Don't know why you couldn't get it close to where you want it with 10K for the upgrades you want and some subtle changes. As said, be sure and keep and catalog everything you take off......in case you want to change horses mid stream. Hell, you could even brush paint it (search for threads on that on here) to finish it off. This one is close to having the same changes you're talking about.
go to the banger meet study the links in the intro page and go back through all the old monthly meets to see what can be done ...there's lots of great info there.https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/april-2023-bangers-have-sprung.1289333/ buy jim brierly's book
https://www.millworkshotrod.com/collections/model-a Talk with these guys if you want to got with a Ford Flathead V8 but keep the stock model A spirit. They're the go-to in my opinion for the conversion parts. Otherwise there's quite a few threads and companies that can walk you through installing newer hydraulic brakes without too much hassle of expense. Great car, and definitely get it driving as is and see if you even enjoy the experience, some guys spend loads of cash on a hot rod and then realize they don't like the noise, or the wind, or the slowness.
Just thought of something. If you want a more serious hot rod, you could buy a new hot rod chassis with all the set up needed. Then swap your body over to that chassis. You could sell the original chassis as a driveable roller, without the body, to recoup some of the cost. Add OHV V8 and trans of your choice. Be aware that the title numbers are on the original chassis, so go through your state motor vehicle to get the body registered and titled properly. Then you can sell the original chassis. The whole replacement chassis will probably bust your $10K budget, but you will have all of the serious hot rod parts required.
Finish what your dad started - get it running and on the road and have some fun tinkering with it and driving it around. I'll bet it won't be long before you figure out which direction you want to go in and whatever you decide to do you'll already have a great start on it.
Your 4 banger is already a flathead, so that's one job done. If you stick to the 4, then you won't really need to beef up the rest of the drive train. The full fenders look nice as a wall hanging, or sell them for some cycle guards. The first Ford juice brakes came out in around '39, do a bit of homework as far as fitting them goes, and I reckon these will work just fine.
When first I saw this my head exploded. That there happens to be my first love. Yes there are many dozens of cooler rides. That there,, was numero uno. Could not comment as my mind was racing with the posssibles. I've cooled down and offer this. Keep it simple. It is a simple car. Yes,, it's a simple car get know it and certainly, make it attractive to your taste. Just remember keep it simple
That is a great car that was your dads and it's now yours! I suggest you get in touch with @Hitchhiker, Mr. Matt Field, he has an excellent reputation here on the HAMB, and he is very knowledgeable about these cool model A's, he will give you some good tips about your car! Congratulations from Dennis.
Before you start ripping shit apart, sit down and do a budget, complete with ALL parts prices you find online. A lot of guys on here could put together what you want for under $10K, but they are probably starting out with a stash of parts or access to inexpensive stuff. Doesn't sound like you fit into that category (no offense, just going by what you previously said and asked), so don't be too optimistic on your budget (budgets always get overrun!). I would follow other advice here and get it running/driving, THEN figure out what way you want to go..... Too many nice cars get turned into abandoned projects because of lack of planning and understanding of reality. Good luck!
Your asking me? I say build a Hot Rod! I checked your profile page, and see that your turning 60 soon. So no I wouldn't chop it. I'm glad I chopped mine, and have enjoyed it for over 40 plus years. But it is a pain in the butt when you get older. { Literally } lol If you, and your friends have the skills? Hot Rod it. But the most important thing is your Want Too! If you have to ask, maybe it's not so much? I will say, { There's nothing more Fun than a model A. }
I'd keep the banger just for kicks. The black car at the top of this page looks about perfect to me. That's exactly what I'd do with it, that's purty.
If it was originally my dads, I would build it the way he wanted it built and keep it as a tribute to my father
Swapping your Mustang to a T5 is a lot different than swapping this to a T5. This has a torque tube, not an open driveshaft. As mentioned, you need to do some research (books/hamb/etc.) on what all the swap entails. Your T5 experience will give you a head start, but don't assume it will be the same. Far from it. Before you set your sights on no fenders and a chop, get it running and driving and enjoy it some. See how you fit into it unchopped, and whether you could drive it comfortably with less headroom. Some guys tape over the windshield to emulate reduced visibility of the chop to get a feel for it. If you're swapping to a T5, adding a Flathead V8 won't add much more work, but it will add work for sure. Do you have the time, skills, and desire to do a full build, or do you want a hopped up stocker? Selling a car and buying someone else's build always seems attractive, but it's often not when you do it. Since the whole reason for this car is the nostalgia of his dad owning it, that seems like a non-option from the info we have. The other side of the coin is that you don't know what the car you're buying needs. In many cases, you will spend a lot of time tidying up and improving, whether it be suspension, brakes, wiring, power train, body, wheels and tires, etc. Mostly undoing someone else's mistakes. Most cars need a bunch of work to get it to be what you want, so why not make what you have into what you want and keep the nostalgia?
When I was on the FordBarn, there was an outfit that was selling T5 conversions for TT drivelines. As I recall it was at first for Model A’s then was adapted to the EV8 forum.
