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Old 05-12-2010, 08:00 PM   #1
scl009
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Default Newbie and What do I have?

I just went and picked this fordor up this past week. I've done some reading on how to identify the makes or who produced them I guess I should say, but there are some confusing aspects of it. Maybe it was peiced together.


view from the side. It is suppose to be a slant windsheild so I thouoght it had to be a later 31 however there is NO identation on the firewall, restamped or otherwise (I can take a picture, but thats one aspect I think I do know what I'm talking about)




On the drivers side it looks like someone welded the windsheild pillar at the angle it sits now. On the passenger side there is a crack where the pillar meets the cowl. Makes me wonder if somoeone tried to make a slant out of an earlier body, but the doors do seem to line up nicely which I would think would take some serious skill to try and do.




the hood is in way to nice of condition to be original, so I am think its probably aftermarket along with the radiator shell. If you look at the side picture the hood seems to be a couople inches short both vertically and horizontally. Is oit even a model A hood?





There is some wood in the body along the windows and in the center pillars for the doors and in the roof (not crosswise, but around the inside of the opening. I know that the slants are suppose to have a lot less wood, but could never find any descriptions on the differences in the structural peices between the earlier nonslants and the later slants.

So:
Is this truely a slant?
What other pics do you need?
Can anyone describe what wood should be there and what wood should not be there?

It does have an original looking metal floor up to about halfway of where I think the front seat would go.


thanks
Scott
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Old 05-12-2010, 08:02 PM   #2
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

sorry for the extra O's in places, my keyboard is haveing some serious problems with that key
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Old 05-12-2010, 08:30 PM   #3
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Wow... that's quite a challenge you found there...

I'm a newbie too, but that looks like a legit '31 Slant-windshield body... notice the front edges of the front doors slant too...

Radiator shell looks "old", but also appears to be from a '30. Hood could be original, just from a different car ?

ID numbers were stamped on the engine block, and on the frame rail, on the driver's side, right around the left-front body-bolt (you have to jackthe body off the frame to reveal the serial # ).
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Old 05-12-2010, 08:54 PM   #4
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Theres no engine just body, but thanks for reminding me about the frame rail number, I had forgotten. I doubt its there though, as it looks like someone was trying to make some alterations to it and its in pretty ruff shape.

The doors being slanted is the only aspect that keeps me thinking that it probably really is a slant. For somoeone to slant the doors that well would have taken some serious skill. So its just the non indented firewall and the amount of wood in the body that has me scratching my head I guess
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Old 05-12-2010, 09:02 PM   #5
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

its a 31 slant
it looks like a car i inquired about from a guy in texas for parts for my slant
you can tell a real slant buy its lack of visor and its steel subframe
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Old 05-12-2010, 09:16 PM   #6
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

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March and April 1931 Fordors and Town Sedans are slant windshield but not indented firewall. I also have one. My engine and frame number date to November 1930. Remember this was slow sales during the depression and Ford had a stock of engines to use up.
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Old 05-12-2010, 09:50 PM   #7
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg View Post
March and April 1931 Fordors and Town Sedans are slant windshield but not indented firewall. I also have one.
Tom - Interesting and releaving. I was worried that I just didn't know enough on the way home.

TK - Probably is the same one, I got it in Mansfield TX. I'll never forget the names of the cities around there as I broke down on the side of the highway after I picked her up. It was a rough weekend to say the least, but then after driving that far there was no way I was coming home without her. What parts were you looking for?
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Old 05-13-2010, 07:36 AM   #8
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

The flat firewalls may have had a body tag in addition to the patent plate on the fire wall. Look to see if there is one. If you do, it should have the builder- Murray or Briggs- and a number 160b-XXXX. It may have been removed and just have two small holes. There are ways to tell if it was built by Murray or Briggs without the tag. Please post a picture.
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Old 05-13-2010, 08:19 AM   #9
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Brian there is a tag, but I can't read anything on it, I am thinking of usig some muriatic acid on it.

Is that a good idea or is there something else I should use to make it more visable?

Also anyone else know where I can read or who to ask more about the differences in the wood parts?
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Old 05-13-2010, 08:25 AM   #10
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

There are several sites that show the wood in different bodies.
I think some of the venders sites such as Snyders show wood pics.

These links show the difference in the regular and slant fordors.

http://www.fordwood.com/images/fordor31slant160new.jpg

http://www.fordwood.com/images/fordor29m155new.jpg
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Old 05-13-2010, 08:39 AM   #11
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Sweet thats exactly what I was looking for to no avail.


heres a pic of the firewall



And heres one with a tag, loks like the two pin tag below it is missing. Its completely unreadable

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Old 05-13-2010, 08:58 AM   #12
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Quote:
Originally Posted by scl009 View Post
Tom - Interesting and releaving. I was worried that I just didn't know enough on the way home.

