'31 model a cowl

Picked up a 32 cowl about month back. Was looking at it last night and noticed a tube running from top of the p***enger side windshield down to the fire wall.

Did they have vacuum wipers on Model a's?

 

31 or 32?
got me confused..
than you say Model A.(we all know the 32's were not called A's).now im really not sure where your at
but its possible they could have had a vac. wiper

 

Pretty sure thats the vent for the gas tank on a Model A

 

not to say no..on this, because i have learned alot i didnt know on here..but my 28 A has a vented fuel cap..so no need for a tank vent tube ..especially one that comes into the car and above the windshield?

 

Picture? Bueno?

Does it have a cowl vent or a gas tank?

 

The vent on a Model A gas tank is called "the gas cap".

That tube is the vacuum line from the windshield wiper motor to the firewall.

 

guess that would have solved and answered all my questions

yeah break wide with the pictures man

 

it's for the wipers

 

You've found Granddad's old cowl! The tube did come from the gas tank. It was the earliest attempt at a gasoline heater. Granddad dreamed it up. He installed it. He lit it. Then he went to heaven.

 

Early Model A's were equipped with electric wipers (on the driver's side only). Later ones - perhaps mid-1930 on ran vacuum wipers. The vacuum tube ran off the intake manifold at the split for cylinders 1-2 and 3-4. The line for closed cars ran through the cowl on the p***enger side and up the pillar where it connected with a rubber hose that ran along the windshield hinge to the wiper. Some body styles had the wiper motor mounted inside the car while others put it outside. Early early models and commercial units were furnished with a hand wiper. I had one of those; it was a joy to drive in the rain! Kept you busy... To my knowledge, the only vent for the gas tank was built into the gas cap. On the screw-on type caps (28-29) it is easy to get the radiator and gas caps mixed up. The radiator will continue to radiate, but the gas tank will not vent and the car will starve for gas until you correct the mistake.

 

Model A Speedster; That's the truth.

 

Here is a picture of the cowl.

 

did you pay 32 price for it?

 

looks to be a 30

 

windsheild wiper vac line

 

yes, it's a vacuum tube for the wipers.

 

I gave the guy a $100 for it. figure I could put the tank and sell the tank for more if I wanted too.

 

id be interested in it.... its a 30 btw.

 

why could it not be a '31 too?

 

vacuum wiper line

 

30-31..
nice score for the $

there might be a date stamped in the firewall..near the top ..that might tell you year exactly

 

It could be 30 or early 31. Late 31 had a big indent in the firewall for the engine compartment mounted gas shutoff.

 

i could but they had more 31s with the indented firewall.