I think you have a good start to whatever you want. I am running a hopped up B motor in my coupe. 95 HP banger is a blast... I've had a few flathead v8 cars and they are fun also but also require some work to swap. I guess its whatever you ultimately want out of it. A hot banger car can run with the v8 cars. Downdraft intake makes a big difference in drivability. High compression head bumps things up alot also. B distributor is another way to get some more out of it and ditch the level spark advance. The allurer of the bangers is you can mod them a little at a time. It used to be cheap to build a banger or v8 but now this flathead stuff is getting more expensive to source. If you want to stay traditional then a 32-39 trans with clings adapter gets you synchros in the trans and better gears. I suggest 3.55 or 3.27 gears in the rear to get some top end out of it. Mine will cruise 65-70 without a sweat, and I have pushed almost 80 with alot more in it. Its your fathers car so don't sell it by any means. Make it cool and have fun. Alot of folks say keep fenders if you have them, and you can make fenders look cool, it takes the right stance, pull the fenders off you cut down some weight and change the look completely. Alot of folks back in the day took the fenders off to go racing, put them back on during the week.
Hello, My brother had a great idea. He wanted a street hot rod and liked the Model A coupe for starters. His friend already had a 34 5 window coupe with an Oldsmobile motor, LaSalle transmission and Oldsmobile rear end. But, my brother wanted something different. His teenage group did not have a Model A in the array of cars. I was recruited to keep an eye out for a Model A coupe. On our morning and afternoon walks to school, we kept walking by this older couple’s house. We had seen an old car sitting in the backyard uncovered, then a few weeks later, covered under a canvas tarp. But, it was just an old car. I told my brother about it and he went to explore. When he came home, he had bought it from the lady. She did not drive and wanted to sell the old junker. So, we went back to bring the old car home. It was a 1929-30 Model A coupe. there were no dings or dents anywhere. The paint was a little faded and being exposed to the weather for months and then under a canvas tarp for more days did a number on the surface. It did not run, either. Jnaki We towed it home and washed it with a commercial power spray machine. On the way home, it looked pretty good with all of the surface stuff blown/washed off. Now, my brother wanted to get the motor started and did the minor steps to get it running. he had plans to put in a 283 SBC motor and LaSalle 3 speed with a Chevy Positraction rear end. But, the key was get the stock 4 cylinder running. He wanted to sell it advertised as a “running Ford 4 cylinder motor…” so, we did what was necessary and got it running. We changed the oil and topped off everything. So, now my brother drove us around the block and then some. He drove it over to a friend’s house and they all had a good laugh. It was a starter project in the making. He even allowed me to drive it around the block. It had no power on acceleration, but it did move. It was just a car with no power. But it was a good starting point. Despite what has already been posted on getting a 4 cylinder running and doing some speed tricks, it is still a 4 cylinder that has limited power, compared to a SBC motor. As far as a swap, there are plans and kits to make things easy for you. If you are planning to spend 10k, you are in the v8 SBC motor swap project. Even if you spend money on getting the 4 cyinder running and adding parts to give it more power, you still have limited power compared to a v8. I had a Flathead v8 in my first 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery. It ran like a top, I did not have to do anything other than normal maintenance and it gave me 1000s of miles of trouble free miles of adventures. But, it was so underpowered when it came time to go up a slight coastal highway hill grade. I had to downshift to 2nd and if the traffic was thick, may times down to first to get up the other steep hill. That was not fun, but I did not have money to build a Flathead for more horsepower. If I did have money to build up a Flathead, then it would have been a lot more adventures in the local mountains. As it was, I did not have enough to get up to the local mountains, as its winding road grade was too steep and I did not want to drive in first gear all the way up to 7000 feet. We even had to take the coastal flat roads as the inland freeways had very steep hills and grades going north to Santa Barbara surf/camp spots. Not that the flat coastal drive was bad. It was a little slower, if a deadline or destination time period was necessary. Freeways are always faster, with less stops and more continuous driving. So, it is your car project, but if you are inclined, stay away from making your Model A a slow hindrance to you and others on the road. Since you are also considering down the line resale, other buyers of hot rods will look at the v8 powered hot rod over a stock 4 cylinder coupe. if anything since you are deciding on a possible build of a 4 cylinder, the same goes for a Flathead. It can be useful as a hot rod motor, but speed parts and builders are around most areas for support your build…YRMV
This thread would be well worth your while to go over. Similar to your situation, it starts from scratch with a stock car. Goes over most everything in detail and in layman's terms.....gets into the meat of it on page 9. Should give you an idea of the process, what you're up against and what can be achieved. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/looking-to-get-started.1214666/
I've read all the advice posted here, and they are all good. My advice is to get it running as is and keep researching as you do. The more you learn, the more it will help you decide your eventual plan and next steps. PS Looks like your dad did nice work - that is a fine-looking A!
I agree with the recommendation to get it running, and then making small(ish) quick changes, one at a time, to make sure it stays driveable except for maybe a couple of days at a time. Projects die and get forgotten when they have been undriveable for too long, avoid that trap. Once it's rolling down the road you'll get a so much better idea of what you feel you need to change about it.
I've thought it would be cool to have a stocker, at least for a year or two. I'm not sure I'll ever pull the trigger though. I would basically only use it for short jaunts to town and back.
It looks great in the picture. The fact that it was your dad's is even better in my book. I'd say that you are a lucky man. Do at bit to make it yours and then drive the hell out of it!
I would get it running, juice brakes, lower it, maybe wheel/tire swap, T5 trans swap, hop up the banger in that order
Lots of great input here. I'll just add one comment -- I would definitely NOT have it painted. Maybe paint it yourself with some brush-on flat black, but definitely don't send it out. Too many horror stories about paint jail.
Great looking car. I'd drop one of my Gen 1 Olds motors in with a Lasalle trans and basically call it a day. I don't even think I'd chop it or take the fenders off. Recess the firewall, remove the cowl tank and convert it to open drive. Lower it, hydraulic brakes and GOOOOOOOOOOO
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