This is not something you’ll see every day: a true vintage hot rod! Barn Finds reader Debbie S. tells us that this hot rod was actually customized from 1942 to 1945 and is fully documented — the only things not dating from that time is some rubber! The Model A is awaiting a new owner in Chicago, Illinois and is, quite simply, one of the best period rods I’ve seen in a long time. If you are interested, be sure to contact Debbie using the form at the bottom of this post.
We’re told that this is all “Henry Ford steel” and that the car is pretty much as it was constructed by two men during the war.
Even the little details look “correct”, and there’s just enough wear and tear to look authentic.
Even the underside of the car looks great. Debbie tells us that this car runs good and it runs fast!
Look at the wonderful leather seats! Although it might be a bit tight in there for some of us more ample individuals, I’ll bet you’d forget that in a moment listening to the Model B engine. Listen and watch this video clip provided by Debbie to get a better feel for the car.
The engine is particularly interesting. From Debbie: This Model A Roadster has a Model B engine, dual carbs, Burns intake overhead valves. Yes, yes, period correct overhead valves on a 4-cylinder Model A engine, can you believe it! Casting on the overhead says, “use anti-knock fuel and use high compression plugs, Schofield Inc. of America, Los Angeles. Like we said, this car is the real deal from the 1940s. I know I’d love to take this real hot rod for a ride — and if you’d like to own it, contact Debbie through the form below!
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Asking Price: $36,000
Mileage: 30,903
Title: Clean
I don’t know what looks more awkward, the car or the asking price?
Definitely the asking price.
Honestly, I like the looks of this one! I remember building a model of something similar in my youth and liking it then, too.
I would drive this any day, but I would have the car in midnight blue.
Wow, it’s beautiful. Looks great with fenders too. Good luck with the sale Debbie. Some buyer is going to be very happy. Wish it were me, but my marriage couldn’t take it.
This is not the first time this car has been on Barn Finds. I know I am very biased when it comes to this era of Hot Rods, I didn’t like this car the first time I saw, and I haven’t changed my mind. I don’t question that it was not built in the 1940’s, but just because it was built in that era does not make it an icon, or a representation of the iconic Hot Rods of the war years and post war years of traditional Hot Rods.
Any time you build a modified car, you run risk, if your vision will be successful or if a majority of people will say “what the hell was he thinking” . It is still your vision and you may like it ,but that doesn’t mean it is automatically a standard and will stand the test of time. This car looks more like an MG than an iconic Hot Rod. I love traditional Hot Rods and I have dozens of books full of pictures, and stories of the legends who built them, I am sorry but this car is not one of them, or will it ever be one is, it just a modified model A ,that was built in the 1940’s.
P.S. I am also sure, allot of people will not agree with my opinion
Wow!, you have BOOKS? Meanwhile, someone will buy this car and have a REAL period hot rod.
I am not sure that true “Hot Rods” are built only by “Legends”, or that Hot Rods need to be “correct” or even “traditional”.
RobertS,
I agree… a modified Model A that was built in the 40’s or 50’s IS a Traditional Hot Rod.. and all Traditional Hot Rods did not come from SoCal, or were they all pictured in books … ( and they aren’t all Model A’s ) .
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Unfortunately some people deny all standards of any kind, or have limited knowledge, and do not recognize what the word “period” means when it comes to cars
I don’t happen to have $30,000.00 here. It’s cute, but, I’m looking for a more practical car. It’s gonna be a while but that’s okay.
Looks like I screwed up big time as to dollars!!!
A couple of decades ago, I decided to build a “Hot Rod of the Forties”. O gathered stuff from far and wide, A battered and discarded frame, axles, engine and transmission from a 30’s A Ford. Then a “B” engine in “fair” but dirty shape. Mid stream the B engine gave way to a 59AB V8 and transmission.
Z’d the rear of the frame. Had the front axle dropped a full, 4 1/2″ inches,
Reversed the spring eyes. Up dated the hydraulic brakes.
