Hi All

[wooden*canoe*]

Hi,

My name is Mark Adams. I am in Reno, NV. I wanted to introduce myself. I'll probably be asking a lot of really stupid questions for the foreseeable future.

My father is giving me his '31 Fordor, Murray body. I am NOT a car guy. I build and restore wooden canoes, which is my big passion in life. I have everything from a 1888 Rushton, to a 25' 1945 Old Town War canoe.

I have been drooling over the Model A since my dad hauled it out of a barn in Laramie, WY. He picked it up for $1500, with a frozen engine. The motor has been replaced, but the project completely stalled out when he got a '47 MGTC that needed no work. The Model A became the fat old wife, and the TC got all the lovin.

The Model A is an old ranch vehicle. The front fenders were torn, and welded. It looks like the orig. paint was what I think is called Chicle Green, with black fenders, and it had red pin striping.

The part of the car that worries me the most in terms of getting it restored is the cowl. The uprights (pylons?) on either side of the windshield broke at some point, and each side had about 10 pounds of arc weld. It looks like hell, and I think they were welded crooked. I have surfed google, and don't seem to find a whole lot available. I was looking on the "swapmeet" portion on these forums, and I have found a few cowls for sale. Are they interchangeable? The fenders seem to be available as new replacement parts, in the original gauge.

I DO NOT plan on hot-rodding this. I have always thought that hot rods killed what would otherwise have been a great car. I appreciate them, and the time and love that goes into them, but it "ain't my bag." I restore my canoes to as close as original as I can, and I'd like to do the same with this car.

If anyone has thoughts, on how I should proceed, or is local(ish) to Reno, please let me know.

Thanks!

Mark

[1930artdeco]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the barn and congrats on the new car. I would highly suggest since you are not a car to join the local club. The Model A is easy to work on and the fenders sound typical for rebuilding. The cowl though is going to NOT be fun to repair. Depending ont he year the cowls do not interchange. If you take some pics I am sure someone here can verify the type you have.

Also, what model do you have, standard fordor, early late, townsedan?

Mike

[pat in Santa Cruz]

once you get into these cars, and start having fun, you might want to combine your talents and build a wooden bodied speedster. There is an Hispano-Suiza speedster built in the 20's entirely of tulip wood, that has always fascinated me. I would love to build one, but need canoe building skills to do that. I do not have them, but you do!! Lucky you!

[Mike V. Florida]

Welcome and remember there are no stupid questions! Next, post pictures as it will be easier to actually see what you speak of. Funny how the '31 Fordor has perhaps the least amount of wood of all the Model A sedans and you being a wood worker.

[Terry, NJ]

Well, Mark, as another newbie (3 years) whose doing the wood on my 1930 4Dr Town Sedan. The wood that is predominately used was Ash. If you go to my profile and click on "My A", you will see my progress. (The pics are horribly out of order) Your 31 as I understand it, came in two basic forms. What is known as a "Slant windshield" and the more common type, where the construction uses a wooden inner frame. The Slant window type was a step forward for Ford's body builders. There was a greater use of steel in the body and an elimination of some wood. Your "Bent" windshield stanchions could be a tip off that you may have one of these bodies. I would also ask if you have cowl lights? Cowl lights or the holes where they mount also is indicative of the model. As I understand it, there are three levels of 4dr, Standard, Deluxe and Town Sedan. Good luck with it and don't feel your questions are not important enough to ask.
Terry

[whirnot]

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Welcome Mark.

I would give Berts Model A in Denver a call. They have thousands of used parts in stock and can probably help you out.

[wooden*canoe*]

I'll post pictures in August. We go to Laramie for 3 weeks or so, and I am picking it up then. I'll be delivering a 1907 Old Town Double Ended boat at the same time.

I don't believe that it is a "slant." I vaguely recall my father saying that it was a common area of failure due to the wood inside rotting.

I have seen pictures of that Hisso, and it makes me drool.

Thanks for the welcome!

Mark

[whirnot]

Originally Posted by wooden*canoe*

Hi,

If anyone has thoughts, on how I should proceed, or is local(ish) to Reno, please let me know.

Thanks!

Mark

Mark it is obvious that this project is not within your realm of expertise. Although I am not near Reno, I am not too far from Laramie. I should just pick it up and take it off your hands, and save you all the effort and stress.

Seriously, if you need a hand I am an hour from Laramie.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Hi mark. Believe it or not, I have a friend (into huppmobiles) that as a side job, traps beavers for pierce county, south of Seattle. He is building a small indian( Puget sound style) hollowed out cedar canoe, for getting through beaver ponds ect.
Also there is a local Indian , in Seattle, carving out a full sized cedar canoe the tribal way . This is on the shore of Lake Union, in Seattle. It takes him a long time, and when he is done, he starts another.
Just FYI. Chuck

[marc hildebrant]

Welcome to the Ford Barn Mark !

Marc

[Chris in WNC]

Originally Posted by wooden*canoe*

I don't believe that it is a "slant." I vaguely recall my father saying that it was a common area of failure due to the wood inside rotting.

there is no wood inside the windshield posts on any Ford-built Model A bodies.

Bert's will likely have a good used cowl. replacing would seem much easier than repair to me.
but hang onto the old damaged cowl- some intrepid soul somewhere will want to repair it.

[al's28/33]

welcome, no stupid questions here. only short tempered quick wit answers.
you'll get all the advice and more than you ever wanted, post pics of your progress and you will find help with all aspects of rebuilding your "A"

[Terry, NJ]

Chris, I was thinking the same thing! Trying to recall if I had missed something along the way. Try as I might, I couldn't remember taking any wood out and definitely not making anything for it. Another thing, I've looked at a few cowls and I can't recall ever seeing one with damage to the windshield stanchions. 99% of cowl damage is to the body tin at the low end.
Terry

Originally Posted by Chris in WNC

there is no wood inside the windshield posts on any Ford-built Model A bodies.

Bert's will likely have a good used cowl. replacing would seem much easier than repair to me.
but hang onto the old damaged cowl- some intrepid soul somewhere will want to repair it.

[400A-64]

Hi Mark, Contact Bill Laughlin (Sagebrush Chapter) at 775-588-6793. He is the chapter contact and could help you with a near-by person to answer your questions.
Bruce Davis

[wooden*canoe*]

Thanks again, guys!

@ Bruce, Thanks for the heads up.

As I mentioned, my general ignorance about most things cars is overwhelming. I can change my oil, and do my disk brakes, but that is about it. It isn't so much that I am not mechanically inclined, but rather, I just never "got into cars." That said, I am pretty anxious to get the old girl, and get her going.

[mhsprecher]

Get Les Andrews' books and you can do anything you need to do.