is my coupe a 30 or 31?

L

Louis

Well-known member
i bought my coupe a little over a year ago, the man i bought it from told me it was a 30 or 31?, it was last reg. in 1972 as a 31. but the rad. shell is stainless and has the blue oval on it and look's about the same age as the car, the fire wall where the sed. bowl mounts is flat [not indented], but the splash shield's over the running boards are two piece, the eng.# is 4349772 with no A or star in front of the no.# i was told that mean't the eng. was not org. to the car. Thanks for any help.
 

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Is the speeo round or ovel? If it's ovel it's defenately an early 30 if it's round it still could be a 30 or 31.
 
I think the missing star only means that someone forgot to stamp it. I have never heard that it had anything to do with the engine having been replaced. I assume you have looked up the date the engine was manufactured (http://mafca.com/data_eng_production.html). The serial number of the engine originally installed in the car can be found under the body (yes, you have to lift it). Go to http://www.jmodela.com/numbers.html for more on the location of the original serial number.

Charlie Stephens
 
Very nice looking car with BLACK tires and wheels. I would say you have a early 1931.. They did come with the 1930 radiator shell on some. Running boards sounds right. I know the 190A- Vicky in Nov. 1930 started with the 2 piece running board . Your engine number calls for a Feburary 1931 car. Car sounds right.
 
the speedometer is round, the man i bought it from said that the guy that reg. it back in 1972 did not know for sure if it was a 30 or 31 so he just guessed that it was a 31 ? i have heard that if a A model was made in the begining of the year that Henry would put on left over parts to save money ? i was just thinking that might have something to do with it, but it sure would be nice to know if it was a 30 or 31 ?
 
You really can't tell for sure without looking for the ser. # on the frame. Everything was interchangable with the 30 -31.
 
No, they were stainless for both years. There are subtle differences like a dimple in the underside of left rear fender, would let you know that the fender was a 31. You can check the judging standards for a list of things to look for.
 
You could do 1 of 2 things. Take off the 1930 radiator shell and put on a 1931 and call it a 1931 Coupe. OR leave it alone and say its a Early 1931. with a left over 1930 radiator shell which i have see a few and will be correct with your engine number.. I have see upto March 1931's with 30 radiator shells.
 
Can't answer your question, but it's a sharp looking car. Like the black wheels/tires with that color.
 
I've always leaned toward two piece running boards being a 1930 car. My indented firewall Deluxe coupe came with a 1930 shell on it when I got it because everything is so interchangeable, but I knew it was a late 31.
 
Jeff,
It was rebuilt in 1972 but the man died when it was completed, it sat in his basement on blocks untill last year when his widow decided it was time for it to go, when i got it the old paint was cracking and fading, i took it down to bare metal and did some repair and put on a base coat clear coat, the inside is what was done in 72 and still in good shape, all it needed was a new batt, new points and plugs, the eng. starts and runs great, but does leak some oil and trans fluid untill it cool's off. everthing on it is org. except i did put a 6 volt alt. on it, and a 30 amp. fuse. im new to A model's and i learn something new ever day, a great little car. thank you all for the great advice.
 
Gary, i think it is close to ford maroon, i took it to a paint store and matched the old paint to some cards they had and went a shade lighter, the ford maroon on the car was to dark for me, but it,s close. [not candy apple] as close to org. paint as i could get.
 
Without seeing any other details I would consider it a 1930. The radiator shell was replaced with the later type and the two piece splash aprons were replaced with one piece before 1931. No way of knowing when existing stock of the early parts might have been used up. Since Ford did not make a model year distinction no feature identifies the 30 to 31 year change. Like beauty the change exists in the eye of the beholder.
 
Charlie Stephens said:
I think the missing star only means that someone forgot to stamp it. I have never heard that it had anything to do with the engine having been replaced. I assume you have looked up the date the engine was manufactured
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No star and no A, my guess is that it's a replacement engine stamped with original number.
 
My Sept.30 Deluxe Delivery was unrestored when I bought and mine has the one piece splash aprons and a 30 Radiator Shell. Louis, yours could have restored that or it wasn't purchased until early 31?
 
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