TK - Probably is the same one, I got it in Mansfield TX. I'll never forget the names of the cities around there as I broke down on the side of the highway after I picked her up. It was a rough weekend to say the least, but then after driving that far there was no way I was coming home without her. What parts were you looking for?
I need the rear seat back for my 31 Slant Windshield Town sSedan. This would have no center arm rest. My car is a well used original and I'm not going to restore it, but just drive it as is, so any usable rear seat spring would be OK. It would be nice to have the original used covering on the spring, but I'll take what ever I find.
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Old 05-13-2010, 09:02 AM   #13
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

That looks like a patent plate, so no need to worry about finding any numbers on it. Muriatic acid wouldn't help, and may detroy what's left of it. I'd just buy a new patent plate anyway. Are your plans to restore this car?
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Old 05-13-2010, 09:03 AM   #14
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Info. I have indicate that if the top of the window / door openings are flat....it's Briggs. If they are arched.....it's Murray.
The two holes below the large plate are for the missing tag.
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Old 05-13-2010, 09:34 AM   #15
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

If you go look at my albums and bio, it shows the plan. I do not plan on restoring per say. I have a 31 AA chassis that I want too put this body on to make a quad cab pickup as a daily driver.

Thats one reason why I bought this body (I know some of you thought I was crazy because of what condition its in). Its in pretty bad shape and thought that if I was doing something non original I would use a body that others would just cut up anyway. The plan is to stay as original as possible with a moore modern (1976) engine and trans, with hydraulic breaks. (So you still might think I'm crazy, but this is my dream truck and I'm doing it anyway)

Beofore youo judge too much look at this:
Potential.jpg

This was my plan and about 2 weeks after I got my chassis I found a guy on another forum that had done the same thing (his truck in the pic). At first I was dicouraged, as I thought I had an original idea, but then I was happy to see that my plan will work. The only cutting/fabrication he did was on the rear running boards and fenders. Looks like it was made that way in 31 doesn't it?
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Old 05-13-2010, 09:36 AM   #16
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom from Drippin' View Post
Info. I have indicate that if the top of the window / door openings are flat....it's Briggs. If they are arched.....it's Murray.
The two holes below the large plate are for the missing tag.

I beleive this only applies to the earlier (non slant) fordors.
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Old 05-13-2010, 09:50 AM   #17
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Cool a "Crew Cab" AA!
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Old 05-13-2010, 09:54 AM   #18
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Quote:
Originally Posted by scl009 View Post
If you go look at my albums and bio, it shows the plan. I do not plan on restoring per say. I have a 31 AA chassis that I want too put this body on to make a quad cab pickup as a daily driver.

Thats one reason why I bought this body (I know some of you thought I was crazy because of what condition its in). Its in pretty bad shape and thought that if I was doing something non original I would use a body that others would just cut up anyway. The plan is to stay as original as possible with a moore modern (1976) engine and trans, with hydraulic breaks. (So you still might think I'm crazy, but this is my dream truck and I'm doing it anyway)

Beofore youo judge too much look at this:
Attachment 2114

This was my plan and about 2 weeks after I got my chassis I found a guy on another forum that had done the same thing (his truck in the pic). At first I was dicouraged, as I thought I had an original idea, but then I was happy to see that my plan will work. The only cutting/fabrication he did was on the rear running boards and fenders. Looks like it was made that way in 31 doesn't it?
That is a nice looking custom. Will you use a different rearend for more speed? Since you want hydraulic brakes I assume a complete later rear end would be your choice.
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Old 05-13-2010, 09:57 AM   #19
scl009
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

Exactly... how awesome is that. The gentleman that did it kept everything "stock" to the time period. I just want to be able to drive it around reliably, maybe even take it on the interstate safely (reason for the motor trans brakes). I would love to copy everything else though, its exactly what I've been thinking about for the past few years except for color, haha
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Old 05-13-2010, 10:04 AM   #20
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Default Re: Newbie and What do I have?

I've had a bunch of discussions with some good guys on an AA forum and they tend to beleive that this rearend is bullet proof. Mine hase the high speed gears in it (5.14 ratio) and I love the look of it. If I was to do a different rear end I think I would lose a lot of the character of the truck. I'm hoping that since I'm not wanting to go down a drag strip or abuse it too much that the rearend will suffice.

I looked into a few other rear ends but I could never figure out how to keep an original look, with the five hole budd wheels and 5x 6 7/8 lug bolt pattern. I love everything about the AA's and A's except for the speed. I know people push some crazy speeds out of them, but that takes serious time and money. I think thats why out of 30-40 guys in my local MAFCA club only about 5 of them pull their A out of the garage more than 4-6 times per year.

Don't get me wrong I will own a few A's like that down the road, but for now I want somethig I can drive
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