year to the next.

One of his older buddies is telling him that it might be a very late 30, with some 31 parts on it, being a transition build at the factory from one model year to the next model year.

Are either one of them correct? Or both of them remembering wrong?

Again, it looks all original, not pieced together.

It's still wearing 19" wires, all 4 tires has Spanish (??} writing on the sidewalls, saying they were made in Santiago, Chile. Maybe tires bought in WWII when tires were hard to come by, being rationed? Again, its been in a barn since 1955.

Car is very, very solid. All the wood inside the body is good, the doors close very solid with very little effort and a solid click and zero sag. Fenders are all very straight, never any cracks or tears. I can't find any evidence of any body repairs anywhere, or any repainted areas. The body supports under the seat and in the rumble seat area are the same bluish-gray. The only rust I can find anywhere is in the floor area of the rumble seat. It starts easily and runs/drives well. The wood under the body supports, on top of the frame is still solid.

Does the engine number tell us anything? Drivers side of the block has a "star"A413****, same number is on the title. The tag on the passenger side of the firewall is illegible. Any place else to look for numbers?

My father-in-law typically keeps stuff for a year or so, then gets the "trading bug" for something else. I'm thinking I want to buy this one when he loses interest.

I street rodded a 34 Chevy sedan back in the 70's, but I've never personally messed around with A's enough to know the difference of one year to the next, but always admired them from a distance.

Thanks in advance for any info!

Joe

 

that serial number puts the car in November 1930 production

yes, two piece running board splash aprons as 1930 , one piece 1931...but i think anything can happen from the factory on A's


i'd remove the serial number from your post , no one else needs to know that

 

grille shells are different too.....but that could have easily been change over the years

the engines were assigned a serial number when made , when it was assembled into the chassis that number was stamped into the top of the frame right behind the first body mount hole drivers side. to see it you have to remove the body, no other numbers anywhere else. that tag on the firewall tells you nothing specific about the car

pictures?

 

Many (if not all) '31's had a teardrop style recess in the firewall for the fuel petcock and sightglass.

 

Late 31 had the recessed firewall with the fuel shutoff on the engine side of fitewall.

 

I failed to mention that the windshield frame has been changed sometime in the past.

And, the headlight buckets aren't stock A, are they?

 

Headlights should be stainless with round not teardrop shape.

 

An early 31 Model A sold in 1930 and titled as a 1930. The state which it was originally sold in probably titled car by the year they were sold in rather than by model year of factory.

 

Well, it let me upload the first pic, but now I can't upload any more. I'm sure its me.

Thanks to all for your replies!

 

That was the late '31's. Same with the longer column drop that reached up to the welded flange at the top of the tank, instead of attaching to the bottom of the tank, where they would start to leak.