History Can anyone identify this 29 roadster pickup?

I recently sold my hot rod 65 El Camino, and bought this 1929 Model A roadster pickup. It was evidently built sometime in the 80's, and although it's all original Henry steel and has good bones, I'll need to take car of some stuff. Besides the wheels and interior...yeah, I know, that looks vintage Disco-era, and I'll take care of that as I can afford it, but safety and function first.

So here's my question: Does anyone have any history on this truck? The guy I bought it from bought it in 1993 in pretty much the condition it's in now. What he could tell me, is that the truck was built by someone in Kansas City, who died shortly after completing it. The widow sent the truck to a friend in the Sacramento, CA area to have him sell it. This fellow was a car guy, took the truck to various car shows, and that's where Lloyd, the guy I bought it from saw it and bought it. Lloyd lived in the San Jose area at the time he bought it, and moved later to Lake County, CA.

Details that would help I.D. the truck: the bed and windshield frame are stock, unchopped. It's on a stock model frame that's been boxed. Front suspension is a home-built parallel 4 bar with a dropped I beam axle, some kind of 4 piston disc brakes, and an un-known rack and pinion steering box mounted directly to the front axle. Rear suspension is a home-built triangulated 4 bar with coil overs, and a 10 bolt Chevy II rear end. It looks like the builder was so intent on centering the pinion in the frame, he didn't notice until he was finished, that the left tire sticks out 2" further than the right, a boo-boo that's so noticable, someone might remember the truck from it. Other Identifying details: It has a 62-63 327, 350 turbo trans, the Enki wheels that have to go, and the cranberry-colored striped velour interior. The truck came with black and yellow CA plates (registered to it), so I don't know about the Kansas City connection, as, to my knowledge, it only recently became possible to (if, in fact, you can at all) assign the black and yellow plates to a vehicle that didn't have them originally issued.

Anyone out there remember this one? I'd sure like to get all the history I can on it.
Craig

 

if it has black and yellow California plates that means that the car was registered in California before 1969, or at least the title was from before 1969, and never left.. in the YOM program at the DMV you can only put the black and yellows on 1963 through 1969 cars, and 1970 for commercial plates

 

That's one good looking RP even with the outdated Enkies and velvet interior. Outside of changing the wheels and interior and making that it is up to snuff safety wise I don't think I would do a lot to it except maybe remove a few non traditional trinkets and replace them with more traditional versions of the same thing.

Someone in Kansas may remember it from when it was built but it doesn't sound like it got driven much if any in Kansas after it was built.

 

I think you're right on the license plate issue. My best guess is that if the truck did get built in Kansas City, it must have come from California, and never got registered in Kansas or Missouri before coming back to California.

Today, a friend came over and we spent a little time messing with the rear triangulated 4 bar set up. With some adjusting of the length of the bars and coil-overs, we were able to correct the centering of the rear axle. More than likely, the rear 4 bar suspension was correctly set up as built, but at a later date, someone re-adjusted things, which caused the rear axle to shift 2" toward the driver side, causing the goofy off-set tire look.

 

BTT Anyone have info on this truck?

 

Been a couple of weeks...anyone recognize this pick up?

 

Sorry man... I think it just may be someone's personal rod that wasn't known much....

 

Is the yellow-on-black plate JWS254 ?? If so, I could identify it.

 

No, the plate reads EIN515. Another friend has a list of all the letter prefixes for the yellow on black plates, which tells the area and the relative dates they were issued. According to his list, this plate would have been issued around Fresno, and it was a fairly early issue, like around 1963-64.

Since I originally posted, I've corrected the offset rear axle issue. Turns out, the upper bars for the triangulated 4 bar set up were miss-adjusted, so re-adjusting those correctly centered the rear axle. I've since removed the rack & pinion steering and installed a cross steer set up, using a Vega box.

Thanks to all who have responded. I'm still interested in any history, but as they say, it is what it is...