After asking how much a Model A body and frame weighed (not much) I hooked up the trusty boat trailer and took off down the road to the Tri-Cities and made a deal for a 31 Model A Victoria that I have watched on Craigslist for several weeks. The original plan was to set it on 32 rails but I may keep the stock frame under it. It will get the 8BA and T-5 that I picked up last year and probably a 9 inch pickup rear axle. I just got sticker shock on the price of a wood kit though. The flathead spent a number of years cobbled into a Jeep Wagon and I picked it up when the guy who bought the wagon decided to do a chassis swap.
Full fendered? If so, keep the Model A frame. Fenderless? Go with the 32 frame. Personally, I'd run fenders on this car. Good luck with the project.
Looks good! have you got back up off the floor after the wood quote yet? Just lay there and be quite for a few more minutes and it will pass... I do have to second the fenders on this car. Vicky's are just too damn cool to mess with too much. Personally, I'd lose the wood myself and go steel. Check out DRuss's threads on his car or landseaair's threads on his for an idea of how to do it. Oh, then check out Bull's thread on his tudor sedan to see how cool a full fendered Model "A" can be... Seems to be a forgotten thing these days.
Wife is saying fenders, especially after seeing the gasser style one in the new Rodder's Journal. I did have to sit down after reading the price for a full wood kit. They don't give those away so there may be more than a bit of steel fab involved in that with a lot of trips to my buddy's shop to make use of his shear and brake. It's going to be a one piece at a time build with nothing outlandish. Dark green non-metalic paint, tan top and wheels by Ford. The body will probably go to Portland to be dipped after the first of the year as while it isn't rusted out except in a couple of places it has been out in the weather for a lot of years and there is too much surface rust to contend with. I do need a driver's side door as that one is pretty sad.
Your car had a full fabric top down to the mouldings in the back rather than the painted back of the rear roof panels.
I hauled it home on my boat trailer. This came in the mail today. SoCal forged 4 inch dropped axle. To go with the Split bones that came via UPS last week. Now I'm debating hunting a 9 inch rear end or having the work done to put the ends off an old axle housing I have on the banjo rear axle I have in the shed.
I am gathering parts slowly for an A V8 build, so will be watching. I am abit curious about the front motor mounts, are most buying a readily available front cross member or fabbing their own mounts. Thanks Rod
I'd been watching that one too, Vicky's are cool. Hey, OT, but was that your chopped '48 chevy pickup running at the Billetproof hot rod eruption drags at Riverdale Raceway a couple of weeks ago? Quick truck if it was.
Great looking body. One question... is the pan under the rear of the body stock? Or perhaps part of the spare tire mount, or a split bumper / dress up kit? Looks nice but I never noticed that pan on a Vicky before. Gary
No that wasn't mine. I wish I had it running so I could go over and watch though. I wish I had made an offer on the wide 5 wheels the Vicky was sitting on when I went down and bought it. I didn't think about it until I was half way home.
The banjo is definately the classy axle of the two. I'm guessin' you saw the Tech on swappin' one out to the 9" axles??? The Hot Rod Works sell a couple of kits where you can swap the axles, then choose to use either the 9" brakes or keep the early Ford style brakes and the spring hangers...
Cool find. I was wondering who might pick that one up. I'll second the vote for the banjo rear, but I'm biased.
I will third it and add to the fact I am going to be hunting locally for a 42-47 pickup rearend, but have a 40 or 41 rearend in the current parts pile for my build. Rod
That lower pan in the back of that Vickie is a very hard to find pice. It is only used on the Victoria and one of the Fordor models of A. You're lucky to have that one.
I believe it's called a "Dust Apron" and I want one for my Tudor. Tudors never had them, but Victorias either did, or they were available.