Ford’s Model A was a worthy successor to the Model T but had a shorter production span and thus fewer copies made. Several body styles were offered, including this 5-window coupe. This car was produced in 1930 as the impact of the Great Depression was taking hold. In terms of the important stuff, the auto looks reasonably complete, but is going to need a lot of work to get out on the road again. You can find it in Elizabeth, Indiana and here on eBay where the opening bid of $4,900 has not yet been made.
Model A production began in late 1927 and – by early 1929 – its first million units would take 15 months to build. Ford closed out the Model A’s chapter in late 1931 after more than 4.3 million copies got into people’s hands. 1929 would be the car’s best sales year, with production dropping by 25% in 1930 and another 50% in 1931. Nearly one in five built for 1930 would be the 5-window coupe (226,000 copies), like the seller’s car. These automobiles and trucks were powered by a 201 cubic inch L-Head Inline-4 matched to a 3-speed sliding-mesh manual transmission.
The seller says he bought this car for the body, only. He was thinking of building a hot rod out of it, but with two other Model A projects already in the hopper, he has too many irons in the fire and this one has to go. The body pretty solid given that it’s more than 90 years old and there is rust as you would suspect, such as in the floorboards (which seem to have wood in place of metal). Anything with fabric is long gone, but the seat frames and adjustment rails are there. I think these cars had rumble seats and that looks to be missing here. All the car’s original glass is present and not cracked except for one piece of door glass.
Although the flathead Ford engines were known for their reliability, the seller says he has no idea what it will take to get the motor here to run again. It looks like a daunting project, but we understand that reproduction parts are out there to be had. The seller makes it a point to mention that the title is clear, so no jumping through hoops at the DMV getting this vehicle put into the buyer’s name. The tires still hold air, so the car will roll with a bit of effort (these things were heavy for their size!). While cash money is king, the seller would consider a trade for a Harley Davidson or Polaris, so he wants to do more than just work!
Half of what you can buy a running car for isn’t going to sell this one.
Has the aftermarket Auto Lite exhaust manifold heater. It blows hot air through a louvered hole in the firewall. This was a business coupe, hence no fender step or rumble seat. Original floorboards were wood.
It looks like it has a hydraulic brake conversion .
Apparently the seller has not been following Model A prices for the last 20 years or so.
“NOT INTERESTED IN OFFERS”. Yeah, evidently not, since you’re not likely to get any.
We are seeing a lot of these old cars for sale lately ,people are finding out they are not worth restoring 30k+ for a $2000.00 car
Sort of like what’s happening to the MG T series cars.
Yard art 1.500 tops .
Robert, you’re correct – unfortunately. Parts are readily available to bring this back. I don’t know where Ric Schaaf sees evidence of hydraulic brakes. Doesn’t matter anyway as this is a long way from being put on the road.
THis car needs too much to return it on the road or even make a decent ratrod, better start your bidding around $250 and it should go up to what it is worth. many parts are missing or incorrect for a 1930.
What a fun project it would be.
Nice write up author. Comments are a pleasure to read too on this one.
I agree it would be a fun project as long as you realise that your not in it for the money. A good DIY guy with a bit of scrounger in him could probably do a simpathetic resto on it for under $10k, but you would need to be capable of doing all your own work.Some guys are willing to put in the time just because they want to save and have a ford coupe.
Good start for someone who likes jigsaw puzzles. Face it folks, there are now more of these cars than there are
potential owners. As a kid growing up
in the ’60s, I saw a lot of guys buying
them up to either restore or hot rod until
the supply almost dried up. Today, no
one wants them. As guys like us age out, the fan base declines for anything
prewar to the point that all those cool
old cars will go to the crusher. Melenials and gen xers? Forget about them. They’re too busy with the latest
and greatest smart phones and computers and Facebook to even consider even picking up a wrench or even
getting their hands dirty working on an
old car. You oughta see the looks I get
when I try and explain to them what it’s like to actually build something out of nothing with not much more than a few
tools, your mind, and your bare hands.
And as all of us here know, it’s a pleasure that none of them would ever
know.
Watch the broad generalizations. These age groups are 25 to 55 years old right now. I’m 43 and very interested in an A or similar period car. And now that demand is much lower I’m even more interested.
You don’t encourage the next gen of hobby participants by being ignorantly dismissive.
Im 61 and i’m glad to here a guy in his 40’s is interested in taking the torch.
Gel coated fiber cars are a better buy.
They are stronger, easier to work with and they do NOT rust or rot.
Problem with these cars is they are basically wood cars with a steel wrapper.
If you are good with your hands, success can be achieved.
Fun to work with? Yes. Buy the best tools and you will have a better end result.
I bought 1930 model A Tudor Sudan a couple of years ago that has been in a barn for 25 years. Had not been touched except a little lead work on one door and the finders, original upholstery. Lubed the cylinders flushed the crank case and started it up. Put new on new tires and started driving. Drives nice. Would look real nice with a restoration but it is nice in it’s original black paint. A great eye catching car as it is. Why buy junk when you can fine nice for the same money.
This. So much This. Money is cheap compared to time. If you enjoy doing the work, the craft, well that’s fine. But if you enjoy the other part – driving/riding in a car you admire then no amount of work/craft will buy back the time you spent waiting to drive/ride.
The older I get, the more I appreciate that. Although the time I spent with my kid working on a car was great, nothing beats the time we spend going some place together.
I went to a local car show some years ago and a Model A club showed up with 28 cars. Take it from there.
I count six windows. Why is it called a five window?
Doesn’t include the windshield. Not sure why that is.
Nobody is rat rodding these? Chop, drop?
I am interested in this car—cant find any info to contact the seller—If the seller is reading these comments please email me and give me a price and where is this car located—-and a phone number that I can call to discuss—-