I think two kits exist, Chevy and Torqueflite, plus I suspect you could find a way to use Flatomatic with an A-V8 adaptor kit. I think the Chevy kit is full developed, other ways are just adaptor and youfiggeroutthedetails. I wonder how NSU did the automatic clutch on the Ro-80...I drove one of those once, I think it was a conventional 4 speed, but no clutch pedal. Touching the shiftknob worked a switch, and presto, disengage. I found myself mysteriously slowing down once, and saw the tach on like 8,000...my knee was resting against the knob! The engineer was NOT pleased.
i seem to recall an article done on a c-4 conversion and the results were unimpressive supposedly due to the extra power rqrd to run an auto transmission. it took like 10 or more hp to run it which is alot when you only got 35 or 40 to start with.
Here's one option.... http://www.transmissionadapters.com/Model%20A.htm Not exactly cheap though.... $1200 bucks..... ouchy
If your going thru that route why not go with a flathead along with a early flatty auto and keep the model a rear? Make it all bolt in? well kinda for the most part..
'53 Ford F-100s (last year for the flathead in the US light trucks) had an optional automatic...the Ford-O-Matic. Couldn't say about the Ford auto line, not being a flathead guru, but I thought the '53s offered it as well. Of course the Ford-O, in its early versions, sucks.
If you do Flatty V8 you can do almost any transmission. C4, AOD ('49-'53), TH350, TH400, 200R4, 700R4, etc....
What if you could keep the stick? Have you thought about hydraulic or pnuematic operation of the clutch using a button operated selonoid? A small compressor with an adequate holding tank can provide a lot of cycles on the right air cylinder? A vaccume brake booster might allow power assisted clutch just as easily. Just some ideas.
I've heard that the vacuum booster thing has been done several different ways. Inquire over on the forum at Ahooga.com. Rigging up a vacuum booster or some other hydraulic setup would be a whole lot less work and expense than converting to an automatic transmission.
You might want to talk to Lonewolfclub (James) A real nice guy and is building a car Model a coupe with Hand controls.
If you convert it to hydraulic clutch operation, some imports have small power brake boosters that could probably be adapted to your clutch master cylinder. Power operated clutch might take a while to get a feel for it, but it would be 10x easier on your leg compared to mechanical linkage. Nick