History Model A Sport Coupe- The Poor Man's Roadster?

That's a pretty well thought-out coupester, I like it!

 

Hiding in a barn since 1962 this 28 AR Sport Coupe was discovered in Vernon BC in 2015 as a complete rolling original untouched car. It now has a 3" lowered custom top and sports tons of HP with an 8 stack fed old school looking LS engine. 30 spoke wheels were standard in 28, the 30 spoke Star Wire Cragar wheels help retain this unique feature. This Sport Coupe is no poor mans roadster!

 

Here’s my 1930 sports coupe. Still building it.

 

Here is a perfect example!

 

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Here's my 30 Sport coupe that started out as the "what the Hell are you thinking" from my car buddies. It was on the road in less then three years. No check writing but many obstacles. I fabricated the top from masonite, fiberglass and finished with a line-X bed liner coating. I later went from a mazda silver completion to my favorite Rock-A-Billy look. Ford 9", Turbo 350 with a dual quad ZZ4.

 

...Colors are starting...but this was last Fall...again this Custom Aluminum Top by Hamber @Koz just flows like the vinyl/canvas original in a Salute to it's former self...
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The car in my avatar is a '31 sport coupe with an aluminum roof that had just closed cell foam on when the pic was taken. I actually prefer a whacked "sporty" if they are done well, over a roadster because of the extra legroom. The blue car is my old Brookville roadster, so I kind have a feel for driving both.

 

Here’s my Coupester parts pile, I also have a Bob Bleed AceHoles frame and most of a 324 Olds in the pile. I think it’s a 1928, I read somewhere that the 28’s had the three threaded holes in the lower left rear, but I might be wrong. My question is will I fit in a Coupester? I’m 6’5” and 245 lbs. I can work on the weight but I’m not old enough to start shrinking, so for those of you who know, will I fit? I really want a roadster Hot Rod, I dream about cruising down the switchbacks to Oak Creek Canyon and over to Jerome for a nice lunch and a beer, wind in my hair the whole way!

 

yes you will definitely fit. Seeing you start with piles of stuff I think you will be creative enough to make it work. There’s about 6”-8” of room behind my seat at a comfortable driving position. I can take photos of mine and measurements if you like. I use a stock frame using the stock back piece and for the butt cushion I cut a piece of wood, foamed it and wrapped it.

 

Silver those are interesting blowouts on the trunk lid...was it just an unlucky skin? Usually the bullets go from the outside in...

Second opinion...
Hmmm...I'm 5'11" 215lbs and in my 3" or so chopped SC I'm glad I'm not taller...as it is I drive hunched forward a bit to see out as straight up I'm looking at header panel...it's not terribly critical but something of note...

The advantage you have is you are building it around you...

Are you making it a Coupster? If not I certainly would keep the chop minimal as opposed to radical...NO channel...

Your biggest place to gain space is by using seating that gets you down and back to allow room for your legs...

I have a bench seat that I had 1-1.5"s removed by removing stuffing...I'm sure I could use a further drop but I would imagine I'm better off to make a new reconfigured replacement with modern materials eliminating springs etc...

My Coupe has a fuel tank in the trunk right behind the seat with bracing in front...and there is still a package tray...the seat back can't go back any more...

So what I'm saying is to get your seating suited to you set before you add bracing and tank...

Getting in for me is ass in first then lift the legs in...That's the only way...

Trust me, no matter what you do it will not be an all day comfortable deal but we must remember it's a Hotrod after all...

It's best you get your Coupe body on a frame and get some material at floor height and get in and see how you can adjust the mockup seating to get the desired feel and go from there...I shared a Topless SC earlier in this thread without its Canvas Top and that may give you the wind and space to fit...and SC's without the top maintaining the door structure look pretty cool too...

Hope this helps...I certainly wouldn't want to discourage your desire to make this work...One thing any A Bone owner knows is these cars are tight inside...shoulder to shoulder is standard no matter what one does...

...Holy long winded Batman!!!...

 

two were for sale at the Rod Run in Pigeon Forge yesterday a 28 and a 29, each had a price of 13K.

