1931 Ford Model A

1931 Ford Model A Roadster A lot of gearheads back in the 1950's aspired to having the perfect hot rod with pinstripes and every part of the car painted and clean. However, not everyone had cars like this. A lot of hot rods in the 50's were well worn, wearing primer instead of glistening paint. Fenderless cars threw mud and water onto the bodywork and in rainy and cool climates, not using fenders on your hot rod was a serious decision. CarThrottle.com Hot Rodding Culture in its Heyday For consignment, a 1931 Ford Model A Roadster showing 44,925 miles, but the true miles are unknown due to exemption. This former barn find was restored in 2010 and features an all original, metal body according to our consignor, a new frame, and parts from 1935, 1940, 1950, and 1951. Exterior The quintessential hot rod, with open wheels, non glossy paint, and a roadster profile, this one starts with starts with satin dark blue paint over the fenderless body and when combined with 16-inch red wire wheels from a 1935 Ford, it gets a thumbs up for all who gaze upon it! The wide white walls help as does the visible flathead also painted red. Around back, the lines are clean and panels smooth, accented with tail lights from a 1950 Pontiac in symmetry with the two straight exhaust pipes that project under the apron. The front is tasty too with lowered headlights and clean black linkage and axle under the ideal grille surround. A tan canvas top is like icing on the cake and connects to the vertical windscreen and houses a small, glass rear window. Imperfections are limited to a single paint chip and single scratch. Interior A LeBaron Bonney interior has been applied, here in saddle brown vinyl which covers the inner doors and pleated bench seat as well as sidewalls, footwells, and hideaway rumble seat. A stunning 3 spoke steering wheel fronts the body colored dash board with the vintage gauge cluster in center showing appropriate patina, and some added Stewart Warner units mounted on the side. A fitted and textured rubber mat covers the floor, surrounding the blue painted shifter and polished handbrake. Drivetrain Up front is a 239ci flathead V8, rated at 100 horsepower and fueled via a 2-barrel carburetor. It's mated to a 1951 3-speed manual transmission sending power to the 1940 Ford Banjo axle in back with 3.78 gears. A newer Walker radiator has been added. Undercarriage The original body was placed on a Brookville roadster frame which connects to transverse leaf springs front and rear with a Super Bell 4 drop front axle. Drum brakes are at all four corners and the dual exhaust system consists of headers to glasspack style mufflers prior to exiting out the back. A little bit of oil sling is the only thing veering from perfectly clean conditions underneath. Drive-Ability The flathead comes to life and provides a fantastic exhaust note as we roll this restored vintage ride around the test loop. They weren't known for bells and whistles, just getting from A to B, and this car fulfills that goal swimmingly. All features that are on board operate as they should and the car tracks straights and brakes well. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. In the 50's, guys took cars that were 20 years old and made them lighter, faster, and simply more fun. The fun lives on in restored hot rods and while anyone can build a fiberglass bodied replica, this one has an authentic steel body and the engine from a '51 Ford, which is exactly how it was done back in the day. Still cool, still vintage, still a bucket list item for many, and this is a very nice example. Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment deal