Category: 1931

Amazing Garage Find: 1931 Ford Model A – Adam Clarke @BarnFinds

Advertisements

I would be willing to bet that almost every one of our faithful *Barn Finds* readers dreams of the day when they open the door to a shed or a barn to find some well-preserved classic lurking inside. I can think of something even better, and it is one of those stories that we rarely get to hear. A gentleman purchased a house in Oxford, Massachusetts, and was told that the sale included the car parked under a cover in the garage. Fast forward many years, and the owner has finally peeled back the cover. What was revealed is a 1931 Ford Model A that has undergone a refurbishment at some point. It still presents well after all of these years, and the owner has decided to sell it in an untouched state. He has listed this Ford here on eBay with a BIN of $15,000, but there is the option to submit an offer.

With the cover removed, this old Ford looks pretty stunning. The owner acknowledges that he knows nothing about classic cars, but it seems that he has a good one. The panels appear to be laser straight, while the Dark Blue and Black paint shine beautifully. There is no evidence of rust, while all of the trim and plated pieces are free from visible corrosion. A few hours with a high-quality polish should see them returned to their best. The wheels look like they have accumulated no miles since the previous owner restored them, and the tires also look new. However, this Model A does leave us with one puzzle that the owner is unable to solve. I’m not surprised that there’s no top, as this is a common occurrence. Less common is to find a classic car like this that appears to be so spotless but is missing its doors. There’s no trace of them, and the owner has no idea where they are. The buyer might have to perform a search to find replacements. A brief internet search allowed me to locate an extremely clean pair of secondhand doors. The seller was asking $400 for the pair, so even allowing for preparation and a repaint in the correct color, addressing this rather odd shortfall will not be too expensive.

Read on

A 1931 Ford Model A pickup is the perfect short-distance hauler – Matt Litwin @Hemmings

Advertisements

Enjoying retirement at a lakeside “camp” nestled in the mountains of northern New England can’t possibly be any more idyllic, right? Imagine: Tranquil sunrises with a cup of coffee, hours of boating and fishing, long colorful sunsets while on the dock with early evening libations and, at times, a group of friends.

Still, one needs to get to town to restock supplies, and haul the refuse to the local waste transfer station from time to time, so why not do that in a vintage vehicle? That was the logic behind Jamie Longtin’s decision to purchase the 1931 Ford Model A pickup featured here.

The story begins on the calming shores of the aptly named Sunset Lake in Benson, Vermont, where Jamie has long maintained a cozy summer cabin away from the hustle and bustle of his winter home in Arizona. Having already purchased and become acquainted with a 1929 Ford Model A Fordor and a 1930 Ford Model A roadster—the latter of which remains at his Arizona residence for “enjoyable winter use”—a Model A pickup seemed the perfect choice as a vehicle he could, “bang around camp in.”

“Something I could run into town with, and haul the trash to the dump in,” Jamie says. “I didn’t want another show car, just a mechanically sound, fun vehicle that, if it got scratched, wouldn’t cause heartache. Basically, a turn-key-and-go, yet easy-to-maintain truck.”

Read on

A 29-year-old aerospace engineer on using obsolete machines as a relief from high technology – David Conwill @Hemmings

Advertisements

Technology is great. I’m writing this on a computer—you’re reading it there. If you need parts for your old car, or simply a new old car, the links are at the top of the page. Still, the technology of the present sometimes ties us a little too tightly to the negative aspects of today. Something simpler can be a welcome escape.Nobody can accuse Dustin “The Flying Fiddler” Mosher, of Mojave, California, of being a technophobe.

By day, he creates flight simulators for the Virgin Galactic space program. In his own time, Dustin relaxes with the still-usable relics of a bygone era: his turn of the century (that’s 1890s, not 1990s) fiddle, a 1931 Ford Model AA truck, a World War II-vintage Boeing Stearman biplane, and a 1947 Cessna 120.The fiddle he uses to entertain himself and friends, playing bluegrass and old time fiddle tunes, and he’s been at it for a decade now.

The planes and the truck are how he gets to those gatherings. The common thread through all of these items is that they were never intended as fundamentally disposable. Instead, they were essentially designed to be infinitely rebuildable and easily maintained. Properly cared for, they will still do everything they were designed for.”It’s amazing what they’re capable of for such simple machines,” Dustin says. “You can self-manage all your problems if you know the fundamentals of mechanics. And they’re actually fun to work on–they have a complexity you can grasp.”Contrast that with the sealed, maintenance-free devices of today. Some can be repaired, of course, but it involves delving into areas you were never intended to go. Some manufacturers even go so far as to hinder disassembly by the user, to say nothing of the proprietary information they refuse to share with the public. There’s none of that with anything built 70 years ago or more

Read on

Pick of the Day: 1931 Packard 833 phaeton ready to drive – Tom Stahler @ClassicCars.com

Advertisements

“Ask the man who owns one,” rang the famous advertising slogan for Packard, in testament to their value and reliability. Cherished by many collectors today, Packard reminds us of simpler times and automotive amenities for those who truly appreciated them.

