Every classic car has a story to tell, and these can be vastly different. Some will be treasured possessions treated with care and respect, while others will live a life of abuse. This 1929 Ford Model A’s story is of solitude, having spent the past sixty-three years in storage. Its seller has dragged it out of hiding, ready to go to a new home and an owner who can lay their healing hands upon its tired steel, paint, and mechanical components. It is complete and solid, leaving the buyer with what appears to be a straightforward project build. The seller has listed it here on eBay in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Bidding has raced beyond the reserve to sit at $5,000.

The history of this Model A is unclear, although it has spent more than six decades in a barn. It has emerged in surprisingly good condition, although it requires nothing less than a total nut-and-bolt restoration. Its body has some penetrating rust requiring attention, although it is essentially solid. There is also plenty of surface corrosion, suggesting the restoration process should start with the entire car stripped to bare metal. We receive no information on the frame, although the news should be positive with so little rust in the panels. The top is badly rotted, and the buyer will need to source a replacement. The windshield may be cracked, but the remaining glass appears okay. The exterior trim is present but, like the wire wheels, will require the attention of a specialist to return to its best.

The Model T featured a 177ci flathead four producing 20hp and 83 ft/lbs of torque. The Model A was essentially an evolution of that design, although its capacity increased to 201ci, and power and torque rose substantially to 40hp and 128 ft/lbs. The power was fed through a three-speed manual transmission that was considered more user-friendly than the T’s planetary unit. These improvements became apparent if owners pointed both cars at a stretch of open road. While the Model T ran out of breath at 42mph, the Model A achieved a breakneck speed of 65mph. Talk about life in the fast lane! This old Ford is mechanically complete, although the state of the drivetrain is unknown. The seller is unsure whether the engine turns, but it wears a plaque indicating a prior rebuild. Given the bulletproof nature of these motors, the buyer may successfully coax it back to life. However, they should probably budget for a rebuild as part of the restoration costs.

The Ford’s interior is essentially complete, although the upholstered surfaces have succumbed to the ravages of time and rodents. The seat springs for the main and rumble seats are present while the dash is intact. Replacement trim and upholstery are readily available, and if the buyer is willing to assemble everything themselves, whipping the interior into shape should lighten their wallet by around $1,500. For such an uncomplicated interior, that may seem a lot of money, but that will return it to a factory-fresh state.

Production of the Model A represented a battle of will between competing forces within the Ford Motor Company. Henry believed passionately in his beloved Model T and would have been happy for it to remain in production as long as there was breath in his body. Those around him, including his son, saw that progress had passed the Model T and that the public’s love affair with the “T” was waning as competing manufacturers produced more stylish and user-friendly offerings. The first Model A appeared on the showroom floor in December 1927, and by the time the last one rolled off the line in March 1931, more than four million people had adopted one of these classics. Our feature car has spent most of its ninety-three years in isolation, waiting for the right person to treat it to the TLC it deserves and to return it to its rightful place on our roads. Could you be that person?