what body do I have

[Bill Goddard]

Jim K, I am in Shrewsbury and would like to see your car. I didn't know there was anyone so close. Bill G

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by jim k

I agree with you Marco I know all the parts as far as drive train and things are the same I guess it is just more of my curiosity here's a picture of the car

In case I wasn't clear enough, as far as the eye can see the three different BODIES are identical. For that reason your photo shows that it's ether a 160-A with cowl lights added OR a 160-B. It's IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to tell from the photo who built the body.

Look at the firewall on the passenger side front. There should be a Ford patent tag held on by four drive rivets. Just below that there MAY be two more holes for a Briggs or Murray body number tag. If those two holes are not present then it is probable the body was assembled by Ford.

[peters180a/170b]

If you should need paint for the wheels i think i have some extra...l.o.l.

[jim k]

Marco there are two hole below the Ford patent tag but there is no tag there and it appears that the holes never had any drive in rivets in them

[Tom Wesenberg]

From your description it sounds like you have a Slant Window Town Sedan, a 160B. Your car should also have a robe rail and a large pouch on the back of the front seat. I have the same car and although mine shows it's share of wear, I'm not going to restore it. I'm glad to hear you aren't jumping right into a restoration, especially since this is your first Model A. In fact if your car is in any kind of OK condition, I'd rethink restoring it at all. Original cars are getting very hard to find and are a wealth of information for cars that really do need to be restored. Unfortunately too many cars that were in good original condition were taken apart and restored.

Can you post some pictures of the interior and outside of your car?

[Terry, NJ]

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Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm new too) but the cowl lights + armrest + Oval light in the rear would make it a Town Sedan.
Terry

Originally Posted by jim k

It does have arm rest in the rear seat and the oval dome light also have the what I call grab straps on the side by the rear doors I will try to post a picture of the car

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

From your description it sounds like you have a Slant Window Town Sedan, a 160B. Your car should also have a robe rail and a large pouch on the back of the front seat. I have the same car and although mine shows it's share of wear, I'm not going to restore it. I'm glad to hear you aren't jumping right into a restoration, especially since this is your first Model A. In fact if your car is in any kind of OK condition, I'd rethink restoring it at all. Original cars are getting very hard to find and are a wealth of information for cars that really do need to be restored. Unfortunately too many cars that were in good original condition were taken apart and restored.

Can you post some pictures of the interior and outside of your car?

The pouch was only about the first month of production however it seems they sure built a lot of them during that time! At that time they added two more door pockets and also removed the pocket in the cowl cardboard.

[jim k]

It does have the robe rail on the back of the front and also door pockets on all 4 doors no pouch on the back of the front seat. It's amazing the robe rail is in great shape and still has it's elasticity to it.

[jim k]

btt

[Ed Saniewski]

Jim, my 160B was built around March 1931 and has the same set-up with the rope and pockets on all doors. My upholstery is a tan broad cloth with stripe, what do you have? My car is has Briggs body and is not an indented firewall, is yours? The fire wall did not have a Briggs body tag, and it is my understanding that even though there are holes drilled in the firewall, the car may not have come with a tag.

[jim k]

Ed my upholstery is tan also I'm not sure what is meant by indented firewall none of the ribs on the fire wall are flat like i have read about there are two holes under the data plate but look as if they were never used no tag there. Looking at the back doors the curve in the top is like a murray body. I'm not sure but I think it is indented where the gas shut off vale is on the firewall. I'm not home so I can't check for sure. There's a picture of the car in my album but it's not a very good one

[Bill in Al]

Memory fails me somewhat,but I remember seeing a "B" stamped into the area behind the passenger side dash of a car we thought to be a Murray. Supposedly that B meant it was a Briggs. FWIW!

[jim k]

if you look at this web site of Scott McGrew's unrestored 31 it is I believe exactly what I have except the bottoms of my seats don't have the Murray Town sedan stenciled on them.
http://31ford.dougbraun.com/main.php...6223&g2_page=1

[Ed Saniewski]

Jim, the indented firewall would put the fuel shut off in the engine compartment. If your valve is inside then it is an early 31 car. If you want to see some cars, come to our 55th New England Meet in NJ in a few weeks. Plenty of cars to see.

[Keith True]

Jim,on the slant windshield Fordors you have to forget everything you have seen about Briggs and Murray.It just does not apply.The curves on the sidelights are the same on all the slants.The slant bodies were made by Briggs,Murray,and Ford.All the same except for minor details such as fasteners.You can mount the doors from the different makers on the same car.Not so on the straight windshield Fordors.It seems hard enough to mount another Briggs door on a Briggs body on the wood framed cars.

[jim k]

Ed, mine has a fuel shut off inside right at the tank but also has a shut off on the firewall. The one on the fire wall is like a cast iron bulb but it's froze in the open position so I haven't messed with it yet I'll wait till winter when I'm not driving the car as much.
Keith, Mine is definitely not a wood frame car. I'm just curious who made the body and wondered if it matters when I order an interior for it. I guess all the slants had the same interiors except for details like the center arm rest in the rear seat on some. Mine does not have the center arm rest just the ones on the side of the rear seat.

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by jim k

Ed, mine has a fuel shut off inside right at the tank but also has a shut off on the firewall. The one on the fire wall is like a cast iron bulb but it's froze in the open position so I haven't messed with it yet I'll wait till winter when I'm not driving the car as much.
Keith, Mine is definitely not a wood frame car. I'm just curious who made the body and wondered if it matters when I order an interior for it. I guess all the slants had the same interiors except for details like the center arm rest in the rear seat on some. Mine does not have the center arm rest just the ones on the side of the rear seat.

That is a sediment bowl on the firewall and opens to drain out.

Several of us have tried to explain (several times) that you have a body type 160-B Town Sedan. They are identifiable by the SLANTED WINDSHIELD. NONE of these had structural wood regardless of who provided it. If you carefully reread what Keith wrote he was making a distinction between YOUR car with no structural wood and and a straight windshield Briggs as far as door fits.

Please reread and DIGEST several of the posts. Although only in general terms, the concern you expressed (in bold above) WAS answered by me in two posts yet four days later you still don't have the picture!!!

As a final note, ONLY straight windshield Town Sedans (and Deluxe fordors) had center armrests.

[jim k]

Ok Marco sorry to have upset you I guess I'm done with this forum and I do understand that the slantwinsheild is a body style in it's own sorry if I missed your reference about the interior four days ago. and I did understand what Keith said about about the cars with structural wood and mine I do understand that mine is a 160-B Town Sedan sorry again for wasting everyones time I guess I'm done here