Dec1927AR1928Model A Ford#1031Roadster1929Coupe1930Phaeton1931Cabriolet Pickup

Description

This very special and early Model A Ford roadster was built in December of 1927. A friend who is really into these super early Model A's told me that this is most likely the second oldest known Model A Ford that still has it's original engine in it. That means that the engine number which is 1031 is the same as the number stamped on the top of the left front frame rail. Obviously, that is a statement that can not be proven conclusively. If you are interested in these super early Model A Fords, please contact me so I can learn some of what you know about them.
Yes, my price is ,000 for this project because that is what it is worth to me. No, that is not a typo or a slipped digit. If someone values it as much as I do, then they will be the new owner. If not, this car can stay in my extensive (about 260 at this time) vehicle collection.
As a mechanical engineer, I am familiar with the "teething problems" that a new design goes through when it enters production. I have been interested in a super early Model A like this for many years before I bought this car out of New Hampshire back in June of 2013.
Some original Ford production records in the Henry Ford Museum indicate that the engine (#1,031) in this car was tested and sent to final vehicle assembly on 12-3-27 and put into the 1,016
th
Model A Ford built. That might indicate that Ford built 15 engines around that time that never made it into cars for some reason.
The serial number of the body on this car is unknown at this time. I have searched for it in several places with no luck so far. Perhaps nobody bothered to serialize the bodies on these super early production vehicles that were all assembled at the Rouge Ford plant.
I have a lot more parts for this car than those that are shown in these photos that were taken the day it arrived here in Montana back in July of 2013. The correct original doors, deck lid, front fenders, one rear beavertail fender, and many lesser early parts are included. I later acquired a complete top assembly and spent over ,000 on smaller hard to find early parts for this car. I recently bought a nice pair of beavertail rear fenders for this project and they are included as well.
A big issue on this deal is how many of the smaller and very hard to find parts are included. I will be working on an inventory of those parts later this week.
The body on this car has the usual rusted out spots in the bottoms of the smooth rear quarter panels, lower cowl panels, seat riser, and floor panels. Since most of the pieces on this body are unique to this very early production, one must restore this body rather than replace it with a better but later body. This very early production body is an essential part of this very rare automobile.
Some of the missing and most difficult to find parts for this project have to be the early open light switch assembly and the special early light switch rod assembly. The handle on that light switch rod assembly is stamped from steel and nickel plated rather than die-cast as all early 1928 and later light switch handles were. That early light switch handle has the words On-Off-Dim stamped into the bottom of it in letters less than 1/8" tall. The second to the last photo of this listing shows that very hard to find special light switch handle on a friend's restored car.
I do not have the proper light switch or light switch rod assembly for this project at this time. I am looking for the early open light switch and that special early "On-Off-Dim" light switch rod assembly if you happen to have or know of one. I will pay a fair finder's fee to anyone who can help me locate either or both of those very hard to find parts.
Those early light switch and control rod parts were used into February or so in 1928. At that time Ford realized that they caused reliability problems so there was a program to recall them and upgrade them to the common later style of light switch that was enclosed in a 2 part stamped steel enclosure to keep most of the moisture off of the brass contacts.
The hood that came on this car is the regular 1929 style where the tops of the louvers don't line up in a straight line as they did in 1928 but are spaced an equal distance down from the top of the hood side panel. This car needs hood like the typical 1928 version with one exception. The hood handles are not attached with rivets like all later Model A hood handles were. The handles are retained like they were on the Model T hoods where the hood handle material was extruded around a hole and then pushed through the hood panel before being riveted on the back side.
The first photo of this listing shows the front of the gas tank which is also the upper part of the firewall. Please notice that this tank has the pair of reinforcing ribs that form a low profile or wide "V". The earliest cars had tanks with no such reinforcing ribs. They were added sometime in later 1927 or early 1928. I would be interested in locating an earlier tank without the reinforcing ribs if you happen to have or know of one somewhere.
The body shell on this "gem in the rough" has some very special features. There is something about the countersink around the rivet at the bottom of the cowl panels that indicates early production. Both of the rear fender inner panels, sometimes referred to as fender wells, are completely smooth and void of the typical "chicken track" reinforcing ribs. You can see that feature in the 7th photo of this listing which shows the right rear fender inner panel as viewed from the trunk area.
Please notice the 8th photo of this listing that shows the right end of the frame front cross member. That early cross member is unique because it was made of the 3 pieces riveted together rather than as a single stamping as all Model A cross member from about engine number 1,300 up were.
I do not yet have the correct front axle for this project like the one shown in the 10th photo of this listing. It should have a Ford script that is 1-1/2" long on both the front and back sides. Some early axles had a 1-1/2" long script as well as a smaller 5/8" long Ford script.
The radiator shell on this car was special because the lacing was not riveted in place but was actually woven through holes in the shell. The silver painted shell on this car is correct but it tough shape. I was very fortunate to find a beautiful NOS black painted correct early shell at a friend's place in Helena Montana a few years ago and it is included with this project.
The last photo of this listing shows a later 1928 Model A Ford roadster that was restored in the same color combination that this car was originally painted in. That photo is for reference only. A restored Model A Ford roadster is NOT part of this listing.
If you have a copy of the common MARC and MAFCA standards, there is a 10-page section with several photos titled "Early 1928 Vehicles" near the back of the book that lists and shows many unique features of these very special and interesting super early Model A Fords.
If you want "The" Model A Ford roadster to restore, take to shows and enjoy, then you might do well to give some very serious consideration to tackling this project. If you want "A" Model A Ford roadster to restore, then this project is most likely not for you.
Very few Model A Fords are worth restoring economically in today's world but this "gem in the rough" is definitely an exception. The market for this restored car is very small. However, there are a few very dedicated super early Model A enthusiasts out there that really appreciate vehicles like this for what they really are and can be. You will most likely never get another opportunity to acquire an open or closed Model A as early as this one is with the original engine.
This project is currently setting in the garage off of my house. It looks pretty much as you see it in the first photo of this listing except it is filled with and piled high with boxes of the many loose parts that are included. I had hoped to get it pretty much together this winter and get better photos but that did not happen for a variety of reasons. I sold a pair of 1960 Chrysler 300F hardtop and convertible automobiles which were some of the "crown jewels" of my extensive car collection.
I have had to spend a lot of time getting them out of my warehouse and ready to go to their new owners. The 1949 Buick woody station wagon is the next car that needs to get ready to go to a new owner. This Model A comes after that Buick.
I will be gone helping my brother and nephew at the home ranch seed the spring crops for the next month or so and hope to get this together when I get back, get better photos and post them here to do justice to this very important project. While I am gone, I will be working on posting an inventory of the loose parts and adding a lot more information to this listing.
Hopefully, I will also have located an "ON-OFF-DIM" switch and handle by then as well as the correct super early front and rear axle assemblies, 5 nice AR wheels and some of the lesser missing parts. Any help with locating these parts would be very much appreciated. Once I find those parts, I might decide to keep this project and restore it at a later time.
If you are serious about this project, I would suggest you contact me, set up a time to look at it and bring a trailer and some money. If you appreciate how special this car is and can be, then I am sure you will not be disappointed.
I will add more information soon. Thanks a lot, Bob Woodburn in Bozeman Montana USA