New Model A owner

[dbrist]

My uncle recently passed and I was left his 1931 model a pickup. It runs and is in pretty decent condition. If I took it to a shop to get it restored what would be about the cost i would be looking at?

[Tinbasher]

Welcome to the Fordbarn. This depends on how far you what to go with the restoration. The average ground-up restoration takes about 3000 hours. Body and paint will take around 800 hours. Depending on the shop rates and cost of materials and services like chrome plating, wiring, engine rebuilding etc. will vary the cost. A professional job your looking at $80,000. plus, plus, plus. I'm helping a man restore a 1949 Cadillac and I figure the cost will be over $300,000.00. My thoughts from 40 years of experience. John Poole

[dbrist]

Thank you. I'm not looking for show quality just a few dents out and paint really. Just want it to last

[iverson]

why restore it? get it running good and have fun with it! to me if I had a perfect car I would be afraid to drive it

[dbrist]

Originally Posted by iverson

why restore it? get it running good and have fun with it! to me if I had a perfect car I would be afraid to drive it

Really just looking at frame and body painted to prevent any more rusting for a while and it needs a little body tweaks here and there

[Charlie Stephens]

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The sad fact is if you take it to a professional shop it will cost more than you could buy one already restored. Unfortunately it won't have the family history. Make it safe, clean it up a little and drive it. Look into local Model A clubs. Also put your general location in your profile unless dbrist is your real name and people could find you in the phone book. You will be surprised when you find out how important location is to getting the best advice.

Charlie Stephens

[Mitch//pa]

Welcome thats a nice truck u have
These vehicles look good either way that's the beauty of them. Worn and dented or show quality either goes. I would work on getting it mechanically sound and drive it... To do a half decent repaint with the body on the frame the fenders, splash aprons should be removed at a minimum. Then you have to consider the quality of the paint job you want which can run $$$,. Stripping the paint down will reveal more un foreseen work. I would just enjoy the car first and not take that road right away... Many projects never get finished once started ..

[Clem Clement]

Welcome,
Patina is sacred in my mind. I have a 39 Pickup with wrinkles and scars of his years at work. I get many more compliments that on my restored Model A. Let the truck serve you as is after safety repairs( Tires brakes, steering etc. )and a clean up

Do very little for a couple of months and study what you have. You are on a fine net . Ask all questions.

What is the truck's name??

[bikejunk]

Do this get it running swell and safe take it to a show and see the overall response to a beat up 86 year old pickup with family history - you will probably be glad you didn't do much to it enjoy

[Tom Wesenberg]

Yes, what Mitch said.
Drive it and maintain it, keep all the moving parts oiled and greased, never drive it on salty roads, and try not to drive it in the rain, and it will last longer than us. Your pickup looks very nice from what the small picture shows. Most people like to see these antiques in their natural skin, with some wear showing.

[mhsprecher]

I will add to the chorus. I'd like nothing better than a pickup like that to use for errands like going to the garden center or the dump without worrying about hurting anything. Once you live with it for a while, you will figure out what really needs doing.

[mshmodela]

Welcome to the Ford Barn... If she's running, have at it and enjoy! The bonus is you'll be learning along the way.. Also there dozen of true Model A experts here, many with a half century or more of experience... You've found the right place for help.

PS. Your car looks great --keep the dust etc. on it... looks right out of time machine!

[Big hammer]

Wecome to the Barn! If your truck is original they are only original once! My vote is get it running good and safe! Enjoy your truck be it driving(lots of fun) or what ever you decide!

[Sunnybrook Farm]

It will be hard to find a body shop that will do the job properly to make it last. I went that route originally and the results were hard to look at when put beside work done by an owner who can afford to put the time and work into getting the body ready to paint. The painting isn't too big a deal it is the prep work before the event that makes all the difference. You might want to just patch and use a spray can and put the money or work into it at a later time. The fun is in driving it unless you go and make a trailer queen to trailer to shows.

[30ccpickup]

Welcome...Read here at the fordbarn for info... Like others, I believe it looks perfect as is. It is original only once. Unlike other vehicles of this time period these cars can be daily drivers. At this time I would dedicate my finances to stoping, running, and steering. Probably in that order, but best if all are done at the same time.

[ronn]

Thank you. I'm not looking for show quality just a few dents out and paint really. Just want it to last

I wouldnt touch it, but if you just want an inexpensive clean up for 2-3k
take it to MAACO. let them know EXACTLY what you want, so you dont get it back
with differences of opinion.

