1928 Model A AR?

T

Tyster

Member
Hello, my name's Ty. A lot of my friends call me Tyster. Anyway i own a 1928 Model A Tudor. I was looking for a newbie section to introduce myself. Should have registered here years ago. I work at a Ford dealership. A local wholesaler turned me on a lead for a 1928 Model A Tudor AR. I called the lead and have a time worked out and a starting price. My thing is that it's suppose to be one of the first Model A's sold at our dealership. Have no paper work to prove it though. The guy said his great uncle bought it off the show room floor. What are these rare cars actually worth? It's all intact. Has not been started in 20+ years. Hardly no rust at all. Been garaged for the last 50 yrs. I'm actually wanting a Coupe, and all i find here are sedans.
mad.gif
. I feel this car needs to be restored. After i look/purchase the car i'll post some pics. Here's my car i have now.
28modela.jpg
 
This car appears to have been modified. It sits too low and has the wrong wheels.

It is hard to place a value on a car based off just one image. The real value is what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

When I finished restoring my 28 AR Business Coupe, it was pristine and had an appraised value just under about 20k. Sadly, it was caught in a shop fire and now I get to do it all over again.
 
I would check the engine number, it will tell you when it was made. Often the engine has been changed, if open the drivers side hood, and inspect the gas tank inside the engine compartment, you should see a date of the car. Many times this has been filled with repaint, but often times you can see it. There are some ways to identify an AR, but they are progressive changes. You can research the web for some photos, but for example the AR brake rods are not adjustable, the wheels have a different pattern (slight varriation), the rear hub has a different shape etc.
Hope this helps. Your current car looks quite modified.
 
Tyster said:
Hello, my name's Ty. A lot of my friends call me Tyster. Anyway i own a 1928 Model A Tudor. I was looking for a newbie section to introduce myself. Should have registered here years ago. I work at a Ford dealership. A local wholesaler turned me on a lead for a 1928 Model A Tudor AR. I called the lead and have a time worked out and a starting price. My thing is that it's suppose to be one of the first Model A's sold at our dealership. Have no paper work to prove it though. The guy said his great uncle bought it off the show room floor. What are these rare cars actually worth? It's all intact. Has not been started in 20+ years. Hardly no rust at all. Been garaged for the last 50 yrs. I'm actually wanting a Coupe, and all i find here are sedans.
mad.gif
. I feel this car needs to be restored. After i look/purchase the car i'll post some pics. Here's my car i have now.
28modela.jpg
Click to expand...
The First thing you should do is get a copy of the Restoration Guidelines & Judging Standards from either the Model A Restorers Club, or The Model A Ford Club Of America. You will have Many-Many ?? answered Correctly from it.. To start with, There is NO such thing as an "AR" Car or Truck..:)
 
In general terms there is little if any added value for an early car. If it turns out to be REALLY early then it will be a little more intriguing. On very early cars most of the parts that make them unique are often long gone. The more common features such as the left hand emergency brake lever were used on more than 150,000 cars.
 
Yes, thanks Bill. The one i'm picking up tomorrow is supposed to be an original unmolested early 28. I have no intention of restoring it, but saving it from more years of neglect. It will more than like be up for sale or trade. I am looking for a coupe project. I have had several sedans over the past years. They just seem to find me.
 
Jim. i know several members from the local A club. Actually had the paper work at one time, just failed to join.
 
Tyster said:
Hello, my name's Ty. A lot of my friends call me Tyster. Anyway i own a 1928 Model A Tudor. I was looking for a newbie section to introduce myself. Should have registered here years ago. I work at a Ford dealership. A local wholesaler turned me on a lead for a 1928 Model A Tudor AR. I called the lead and have a time worked out and a starting price. My thing is that it's suppose to be one of the first Model A's sold at our dealership. Have no paper work to prove it though. The guy said his great uncle bought it off the show room floor. What are these rare cars actually worth? It's all intact. Has not been started in 20+ years. Hardly no rust at all. Been garaged for the last 50 yrs. I'm actually wanting a Coupe, and all i find here are sedans.
mad.gif
. I feel this car needs to be restored. After i look/purchase the car i'll post some pics. Here's my car i have now.
28modela.jpg
Click to expand...

