Putting a 32 Header in a 31 Model A w/Lots of Pics

Here you go Larry. The first pic is the day I brought it home, so that's the totally stock profile. The second pic is the body after the 32 header installation, a 2-1/4 chop and the 1 inch rear roofline section. I PhotoShopped it onto Rolf's frame to get an idea of what my car would look like as a roller.

 

Excellent Tech post.

 

What a great how to. You went to a lot of extra work doing the hinges and not just mounting it solid and taking the easy way out. And i am surpised at how well everything flowed together. Turned out excellent. This is a great post.

 

looks great, nice job.

 

Dave,

You are right, the mod to the rear makes roof line flow better. Very nice job.

Larry

 

Wow, great job of grafting. It looks like it came from Henry that way!

 

looks so good!

 

DRuss32 that f#$%ing rocks. that should go to the tech archives! were you a little nervous when you started cutting? i know i would have been.

 

One thing you might want to consider is the windshield seal or gasket. If you mix two different w/s frames, the potential for a leak could be greater. If you stay with the 32 w/s frame, you either stretch it to make fit around the frame of splice two gaskets together to make it longer.

 

Probably not likely to be followed by many other guys, but definitely a great effort.
Your skill and bravery on this tech are impressive and I am not even all that keen on Vicky's. But with a new front all of a sudden I like them much more.
Well done.

 

Too cool!!!

 

thanks for posting this

Im going to do the same thing to my 29 coupe

 

Dave, this has got to be one of the best jobs of installing a Deuce windshield in a A ever,,, A Plus .Great Job....

 

Awesome job, Dave!!

When I first saw you Vicky in person, I thought the header is stock!!
I didn't think that there is so much work involved...
But the look gives you right!!! Great idea and great work!!!

You got my vote, man!!!

 

WOW! I just looked to see if you had started any new threads I missed about progress on the Vicky and I saw this thread. Awesome! I wish more people would post the "How I did it" stuff. They're always a great read! Sort of like a master magician revealing his secret to his best trick. Thanks for posting that...

Yeah, assuming that the resource I read was correct, it states that Murray built all the Vickys for 1930 and 1931. It was only the Deluxe Fordor Town Sedans with a "Slant Windshield" that were built in 1931 by Briggs and Murray with no identifiable differences. That fact goes against every other year for some reason. In earlier years, Briggs and Murray had very different features in their bodies. I don't know if Ford told them they must shake hands and get along on the Fordor S/W's for 1931, or what. Sort of strange. I'm pretty sure you're right though. Murray made all other Slant Window cars.

Thanks again for allowing my Slant Windshield build to wear your old visor panel. I agree. It was an awkward feature. I threw a visor on mine a couple times and tried to visualize it and it just looked too much like I was trying to disguise the car's true form. I have a feeling I will probably take some flack for leaving my visor panal intact, unmodified and without a visor. I often hear the comment "every Model A needs a visor". Apparently Ford didn't think so for this model, so I left it anyway. Mostly because it's different.

I have to say, your 32 header definitely cleans up the lines quite a bit!

 

Hey Dave, you are doing some awesome work on the 31. I cannot wait to see more of this thing. Keep up the great work man.

 

Dang, you're a scientist! I may be full of Hurricanes this evening, but that's dizzyingly good work Dave.

 

Great JOB!!!

 

Thanks, here's a couple of much more recent pics with the windshield frame sorted:

 

This is awesome Dave, nice job!

 

Sweeet!

 

Brian Bass from around Dallas performed the surgery on his '29 coupe. It looks just way cool. Completely altered the look of a Model A body from the frontend.

 

I was actually thinking the other day one of those Vicky fronts would look awesome with coupe rear quarters, but then adding the header from a '32 would be even better.. figured the slanted posts gave it a really neat look.

Then i remembered Bass did it with his but he just cut and slanted the original pillars. That seems easier than using a hard to find slant cowl..

 

Yep.

I personally think using a slant window cowl is a better starting point than a regular Model A cowl because the A-pillars are slanted and tapered just like on a 32.

Cutting and slanting regular Model A A-pillars just doesn't quite look right to me without the taper.

 

What a change, it looks great!

 

really nice work dave . i wanted to do it to my murry in 86 the body was so cherry for once i didnt want to cut it up. nice to see an idea come to life ! the murrry was kool like a 4 door vicky . when i first found it just the front was sticking out ,seen the slant and 2 hinges thought i found a vicky couldnt complain being 4 door laid up with a 60 braketag and isky parrot on the windshield super solid for 500.00 those days are gone .it was a 31 when i took it apart found a 31 nickel down in the back door some kid must have dropped when new....

 

All linked images in this thread originally hosted by PhotoSuckIt have been relinked.
Only about 10 more threads to go!

 

Awesome.

 

This would have been an interesting car to add a 32 firewall and cowl vent just make people wonder what it really is.

 

It has a 33 pick up cowl vent (same as a 32) – see post number 49 in this thread. People call it a deuce all the time, but my intent was never to pass it off as a 32. I just incorporated the parts, regardless of the year, I like the most, and I like the A firewall. I thought about using a 32 firewall for engine clearance only after I was nearly finished with the recess in the A firewall.