Somebody pinch me, I just brought home a Model A Roadster...

or, proof positive that they built Rat Rods "back in the day" too.

Some of you might remember a thread from a couple weeks ago where a fellow HAMBer was asking for positive i.d. and worth of a roadster he found over in Vermont.
Through a series of fortunate events, I am now the proud new owner of this little hot rod and after seeing it in person for the first time, started making some big plans on the long drive home.
I admit to having had an internal dilemma over the past couple weeks wondering how I would personally handle the responsibility of inheriting someone's old hot rod. Would I simply be a steward, maintaining it long enough to p*** it on to another young hot rodder many years in the future? Or would I undo everything and make it my own? That's quite a dilemma and I lost a lot of sleep over all the speculation.
Seeing the car up close and personal for the first time this afternoon erased all doubts. I have to make this car my own. A previous owner made a jalopy that looked like a lot of fun, but I wonder how much of that adrenaline was fueled by tearing around the countryside in a death trap. Some things l are incredible - like the late Ford dash grafted in. Some things are downright scary, like the narrowed frame, bubblegum welds and rear wishbones cut, bent and snot welded together.
Its very much an old hot rod that someone loved dearly at one time. I would like to think that the previous hot rodder from years ago will understand why I'm going to make the changes that I'm going to make and be proud of what his little bomb will become.
I just got back from a long day on the road and am eager to crawl into bed and dream of what this little beast will become. In the meantime, I'm grateful for having the opportunity to buy it and the HAMB for helping me find it and for a good friend to help me haul it home.
Thanks again, Walt! And thank you again, Steve.

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-20

 

More pics for those that are curious. Check out some of this stuff - here's some penny pinching Yankee ingenuity hard at work right here.

Notice that the headlights are not even close to being the same height. They are mounted on bent flat stock welded to the frame and a bolt laid sideways along the seam. I don't know if that was for decoration or what.
By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Here's a neat little aesthetic addition to the headlamp mounting. Old bearings...
By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Best I can figure is that this roadster body is sitting on a 35 Frame. Notice how the springs were heated and bent to get the car lower...

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

It has been modified for juice brakes.. Dig the welding on the backing plates.
By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21


By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Cute little flathead. Carb is full of leaves and twigs. The cowl is welded to the frame but without a lot of penetration, most of those welds are broken.

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Get a load of these horns!

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

I don't know where these rear bobbed fenders came from. Wide 5 bolt pattern on the rear, regular 5 up front.

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

There's a mystery hole right there...

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

The exhaust is routed out back to the rear quarter with flexible exhaust pipe.

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Its funny, but I think the 35 dash install is the cleanest custom alteration on the whole car. What goes in the hole on the glove box door?

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Both doors have been removed and replaced with thick sheet metal welded solid for that Euro racer look. Anyone know a source for doors?

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Check out how the frame was narrowed to fit. See how the rear wishbones were cut, moved and welded back together?! Yikes!

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21


By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

The gas tank itself is nicely attached to the frame, but it looks like he used a can opener to make the hole for the filler neck.

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Anyone recognize these seats? Panel van?

By earthshaker5769 at 2010-11-21

Anyone from the New England area recognize this car? It is wicked cool.

 

like to see more,good luck on the build

 

Congrats, cant wait to see more pics.
ive also just brought an A today.

 

Awesome!

 

Pics?

 

dont want to step on Gigantors thread, so ill start my own.

 

Cool, can't wait to see pics.

 

Sounds like someone made a fun car, doing the best he could with what he had. I say carry on in that tradition. To me that is a Hot Rod.

Bill

 

Thats the way they built them back then and they also brush painted them , I always grind my welds smooth ,But that does weaken the weld...So no matter what,,, you cant win for trying . Then on the other hand The car has how many miles on it..

 

I can`t wait to see how it was built. Any idea on when it was built? We must understand that safty was not something that jumped off the page back in the day. it was all about a fun fast ride. Yes there were many skilled builders but much like today there were many that never understood what was safe and what was not safe. they learned the hard way. We have them to thank for there mistakes. I love history!!

 

Bump for new pics

 

looks like ya got some cool wheels and caps

 

[pinch]
It's for real!

Congrats!

 

Yes! I can relate to this project! Saving the body and building a safe period piece is the way to go IMO. There are a lot of bits and pieces there that can be used or sold off to help the project along. The Roadster body I started with was a channeled one with the doors welded in place with about the same quality workmanship. Good luck with the rebuild! Bob

 

Congratulations man .... Am I the only one who thinks this was a paddock basher ?

 

I guess I should not feel bad about the "****py" shells I am sending. You are right, they look primo compared to East coast stuff!

So happy for you man! Can the shells wait until after Turkeyday? I am slammed with work and family.

 

The only thing that will determine the year is the cowl hood rod mount plates. Look inside to see if there are two 4 3/4 x 2 3/4 backup plates spot welded in. There is some deal with two vs three hole lower door hinges. Based on the screws holding the lower windsheild stantions on I think you have a 1930. Are the stantions bronze or steel? When you get a rear fender removed check to see if they are just A fenders turned around with the outside bead bolted to the body.

 

No offense, But i dont get why anyone would want to keep that car like it is.

 

I'd say that is one you take apart and put the stuff you are going to save and use over here, the stuff that you can sell over there and the stuff that is s**** out in the s**** pile so it can be sold to pay for new stuff for the car.

That looks like a good candidate to build a channeled East coast roadster out of. Maybe a Riley Automotive double Z frame and see if that flatmotor can be got into shape to use.

 

Good score, if i was closer i'da been all over that, As for those springs, that was pretty common back in the day, But i dont like the concept because they cant slide as they compress

 

I'd bet a dollar that the "mystery hole" was put there to get the lid opened after something shifted and blocked it from opening.

 

cool

 

sweet good look...........................nice

 

Looks like a fun project. I have a 38 rear end that they heated and bent the spring like that. Old timer told me that's how they dropped cars back then. Looks like a 32 rear crossmember so your rear spring should have a curve in it to match.

 

Hey Guys, thanks for the kind words. I'm glad the general consensus is save what I can, but s**** or sell off what I can. Its neat to look at for nostalgia sake, but I don't think I'd want to drive it like it is. The good news is that I don't think anything has been done that can't be undone. Big plans for this ... big plans.

TMan - No sweat on those grille shells, take your time and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am a long way from needing them! Hahaha.

37Kid - Thanks for the tips to determine the year. From what I could see yesterday, the windshield stanchions are br*** under all that black brush paint. I was wondering about that. Guess its a 30 then? I will take a peek at the hood support brackets too tonight.

I'm so excited I try not to pee a little whenever I think about it.

 

Doors: Brookville- if you want to spend the bucks!

I would keep the car as it is only as a museum piece or to show high school shop cl***es how things should NOT be done.

 

make it safe to drive, make it look as good as you can afford; perfect cars take a lot of time and money and then you cant drive them out of fear of damage to car, there are a lot of 1/2 done cars out there that owners got in over ther heads' fix it to your standard's and enjoy

 

Asked the Model A expert and found out the br*** lower stantions were an early to mid 1930 feature, The cowl inner hood rod backer plates came out in November 1930.