The car has been sitting for around 12-13 yrs. I pulled it out of the garage and the engine was seized but as it turns out t broke free very easy. Anyway here are some pics. I have drained the gas, cleaned the carb and will head over later this week with a new battery and fresh gas to try and get it running.
krash, I work in auburn/chagrin falls on queensway off of munn. I want to get it running and hit a few car cruises this yr, maybe annabels. Then take it apart box/strenghten the frame, run a stroked FORD 302, 5 speed, 9" or 8.8. As far as the body goes at the moment I'm thinking no fenders and dropping the body about 4 or 5". The model A scene is all new to me so I'm researching and soking in ideas so my mind will probably change 100 times before I even get started.
If you want to get it running, one of the first things to do is correctly rewire the ignition circuit. It looks like the wire to the distributor comes directly from the coil. That wire should come from the ignition switch. There are probably some Model A guys in your area that would be willing to help you, although I should warn you that they will most likely try to talk you out of the "chop". Original Model A's are fun, too.
Perfect candidate for a simple traditional hot rod build. Keep the body as-is and add a dropped axle, 16" 40 steelies or 35 wires, bias plys, later banjo rear, juice brakes, later hopped up flatty and a toploader ****** and done!
Welcome from Middlefield. Nice car, if it was mine I don't know if I would cut it up too much. That's a very nice complete car. ( Did I just say that?) I think I would lower it, leave it full fendered and then use your updated drive train. That's just my 2 cents.
I haven't been to Annabelle's im awhile. There are tons of cruise ins in the Cleveland area. Check out the website forf Cruisin Times http://www.cruisintimes.org/cruisin/ for all the cruise in's for each day of the week. Solon is a good one one Tuesday's. I would just get it running and enjoy driving it this summer to some local cruises and shows. I like the idea of what others said of going the mild hot rod route. That is too nice of a car to cut up. It would look nice lowered, maybe '35 Ford style wires, banger hop up and later a flattie. Kind of a post war hot rod. Whatever you do just come up with a game plan of what you want. Then think about it for wahile to make sure it's what you really want. Then gather parts and violate that stock Model A. Here is my ride.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=400802
thanks guys! krash i like the ride! krash/mat thrasher are you going to downtown wilioughby tomorrow? my inlaws live at the beginig of downtown and we park there and walk around. i have allready changed plans for this car a few times just based on comments and pics from this site. i'm for sure not doing anything drastic until winter-drive her as is for the summer.
Get a painless fuse box WITH THE HARNESS!,use a ford 302 and a T5 from a 87-93 mustang GT or LX with 96-up explorer heads and an aluminum intake/Demon carb,Use the Explorer 8.8 rear end and put wires back on it.Keep the stock look or just keep it stock and have fun with it that way.My 2
Personally I would sell that car to someone who would keep it original or at least traditional. It would bring plenty of money to fund an OT sbf deal. Thats just me.... Build it as you please. It's yours. For what all that wiring and late model sbf **** would cost you could easily hop up the banger or swap in a flathead V8. Leave the fenders and paint, dropped axle and reversed eyes on the springs. 16" wires or steelies with caps and rings, bias Cokers in black and call it done. My favorite color combo, by the way. Like I said, just me. Kevin Ooltewah Speed Shop
what's the reversed eye on the springs? this is why i signed on here to see what others have done. for now just going to drive it until i'm 100% sure of what i want to do. flat head v8-what are the most desierable yrs to look for?
A reversed eye spring is when the spring is rearched so the spring eyes roll up instead of down. Look at the stock spring on your sedan. The spring would be opposite of that. I believe it will give you about 1 to 1-1/2 inch drop.
nice car it's your car of course but to me there is not much less traditional than a small block Ford especialy with "electronic ****" on it I like the idea of the flathead V8 transplant and a simple lowering and wheel swap I come here to see what traditional builds are happening not to see contemporary street rods there is nothing wrong with them they just aren't what I'm into or what this site is about
paul, i think i'm going the route of a flathead v8. i have been doing some re-search and it looks like the one to have is the 8ba generation block. i found one that i'm going to call on. anything i should specificaly be concerned about with these engines?
I have heard the Willoughby Cruise on Saturday's is a good one. It's on my short list to check out. As far as flatheads go I am no expert, but have read a fair ammount b/c I have an 8BA in my '51 Merc. If it were me I would try to get a running engine with good compression. Flathead blocks are prone to cracking and a running engine would at least, hopefully, not have cracks that are beyond repair. The 8 BA's are pretty desirable because of the much sought after 4" Merc. crank. One of those engines would be my choice. I believe the blocks made during the war had a different metal composition resulting in fewer cracks. And again my vote on your ride's style breaks down like this....Lower it, different wheels ('35 spokes maybe), hop up the banger and then down the road put in your flattie with maybe a '39 gearbox. I'm all for hackin up cars, but yours is a little too nice.
The main concern (coming from someone with 3 stuck flatheads) is to get one that is running. Your money ahead to give a little extra for a good running engine. 8ba or 59ab will both work fine, just a few details here and there. A stocker will be a drastic improvement over the stock banger. You'll need a 39 or so top loader transmission too. I'd work on the suspension, tires & wheels, and get it setting right first. Then you can be driving it looking good till you get your engine swap worked out. You can reverse the eyes on your stock springs pretty easy, just get someone to help you thats taken the rear spring apart before, so you don't kill yourself. Now.... Get to work.
Actually only the main leaf is reverse arched then reinstalled on the spring pack which makes the rolled eyes up instead of down. Be careful dismantling the spring and buy a new spring center bolt from Snyder's in New Springfield OH. This car is what we used to call an "early" restoration which has many early replaccment parts on it which are not duplicates of original parts but are similar. A very nice pice. Enjoy it!
8BA's do not have 4" cranks in em...Mercs did (8CM's) I have found that most 8BA's are junk due to cracks. Dunno why, I have had handfulls of good 59AB's and NEVER owned a good 8BA (and I've owned a lot of em). As far as I'm concerned the only thing an 8BA is good for is putting the good cranks/rods and valve train into a 59AB.
Oh yeah, 8CM. I had a feeling I was talking out of my ***. Sorry, I said I was no flathead pro. Now I'll never forget.
ok guys i'm not hacking the car up. going to lower it and run it as is for now. maybe try and pick up some different wheels at goodguys in july. i do want to do the flathead v8 sometime in the future. is there anyplace to get the springs allready reversed or is having your stockers done the only option?
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