Hoping to find some history of a 31 Model A PU, Vin A352050, I acquired from Phoenix in March, 2013. This car had a 264 Nailhead and a TH 350 ******. This hot rod is now being restored. Thanking all in advance, Craig Cochran Minnesota
Never saw it before, but it's a honey of an old truck. Doesn't look like it needs any resto to me. I don't see a problem with posting the number if it's currently ***led and registered, no one would be able to do much with the number.
Serious Question: why do people blank out license plate numbers in pictures? If it's tagged you can't do anything with it, other than maybe figure out where somebody lives. Anybody that looked me up would quickly find out that they are being followed by a camera and that questionable visits are greeted with a S&W 40 cal. Nice truck, have fun with it!
Pictures look ok but the car needed to be completely gone through. I have the frame now finished, satin black epoxy. Another Nailhead (322)is being built by Ray funk, Mankato, MN. Car should be finished by Spring. The only 2 things not being changed are the interior and the exterior paint, everything else is being addressed. Different axle ratio, Rebel Wiring, fuel cell, steering, etc. Look under my thread 31 Model A Hot Rod restoration . I appreciate the interest.
I saw that truck around Phoenix several times early this year. Pretty cool little machine. I remember that looking at its style, stance, condition, construction and the fact that I had only seen the truck around for a short time led me to belive that it had been built very recently.
I think updated is a better description, thanks charlieb66. The car was owned by a young fella in Phoenix, he had it for a year, got married, had a kid and sold it to me in March, 2013. The only clue to it's past is maybe the muffler shop sticker on the F/W (see picture), it has an Inglewood address and an old phone #. Doesn't mean much though. I've found nothing on the car later then 1964, appears to be an old build that was well done.
Anybody from the West Coast (or anywhere) remember this Model A PU? Is there a web site that would give reliable information using the Vin#? Appears to be a late 60's build. Craig Minnesota
The interior and paint are fairly recent. After dis***embly, most everything else looks to be from the late 60's maybe 70's.
What car history did the seller p*** along to you??? I'm amazed at how many recent acquisitions here lately come with no car history. Did he advertise the car as a survivor, rebuild or new build? It's common to see traditional builds with NOS or repro speed shop stickers, but they're usually dead give aways because they're typical Moon, etc. With a repaint, the vintage white firewall paint and sticker may have been kept, or someone was real crafty and "aged" the old sticker to make it look old (fake patina). The phone # on the sticker dates to at least the mid 60's with the exchange letters (I really dug those as it was so easy to remember a # "Tuxedo 5-2343"). Sonny's muffler is still on Hawthorne in Inglewood. His Son runs the business. Maybe they could help you out with dating the sticker or perhaps the Rod was a shop truck (!!!!!) or could be recalled by them. I've been in old shops where they have photos of Hot Rods on the office wall that they did work on or owned. 10505 1/2 Hawthorne Blvd Inglewood, California 90304-1911, USA About company Sonny's Auto <ABBR ***le="a system that keeps air cool and dry">Air Conditioning</ABBR> specializes in the <ABBR ***le="identifying the nature or cause of some phenomenon">diagnosis</ABBR>, service, and repair of <ABBR ***le="a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine">automobile</ABBR> air conditioning and <ABBR ***le="utility to warm a building; "the heating system wasn''t working"; "they have radiant heating"">heating system</ABBR>s for most cars, trucks, rv's, and <ABBR ***le="shuttle consisting of a bus that travels between two points">shuttle bus</ABBR>es. Sonny's has been in business since 1947. Sonny Krauss started a <ABBR ***le="a shop specializing in repairs and maintenance">repair shop</ABBR> which grew to a <ABBR ***le="workshop where metal is cut and shaped etc., by machine tools">machine shop</ABBR>, a custom <ABBR ***le="a tubular acoustic device inserted in the exhaust system that is designed to reduce noise">muffler</ABBR> shop, to an auto a/c shop. His son still operates the business in Inglewood serving the south bay area.
Thanks HRTA for the info., I emailed Sonny's a few months ago, sent pics along with questions about the car, have heard nothing since, I'm sure they're busy and didn't want to take the time. I figured they maybe did the exhaust. I've never gotten anything from the seller, a young fella (21), he had it for a year, I recently emailed him for more information but have not heard anything as of yet. Thanks for your interest and help, Craig
About this being a new build, I'm not shy about posting a few pictures of the way it was, since these problems are now corrected. The bottom spring perch nuts were on by a couple of threads. The 41 Ford box (cross-steer) needed to be rebuilt, the pitman arm was heated and bent up too far, which shortened the throw and slowed down the action, it was replaced with a stock arm. The oil pan lost the war with highway obstacles. I bought the car because of the ch***is, it was well fabricated and nicely swept, I did move the real coils by 1" and made the ****** x-member removable. The old motor had settled down into the steering shaft which made it a h***le to drive, probably why the kid got rid of it.
Not saying it isn't but, how does any of that prove it's an "old" build? People do things wrong all the time. This would have us believe ALL old built hot rods were poorly constructed. The stance, swept frame and coils in the rear seem kinda new build to me but I could be wrong. It's a cool truck and could very well be an old build. Is the firewall welded in or screwed in? Or it was carefully tacked in. They could have found a cool old firewall with a neat sticker and decided not to paint it. Maybe it's just the angle of the pics but it looks a little "new school in the weeds" to me. Either way it's cool and I hope you find the history.
If I recall correctly, the PU was for sale in the HAMB cl***ifieds not too long ago, my understanding is that it was a new (recently built) car. I like the car, the whole set up, and the ch***is. Nice to see you are making it right and safer now.
Nice truck Craig. New or old, it's very cool. Always someone around here that wants to bust someone's balls... but if you want honest, nothing-held-back opinions this is definitely the place to get them! Oh, and by the way; the Deuce Fordor in my avatar is a "new" build using a low miles rust-free Henry body and a '49 Merc flattie, and (gasp) Coker radials. But it's mine and I like it and I drive the **** out of it. Good luck with your quest and enjoy your truck!
I don't think anyone was doin that, I think everyone, myself included, have just tried to shed some light on the question asked.
True, some of us just wanted more info to help the OP! Some folks are beyond thin skin, they must be opaque!
Possibly one of those rigs that has been through several owners in the past 20 years with changes by different owners?
Nice truck. As long as you do it the way you want it, and you take the time to do it right so it's reliable to drive, weather it has history or not does not matter.
The Jalopy Journal
