I joined this forum years back, but had a stroke that took out my short term memory in 2001...I hit my left thumb with a hammer at work and suffered a blood clot. And I have suffered right side paralysis, and now am retired from my job as a Journeyman Tool and Diemaker. Little things can drastically change your life. I thought my life was over, my wife left and I suffered thru the worst divorce case in Kent county. Right now, life is good, I have a new lady, and my sons spend a lot of time with me. For the life of me I can't even remember my username or p***word...so I rejoined after meeting up with the HAMBers at the Kalamazoo NSRA Nats..my youngest son Dan and I hung out with Red, Denise, George, Brent, Tony , his Mom and sister and I got reintroduced into the old car hobby. I've got Model A's...lots of them....7 in all....One is a complete car, running, a 28 Woodie that my sons and I built back in 1999 on a 30 ch***is that was originally my grandfather's car...byt he time I got to it when I was 16 or 17, on his farm on Beaver island, just the frame remained and the rest of the very rusted out 2 door body. I built a early 30 coupe on this ch***is after buying a rolling junker from my great aunt for $25 and the purchase of a butchered channeled coupe for $35....Trya nd get one today for that price....(the most I ever paid for a Model A was $850---Thanks Steve DeMaagd!...)...and ran it stock for a few years as my only car. Including a trip to the east coast where I did active duty in the USNR....The highlight of one trip home before Xmas was pulling into a gas station in OH to fill up with .67 cents a gallon Regular and this old Geezer (now I'm one!!!) running out to say that he couldn't believe that I had driven that Model A from Michigan....I had to burst his bubble, (we had a front plate then in MI) that I was on my way home to MI and had left Newport, RI at 1800 the day before...it was a 1000 mile trip....and the 55 mph limit made Model A travel practical, as I could do 50-55 easy. So I've got 4 30/31 coupes, a 31 Tudor in pieces and a very nice 29Tudor that my ex bought me as my wedding gift....and the Woodie... My son Sean has a 23 T-Bucket project that will hopefyully run by the time he's old enough to drive in May of 2007. And my youngest son, Dan, wants to reconstruct my first Model A Coupe... I'll never have, or probably want any other old car than a Model A. Parts are available int he aftermarket, there are still a few cars out there that come up for sale from time to time, and there are still a few rusty junkers that we work on with our sandblasters, Lincoln SP-100 MIG welders and the good old body hammer and files/grinders. My tastes run to old tech....buggy springs are fine, and I do like 16" wires and disc wheels too. I think that a later mill is important if you insist on driving like I do...hence the before mentioned Pinto swap. I used the original Model A trans and rear end though, but it has held up fine with regular maintanence.. My present project I had to move yesterday across the county as I had lost storage space. I built a new tube ch***is out of 2 x 4 .120" wall stock after I had my stroke and got it rolling. I used a Mustang 8" rear with a Posies spring mounting kit for the 32 Ford to mount it behind and lower the car, as well as a 2" kickup. A custom front flat crossmember fits tot he front, made from .250" wall 2.5 sqaure tubing. I have a Magnum "Bell" style front axle, a Magnum disc brake kit, and a set of CE 4 bars that have to be mounted yet. In back, Pete and Jake's ladder bars locates the rear end, and a stock A spring works fine. I have a Tanks poly 32 gas tank and the frame extensions to mount it. I have to engineer that part next. I have chopped the body 2" and have added 16 donor pieces to make the car back into one piece. This car was rusted, stripped, cut, truckized and should have been crushed. by the time I redo the body panels, it will be painted John Deere Blitz Black. So this winter I hope to get the body work done and get it painted. A 1979 Ford Pinto 2.3 liter with C4 automatic will power this heap, with gas aproaching $3 a gallon, I can't justify a big engine. I can give good advice on Model A's if you need it....whyat I did for mine worked out well indeed. Abonecoupe31
Hi there, Man you sure are a busy old guy. Just a minute, born in '54 ain,t old. I wonder how many guys have flattened their thumb and never thought about it for more than an hour or two.
Welcome back to the HAMB family.........good luck with your ride this winter....look forward to seeing some pic's of it in the future!
Welcome there MI if you get to many cars let me know cuz I'll help ya out & buy one cuz I can't seem to find a model A to rod. Glad to hear your life is good now. I'm in ohio Bob
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