History Painted Rad Shell on 28-31 Model A--Seen One?

Personally I like a painted shell versus stock stainless on a rod, ties the frontend together and less early T-like looking.

 

Metalman this phaeton is sweet and I can't imagine that it would look as right with a stainless or nickel plated shell.

 

Thanks, Beaner. I had three different shells on the wall to choose from, the original ( which oddly enough I thought looked too short on a hiboy), a'32 shell, which I think looks too rounded compared to the '28-'29 body, and this one looked best to me.

I also agree that a chrome shell would look out of place on this particular car, with these colors.

 

Neat little car, Pete. Is that a Ford inline six?

 

mine!


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Here is a painted commercial shell on my 30 tudor delivery plus a rear view. Gary

 

Buttera's

 

Garry Carter's 30 Model A with commercial radiator shell.

 

I like all model A shells, chrome, painted, buffed, scuffed, rusted, dented, abused but mostly used on a Model A. Not a freaking 32 over used on a great little Model A hot rod. Let the flames begin, this place is getting way toooo nice

 

Just to clarify, anything you can think of has already been done at least once.

 

Did a '31 painted steel pick up shell have the removable top grill insert ?
as far as paint vs. stainless, I see so many '32 shells on As that I chose the stainless to be a little different...
.
for my '30 I am using the top half '31 and even though I had both '30 + '31 bottoms I chose the '30,
the '31 just has a raised ring around the crank hole, the '30 has it's outer 7/8" edge run down and across the bottom, it swoops up and encircles the crank hole...my choice...
same riveted on crankhole covers...
.
I drilled holes through it that would be hidden by the top half...
then put a 2 lbs. spool of stainless .023 wire into my welder and rosett welded the drilled holes...
lightly tapped and then lightly ground the humps on the outside... they were there because stainless really warps when welded...
careful file, sand and polish will finish it, I didn't get that far...
pix of the stock '30, stock '31 and the '30.5 grills tomorrow in the daylight...

 

as for shells ... IMO...
'28-'29 were painted or nickel.
'30 cars were stainless.
'31 cars were stainless with a painted steel insert, some had both top and bottom inserts, some only tops.
'30 -'31 pick ups had painted steel shell with the center peak. you may have been able to ordered stainless.
'30-'31 big truck had a painted steel shell with no peak.
have been told of big trucks with a thicker no peak shell to take a thicker radiator... told they rubbed the headlight bar.

 

Of course, what really looks good on a Model A is a painted Deuce shell. At the end of the day, there just aren't many combinations of pretty much anything that haven't been tried on Model A's. The task is to pick out a combination that makes it yours.

 

The pickup on the passenger chassis had the peak and looked like the '30 shell but painted. The '30 used a blue emblem and the '31 used a stainless emblem following what the passenger cars did. The big trucks (AA) didn't have the peak.

Charlie Stephens

 

At the head of the Vern Tardel website it shows and early A hot rod probably pre war with no fenders,
but with valence panels and a painted shell. On looking close it seems to have a stainless or chrome trim piece
between the shell and the hood. A really sharp looking car.