[30ccpickup]

Originally Posted by ronn

Thank you. I'm not looking for show quality just a few dents out and paint really. Just want it to last

I wouldnt touch it, but if you just want an inexpensive clean up for 2-3k
take it to MAACO. let them know EXACTLY what you want, so you dont get it back
with differences of opinion.

FYI... Painting it may be a negative currently and in the future. Fix it to drive, enjoy it, learn what it is about, then make your decision on what is next. I wish someone would of given me that advice in the past. You may wish to restore it completly, than again you might like it the way it is... My opinion only, not meant to offend. And once again welcome, I will do my best to help you out where I can.

[30ccpickup]

Sorry Ronn, I double quoted... or something like that... meant for dbrist.

[tbirdtbird]

an A cannot be properly painted with the body on the car; unlike a modern car.
More than likely the paint that is on there will be incompatible with today's modern urethane paints, which wear better than any paint yet invented, meaning all the paint will have to be sandblasted off. Once you begin to remove any paint you are gonna uncover rust-throughs and other damaged areas and the price begins to climb. There are few shops that can do all this type of work properly in such a way it will last as long as what you have now.

If all the fenders, panels, body, etc were off an A right now in our shop, and all were blasted, and repairs properly done; ie the panels and parts were 100% gun ready, we would charge you 5K for a professional shoot and buffing, and that is a very good price, and that is labor only for 3 coats of primer and 3 coats of color. Then it all has to be put back together again.

The pic is small but from what we can see it looks like a decent car. They do not have to be perfect to enjoy them or show them off. Do not be ashamed of something that is not perfect. Enjoy that you have a piece of history and tangible memories of your uncle. Be proud of it and enjoy it and drive it and show it off and have fun; that is what your uncle would want

[dbrist]

Thank you all. I love yalls ideas and I am going to spend all my time on the drivability of it first.

[glenn in camino]

Start at $100 per hour plus parts and supplies. Clean it up, make it safe, and drive it.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by glenn in camino

Start at $100 per hour plus parts and supplies. Clean it up, make it safe, and drive it.

Wait a minute..........I just got my 1953 Chilton's Body and Frame book in the mail today, and the shop rate chart only goes from $2 to $6 per hour.

[Pilotdave]

Tom, I had a good friend who always fussed about the cost of whatever....he always would follow up with "I guess I'm still living in the 1950's!" Maybe you knew him, too?

[tbirdtbird]

I notice you are near Shreveport.
Next year's Texas tour will be in Victoria, sponsored by the PineyWoods club. A bit of a haul for you. Get the car running and reliable and either make the journey, or perhaps you have access to a trailer. Join in the fun, there will be 300 Model As there, and once you have done one Texas tour you will not want to miss any. We'd love to see the truck

[Mike V. Florida]

Welcome!!

I too say get it running, stopping and enjoy it.

[tbirdtbird]

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dbrist,
There are three east texas clubs: Cedar Creek, Tyler, and Autumn Trails. We don't know of a Shreveport club.
It will be worth your while to connect to one of these clubs

have fun

[gweilbaker]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Wait a minute..........I just got my 1953 Chilton's Body and Frame book in the mail today, and the shop rate chart only goes from $2 to $6 per hour.

Tom, I thought my mail service was bad

[dbrist]

I'm more than likely going to join the Tyler club. One of the guys I work with is in it and he loves it.

[eagle]

To answer your original question directly, and by looking at the pics best I can... I would say you had better plan at least $10K to have it done in a very minimalist way. I would agree with the others, it is much more fun to drive in its "work clothes".

[JohnLaVoy]

Have you investigated local Model A chapters in your area. It is always handy to get some local input as to where to get things done. When you are talking about dents all the fenders are available new in steel so that is an easy fix.

[coupe1942]

Instead, you'll end up trying to protect your investment. It would most likely end up being a trailer queen or a garage diamond if a full restoration was done.

Get it running and mechanically sound enough to drive and enjoy. Forget the repairs of dents and dings unless that is just not your cup of tea. If they are on the fenders, then you can replace those with fiberglass ones at a nominal cost If you have a local high school or perhaps a junior college that has a shop, then you can speak to them about letting the students do some body work and paint on the truck. YOu can likely find a hot rodder in your area who may give you a deal on spiffing up the truck with some paint and dent work on the cheap.

