Where are all the '28-'29 Model A's?

This isn't a "post your pics here" type question - I'm really wondering... Where are they?

I see A LOT of '30-'31 Model A's both here & other places but - not counting the RPU gang - I just don't see many '28-'29's at all.

Both make super looking cars & I've always liked the "thinner" look of a '28-'29. Maybe the '30-'31 looks enough like a '32 (with a grille swap) that they just win out?

Either way, it doesn't matter either way.

I was just wondering...

JH

 

didn't know there were other model a's.....i thought the 30/31's were the wanna be 32's........lol but i'm partial .....building a 28 coupe.....brandon

 

They're still out there. I think I seem to see more 30 31's hot rodded than the earlier years. The 28 29's seem like they would be everywhere considering how simple they are.

 

Yeah,that's curious. I was going to suggest relative numbers,but there were actually more 28/29's made than 30/31's. Here's a good page on Model A production numbers. As to your question, I guess I don't know.

http://www.ahooga.com/info/product.shtml

 

There's still a few left around. I spotted this one out my kitchen window.

overspray

 

My experience has been, far as roadsters go, 28-29 highboy's are way more prevalent than the 30-31's.
32 rails or not.

By the same token, there seems to be more 30-31 coupes & sedans built than 28-29's.

Far as the comment about 30-31's being wanna-bee 32's, I don't think so.
The A's have their own charm and as far as roadsters go, I think the 30-31 highboy roadster's on 32 rails are better looking than 32 highboys.

Probably because - imo - it's more difficult to make a 32 look 'right' as per stance etc. than it is to make an A look right.
A's on 32 rails - unless stance and tire size is completely off - look 'right' most times.

At least they do to me, but then again . . . what the heck do I know?

 

Harrison, I ‘m not sure I see it that way. I say this from all the pictures I have collected through the years and how many of them are in each folder. I’m going off memory but I’ll check the numbers when I get home from work.

30-31 Coupes 1st
28-29 Roadsters 2nd
28-29 RPU 3rd
28-29 and 30-31 Sedans are about an even split at 4th
30-31 Roadsters are out there in lesser numbers at 5th
28-29 Coupes seem to be the least common of all

Gus

 

Driving to work this AM trying to remember the last '28-'29 coupe I saw is what got me to wondering about this in the first place.

Bass has a killer. Outside of that one, I can't think of another.... I know there are probably thousands out there. I just can't name a single one of 'em. Outside of Boones' sedan, I don't see any of them either.

JH

 

I have always been partial to 28-9 Roadsters on deuce rails. Still have the
one I bought in Calif 1968. I do wonder why so few are seen today compared
to 32's? When I was starting in this hobby they were very popular. Maybe you
have to be an old guy to like them.

 

What about pheatons?

 

You crack me up boss.

An unchopped '28-'29 coupe on Deuce rails is about #4 on my "list".

Someday...

JH

 

I'm not a big fan of roadsters.....except for this combination.....hot rod NIRVANA!

As far as Model A's....an old timer at work would tell me stories of him and his buddies going on "hunting trips" looking for old cars in the 60s/70s. They would go to small towns in Eastern Wa and ask where the old dump or rock quarrys were. Alot of car bodies were used as FILL. They always passed up 30/31's, everbody wanted the '28/9's......

I'm currenty 'looking' for a '28/9 coupe....anyone got one FS??

 

my 1928 Sedan. Unchopped and full fendered.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2433215

 

I see the numbers a little differently- in the old magazines,, and the Montgomery books, Hot Rod First 12 Issues, Hop Up First 12 Issues, Rod and Custom in the 50's, etc., I can't find a SINGLE 28/29 coupe. Now, maybe I ain't looking hard enough, but since I built a 29 coupe I'd think I'd have seen one. 28/29 roadsters were far more prevalent than 30-31 roadsters, and today it seems 28/29 sedans are about 10 times more common than 30-31 sedans.

The 30-31's to me look smoother, I won't lie, but the 28/29's have a much more distinctive look to me, they're not so cookie cutter. That's why I love my unchopped highboy 4!

Why the switch from 30-31 coupes being ten times more common now and 28-29 sedans being 10 times more common? I can't remember the last 30-31 sedan I've seen

and come on, how could you ask where they all are and not ask for pictures?

 

They're at my brother's house in the middle of Iowa. He has always been crazy for 28-29 Model A's, and he has collected as many as he could.

I swear he has half a dozen coupes, a couple sedans, a pickup or so, and a couple piles of roadsters.

But he also has a couple 30-31's hidden in there too.

 

The Tubs surprise me even more. In the late 50's thru the 60's there
was a lot them even up to 36'. Where did they all go??

 

Well, one of the original 29 Roadsters is in my garage, waitin' for the swap meet at the LA Roadster show.

 

My 29 frame and cowl are in the garage. The rest is scattered around. Hoping to find a few more parts this weekend in Moultrie.

 

Personally I like the 28-29's better. When I got my coupe I had to choose between a 289/29 and 30/31, I chose the 29 because it is different...and I like being "different"

Bill

 

I prefer the 28/29 Model A. The grill, cowl, and fenders make the difference for me. I have a few Model A's in different stages. All 28/29 except one and not that excited about working on the 30 coupe.

The similarities of the 30/31 and the 32 lends to some of the popularity of those.

Looking at the production numbers for 28/29, there should be alot around.

I bought a couple special coupes figuring that it wouldn't be that tough to find roofs for them to make "real" coupes out of them. Learned quick that many others were also looking for roofs. Where are they? I would think that the rust would get the lower panels first and leave a bunch of upper sheet metal around.

Neal

 

Here's a sedan turned p/u i bought last Feb.:

And here's how it it looked a couple of weeks ago, i'd like to put the fenders back on eventually (when $ allows):

 

Most of my 29 sedan now resides in Long Island. The remains of a 29 roadster from Ohio took its place.

 

This one was disassembled and rolled into a barn in the mid '50's. It's in my garage now.

 

Well this is what I found after looking at all my Model A pics and trying to get an estimate of how the Model-As are split. It's probably not very accurate as I have a lot of pics of the same car, if it was really bitchen.

I had 3500 pics and just did the math to see how many of those fall into these categories. I've got tubs and phaetons too but there all just clumped together in one folder.

5% 28-29 Coupes
7% 30-31 Sedan & Vicky
9% 28-29 Sedan & Vicky
14% 30-31 Roadsters
26% 28-29 Roadsters
40% 30-31 Coupes

So the questions still remains, where are all the 1928-29 Coupes?

Gus

 

My model A RPU is a '29 and every body here in San Jose that I know has a '28 or '29, 3 Coupes, 2 Roadsters. At least that covers the guys I know of. There are probably way more model A's in town, I just happen to know these.

 

Oh, by the way, this is a beautifull car. Very nice!

 

I have 2 28`s in my garage , sedan & coupe . When I got the coupe most of the roof parts were off the car. The back window was gone completely. I found out later this was called a special coupe . All of the sheet metal above beltline ( is that the word im looking for ) was nailed on originaly and when wood rotted out the roof fail in . Maybe why their is not many coupes . Just a guess .

 

is it common or just common in my area.....that all the old timers call them "a models" .....one of my customers saw my coupe and starts telling me his adventures with his a model and his b model......never 28 ford or 32 ford....finally backed my coupe out this morning under its own power....my father in law came outside , and got the biggest grin on his face.....telling me not to put any chrome on it....he was another telling me stories of his stock model a .....and him and his brother in law to be and a friend all three taking their a's to the drag strip in 59.....and having a ball raunning them .....brandon