Something fun to ponder...

[mcgarrett]

An old gentleman that sold me my first Model A in 2015 gave me this 1966-67 Montgomery Ward Model A parts catalog with the car & I forgot I had it. Just a few photos of some pages for your enjoyment, be be forewarned - the prices are outrageous!

[mcgarrett]

I apologize for the lack of clarity of some of the photos.

[JayJay]

M-W was quite the supplier. I have "Riverside" tires on my '30 that likely date from about that time, there's no DOT date stamp on them that I can find! (I understand that DOT date codes started in January 1971). Needless to say, I don't drive on them - rolling the chassis around the shop, I'll replace them when I get ready to drive.

JayJay

[mcgarrett]

I'm guessing that MW was one of the larger suppliers for Model A parts back in those days? Who were the other big parts vendors for Model A's at that time?

[Dave Mellor NJ]

JC Whitney

[JoeCB]

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Before JC Whitney we had Warshawsky ... the parent of JCW
Sears also had a full line of Model A parts back in the 60's

Joe B

[marty in Ohio]

I remember my Dad buying stuff from "Monkey Ward."
Marty

[alexiskai]

If you have access to Ancestry.com, I believe they have all the old Sears & Roebuck catalogs online, and you can browse through all the Model A parts going back to the ‘30s.

[old31]

In the 70's I bought mostly everything from JC Whitney and once in a while from Fred Page.

How many of you remember Fred Page. He was a pricey, character.

[frank55a]

Back in 63/64 I worked for a Chevy Dealership delivering parts. We had both the Warshawsky and JC Whitney catalogs which except for the covers they were the same but I believe Warshawsky was wholesale pricing whereas JC Whitney was retail. Since I worked for the Chevy Dealership I could by parts wholesale thru Warshawsky. Back then there was also Ford Parts Obsolete out of (I think) Long Beach, Calif. I also had purchased parts from Monkey Wards, Sears, and while somewhat limited the local Ford Dealer.

[dominiak]

I’ve got a NOS radiator from Sears on my coupe . It has a tag claiming 100% copper and proudly made in the USA.

[mcgarrett]

Heard about Warshawsky but never saw their catalog. As a teen, I would pour over every JCW catalog I could get my hands on but didn't have a Model A or money!

[Bruce of MN]

Warshawsky had a retail shop on South State Street in Chicago, at least in the early '70's. A few times I ordered parts on the phone for pick up later, then take the bus down at lunch from the Loop where I worked to get the parts. I was the only guy in a suit, except for the owners!

[Gene F]

I found an old Snyders catalog in the garage yesterday. Like 1998 I know what you mean.

[JRrev]

Originally Posted by old31

In the 70's I bought mostly everything from JC Whitney and once in a while from Fred Page.

How many of you remember Fred Page. He was a pricey, character.

I remember Fred Page. He used to advertise in Hemmings when it was half-sized and white pages.

Seems like I recall that JC Whitney and Warshawsky were in the same building on a corner. One was on one side and the other on the other side with separate addresses for the street they faced.

Another supplier of Model A parts was Western Auto. My dad owned a Western Auto store in St. Marys, Ohio from 1953 to 1957. Don't recall having those parts as I was a kid and wouldn't have known Model A's. I do have a 1929 Western Auto catalog that has a few Model A parts as it was relatively new, but most are Model T.

[Big hammer]

My dad owned a Western Auto 1954 -1984, the talk was back in day you could build an A from WA parts except for frame! I have way too many stores about working at the store, some good and some bad. Assembled a kids pull wagon at age 5, dad started using me to assemble stuff at the store soon after that. Changing automotive tires at about age 11. When I purchased my A age 16 I found a few parts on the back shelves for A’s

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Originally Posted by JayJay

M-W was quite the supplier. I have "Riverside" tires on my '30 that likely date from about that time, there's no DOT date stamp on them that I can find! (I understand that DOT date codes started in January 1971). Needless to say, I don't drive on them - rolling the chassis around the shop, I'll replace them when I get ready to drive.

JayJay

Here’s a monkey ward that blew in the sun. Sounded like a black powder gun!

[frank55a]

Originally Posted by JRrev

Seems like I recall that JC Whitney and Warshawsky were in the same building on a corner. One was on one side and the other on the other side with separate addresses for the street they faced.

This is true, I always went in the Warshawsky door. I went down there several times in the mid 70's to get some parts. It was all the same place just different doors for JC Whitney and Warshawsky. The show room if that's what you want to call it looked like something out of the 20's, the floor was very creaky and oil soaked. Most everything else ceiling, shelves, and windows looked like the last time it was cleaned was when the place was new. Most of their salesmen as I recall seemed professional and very knowledgeable but looked like they were in a bar fight the night before and all looked rough.

HOWEVER, one time I did order something that I had to pick up at their warehouse on the northside of downtown Chicago. That place could not have been more different. The floors were waxed to a high shine, everyone was dressed very well like downtown Chicago professionals, stock brokers, lawyers,
etc. I saw a lot of ladies working there all very well dressed, even the person that brought my parts to me was in a clean pressed uniform.

[Reelnative]

Nice, Thank You for sharing.