What a cool car! This 1928 Model A that the seller calls “the quintessential barn find” has been gently awakened from a long slumber about 8 months ago. The seller has been enjoying driving it around the neighborhood weekly ever since. Thanks to Arthur B. for sending us this great find! It’s listed for sale here on craigslist for $5,000 and is located in Hillman, Michigan.
This is a major contrast to the usual Model A’s I see that have been lovingly restored 20 or so years ago and are now being sold as enthusiasts either pass on or age out of the hobby. This car totally looks like a barn find! the seller tells us they replaced some hoses, put fresh gas and a new battery in place but have done little else.
I’m surprised how good and straight the car actually looks if you can tear your eyes off the patina. There, I said it, the p-word. But you have to admit, this car is dripping with it!
It’s not just on the outside, either! Just look at those seats! But also notice how solid the floor is in front of them, and how nice the steering wheel looks. I’ve been trying to figure out what color or colors the car started out–there’s a lot of blue and what’s either cream or light yellow, but I think the door jambs and inside of the door are black. The back seat is present as well, and it looks pretty much like the front ones.
You can see the new belt in the front of the stock appearing Model A engine, but look at the spark plugs–there’s no telling how long they have been installed. The exhaust manifold is an interesting piece. You can see how a hose can be added to the left of the picture to heat air coming to the inside and duct it to the inside. This is an aftermarket part, but usually they bolt onto the stock manifold; you can still buy them new here among other places. I didn’t see many entire manifolds available in a brief search, and none that looked exactly like this one. Yup, I just think this one’s cool–what do you think?
If this was close to me it would have been bought by now.
Do you happen to be from King, NC? My family Dr. growing up was J.R. Jones…
Nah, Born in Ohio, raised in Tampa. (I’m a tampon)
Way too much. I’d clear coat it and drive it. Fix the seats and safety items, lights, brakes, etc.
I would rather find one for 10 or 11 thousand and be way ahead.
I’d drive that right as found it took decades to get like that and there is tons of restored ones for sale for everyone else to have
looks like it’s been in a barn fire….ask me how I know…….
How do you know, Lawrence ?
Not doubting you, but it looks pretty good for surviving a barn fire. Maybe we should start a category called “Barn fire finds”
Or maybe “bonfire finds”.
No fire evidence. Top and seats are not burned.
Wow! I would love to own that piece of history. Cool factor and then some.
wow runs and drives that’s sick!
As Henry Ford once said: “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black.”
The Quintessential Barn Find. This really is, there is no way to achieve this look without storage in a barn for years. I love it, the price is right. It would be an perfect period car for a dustbowl movie scene. I need this car looking out at me from my old barn. My wife is going to kill me.
Lots of people love them, but they are mostly in their 80’s and dying off. But they are simple machines, and if you are going to do it yourself, this could be a good deal, but don’t expect to make money on it. And it is NOT a flathead V8, Model B, which did more than just putt putt around town, and although not capable of Interstate speeds, would do a steady 50 mph. And, unless in town, you would have to trailer it to meets and shows and parades.
@charlie is right. I love Model As (it was our sole family car back in the mid-1970s), but demand for them is waning as their owners age and subsequent generations have other priorities and interests, and supply remains close to constant.
Maybe the pendulum will swing back in a few years when people start craving more than pixels, ones, and zeros. A Model A would be a great place to start.
The flathead V8 and the model B came out in 1932. The B was still a 4 cyl, while the V8 was a model 18.
Except for having sooooo much patina, this is exactly what I bought for $25.00 without the engine, transmission, or radiator at the age of 15 years old. Didn’t even have a drivers license. The year was 1956 Christmas Eve Day.
I took off the fenders and running boards, chopped the top 6″, channeled the body over the frame 8″, installed a 2 1/2″ dropped front axle, welded up my own combination headlight/ shock mounts, installed a custom made white Cordura top with all new oak headers, chicken wire and foam padded top, rebuilt 1955 Buick Nailhead V-8 engine, and genuine leather bucket seats from a Renot sports car. The finished paint job was a Mid-Fifties GM Burgandy Mist. A very close business associate of my father chrome plated everything on the engine that could be plated. I did ALL the work myself and finished it at the age of 17. Boy-O-Boy do I wish I still had it today. Got married, had three kids, finished College and got a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I guess the experience didn’t hurt me one bit. What a lot of FUN!
If my memory is correct early ’28 Model A Fords had a red steering wheel. I presume that is the case here.
Badger Mountain Motorworks
Back during the 1970s, in Seattle, I remember some Model A owners put signs on their back window saying “I am Pinto’s grandfather! “
I had a spinster 2nd cousin who in her 70’s, in the l960’s still had one as her only car, kept in great condition, with a “not for sale” sign in both rear side windows. She only drove on secondary roads, but drove it every day.
April 1998 two months after my mom passed the kids we sent to boot camp for busting out over $1500 dollars of windows on my storage cars – $1500 is all the cops needed to send them up – there were Imperials, Cuda’s, Studebakers and way more….the day after getting out of boot camp – they came and set my place on fire….they got caught for that too….this past weekend – my place of 40 years – another place – got hit this past Saturday night the 29th of April….we pretty sure lightening – but at least my shit is burned up so I can sift through in instead of it being blown counties away and never seeing it again…this A’s been burnt…..
to dan b. your saying your sole, ( only car ) was a ford model a in the 1970,s ??? your family must have been very very frugal with money to be driving that old of a car that you could hardly use on major turnpikes, ( interstates ) ???
Yeah. We lived in suburban Sacramento and my parents are really thrifty (German roots). Dad worked for the Feds and took the bus to work. Mom used the Model A to schlep us kids around, run errands etc. We had food on the table, a roof over our heads, and a bit for saving. Not much more. We didn’t really go anywhere or take vacations. A few years later Mom and Dad had saved up for a used AMC station wagon. What luxury. We kept the Model A for another 30 years.
I have that aftermarket heat exchanger on my Model A’s exhaust manifold. It is marked Autolite.
We used to call the condition this car is in…………………..worn out.
What happened to the original 1928 spoked wheels I wonder?
Late on this thread. I also have seen similar fire damage to paint. Paint not quite hot enough to burn, just scorches or bubbles off the metal. Usually takes out the glass. Note, windshield appears to be tinted glass.
She’s sold. Bless her on her new journey.