What do I do?

[Roper]

Hey all,

I am in quite a quandary. Yesterday I was in my Dad’s warehouse, where he stores a bunch of cars for people, and in the corner I saw what I thought was a really old Ford. Turns out to be a 1929 Model A Coupe complete with a rumble seat and a luggage carrier. When I asked if he thought the people would want to sell it, he said he would ask. He talked to them and they gave him the low down in the car. It was her dad’s car that had been restored about 40 years ago. The current owners used to drive it in parades, so it used to run when they stored it 14 years ago and they said it would start right up. The odometer says 02882 and they said that is how many miles have been put on it since it was restored! They said they would like to sell it to me. I bought it.
Now the problem. Do I keep it original and do another minor restore to it or do I make a really nice street rod?
Where do I start?
I currently have a Windsor motor, with a stroker kit, that I am building. It is a 396 ci with 185 AFR heads and a dual plane intake. I have a C4 automatic transmission that was built to put behind and handle the horsepower of the motor I currently have.
Man would this make a nice setup.
OK, what would you guys do?

Puzzled,
Steve

[Daffy427]

I'm sure most of the guys here would cut it up but I don't think I could do it if it's that nice and original

[pat mccarthy]

are they selling this car to you cheap thinking your keeping it just like good old dad did ? after you buy it is yours to do what ever you want ? if you do not know them or care build it the way you want just do not tell them your cutting it all up they just may not sell it to you

[Dave Severson]

throw away all the stock junk and build a Hot Rod!!!!

[IDLZRUF]

Well its your choice. Id be puzzled too its nice to have them original and roadworthy too.

[Bruce lee]

Street Rod, Street Rod, Street Rod!!!!

[randywrench]

What would you drive more stock or hotrod?

[Hombre259]

Don't know how bad I would cut it up if it were mine, but I would for sure make it a Hot Rod. There is no shortage of restored Model A's, so making it a Hot Rod would be the way to go. It also has been restored once so it is no longer original. In the end you get to make that call, but modern driveline, btakes etc. make it a driveable car that you will probably use.

RS

[lamin8r]

You could build another frame for it with the hotrod gear,and keep the original stuff in case you want to put it back to original...
If it was me..HOTROD IT,QUICK..

[Itoldyouso]

The guys are right, a lot depends on what you had to shell out for it and how you intend on using it. It doesn't make a lot of sense IMO to buy an expensive old car and then start rodding it. You can't get enough money out of the antique leftover parts to justify it.

If you do hot rod it all that you will be using is the body and fenders essentially. The frame will need boxed and new crossmembers to make it strong enough to work well so a reproduction hot rod frame makes economical sense there. The Ford engine you are thinking about is not an easy install into a Model A...........I know, I have one in my 27 on a Model A frame. They are long and the fix is about $ 1000.00 worth of short water pump and related pulleys, timing cover, etc. Otherwise you set the engine back into your firewall so far it encroaches on your footroom.

If you got it cheap then have at it and cut it up.......but if not you would do better to not molest this old gal and leave it to some restorer who will appreciate it the way it is. I did exactly that with a 38 Chevy sedan I owned years ago. I bought it to hot rod, but the guy who restored it did such a nice job I didn't have the heart to change it, so I sold it to a restorer type who appreciated it stock.

Don

[MRJB1929]

You asked this question on a Hot Rod website so I suspect you already have an answer in mind. Had you asked this same question on a Model A restoration website, your responses would likely be quite different.

I own a restored 1929 Ford Model A coupe that is an older restoration but still looks pretty good. I enjoy it very much and have no plans to modify it from it's original form and function. I also enjoy my 1934 Ford 4dr. Deluxe that is modified with complete updated LT1 drive train and all of the modern comforts. I'm also in process of modifying a 1936 Chevy 2dr Town Sedan from a restored original to a modified drive train and again all of the modern comforts.

First the facts: If you restore your car, at best it could fetch $20,000 but likely be worth $15,000. If you modify your car it could fetch $40,000 more or less depending on the quality and the components. So if you are looking at investment.... Street Rod is the way to go.

Someone had posted that there are many restored Model A's out there and that is true, but you see very few driven to shows and see people have fun with their A's. They just "keep" them. What fun is that. I get out and drive mine and enjoy it often. It gets the same looks as my street rod but doesn't go as fast and without a stereo and A/C.

Here is my opinion: It's your money and your car - do as you wish to it.

[Crazyrat]

Personally I would leave it as is and fine another body of the same year if you want to build a hotrod.

That's what my brother did. He has a original 34 Dodge executive coupe and another of the same he is building a hotrod out of. This best of both worlds.

One is worth a ton on money and the other cost a ton of money to build.

Larry

[drec]

Hot rod 4-bangers are cool; not everyone has one. Keep it stock for a while and hop it up a little at a time. There are a couple of groups devoted to the A/B motors and there are after market parts available.

My coupe and pickup are each running a B motor B transmission and 40 Ford rear end with a Columbia 2-speed.

[pat mccarthy]

Hot rod 4-bangers are cool; not everyone has one. Keep it stock for a while and hop it up a little at a time. There are a couple of groups devoted to the A/B motors and there are after market parts available.

My coupe and pickup are each running a B motor B transmission and 40 Ford rear end with a Columbia 2-speed.

donovan make a B alum block as for guys not driving the stock ones thats just not true .every year i see a buch of old A bones run down the hi way going north . they are not from around here

[bigdude]

What would you rather have-a car you put 10K in to keep original and be worth about 12k or a streetrod worth twice that much? No brainer as far as I'm concerned. Had a old guy come up to my 34 chevy once and said"what was that before you ruined it?" I told him it was worth half as much.