Projects Model A Woody Inspiration and Suggestions

If you want inspiration, it’s here in spades with this one.

 

Hello,

My brother and I wanted to make a Model A coupe into a street legal hot rod that could also race in the Gas Coupe and Sedan Cl*** at Lion’s Dragstrip and others. We liked the front end of the Model A coupes and sedans. Our Model A coupe was purchased, we got it running in stock form, but the hot rod build up did not happen.

He had come up with other plans, wanted instant gratification and bought a 1958 348 Impala for his street cruising and races, along with competing in the A/Stock car cl***. His high school escapades were just beginning to fall into place, with the new 58 Impala.

By the time the 58 Impala era at the drags was coming to a halt, we started building a faster and more powerful 1940 Willys Coupe for the B/Gas and C/Gas cl***es. When that era was folding and the recovery act was in motion, we turned to surfing to ease the pain of the recovery. What we wanted next was a Model A woody. The woody was long enough to hold two or more longboards and the necessary gear.

But, despite being Model A fans, we could not get over the lack of security. The doors did not lock and there were no locking windows. It was an open phaeton with a wooden structure on top. So, there was no privacy or ability to go surfing with the woody parked in the lot or public parking place.

Jnaki

A solution was to modify window mechanisms from other woody wagons and then we would have a Model A locking, secure wagon for our surf adventures.

It was a workable solution, but would take valuable time from our coastal surf trips, etc. So, other options were being considered. My brother liked all of the room inside of the empty back area. A few window curtains and privacy would be fine. An SBC motor with a LaSalle 3 speed hooked up to a 55 Chevy rear end would be enough to power the woody all over So Cal.

Then my brother got a new better paying job and time was now, definitely not on our side. So, he opted for 59 VW van to get us to the beach and surf trips. That fit right into the whole surf van thing as others were getting all sorts of vans to go to coastal surf trips.

From Ford Econolines, Chevy vans, to the ever popular VW window and sedan deliveries that was the rage. One could only sleep in a normal station wagon for a night or two. But for those week long journeys to Baja California surf spots, we outfitted the blank interiors with a real mattress, seating, refrigerator, sink and a cook top for extended stays in remote locations. (And a special hideaway place for things that were going to be confi****ed at the border check coming back into the USA)

But, this is what I had envisioned back then and would have boarded up the open window areas of the woody and made it into a sedan delivery. But, of course, years later, the look of the sedan delivery was too big, so a slightly, chopped version would have fit nicely. Cal rake and all…