It might have its back turned to us now, but the potential is there for this Ford Model A Sedan to be returned to the sort of state where people would be unwilling to turn their back on it. I have to thank our ever-vigilant Barn Finder Ikey H for spotting this old classic for us. Located in Pierre, South Dakota, the Ford has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. If you would love to take on this project, then the owner has set the price at $4,800 OBO.
The Ford has spent more than 30-years hidden away in a barn, but the owner has decided that the time has come for it to head to a new home. Hiding under all of that dust is a pretty solid old car. The owner says that there is nothing beyond surface corrosion on the car, with the body being nice and solid. Even better is the fact that the timber, which can deteriorate over time, is in good order. What can be seen of the glass also looks to be quite good, but while it appears as though all of the external chrome and bumpers are present, they will all require restoration.
There isn’t a lot to be said for the interior because it not only appears as though there is no upholstery, it would also appear as though there aren’t even seat frames. This isn’t the end of the world, because good second-hand items are pretty easy to locate. As for upholstery, full kits are readily available, and while they aren’t particularly cheap, the quality of some of them looks to be absolutely first-rate.
It seems that the last time that the 201ci flathead engine in the Model A fired up was at around the time that the car went into storage. The 3-speed transmission is still present, as is the rear end. I did spot a pool of oil under the rear end, so that will need to be given a thorough check. While the owner says that he hasn’t tried to start the engine, he does confirm that it turns freely. These are a rugged old item, so if the next owner managed to get it running again with little effort, I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised.
The Ford Model A is a car that is anything but complicated, which makes them a perfect project car for anyone who wishes to attempt a restoration in a home workshop. Parts are in ready supply, and the majority of these are quite affordable. This affordability also translates to market values for restored cars, with nice examples available for less than $15,000. However, for someone who wants a project, and is willing and capable of completing the majority of the work themselves, this could be quite a decent find.
The first thing that struck was, Do people think that a heavy coat of dust adds some kind of “je ne sais quoi” or something? Just says, I’m lazy and I’m flipping grandpa’s old car.
Ok, maybe too harsh. But as presented it is off putting.
It is nice to see a stock Model A not succumbed to the 50’s hot rod look. I hope this old Ford finds some love.
If you can’t see thru the dust your in the wrong hobby. The deeper the dust the more I like them.
I like to see “how” they were found, dust and cob webs and all…but the seller should eventually give it a bath, remove any trash, clean the windows, air up the tires and maybe vacuum the inside? The interest goes up when the car sparkles, including the price.
For most cars- I feel like once the ‘barn find’ is no longer in its natural habitat, its time to wash/clean it. Pretty sure that car hasn’t been sitting in THAT particular stall for 30 years….
Unless of course we are talking about some monumental find. If you find a Duesenberg in this condition, then by all means leave it. But a $5k Model A, no need.
I have about the same car already done looks like brand new and is hard to sell .
Waldo , put it on Barn Finds , there are a lot of us out here that want a nice properly restored car for a decent price , but are unwilling or able to do the restoration our self’s !!
If a person wants to get into the old car restoring hobby, you can’t find a better place to begin than with a model A. I owned several back in the day. They are easy to work on, parts are plentiful and inexpensive and the A crowd is everywhere so you can find folks who will offer good advice. This is not a beginners car. I’d recommend to someone to find something that is already drivable and learn from there. For a few grand more they are out there. Just need to look around. Also, the A crowd and for that matter, the pre WW II cars are dropping in value as the younger folks tend to go for newer iron. The days of fixing up an A or T and getting your money back are pretty much gone.
The price is right!!!
Art is correct. People buy “pretty”. I firmly believe if I could afford several of the cars I see here I could clean them up and flip them for a nice profit, even without spending thousands on restoration parts.