31 Model A fordor bodies

[Sunny the Model A]

Hi Yall I got a few questions for you. before I get started, I just want to say this is all theoretical at the moment, I wont be doing this for a while and there is nothing being done yet but ideas are brewing. I want to build a Model A indented firewall fordor from the ground up. I know where to find a 30-31 chassis, engine, fenders and rad. but I would like to know where I can find a fordor body in decent shape I can plop on the frame I am eyeing. I will only own indented firewalls because they are safer than standard a's with the gas valve in the car and the bracket for the column is on the dash rail. I don't want a whole car, just a body, as I will be going through everything so I can make a future daily out of it. I know the 30-31 bodies will all accept a indented firewall and a indented firewall gas tank. I am not looking for a numbers matching car, but a reliable four door sedan I can use. Thanks for your time. Oh and postscript, I am not building a hotrod I am building with a stock body, stock engine and tranny. only deviations from stock are a mitchell overdrive, 4.11 gears and led lights.

[Keith True]

I always liked the slants,so when I had a car go through a fire a couple years ago I looked around for a good body.A new Brookville roadster body was just a little more than a good complete slant window sedan body.For the most part if a body is complete,and nice,there is really no reason for somebody to take it off a chassis and sell it.

[Mike Peters]

It might be cheaper and a whole lot easier for you to just buy a 31 slant window with indented firewall that needs some fixing up. I bought a late 31 slant window fordor a couple years ago that needed a new interior. The wife and I sewed up a new interior over the winter and now we have a nice car.

[Sunny the Model A]

hmm, maybe, but there are parted out cars out there and I don't really want a whole car, just the body. I really want a new body, but they only make roadster bodies new. I want a sedan because it's basically a SUV. People do sell bodies by themselves and the chassis I am watching is just a rollin' frame so there I could make it anything I want. so, I'll build myself a jack of all trades car.

[Sunny the Model A]

I thought about it, but I want to tear the whole car apart and use the frame I know of. It has been sitting in a lean to since I was a kid so I have seen it often as I would drive by. I also don't have a lot of dough lying around for a whole car so I have to factor that in as well. also I really don't care if its a 30 or a 31 body so long as I can put an indented firewall tank and firewall in it for safety

[Kevin in NJ]

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You need to get a frame for a slant window body.

You can tell by the 3 rivet holes in front of the rear running board bracket. That will be for the #6 body mount also needed for a slant window body.

Steve Plucker details what is different on his website.

[Sunny the Model A]

Well, I am just looking for a 30 or a 31 fordor body that I can shove a indented firewall into, not really a specific of either. the firewalls are interchangeable so long as you change the tank too. my only spec is that it is a fordor and is a 30 or a 31 so it has the right size area for the firewall to fit. not super worried about numbers matching since it will be a
" johnny cash" car if you get what I mean. I like slant windows dont get me wrong, but i dont think I have to be that specific, just so long as its a 30-31 fordor body. I put the title "31 bodies" to point out the indented firewall feature i want, not so much the body itself.

[w.michael]

There are several 30-31 Fordors listed in the swap meet section of this forum. Go to the swap meet for Model A's and search for "fordor body". Some are body and sheet metal only, some are complete cars.

W. Michael

[gdmn852]

Hello, the slant windshield models were made in about the last 8 months of 1931 , one advantage they have over the previous sedans is less wood, late 31 have more steel throughout, but still wood framing in the roof structure. I had thought earlier about building a 30 or 31 roadster with the Brookville body, but found a complete,more or less 31 Roadster,and am restoring it instead.The 31 S/W sedan are also one of my favorites also, if I were to get another Model A that would be it.

[ronn]

as Mike Peters says...........


you are chasing a nut down a fox hole.........!

[ronn]

in the swap meet..........

[Sunny the Model A]

Originally Posted by ronn

as Mike Peters says...........


you are chasing a nut down a fox hole.........!

You got no idea of the foxholes I have been down and will continue to go down lol. I am tooling up for building a brand new 1963 Chrysler Turbine. I got my hands on as many blueprints as possible and will be building the car one piece at a time, will be building a new turbine engine and all that. A model a is a fairly easy car to put together. so piecing together the sedan I want should be easy. I just have to get a fordor body, pull the tank and firewall and install the late 31 specific parts. I love the already put together cars but they are pricey and I don't want to restore an original and running A. not worried about value or judging standards as it will be a daily driver and will probably never see a show. so its kind of a prototype car if you will of merging car parts together in different ways to find the best balance between ford made parts and reliability.

[Sunny the Model A]

I would love to get my hands on that fordor in the ads from Texas, but with the traveling I might need my future sedan to do, it needs to be gone through, and I won't tear up a nice original car like that. that kind of car is more of a weekend car, not really capable of handling the rigors of towing a small trailer, going long distance at 50-55 all day, commuting around town and climbing up into the Appalachian mountains

[ronn]

my reference was trying to find what it is you are looking for. slants with good bodies arent generally ripped apart and sold in pieces.



anyway, good luck!