Enjoy the truck for what it is. It is a learning experience to drive one, let alone to own one. Get some help as you learn and enjoy the truck as is. Believe me, if you start tearing it apart to "restore" it, your likely to end up with a project car for sale at a later date and never actually learn much about owning one and actually driving it as the norm. If your uncle could do it, then so can you, so don't be intimidated in learning. Find a Model A club or go to a local car show and meet some folk who own a Model A and develop some good relationships for help.

I just got my '30 closed cab 82-B pickup and I'm learning more about it each and every day as I want to get it roadworthy enough to be a dependable daily driver. As said, the old weathered and scuffed up Model A's often get more attention than a spiffy, shined up restoration to begin with. It all adds character and charm. Good luck with it.

One idea to add some spiff to a black pickup is to add some pin stripes to it. That takes the focus off of the solid black and adds some class. You may thing about doing that as an idea before you tackle painting the entire truck.

[coupe1942]

Pardon my poor communication skills by not clarifying better in what I stated, but I was addressing "full restorations" and not just a touch up for a pickup truck to make it look nicer. There is a huge difference between the two and the word (restoration) means different things to different folk.

It is not that restored vehicles do not get driven often, but generally not anywhere near as often as a daily driver and a person would probably would probably have many more toes, fingers and noses left over to count the amount of fully restored Model A pickups being used as common daily drivers these days.

For those who like that cup of tea in having a fully restored truck, it is pretty unlikely they would risk their investment to use it as a daily driver afterwards or to rack up high mileage as the norm. There is a great place in the hobby for each, but protecting their investment as a show quality, fully restored vehicle is likely a much higher priority than simply using the truck each day as a daily driver. Who would blame them, too?

From what the OP stated, I would venture his thought is of restoring it to drive about safely and not as a show quality restoration-style vehicle. Just my own take on it though and we all have our own, so "Seriously? Wow!" Yes, in my opinion only.

I believe my original post got edited for me.

[tbirdtbird]

welcome to Fordbarn, home of the snipers

[3thumbs]

I had to have the left rear fender repaired last winter on my pretty nice '31 Tudor. The shop charged $1400 to remove, repair, repaint and replace the fender. At this rate, you could easily have $7500 in body work and paint. I'm with the other guys on this. Keep it original, have it made safe and roadworthy. It will be worth more to you in the long run than if you fix it to near show quality.

[dbrist]

Okay another question about the truck. Still waiting on title from my cousin who has to get paperwork in her name first, but I have found registration paperwork in the truck that says it is a 1932 Ford. I don't know a whole lot but it looks like a Model A to me and I saw where they weren't made after 31. I have a vehicle Identification Number but can't find anywhere to search it.

[dbrist]

Originally Posted by dbrist

Okay another question about the truck. Still waiting on title from my cousin who has to get paperwork in her name first, but I have found registration paperwork in the truck that says it is a 1932 Ford. I don't know a whole lot but it looks like a Model A to me and I saw where they weren't made after 31. I have a vehicle Identification Number but can't find anywhere to search it.

Forgot to add some more picks

[Tom Wesenberg]

That's all Model A in the picture, except the alternator. Some states titled the vehicle in the year it was sold, so left over 31's sold in 32 would be titled as a 1932.

[dbrist]

Thank you. One other question is that my uncle had used bed liner on the truck bed and I was wanting to order a new one so it would show the wood. All of the replacement beds I have found have five wood slats with a square hole in the middle. The bed in the truck that is be lined I can see that it has 6 wood slats in it. Is there a reason for this? Should a five slat replacement on the model a parts websites fit it?

[Mike V. Florida]

There was a version of the pickup in 1931 that had a wide bed. Would you be able to post a picture of the rear of the truck showing the tail gate up?

Sorry I can't help as to why yours has 6 planks and the parts houses only sell 5.

[dbrist]

Here's some pics of the bed

[dbrist]

Another

[Mike V. Florida]

It does look like you have a wide bed. When you get a chance measure the rear fenders. Wide bed fenders are 10" instead of the 12" that the other beds use.

Let me look a few more things up as well.

Ok more info, the wide bed does not have the square in the bed. The inside dimensions are 60" L x 46" wide at the floor ad 54 1/4" at the top of the rails. Top of tailgate from bed is 14" and top of the front rail is just over 17".

But it appears that the floor is made from steel.