Gathered a bunch of 35 Ford wire wheels, Chose the best 4. Sand blasted, painted red and trimmed in new repro caps and old beauty rings. With a pair good used 6:00’s up front and 650’s astern it had just the right stance.
A 27 T fiberglass replica roadster body topped it, Not perfect, but looked OK.
Alloy heads, headers and dual carbs on the V8. Oh, straight pipes to the rear/ budget issues began to hit !!!
Ran and sounded just great.
But, I spent a lot on the B. Still wonder how that would’ve fared.
Carl
To this practiced eye, it looks suspiciously like a fairly recent build using many carefully chosen old or period parts such as the red leather seats straight out of an MG that wasn’t even built yet in 1942. Nice try though and still a neat car but probably not worth the ask.
Morris Garage started production om MGs in the late 1920s so the seats could be original to the build or added in the early 50s. Most of the post on Barn Finds just display a lot of hate. Maybe it’s the times or maybe people get jealous because they always wanted that particular type car. Me I like highboys and might consider trading one of my MGAs for one. Nah on second thought I will keep my A’s Lucas electronics and all.
Those seats are straight out of an MG-TD which began series production in 1950, earlier MGs, TA, TB, TC had seats with taller backs. It is unlikely that some hot rod builder would have taken the seats out of a new TD for his hot rod unless he had very deep pockets. I’ll agree with you regarding the MGAs though, I’ve owned over 150 of those which included 8 Twin Cams and a number of factory race cars, they’re fantastic cars. I’ve also built, or owned, plenty of hot rods and I love those too. I just don’t like to see something represented as something it’s not. If the provenance of this car is “fully documented” as claimed, let’s see it.
I’m surprised at some of the comments here. To me this looks like a version of a Model A Highboy that easily could have been built during the early ’40s when Model As and hot rod parts were still around and not melted down yet to make armaments for WW2 yet.
From my days as a reader of Hot Rod Magazine in the ’50s I have liked Highboys even if they weren’t the most aerodynamic vehicles running on the California Dry Lakes.
Of course people can diss the car if they want, but I really don’t think anyone is going to prove that the car is misrepresented. I don’t believe it is misrepresented, and seller Debbie S. says she has full documentation, so from that and what I see, I believe this is the real deal.
Even if we don’t know the internal build of the engine, the period hotrod claim is supported by the Schofield OHV head and the Burns dual intake aluminum manifold. I confirmed the originality of these parts in a few seconds by googling those names along with ‘Model B Ford hotrod’.
One of the most interesting pages I found (https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2015/09/09/speed-parts-spotters-guide/) shows a Burns intake about halfway down the Hemmings page. You will see the same Burns intake as on the rod that’s for sale here, along with two similar Stromberg 97s, which were the rodder’s standard carb back in the day.
The leather upholstery, interior, and underside look as done in period, and do not look recently done.
The only defect I can see from the pics are 2 hubcaps missing on right side.
This is the kind of highboy hotrod I could own and enjoy. The price isn’t peanuts, but I am not up on the values of period rods. Like every other vintage car we see for sale these days, the market will speak and it will either get sold or not sold.
I hope the car goes to somebody who can enjoy it and keep it running for a long time so people can go to Cars ‘N Coffee in their self-driving digitized electric pods and see a vehicle that a couple of guys assembled with their own hands back in the last century.
To me it doesn’t matter if it was built in the 40’s 50’s or 70’s, let’s give the builder credit for a well thought out and executed build. No it’s not practical, but it wasn’t built for practically it was built for fun, and I’m sure it has provided plenty of that. I won’t speak to price because that’s hard to quantify on something like this, it’s worth whatever someone is willing to pay to play. Good luck with it Debbie.
Yea guys lets keep it upbeat and positive. This is a very cool Traditional hot rod that was somebodys pride and joy . Speed equipment made out of unobtainium
Far as the price goes, its worth what somebody will pay for it. hope it finds a happy home!!!
Good luck Debbie and thanks for sharing this beauty with us!!!