[Sunny the Model A]

I getcha mate. the main reason I cant is $$$, I cant afford the whole car, my income as a scrapper is low so I have to get creative sometimes to make ends meet literally and figuratively. but I can do it one piece at a time, better that way for me so I can concentrate on that section instead of tearing up the whole car. building the car from pieces is far cheaper for me.

[Kevin in NJ]

Originally Posted by Sunny the Model A

I getcha mate. the main reason I cant is $$$, I cant afford the whole car, my income as a scrapper is low so I have to get creative sometimes to make ends meet literally and figuratively. but I can do it one piece at a time, better that way for me so I can concentrate on that section instead of tearing up the whole car. building the car from pieces is far cheaper for me.

Well actually no that is never true in the end.

You would be better off putting money aside over time specifically for the purchase of an older restored car then to buy one in pieces. You end up with a MUCH better value.

I have been around antique cars for decades. Numbers wise it never works out trying to build up a car from junk over just buying an older restored car. The truth is you will have one of two outcomes. You will put together a car that is not in very good condition or the car never comes together, but you talk about it a lot.

To put together a car from junk that is well built you have to budget about $20K to put together the chassis assuming you already have significant tooling or access to the tools. I know because I have done that and I have the tooling. I have a bunch more money into the body, a 68C.

Now I could slap together a chassis for almost nothing with parts on hand. It would not be safe to drive over 30 MPH (by my standards) though it would likely be reliable cause I know stuff. But I have parts laying around and special tooling to rebuild things others cant.

[gdmn852]

Hello again, I think the op might have more time than money to work with.As with my previous post I agree with you on the cost , was thinking about building a “new”roadster with a Brookville body, but actually found it more cost effective to buy a complete car that needs restored, but even then will probably have more in it than it is worth, but I don’t look at them as “investments”,but enjoy driving and even working on them.A friend of mine has a fantastic Model Railroad and has $$$ in it but it is not about the money but personal enjoyment, I think that is what the op is trying to explain.

[diomed]

I was looking at CL and saw this.


https://mohave.craigslist.org/pts/d/...491384183.html

[Keith True]

That one is just the chassis for sale.The body is going for a street rod.A friend I correspond with in the southwest has already checked into it.When I had an A damaged by fire two years ago I looked for a body,and I do like the slants.I looked at one in southern Maine,but it had a little rust and was missing all the garnish moldings.It sold for $6000.and went to a street rod shop in Georgia.

[diomed]

Wow, you're right! I guess I assumed he was selling the most prominently displayed item in the photo. Oh well

[Sunny the Model A]

Originally Posted by gdmn852

Hello again, I think the op might have more time than money to work with.As with my previous post I agree with you on the cost , was thinking about building a “new”roadster with a Brookville body, but actually found it more cost effective to buy a complete car that needs restored, but even then will probably have more in it than it is worth, but I don’t look at them as “investments”,but enjoy driving and even working on them.A friend of mine has a fantastic Model Railroad and has $$$ in it but it is not about the money but personal enjoyment, I think that is what the op is trying to explain.

Exactly, I do know that cars can be, but not always expensive to build. I am a scrapper and live on an income of under 4k a year to be blunt. and everything i do is budgeted. I also know where to get about 1/2 of the parts for good prices through the clubs and friends. the chassis will be about 1k, and the body will be about 2-3k, so I have to budget accordingly to my needs. I want to by the end of the day, have a running driving fordor for around 15k or less if preferable. now that's not including everything like a mitchell od for example, but to get the car on the road, that how much I can spend and still eat.

[ronn]

well if you can spend that- then back to what everyone said, dont piece it together. buy the best you can buy and go from there.
the cheap mentality is not that cheap.........

[CHuDWah]

Originally Posted by Sunny the Model A

Hi Yall I got a few questions for you. before I get started, I just want to say this is all theoretical at the moment, I wont be doing this for a while and there is nothing being done yet but ideas are brewing. I want to build a Model A indented firewall fordor from the ground up. I know where to find a 30-31 chassis, engine, fenders and rad. but I would like to know where I can find a fordor body in decent shape I can plop on the frame I am eyeing. I will only own indented firewalls because they are safer than standard a's with the gas valve in the car and the bracket for the column is on the dash rail. I don't want a whole car, just a body, as I will be going through everything so I can make a future daily out of it. I know the 30-31 bodies will all accept a indented firewall and a indented firewall gas tank. I am not looking for a numbers matching car, but a reliable four door sedan I can use. Thanks for your time. Oh and postscript, I am not building a hotrod I am building with a stock body, stock engine and tranny. only deviations from stock are a mitchell overdrive, 4.11 gears and led lights.

