Finally bought a Coupe, building a Banger!

Hey guys,
Im happy to say that a few weeks back i bought my first Model A.
Its a 31 standard coupe bone stock with 35 wires. I found the car just north of St Louis and hauled it back to college in central Kansas.
The previous owner had the body finished and painted about 7 years back and it has mostly sat ever since. Turns out the car is a little nicer than I was originally looking for and I almost feel bad for the planned chop. ALMOST.
Should be a great "hop up" project while I plan for the AV8 build down the road.


Once I get back to school in September the first things to come off will be the fenders, the top insert, and the muffler. Next will be a HC head and dual down draft setup so I can bang around a little quicker. Also needs new bigs & littles, just need to decide on whitewalls or blacks. (going for a 40's build)

Can anyone do me a 4-5" photochop?

Heres the pics.

 

good luck on your project. looks super clean!!

 

Nice buy. It does have 28-29 bumpers rather than the stock 30-31 set without the end bends, a trailer taillamp,, and replacement horn rather than the stock Spartan one.

 

Nice score. I like your ideas for the cars future.

 

type in banger in the search box and you'll come up with the monthly meetings here
the first post is filled with links to the frequently asked questions...read it..read them all. it will answer any questions you have
tk

 

Looks really solid.. I'm glad to see the old guys turning loose of their model 'A's.....

 

Nice soon to be hot rod

 

Nice find! That thing looks pretty hot as is, but I can't blame you for wanting to shed the fenders and chop the top. Wish I had found something that cherry to begin with.

By the way, when you're not at school in Kansas, where in Ontario are you from?

 

4" max on the chop I would go 3" if you are going for the banger theme. A friend of mine has driven a A with a 5 inch chop and he says you will hate driving it because you have to duck hunched over the whole time you are driving it. Dont ruin that beautifull car by turning it into some un practical radical rot rod. And go with black walls if you are going for the 40s look. Here is some porn for you......
A friends old AV8 coupe

My favorite AV8 coupe (it looks different now though)

 

Very nice score....stick to you banger plan you'll have immediate pleasure and fun with the car. I too started with that in mind but lost my way and years later still I am not driving the car. It is coming alone slowly and will be neat when done, but years lost where I could have been enjoying it more.

 

Sucks to see another one go to waste... Should sell it and buy one worth cutting up..

 

yup, you're on the wrong forum. Its not like its the last stock Model A on the planet...chill out

 

Waste? ... Isn't this a hot rod forum? As in, building, owning and driving hot rods, not stock restorations.

The fact that you think it's a waste, yet your user name is Hotrod95, has me confused.

 

I'm with speddy, it's the dudes car he can do what ever he wants to with it. This is a HOT ROD FORUM.

 

welcome to the banger brethren. Ther is nothing quite as fun as the banger in an A!

 

Thanks for the info, I knew the tail light and horn were funky but I did not know that about the bumpers. Thats ok tho because the horn is not hooked up anyway, I need some period correct Pontiac tails, and the bumpers will come off right away too.

Thanks for the heads up, I will do that right away!

Im outside a small town called Ridgetown which is down in Chatham Kent.
What about yourself?

Thanks for the pics!!! I want to do the car correctly so I will probably go with the blacks. Just need new center caps to complete the fresh look. I am also a fairly tall guy at 6'2 so your probably right about 5". I will search around for some pics of 3" chops.

Appreciate your input but thanks mom.

 

Yeah, 5 inch chops are for pussies!!!

Yours looks to be in great shape, enjoy it however you decide to build it!

 

This is what I started with....

 

Thanks man, I just saw your chop thread a few hours ago and it looks like you did a nice job! 5 inch is steep but your car looks boss so I need to make some big decisions.
First I need to figure out how to measure it all out correctly.

 

Thanks! I waited about 3 or 4 months until I chopped it. I enjoyed the shit out of it in stock form, then pulled the fenders, then of course the chop. I still have a bit more detail work to do on it also I just got a smokin deal on a T spring to bring the rear down where it needs to be.

My best advice would be just to take it easy, and be sure to enjoy the car whichever way you decide to go. How are your brakes? My mechanicals stop very well once I adjusted them properly.

 

Nice! I can never understand why people say a car is too nice to modify- why start with a rot box if you can find and afford a nice sound car. I once wrote an article on chopping an 'A' coupe.(2 1/2 inches if I remember correctly) I will dig it out and scan it if you would like.

David

 

.02 That car would look great just lowered about 2-3 inches all around and with a hopped up banger. Shed the bumpers and horn. lower the light bar. Bob the rear fenders. Then maybe a nice 2-3 chop. You'll be able to drive it the whole time your making mods. Look at some fendered A's. I do like both.

Very cool car.

 

I've been the banger route in my 30 pickup, stock A motor with Winfield head, Ansen manifold, Mallory dist. and a header, knocked the rods out in 500-600 miles. Built a B motor, counterbalanced crank, same speed equipment, V8 gears in 32 trans, knocked the rods out twice, I have a tendency to wind it out too far. Now I'm running a H&H counterbalanced, inserted Model A motor with a Brumfield head, no problems. You should look up Secrets of Speed and F.A.S.T. (Ford A Speed and Technology) they have lots of good info and vendors, Sacramento Early Ford is a good source of parts. Being in central Kansas I would guess you are at McPherson College, exellent program.

 

A word of warning. Those stock fans like to go through the hood and radiator.
You could get a new alum fan from the parts dealers.

 

nice start

 

Don't chop it.....................

 

I know where Ridgetown is. Dated a girl from Sarnia for a few years, and have a few friends from Chatham Kent, so I've done some exploring all over that area. I'm just a couple of hours down the road, living in Mississauga, but the truck's up further north in my parents garage.

 

Damn! That's a nice little coupe. I'd almost hate to see such a nice car chopped!!

Oh... Here is my banger powered coupe with a 3 inch hair cut.

 

It's your car ... but I agree with those who say it's too nice for what you intend. You could sell it to someone who wants it and get enough to buy one better suited to your purposes, and have money left over to fund the project.

 

We all know that 'funding a project' by selling an already appropriate car is a lose/lose situation. You get cash in hand to start 10 miles back from where you were, usually with a car not even close to what you had before AND it rarely works out cheaper in the end.

I think our young Canadian friend is doing it the right way.