Post Graduate Nap: 1930 Ford Model A Rumble Seat Coupe
I was talking to an old friend last night, reminiscing about the 1970s in Santa Barbara, California. We used to see a black Model A coupe around Isla Vista and the UC Santa Barbara campus. It stood out from the crowd of VWs. We often wonder what might have happened to that old car. This Model A was purchased by a student at UCSB in 1974. He drove it until he graduated and then drove it 550 miles up the cost to San Francisco and parked it in a garage. Reader Darrun found this Model A for us listed on eBay further up the coast in Monterey, California.
It was repainted and the seats were recovered sometime in the 1960s. The paint is still nice at 20 feet and it still runs and drives well. The seller says it has little rust, is solid and the doors and rumble seat close well. However, the top will need some work. The fabric insert is missing, the roof has several cracks and the wood top frame appears to have rotted away some. The door panels are gone but everything else inside looks OK. The seat recover was not done in the original style but it is serviceable.
The top will need to be rewelded in the corners. The wood frame needs repair and looks like it might have rotted.
When many of you see an engine like this you first think of what engine you’d like to replace it with. For those of us lucky folks who drive old cars, this engine is irreplaceable. It makes its own distinctive and wonderful sounds. This one has some attention after it’s long nap and runs well.
Things look pretty nice under here. There’s just a little surface rust but is definitely serviceable as is.
Whether you see this as a thing of beauty or parts for a custom car project this is a nice old Ford. Bidding is already over $7,000 at this time with 5 days to go. I hope the new owner will make the necessary repairs and just drive and enjoy it. The Model A makes a great driver. When properly adjusted the brakes work well. They are easily driven in traffic or even on the freeway. There are a lot of 1920s and 1930s cars for sale that are older restorations. These are fun cars to drive and enjoy, easy to maintain, and prices are very reasonable. They might even appreciate some day. Meanwhile, this Model A will be fun to drive and get lots of attention.
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Comments
Fix the roof and detail the whole car. This wold be great for driving around town on nice summer days.
Another fine piece of automotive history that deserves to be preserved, next owner please restore don’t resto-mod
Years ago, Peter Egan took a road trip and the A tried to kill him. It was the fan that shed a blade and hit him in the shoulder (if memory serves). Great story, as usual.
Egan proved that the Model A could survive in modern times. Last week a ’31 sedan was seen near Maquoketa on a state road motoring along nicely. The A was without a roof or a hood, but was no doubt on a proving run on it’s fresh engine.
Everyone I know who has a Model A has a ball with them. It makes me think about getting one myself. There’s a guy I know, has ‘30 coupe and he drives the hell out of it. I think he’s gone 50K miles since the restoration. The block had to be replaced because of a crack between the cylinder and the water jacket. He runs a fully balanced B crank and has no qualms about 60 mph.
Other than newer wheels, this one looks pretty well stock. There is a ’31 2 door sedan in my town that is used as a daily driver during the warm weather months. I see it several times a week. I think it would be fun to daily drive a ’28~31 coupe.
I knew I had a pic of the Model A I mentioned earlier. It has seen both coasts at least twice and the guy wouldn’t be afraid to venture out again.
These are great cars and lots of fun to drive when properly gone through. While not something you’d like to take on the highway, they’re more than capable of keeping up with traffic around town and on side roads. This one looks like a good fun project/toy if the price stays reasonable at around $8+ grand or so. I do like the addition of the later rims as I think they look and ride better. Service it, tighten it up a bit, and drive it. There are still a ton of these still around for reasonable money and they are simple to work on, While I love hot rods (especially old school 50’s – 70’s ones), near stock ones like this, in good condition, should be left true to form and enjoyed. Mine has 18k original miles on it and is pretty close to original. I haven’t driven it lately, but every time I do it’s lots of fun.
Cool car with a great story
Pretty good candidate for a daily driver A-bone that you could work on as you go.
Couple geographical head scratchers in the write-up. It’s not 550 miles from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. You’d have overshot the city by 150 miles or so. Also, Monterey is not “farther up the coast” from San Francisco.
Model As are awesome. A 1930 closed-cab pickup was our sole family car in the 1970s. Dad took the bus to work and Mom schlepped us three kids around in the A.
There are a ton out there and sadly interest is waning in these. Point is, if this one gets away, there are plenty more stock ones waiting to go to a good home.
I think I saw an article a year or two ago about a race from Chicago to NY between a Model A and a Tesla, which turned out to be about even – this was before Tesla installed fast charging stations on the interstates and the Tesla had to be charged with 220, like what runs you electric stove, while the Model A only took a few minutes to gas up.
I would REALLY like to have one of these Model A’s someday.
Father/Son project would be unforgettable! My Dad and I bought a 1930 Model A from my auto shop teacher in1963. It became great project for my Mom also. We went to swap meets together finding spare parts. We became a gathering place for other guys with Model A’s. We had the parts, knowledge, big driveway and most important, my Mom on the bbq! Her hamburgers became legendary, she loved to cook for the boys. We aquired my Model A’s and parts over a period, including a ’31 Victoria. I dated my wife of 50 years and had a great time cruising the beaches and cruise nights. I strapped many longboards on the top and in the rumbleseat! These are times that will never be forgotten, tremendous memoiries!