My own Model A project....

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mitchs66

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
144
Location
Moravia, IA
I've been on here for a while and have had some changes in my project views. I wanted to build a Rat Rod with something from the 30's and wasn't having any luck finding anything that I could a ford, so my Grandpa has a 50's International cab I was thinking of using then some kids brought a load of junk buy the store and had a 40's International cab that was going to the crusher...I ended up with it for not a lot money, just still not what I was wanting. Then a farm close to town was getting cleaned off, I stopped to look around and that is when I found the start of my build off in the trees...parts of a 30-31 Model A

RModelA009.jpg


Not a lot but enough that I decide I was going to get to build my 30's Rat Rod:D
 
Since I bought the cowl I've been asking and putting out the word of my build around home and have had some great finds. We have a Machine shop down the street from our store that gives me a great deal on steal and I bought some 3/16" wall 2" x 4" tubing for my frame. My Dad gave me a 305 Chevy that I may run, but I'm trying to talk him out of a 455 Buick that he has tucked away...have to wait and see on that, my friend gave me a good use 200r4 trany that has the uni-bolt bell housing, and I've bought a '92 Ranger 8.8 with 3.73 limited slip. We mow for the neighbor and he gave me this really cool grille shell that I believe is from a 1916 or 1917 MaxWell

RModelA028.jpg
 
Thank you Skull. I've been saving for a while now and just need to get one of my friends projects finished...then it is time to take my garage back and work on my own project:D
 
In my hunting I bought the remains of this four door Model A

RModelA051.jpg


and have made up my mind that I want to build a Extended Cab Model A Pickup[;) As I told Skull, I have to finish a started project first and hopefully this winter can start putting this together. I took the four door apart this past weekend and set my parts out for some inventory shots.

RModelA053.jpg


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RModelA074.jpg
 
Not all my parts are Model A, I've been pulling parts from fields and ditches...if it's in the 30's and cheap or free I'm bringing it home:D I traded the frame to my friend David J for a early 60's Econoline front axle

RModelA086.jpg
 
The four door car has the body lines of a '30-'31 but the cowl is way different than the first one I bought. Overall height is close but where the hood would set is 2 or 3 inches shorter and 3 or 4 inches narrower [S

RModelA069.jpg
 
Post a few pics in the "What is it?" Forum and BED or others will tell you exactly what you have. Seems Ford had to different companies making the Model A's so they may be the same year but look different.
 
I can tell you exactly what you have because I have the same cowl as part of my rpu project. The one on the left in your picture is a 29 MURRAY Ford body. The one on the right is a 30-31 BRIGGS Ford body.

Ford had two companies making their bodies for them, Murray and Briggs. Everyone is used to seeing the Briggs 28-29 bodies that have that distinctive sweeping arch that goes down the side of the cowl. The Murray is longer in the cowl area by about 6 inches. Murray only made four door bodies, and the way you can spot them is by that extended cowl and also the tops of the window openings are not straight across, they are arched somewhat.

I'll dig around in my pictures and show you some more.

Don

Here, this is the 29 Murray fordor body that became the basis for my rpu body. See the extened cowl and the arched window openings ? Those are exclusive to the Murray body.

dansfordorstartingtocutup.jpg


By contrast, here is a 1928-29 BRIGGS body. It has the curved piece coming down a shorter cowl and the tops of the window openings are straight across.

2884_1-ford.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thank you Don. That has answered a lot of questions, people kept saying the cowls are extended and in your pictures I see...I also thought I had another '30-'31 cowl because of the 2 body lines, instead of 1 bigger body line.
 

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