We haven’t featured many hot rods here on Barn Finds, but occasionally we find one that is claimed to have been built back in the day so we can’t resist. There is just something cool about a car that is period correct because it was actually built in that period. The seller claims that they purchased this 1929 Ford from a guy who had it stashed in their basement and that it hadn’t been on the road since 1959. It is located in Paso Robles, California and is listed here on eBay with bidding starting at $200.
All the work needed to get this little terror back on the road has already been completed. The little bit of metal work needed is done and most of the wiring has been replaced. We are not sure how much of the paint is original and how much of it is rattle-can black primer though. The listing makes us think that the seller attempted to keep things as original as possible while still making the car safe to drive.
In place of the traditional V8, this four cylinder fills up the gap between the frame rails. It has obviously been gone through recently with new gaskets and paint. The next owner will just have to make the decision if they want to stick with the four or upgrade to a flathead V8. We would want to see how this one goes before making up our minds.
Some videos were just uploaded so you can hear this Model A run and get a better idea of the car’s overall condition. The mechanical simplicity is appealing and the claimed history makes it even more interesting. Looks like a fun ride too, if not slightly frightening. But isn’t that what makes hot rods so great anyway?
She’s sweet I’d love to have her!!!!! With all it’s great patina!!!!!!
Very cool find, but a hot rod powered by a four banger? Gimme the flathead!
Wow, a real rat rod.
my dad had one like it………would love to have it!
If you are going to spend money on a flathead for a hot rod, it should be a V-8. The first thing you do to make it safe fr the road is upgrade the brakes.
Someone should look carefully at that head as it may not be a stock Ford. And if it really to be driven, a switch to juice brakes is indicated.To keep it really period, I’d keep the 4, but hot rod it with period speed parts and restore the rest. There is a membership publication called “Secrets of Speed” which is the Ford Model A 4 cylinder hot rod guide . As for the engine, a whole assortment of speed parts are available,such as better performance all the way to overhead 4 valve per cylinder Fronty heads are available as period reproductions. Good thing this is on the west coast (as usual). This gem is going to sell for a whole lot more than $200. Any idea when the car was originally built?
Chris above is WRONG about juice brakes. if the mechanicals are in correctly restored condition they will stop anything the Model A drivetrain can produce……
to Dave S. above: this is NOT a rat rod. rat rods look like hell, this car is beautiful :-)
Ebay price is over $5,000 and hasn’t met reserve yet. Its being advertised for Int sales as well. Soo I,m sure thats where it will end up going. Man I’d sure like to own that car :) Its awesome..
freakin awesome!!
The four-cylinder is a nice, different project. There are plenty of resto and repro V8 rods already, and the four can easily be built for casual cruising.
Hmmmm…strong opinions already. A car like this is likely to do that. So here goes.
It’s a mix of fixed/polished/painted parts, and the rest apparently untouched. Good that it’s running well—from the video, like a Model A should—-but I wonder whether the kind of buyer for this would rather have it as-found, as opposed to just partly fixed.
I’m with Chris about the brakes. Granted that Model A mechanical brakes in good condition will stop the car, but in modern traffic, especially California traffic, it’s only fair to everyone to have the best brakes possible. The car has already been upgraded with post-’29 things, so why not the brakes? Ford himself held out for a while, but he went hydraulic in ’39—-one of the last to do so. Why not this car? It’s not as if it’s an original Model A anyway.
Not sure this is a *hot* rod, as opposed to just a rod. The only thing rodded was the bore size, and that may have been from a rebuild. But it’s just a personal choice of terms. The car is ultra-basic, and if it turns your crank, so to speak, it is what it is—a simple, pared-down vehicle that should be fun to drive on sunny days. And part of that fun-to-drive is stopping, since failure to do so can ruin someone’s day.
Just perfect. Leave as is, but I agree about the hydraulic brakes – stopping is at LEAST as important as going ! To have a period perfect example of early “rodding’ is just too precious to do anything more to – Heaven’s knows we have MORE than enough of this genre’ of “restored” and restomodded roadsters !!!
There was some suspnsion work which looks like converting the front suspension from the A to a regular front 2 spring suspension. That upgrade would have been a standard period change and makes a better car. The A motor probably has as many upgrade speed parts as a flathead 8. Check out Scalded Dog Speed Parts for just a small part of what is available to bring an A engine up to 105 hp.
Old folks like my dad, whose first two cars were Model A Fords, would call this a jalopy.
Did anyone else notice the fuel leak where the bowl meets the gas tank?
JP, this four banger is a flat head… :-)