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Barn Find U.S. Mail

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOT ROD BILL, Mar 24, 2009.

  1. HOT ROD BILL
    Joined: Apr 7, 2007
    Posts: 714

    HOT ROD BILL
    Member

    Well it's a barn find, not quite a 32 3w but it was cheap.
    1931 Model AA ch***is with the parts for the box in a pile. The cowl is smooth like a roadster plus the hood and lights are real good. Anyone needing the mail truck stuff let my know.
     

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  2. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,772

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    One of the finest restored Mail Trucks in the world was done here in Houston in Houston TX by a guy in the local Model A Club. They are heavy and awkward and magnificent.

    The truck was found in Richmond TX just southwest of Houston. It was sitting next to a real goodie, a 28 wire wheel AA pickup truck with the LOOONNG runningboards and aprons and pickup bed! Always wondered where that ended up.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2009
  3. draginsteel
    Joined: Oct 21, 2007
    Posts: 463

    draginsteel
    Member

    Your probably the first in your neighborhood, to restore one of these. If the US Mail was still driving stuff like that they probably wouldn't be late all the time.

    Nice Job!
     
  4. Gasr57
    Joined: Sep 3, 2007
    Posts: 236

    Gasr57
    Member
    from Ohio

    Cool! Great find.
     
  5. HOT ROD BILL
    Joined: Apr 7, 2007
    Posts: 714

    HOT ROD BILL
    Member

    Wait the one on the right is mine! Rat Mail? Yea it was full of em!
     
  6. spinout
    Joined: Jan 15, 2008
    Posts: 333

    spinout
    Member
    from Dallas, TX

    Make it an RV!
     
  7. Anderson
    Joined: Jan 27, 2003
    Posts: 7,560

    Anderson
    Member

  8. that rocks! id live in that. lol
     
  9. S.F.
    Joined: Oct 19, 2006
    Posts: 2,896

    S.F.
    Member

    thats cool!
     
  10. Brad54
    Joined: Apr 15, 2004
    Posts: 6,022

    Brad54
    Member
    from Atl Ga

    Screw the body together and sell it--see if a Ford museum or some place like that wants it, and you keep the parts you want.

    -Brad
     
  11. Big Tony
    Joined: Mar 29, 2006
    Posts: 3,588

    Big Tony
    Member

    What a kewl find...congrats man
     
  12. silversink
    Joined: May 3, 2008
    Posts: 916

    silversink
    Member

  13. stude_trucks
    Joined: Sep 13, 2007
    Posts: 4,752

    stude_trucks
    Member

    Man, that truck really fell to pieces after that first photo was taken.
     
  14. panhead_pete
    Joined: Feb 22, 2006
    Posts: 3,725

    panhead_pete
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yes it yours and do as you please, I know I would. Its great that you found it, so much still out there.

    Just my 2c, and I know this is a HOTROD site but pls keep it all togerther and sell it off to a collector/resrtorer. These things would be quite rare, should be preserved and you may get enough for it for all the parts needed for a complete car. :)

    A win win all the way around :)
     
  15. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,772

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    Years ago Jim Babb, the radiator guy, built a AA RV/transport known as "Big Elmer" which looked like a country shack. Inside it he carried a little Subaru-powered C-cab T known as "IT-T-Bits".

    The truck sat in my neighborhood for many years just 4 blocks from house. Tried to talk to the guy but he wouldn't even let me look at the truck except from the street, it was in his driveway on flat tires. He, or the previous owner, sold fish and shrimp out of it on the local freeways during season. (Stinky? I couldn't tell.) One day it disappeared. Whether he sold it or moved with it I never knew.
    Anybody?
     
  16. Bill,

    Are you familar with the Fordbarn?

    @ http://www.fordbarn.com/modaswap/index.htm

    An ad there might bring results. ;)

    Jim
     
  17. manyolcars
    Joined: Mar 30, 2001
    Posts: 9,609

    manyolcars

    that truck is very Valuable
    Big bucks

    only a real idiot would think of messing up that piece of history
     
  18. Given Model A's are a dime a dozen, I'd be trying to flip it and see if it would sell for enough to build what I wanted - or buy a done car. I suppose it depends on what's there for the wood. But cripe, if all you're going to use is the cowl and grille for a rod, what do you even need to start with a complete truck for?
     
  19. Cool find.

    There is another restored one up in M***achusetts or close.

    If you are looking for a buyer, there are a lot of old truck and equipment guys who buy that kind of stuff. I don't know that guys name but if you PM me I know some folks in NH and NJ who buy that stuff, I can try to get their numbers for you.
     

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  20. Lobucrod
    Joined: Mar 22, 2006
    Posts: 4,121

    Lobucrod
    Alliance Vendor
    from Texas

    In my opinion that thing deserves to be restored. bet you could flip it for enough to buy a real hotrod project.
     
  21. HOT ROD BILL
    Joined: Apr 7, 2007
    Posts: 714

    HOT ROD BILL
    Member

    This truck will not be s****ed or thrown out. I have found alot of people wanting this complete or all the box parts. The sheet metal will only be used on a hot rod if it's left over. I had to buy this truck or it was going to the trash, I know it deserves to be reborn. Glad I was there to save it, anyone with an interest PM me.
     
  22. Early in my career with the Postal Service we had an original 29 AA mail truck in our Postal Service Vehicle Maintenance Facility where I still work as their Bodyman. I was fortunate enough to drive it several times in some parades. I last saw it at the Bush Inaugural parade in D.C where it is housed. We also had a local Letter Carrier restore one in the Glen Burnie area of Baltimore. We had him bring it to a Postal rodeo. These trucks should be preserved as a piece of American history. The way things are going with the Postal Service we might not see the U.S.P.S. survive, then you will have anybody delivering and checking out what's in your garage!:eek:
     
  23. spectria
    Joined: May 26, 2008
    Posts: 5

    spectria
    Member

    Do you still have the parts for the Mail Truck Box?

    I would appreciate some pics and maybe an asking price for the parts.

    Dave dzapps@comcast.net
     
  24. RAY With
    Joined: Mar 15, 2009
    Posts: 3,132

    RAY With
    Member

    Thats a very rare treasure and well worth the time and effort to restore it back to original.
     
  25. skidsteer
    Joined: Mar 19, 2007
    Posts: 1,246

    skidsteer
    Member

    ADVERTISE those mail truck parts, I'm not kidding. Saw a restored mail truck sell at Hershey last fall, the guy buying it actually stopped the owner on his way in, and paid $10K more than the owner was asking, then promptly turned around and sold it for almost twice what he paid! As I recall, the final price was somewhere around $60K.
     

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