Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom F OHIO
My brother-in-law just bought a Model A Roadster. We thought it was a 1929. But it has 4 19" wheels and tires. According to the motor number it was built in September of 1929. It has an oval speedometer. Could this be an early 1930 Model A? Is their another feature to say whether its a 1929 or a 1930.
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Tom - I would not put too much emphasis on the motor number. Over the years many Model As (I'd go so far as to go out on a limb and say "most Model As") needed an engine rebuild, and it was common to pull the engine out of the car, go to your local auto parts store and swap out your engine for another one already rebuilt. (Sears even sold rebuilt engines - order one up, delivered to your local store, and take in your old engine!) There's no difference in fitment across the four years, so an engine swap could be for any engine built during that time. It is rare to find a "numbers matching" car, especially with the original engine (not uncommon to grind off an old engine number and restamp the engine with the previous engine number during a rebuild).
I think you need to look for more indicators. Certainly the 19" wheels points to 1930. The oval speedo was used in the 1930 model year through June of 1930. The only real way you will be able to pin down when the car was built is to look at the frame number, which you cannot easily do with the body on it. 1930 had a different cowl, hood and radiator from the 1929. If you can post a picture of the car showing the front we can likely help identify.