The Pick of the Day is a 1931 Packard 833 phaeton advertised by a dealer in Macedonia, Ohio, on ClassicCars.com. The car appears to be a lovely tourer, and as the seller declares, “this is a car to drive, not to show.” I have always believed cars were meant to be driven, and this ancient example from Detroit’s golden age would be quite fun.

In the 2000s, when I still lived in the northern suburbs of Chicago, I was privileged to meet and get to know a local guy who had amassed quite a car collection. Packard people know him well. His name is Paul TerHorst. He inspired my appreciation for Packard and other prewar cars. He too liked to drive and he gave me the opportunity to drive some of his fabulous cars, including a completely original (patina and all) 1957 Corvette, an unrestored 1932 Auburn phaeton and numerous Packards.

Read on

Why the Ford Model A is the best American car ever made – Paul Shinn @YouTube

Advertisements

One of Paul’s Excellent Model A Videos, this one is in the style of Doug DeMuro

The Ford Model A is considered by many to be the best American car ever made. Today, I review a 1931 Ford Model A Sport Coupe. I’m going to share some of the Ford Model A’s unique details and features, then take it on the road and tell you what it’s like to drive a Ford Model A. It’s no wonder the Ford Model A is the most thoroughly documented collector car ever. If you subscribe to this YouTube channel right now, your Model A won’t break down on the next tour. Looking for a Ford Model A parts supplier to partner with in future videos.

What level of involvement did Allegheny have with the stainless-bodied Ford Model A’s? Daniel Strohl @Hemmings

Advertisements

Let’s be direct for a moment: Some readers last week questioned my use of the term “full set” when describing the stainless-bodied Ford Motor Company products that Allegheny Technologies will put up for auction this fall. As they noted, a trio of stainless-bodied Ford Model A’s preceded the better-known 1936 Ford, 1960 Thunderbird, and 1966/1967 Lincoln Continental. On first blush, it does appear that Allegheny had something to do with the creation of the Model A’s too. Yet after some digging, we find that may not be the case.

To begin with, Allegheny did indeed have a business relationship with Ford Motor Company dating back at least to 1930, when Ford introduced a number of stainless steel items on the Model A. A Ford brochure from the time touted the “greater value” of “rustless steel” as used in the Model A’s headlamps, radiator shell, hub caps, cowl finish strip, gasoline tank cap, radiator cap, taillamp, and other exposed metal parts. “It never requires polishing,” the brochure states. “You merely clean it with a damp cloth as you would a windshield.”

Read on

Fully Restored 1931 Ford Model A Has A Rumble Seat – Shane McGlaun @FordAuthority

Advertisements

We always thought one of the coolest features of early Ford cars was the rumble seat. That feature allowed a two-seat car to seat more people in a pinch, but it appears to have done away with the trunk space. This completely restored 1931 Ford Model A is for sale and features a very cool rumble seat out back.

The seller is asking $34,900 for the 1931 Ford Model A and it only recently completed its frame-off restoration. The car is painted Washington Blue and has Saddle Brown interior with cream-colored wire wheels. The odometer of the car reads 37,817 miles and unlike many cars of the era, this one hasn’t been turned into a hot rod.

The engine under the hood is a water-cooled 201 cubic-inch L-head inline-four-cylinder that was rated for a mere 40 horsepower. The transmission used is a conventional unsynchronized three-speed sliding gear manual. The Model A had a top speed of 65 mph in its day and had four-wheel mechanical drum brakes.

Read on

1928-’31 Ford Model A – Mike McNessor @Hemmings

Advertisements

THE CAR THAT HELPED BUILD FORD’S FORTUNES AND THE COLLECTOR-CAR HOBBY

This is a 1930 Deluxe Roadster in Washington Blue with a Tacoma Cream stripe and wheels, one of 11 combinations offered on Deluxe models. Chrome windshield uprights and frame, fenderwell-mounted spare, cowl lamps and more were standard.

Read on here

1928-1931 Ford Model A Roadster – Matt Litwin @Hemmings

Advertisements

If somewhat claustrophobic club coupe motoring is not your cup of tea, but you enjoy the compact styling, there are alternatives. Sitting among the plethora of manufacturers during the pre-Depression years are a series of convertible coupes, the Ford Model A being the most popular. During its four-year run, the T’s replacement arrived in no less than five different drop-top two-door models — and one four-door model thrown in for good measure.