Looks like a rod from Pommyland. Looks good. As has been noted, it was on BF about 3 months ago.
Nice, but in my opinion, the front needs dropping.
Wayne:
The front is dropped, not a lot, but some!!! Note the lack of front frame “horns”. Gone and a new perch made for the spring. Known as a “suicide” front end. Circa 1950, I welded up a frame using that “technique”.
The car has a “B” engine. Very similar to an A, but with more compression, better intake and far better oiling. It’s use ranged far and wide. Pre and during WWII, in German Ford trucks. Even the Soviets used a copy in their “Jeep”.
I am not enamored with the fenders. but, many were forced, Fender laws.
If those are Mg seats, and they might well be. I had a brand spanking new 53 TD!!! They do look like it. But, too low. The “A” seat was much higher.
Think that cockpit is crowded? My version using a 27 T was even tighter!!!
Kudos to Debbie and whomever built it and whenever they did it. Nice work.
I used to belong to a club that only ran 4’s. Almost all a’s. speedsters for the most part. Alas, the grey cells fail to recall the name. The mag publisher did live in the Chicago area!!!
I wonder…..
Carl
Some people just naturally hate on everything. If it’s not their style or what they prefer, the hate comes out. I understand “critique” but this has been a post full of hate. Their is just way to much of that these days. Let’s all go back to live and let live.
@Kman.
I agree. As a person that used to wear a windbreaker with the words “I would rather push a Chev than drive a Model A” embroidered across my back, purely because A owners think that there is no other vintage car worth owning, I would LOVE to be in a position to buy this Rod. I see it as a magic piece of nostalgia.
@Kman
….. disheartening, isn’t it… some of the attitudes
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. …..I’m sure I will get the more of the same negative comments , regarding the Roadster I bought sight unseen… in spite of commenters like @Dirk when it was on BF a few months ago.
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..But when it was delivered, I quickly found that I was CORRECT in my assessment that it was an original 50’s build … a REAL Classic Hot Rod with a sweet sounding Flathead V8 , that ran and drove great… and a true Survivor of the Doo Wap era.
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………Of course it’s possible , but I would be surprised if it was done DURING the War….. everything was rationed ( including gas, tires, aluminum, etc), and for sure, there was not much interest in stuff like this by the few guys still around, living amongst all the mourning and Gold Stars …
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…….once the War was over and the Boys came home, it was all different.
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This is a nicely done Highboy, and is priced right…
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. maybe at 30+k it requires a trip to Chicago , but I don’t think that is needed
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surely, I could make a decision over the phone with Debbie
Sorry Dave but I will stand behind my comments here 100% until someone can prove me wrong. I have no idea what car you bought “a few months ago” but I’m glad you are pleased and I wish you the best of luck with it.
The banger clubs I was aware of are:
1. Secrets of speed Society
3. For ever Four.
Debbie’s A would be right at home in either.
Circa 1950, Three of us bought a very tired 30’s A Roadster. Along the way, it had lost it’s windshield, doors, fenders and running boards.
It ran on two and at times three. Smoked like a train and ate oil by the barrel. We fed it every thing from used crankcase oil to belt dressing.
With a he amount of effort, we even used it to tow a non running old v8 up a steep driveway.
Then voila, a guy had a “B” engine or sale. He had installed a V8 in his very nice 32 b pickup. The B ran great, even on my garage floor!!
Well, there are two ways to install a B in an A. the right way and the other way.
For weird reasons, we went the latter. Chop[ the b pan and attach it to the A transmission. A much weaker unit than the B. Even it not the greatest.
Well,it worked, sorta. Ran like stink. Even diod a few laps on a desert 1/4 mile race track.
Alas, the A trans belched a gear or two out the bottom of the case. but, it soldiered on. High gear only. For a time…
We took it apart to build a proper a V8 powered A.
Life interfered, I went on active army service to Germany, Terry joined the USAF.
Carl.
Life’s too short, just enjoy the awesome car already!