 

i've done it both way's silver jimmy with part's piles like your's and with today's prices on everything those two sport coupes for 13 are the bargain of the century. you won't even come close to that price getting your pile there

 

Adding some thoughts on the post above and Silver Jimmy post. It all depends on how much you trust your skills. I've seen guys take piles of total crap and make great cars out of them for no money because they could do everything themselves and weren't trying to build a cover car. You can build cheap if you do it yourself and are a good horse trader.

On the other hand, I've had guys come in here with bodies a lot worse than Silver Jimmy and think they were going to cherry it out for $500. Ain't happening. If you're paying somebody to do the work, always get the best body you can find as sheetmetal work is the most expensive part of a build if done well.

I never cease to be amazed at how talented and resourceful guys on this board are. On some of the other rodding boards most work seems to be trailering your build from one shop to another and bitching about how much it cost. I'm a big fan of getting them on the road and the hell with the trophy.

Go for it Silver Jimmy. You're starting with a lot better body than I have. No reason it can't be saved.

Also like to add, there are some killer sportys posted in this thread! The Burgundy '31 in my avatar was way worse than the one you pictured.

 

28 I’m playin with.

 

I'll agree with some of the above statements...when I first joined the hamb it was because I had found some sport coupe 1/4's and felt certain a bit of cutting and welding would produce a fine roadster...Ha! Well let's see...the deck lid is interchangeable but coupe below deck panel is shorter and so is the above deck panel so although the deck lid is the same where it sits is not... ok so the fenders also interchange but when placed side by side the wheel wells are in different locations they are clocked down further on the coupe 1/4's...next is the length... the frames interchange, w/b is the same but the coupe doors are longer and the 1/4's shorter...if you think you have that all sorted then you realise the body bead is different... yup
roadster bead is rounded but coupe is flat! There is also a "split" in that bead the upper one ties into the above deck panel welt
Ok now if you've done all that go buy roadster doors and cowl ...they're different too!

 

...Priceless...

Credit to Photographer, Owner
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that’s awesome. Thanks for posting.

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Something to consider is that some of the car's that are pictured could have been '28/'29Business Coupes rather than Sport Coupes. Same basic body with a soft top.

 

5” chop? Lookin mean!

 

Sloppy I actually think the reference again looked at two ways with Sportys being a fake Convertible then when you hack of all the offending parts and make a Roadster...still not a true Roadster but more affordable IF one can pull it off and you are a specialist in this type of Jalopydum...

Actually all three models the Sport Coupe Cabriolet, Specials and even Standards all get modded into pseudo roadsters as they are all less desirables in many a Hotrodders mind...but it's in many ways a slippery slope as the Coupsters are undesirables by many as well......dang typos...All fixed now...

 

This is why many would shy away from this as IF you want to have a near true Roadster your going to have to do a number of mods to make it happen and most of the time you can't replicate a true Roadster and many would not want any part of it...however this Thread is of no concern to the diehard Roadster Crowd...

I again applaud those who admire the Fake Convertibles for what they are Oddball 3 window Coupes before the bonifide 3 windows came along in 32 aka Ford...

 

@“Casey K”

Thanks. Yup 5”
Ive got a 28’ grill for it.

 

For many that's exactly what happens...find some discarded pieces and splice it into the desired coupe...

I don't believe a kit is available to do that...

 

I've always thought the Sport Coupes looked good as Sport Coupes. Once all my projects are finished I'll find room in the garage for one. Bob

 

Anyone know how much of a chopp on the green one?

 

I think the beauty in them is that it actually takes a bit more vision to make them have the "look". To me, especially with TROG, etc, the roadsters are low hanging fruit and are often like belly buttons.

 

There is also the false assumption that everyone with any other Model A really just wanted a roadster. Just like there are guys who feel anything but a '32 is junk.
The Sports Coupes were a rare body style by comparison and were different enough that forcing them into a coupster or coupe format isn't really fixing anything.
We've grown far from the roots of hot rodding for sure.
D