Projects My first build. 1929/31 model A

I'm with you on the 3" chop. I did a 30 A pickup cab that way. Looks nice and doesn't have the smashed top look of 5"
Mock up looks real good!

Earl

 

I found a coupe at a local event, and it had the same roof as I have, fixed to the body with a wooden frame and nails. Is this on the earlier cars or when they have tarp on the roof. I have only seen cars with welded roof before so I'm a bit confused...

 

Thanks for your input, not too many responds to my thread

I agree, it looks like someone stomped on the car when chopped too much, like the Pierson bros. coupe. Good for aerodynamics but not aesthetic or practical.

 

Your roof is for a Leatherback coupe. It was an option to make the car more stylish. I don't think it means the car is from earlier in production.

 

Thanks, mystery solved!

 

Four leaves removed from the rear spring and that gave me rear suspension that actually works. I now have 6,5" in clearance between the banjo and crossmember, and 3-4" between the wishbones and frame rails. Seems okay.

 

I like it man!! Keep up the good work!

In my opinion I think the sport coupe with a chop is the best way to go. Nobody does them. You see coupes and roadsters all the time. I think the sport coupe is the best of both worlds.

 

Thanks!

True, a sport coupe would be different, but I'm not sure I like the look of them. Since my roof is from a leather back that could be something to pick up on. Chopped leather back!

 

I'm liking'n it too. And watching.
Good luck with your build.

 

Thank you!

 

Trying to make some room in the work space, which has proved to be hard. My employees use my hot rod space to put stuff they don't know what to do with, so every time i think I'm going to put some time into the build, I have to make room first. Long story short, while cleaning tonight I gave the old girl some fresh air and got some perspective at the same time. I like it and it feels a bit more inspiring again!

 

Bravo...always gotta pull them out once in a while and stand back to really get a good look...plus extra motivation.

 

I think I'm going to take the panels apart and fix them one by one. Can anyone help me with measurements so I know how deep the wheel well patches are supposed to sit? Mine are long gone and I'm not the guilty one

 

Measurements found! Will go to a blaster tomorrow to get an estimate on soda blasting the body and sub rails. Need to clean it up before I start fixing the rust. Would love to save the old paintwork that looks like it's been done with a brush, but I'll see what the blasting guy thinks.

 

That's not a Leatherback Coupe. Its official name is the Special Coupe. It is rumored to be Henry's favorite body style.
Nice project you have going there.

 

Thanks for the information! Found a thread about a blue model A here on the HAMB, and that roof looks exactly as mine. I just need to find a wood kit or weld the whole thing together.

 

Soda blaster will take care of the body on Wednesday and it will ready to collect when I come back from vacation two weeks later.

 

Thanks to the thread bump gods ... I have found you. Tobbe J ... you rule. Nice work.

 

Subscribed!! I am working on a '29 Special coupe also. There is a link in my signature to my build thread. A chopped Special coupe would be cool. I decided to not chop mine as I am pretty tall and need the headroom.

Do you have a link to that other special coupe build? I would like to check it out. I got my Wood Kit from Bert's in Denver. modelastore.com The special coupe had more wood in it than any other coupe and it is a little bit expensive. I ordered the body wood and the top wood and it covered every piece of wood in the car. The kit fit well and looks great. The difficult part about the special coupe is the drip rails and trim around the quarter windows and the belt molding trim. Those parts are hard to find and in good shape. They are not the same as other coupes. Here is a picture of my project.

 

Oh, thank you, so nice to hear that you like my build! I was actually thinking of giving up on updating the thread since I got so few comments, but decided to keep posting for my own sake. The build has no real deadline and my interest comes and goes, that's why I haven't come further then this. Posts like yours brings back the joy! Thank you again!

 

Thanks Binger! I'll subscribe to your thread as well, nice to exchange information about what seems to be an unusual model. I know I can need all the information I can get, don't have a clue about what I'm doing . Here's the link I found http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/model-a-special-coupe-roof-photos.392165/

My problem is that it's hard to find good used parts here in Sweden, and shipping larger parts from the U.S. is quite expensive. I'm flying over for the GNRS and Sacramento Autorama and will buy as much parts as I can bring back home.

 

The body is now at the blasters shop and will be done in two weeks.

 

Thanks for the link @TobbeJ. That chopped special Coupe looks beautiful. Have you gone over to the Ford Barn? Those guys don't care for hot rods much but are very helpful with restoration type questions. Always nice to know how Henry did it first so you can plan on how to put your car back together.

 

I have not checked your thread in some time. Glad I did now, project is coming along very nice. Congrats on your progress ! Mikey .

 

Off to Thailand for a while. The body will hopefully be clean and ready for some welding when I come back. Next update in three weeks!

 

After four weeks the blasting guy is finally done with the body parts. I'll pick them up tomorrow and I hope they are salvageable since he said they had to be very careful due to a lot of rust... They are supposed to be blasted with soda and fine sand with low pressure.

Got a new book today!

Two days with UPS from Kentucky to Sweden is pretty good!

 

Bought 1 mm (0.039") sheet metal yesterday and decided to start with the subframe. It's pretty thin, and I doubt it's worth the time to fix it.


Finding a good subframe here will be difficult, I might have to order one from the US.

 

This is looking good. I am working on a 30 sport coupe. I am planning on a 4 inch chop and I bought a set of rear windows from a 29 special coupe. I would like to chop them and install them so that I have the quarter windows. but I am not sure how to make the mouldings that cover the lower joint.