When is an A-model to nice to hot rod?

Makes a diffrerence what you want to do with it. are you planning to drive it? Or maybe just look at it? Hord it in a private collection? If you think you would drive it, then it has to be a hot rod. don't think so? Go out and drive some!! besides, this is a trad rod /custom forum!

 

Nothing is too nice to cut up, when i get my next project im going to
Buy the nicest stocker i can afford to start with...

 

Look at it this way, with a Model A Ford every part is made new. Even the bodies can be bought brand new. There were millions made and hundreds of thousands still available. If you start your build with a nice car there will simply be less repair work you have to do and more fab work you can do instead.

 

I'm all for improving a car.

The thing that bothers me is not everyone has good taste or any training in design.

Taking a nice stock model A and putting ill fitting junkyard bucket seats, a wooden dashboard, 80s tilt column and wheel and plastic box floor shifter is exactly when the original car was "too nice to hotrod"

 

'bad Ass' is soooooo dated, catch phrase lame. Build it with style. Most of you Northern Europeans have very good skills & taste. But the USA failing to maintain that standard.

 

When the end of the world comes,,,,,,will you regret cutting up a nice car?
Didnt think so.

 

Elrod knows what he's talking about. Just check out his coupe.

 

Well said...

 

.......I agree 100%........always move forward when building a hot rod

 

I wouldn't worry much about a tudor. There are lots of them. Some of the rarer body styles in pristine condition should deserve to be left original since they are not replaceable. I have an early 1928 AR roadster pickup I bought with intentions to rod but its so original and nice to have survived 85 years without being cut up that I just couldn't do it. I enjoy it as is.
Bottom line is, if it bothers you then don't do it. If you feel you are making it nicer, then go ahead.

 

It's never too nice. . . once it's yours do what you want with it.

 

I would cut up just about anything, but i do know of an original unrestored Model A roadster with 758 miles... or something ridiculous like that. Don't know if I could cut that one up... Wait a minute... yeah I could!

 

You know the old saying,if you own it,do whatever you want with it.

 

The older gentleman that I bought my coupe from asked me a question as he was about the sign the title over to me. He stopped right before signing and said "you aren't a Hot Rodder are you and plan on tearing this car up" I said "I'm gonna drive it and enjoy it just like it is"

I did do that... for about 3 weeks.

 

This.

Elrod knows what's up.

 

Cut me some slack on the term "badass", I'm European.. !
There's lot of stuff still up in the air regarding my build. I could talk forever about it but this thread really is not about my car. I'm still looking for the right one to buy.
Let's just say I'd actually love to buy a model A with tilt column, wood dash etc. To the right price. After it's mine I can do whatever I wan't and throw all that garbage away!!

Ok, I'm the fng and a foreigner so I'll take it easy on the jokes from now on!
I gotta say, this is a great forum! Thanks for all the responses so far.

 

This is what I'm starting with. I say start with the best car you can afford. I plan on fitting 16s, firestones, hydraulic brakes and maybe a down draft carby. Then I'll start building my 32 frame, V8, lowered, hi boy, 3.5" chop. No silly shit just hot rod.

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

Nice. I agree.

 

Cut'em if you got'em!
Rod'em! don't Rat'em!

T

 

Save yourself time and money and buy a nice car and make it your own. Thats what hot rodding is!!

 

There were millions made, find a nice one...like a parade car and cut it up, it might upset some but once its yours do what makes you happy

 

Lol i found parade flags under the seat in mine....Oops

 

This is basically a self regulating issue. Very few are going to pay 30K for a pristine A show car to hot rod it. The nicer the car the more it will sell for and the less likely it will be used as rod fodder. 2-3K for a non-running rust bucket? Go for it. 20-30K for a 480 point show rig? That's just dumb. 10-15K for a nice running good looking original A? If you're swimming in dough fine. If the pool you swim in is close to empty then not so fine.

 

If I came across an older restoration A that only needs a little work to get driving, I would totally do a pre-war hot rod. Maybe a chop, but that would be the only irreversible change. Everything else would bolt on or require minor modifications. If I found just a body and a few parts that came with it, I'd do a full out late '50's, early '60's hot rod.

There are plenty of A's in museums all across the nation. There's a mint '28 A roadster sitting in the museum on my campus that I would totally love to turn into a hot rod. Only if..

 

nevahhhhhhhhh,,,

 

A friend of mine restored a model a roadster. He was proud of it. Until he took it for a ride and said' i'll never do that again' Useless ride he said. I agree.

 

Depends on if you're going to build a cool hot rod or some piece of shit channeled over the frame that sits 2" off of the ground.

Sam

 

There were millions made. They are not Deusenbergs! They were a common, very affordable car. Few models of the Model A are extremely rare, and even then, if it is yours, it is yours to do what you want with it.

Now I have three '29s, and only one will not get rodded in a major way. It is a rarer model, a cabriolet, but the key is that my dad bought it brand new in the fall of 1929. I have had it myself for more than fifty years and am currently rebuilding it keeping most of the original sheet metal, the frame, and the motor. ...but not keeping any of them fully original. I am building a safe, mild four banger hotrod, pretty much as I am sure my father would have liked.

 

Only when your to big a punanny to Hot Rod the damn thing...

 

It is funny to see this thread today. I put the word out a week ago I was looking for a ModelA about 2 weeks ago. I mostly was looking for a sedan or just a cowl and doors to make a RPU. Up here in MN seems like what I am looking for goes for 1g. I did have a nice 29 with 9,000 original miles on it offered to me. The owner told me I cannot make a RPU out of it but I don't think I could do more than drive it as is. It is still in the original owners name with the original title card. The title cars is the size of a reicipie card. Neat to see that old oddball stuff.

Tim