Underneath that heavy coating of dust is a Ford Model A Fordor that represents a stalled restoration project. It has been owned by the same family for more than 40-years, and they whipped the body and engine into shape before placing it into dry storage in the early 1990s. It now needs a new owner who is willing to clean off the dust and complete the restoration process. It is located in Delphos, Kansas, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $5,051 in what is a No Reserve listing.

Prior to it being placed into storage, the owner states that the body of the Ford underwent a full restoration. It appears that this extended as far as applying a fresh coat of paint, and what can be seen in spots where the dust has been wiped away looks like paint that has a nice shine to it. The color isn’t an original Model A shade of blue, but it does at least look to be consistent. What can’t be seen is the condition of the paint on the fenders and running boards, but it looks like it might not be as nice as the rest of the body. Still, treating those areas to a repaint is not a big job in itself. The wheels look like they might require restoration because they are showing some pretty obvious signs of surface corrosion. The majority of the trim and chrome is present, and once again, it looks like it might be okay under the layer of dust. There are a couple of small items missing, including the “Ford” badge off the radiator shell, but with parts being so readily available, sourcing one shouldn’t represent a huge challenge. All of the glass is present, and I can’t see any signs of obvious cracks or clouding.

The owner states that the Ford’s engine has also been restored, but he doesn’t indicate whether this extended to a full rebuild or not. He also says that the Model A ran when parked, but given the fact that this was somewhere close to 30-years-ago, it will probably take some tinkering to get it to fire back into life. He doesn’t indicate whether or not it turns freely, so that is a bit of an unknown quantity. What I find disappointing is the fact that the robust little 201ci flathead engine hasn’t been treated to a cosmetic refresh as part of the restoration process. If the next owner is looking at completing the rest of this project to a high standard, then the engine will probably need to come out to be cleaned and detailed. To me, having the rest of the car looking nice and leaving the engine in its current state would seem to be a real shame.

Apart from the steel on the dash having received a repaint in the main exterior body color, the rest of the interior remains untouched. Looking at some of the objects that are laying on the floor, I get the impression that the car might have been the victim of a rodent infestation at some point. The stuffing that fills the seats of the Model A is a definite favorite for mice looking for a place to nest, so if Stuart Little and his friends have called the vehicle home at some point, there is a chance that it might not smell particularly pleasant in there. All of the upholstery is going to require replacement anyway, so replacing the padding might be a wise move as well. The housing for the gauges is looking corroded, so that will need some work. What does appear to be in good condition is the steering wheel, and that won’t take a lot of work to return to its best once again.

Restoring a Ford Model A is not a particularly complicated process, and this is one of the many reasons that they are a firm favorite amongst people who are looking to tackle their first project. This one appears to have had a reasonable amount of work performed already, but one of its attractions is the fact that if the next owner isn’t happy with any of the work that has been performed, making changes to suit their own personal taste would not be difficult. If the bidding remains at around its current level, that could make this a fairly tempting project car.