I agree with others that you will have as much or more in your proposed build than buying a running/driving car. If you can make do with a Tudor, they're usually a little cheaper than a Fordor. But with some shopping around, you can find an original or older restoration of either body style within your budget.

If I understand correctly, your safety concern is gas leaking from the inside valve and/or tank-mounted steering column support. Here's a video about modifying the valve to be leakless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ0RKAyyEk4

If you're planning on building a MoPar turbine, you probably have the skill and equipment to modify the valve. If not, I'd think a machine shop could do it for reasonable cost.

IIRC, the dash-mounted column support is a bolt-on for 30-31 and adaptable to 28-29 with minor modification. If the tank support is leaking, it could be removed and the rivet holes welded closed. Tanks have been safely welded IF the welder knows how to do it.

Those modifications should address your concerns cheaper and easier than replacing a firewall, tank, etc. They also will expand your sedan search range to include 28-29 as well as 30-31, maybe making it easier to find a car in your price range.

[Sunny the Model A]

Originally Posted by CHuDWah

I agree with others that you will have as much or more in your proposed build than buying a running/driving car. If you can make do with a Tudor, they're usually a little cheaper than a Fordor. But with some shopping around, you can find an original or older restoration of either body style within your budget.

If I understand correctly, your safety concern is gas leaking from the inside valve and/or tank-mounted steering column support. Here's a video about modifying the valve to be leakless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ0RKAyyEk4

If you're planning on building a MoPar turbine, you probably have the skill and equipment to modify the valve. If not, I'd think a machine shop could do it for reasonable cost.

IIRC, the dash-mounted column support is a bolt-on for 30-31 and adaptable to 28-29 with minor modification. If the tank support is leaking, it could be removed and the rivet holes welded closed. Tanks have been safely welded IF the welder knows how to do it.

Those modifications should address your concerns cheaper and easier than replacing a firewall, tank, etc. They also will expand your sedan search range to include 28-29 as well as 30-31, maybe making it easier to find a car in your price range.

I like those ideas. the only real requirements for this build/car is 30-31 sedan that can be daily driven for less than 15k 10k or less is preferred. I do like the 30-31 cars better than the 28-29s because of the higher rad and they look more like a model k Lincoln than a model t. just my 2 cents though. the I can weld and repair to some degree and since I have a parts source where I can get half the parts I need for next to nothing. that's why i want to build it rather than buy it. makes it more unique to piece a car together. I own an indented firewall model a truck and am quite fond of the fact that all of the fuel system is outside. I set my car and a 30 fordor of a local friend's and compared firewalls the only difference is the indention itself. so theoretically we could take our tanks and firewalls and swap 'em. should be fairly easy to do. I got another friend down in Florida who has done his last car so to speak and wants me to have a bunch of his parts. blocks, heads, cams, cranks, wheels, carbs, tranny parts, brake parts, you name it. all for a really good price. and with the roller chassis near me, its practically half done already. if I were to buy the whole thing, I really don't know if things were done right, or if it needs a major overhaul. I I want to be able for the car to hold up to the rigors of dailying and potentially heavy use, so I can drive without fear of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. I need a go anywhere, do anything run on anything car and the model a is the car I know better than any other so thats why I am after an A. might as well just skip tearing the whole car apart and go directly go to the inspection and repair phase. I am not in the mood for a 10-15 year build, just don't have that kind of spare time. I want to go to work on one section at a time doing the things I know best like engine work and chassis stuff, once that's out of the way I could concentrate on just the body and build that up. if I go buy the chassis, all I need is a body to put on it. don't want a roadster or a coupe really because they are not super practical at the end of the day. a sedan is almost like a 1930's ford explorer if you look at it that way.

[ronn]

on the hamb


1931 Model A Slant Windshield
City: Texoma

State: TEXAS!
Price: 6500 obo

[Mike Peters]

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Originally Posted by ronn

on the hamb


1931 Model A Slant Windshield
City: Texoma

State: TEXAS!
Price: 6500 obo

Here ya go! Looked at the ad. Comes with trailer hitch and extra front axle. If interior door hardware is still intact, and all the glass seems to be there, you are in business. This is waaay cheaper and easier than trying to piece one together. I have put together a 28 roadster and 28 Phaeton together from pieces. Never again! Sooo not worth it. Been there done that. Just find a cheap complete car, and you will be driving it in less than two years. The Phaeton took me four years, and I had all the necessary parts to finish. Just sayin'

[ronn]

TX car now 5500. and hungry for offers......you can buy that car today for 4500.

wanna bet? what are you waiting for?

[gdmn852]

Hello again, that doesn’t sound too bad for a complete 31 S/W . If closer to Pa I would be tempted,a lot of parts are particular for a Slant Windshield only and hopefully they are all there . Plan on $10000 at least for restoring though ,interiors are expensive along with engine work.