Tyster,

You say it was originally bought at your dealership.

Here is what you do...If it was, then hopefully you will see the FORD Assembly Plant Code on the car itself for which supplied your dealership with Model A's...Check it out.

To find the code, go to my website www.plucks329s.org then go to Additional Studies...then go to Letter, Numbers, and Codes...there you will learn about the area where the FORD Assembly plants, there were 32 of them in the USA at the time, stamped their assembly plant identification.

Let us know what that is.

Where are you located?

Pluck
 
Ty,
Welcome to the Model A world. I hope you decide to go forward with picking up the 1928 tudor. I have a fondness for the early cars the phaeton is a 1928. I have driven that car over most of the western United States.
 
Well i just got home and needless to say empty trailer. The 28 is rusted bad. Needs cowls replaced, doors, lower quarter, substructure. I made him an offer and we were about $1000 apart from each other. It was built in Dec. 27. He said he'd think about my offer, but i don't feel that he's going to call anytime soon. It's a shame. The car has been garaged it's life, so he said. We walked into the garage and you could feel the dampness. Concrete walls were crumbling. A basement garage of a storage building, about 150 years old. Interior was wasted also. Really mislead me on the details of it. Anyways, sorry guys. Maybe another day if he calls.

Steve, i'm located in Jerseyville, IL. North of STL MO about 30 miles.
 
If Dec. '27 can be verified with good documentation like a title and engine number, I would think it would be cheap at nearly any price.
 
Tyster said:
Well i just got home and needless to say empty trailer. The 28 is rusted bad. Needs cowls replaced, doors, lower quarter, substructure. I made him an offer and we were about $1000 apart from each other. It was built in Dec. 27. He said he'd think about my offer, but i don't feel that he's going to call anytime soon. It's a shame. The car has been garaged it's life, so he said. We walked into the garage and you could feel the dampness. Concrete walls were crumbling. A basement garage of a storage building, about 150 years old. Interior was wasted also. Really mislead me on the details of it. Anyways, sorry guys. Maybe another day if he calls.

Steve, i'm located in Jerseyville, IL. North of STL MO about 30 miles.
Click to expand...

How did you determine that it was built in December 1927?????

So...what is the assembly plant code? If it was sent to your dealership, then it should have the St. Louis code of STL or AXSTL or ASTL on the body subrail...see my website to learn about the location as stated above.

Your dealership was within the St. Louis Assembly Plant area of sales.

Production was started sometime in February or March of 1928, but, BUT...it very well could have all the early features AS A December 1927 vehicle because at the time, FORD sent to most, if not all, the assembly plants body and chassis parts, in 1927, to use to get their lines in order for maximum poduction. In other words, this December 1927 vehicle could of been assembled in February or March 1928...Is there original paperwork on this vehicle?

There is no know date of the St. Louis Assembly plant as to when they actually started...you would think it would of been in a St. Louis newspaper but none has been found...maybe you could do the research on that one.

Pluck
 
Sometimes just best to walk on....

everyone owns a goldmine, problem is, they are often filled with sawdust....
 
ronn said:
Sometimes just best to walk on....

everyone owns a goldmine, problem is, they are often filled with sawdust....
Click to expand...

Very true...but sometimes the "sawdust" can yield some valuable information!

I looked at some "sawdust" once...a box of old scratchy 45's...remember those? When I got down to the bottom of the box, I about S%$# my britches! There facing me, on the bottom of the box were 8 original and in mint condition, Elvis Presley picture sleves from the 50's, the first Ricky Nelson, mint, Extra Play picture sleve...Ah, that sawdust!

Maybe Ty needs someone in the know to look at it for him...There are lot's of "in-the-know" guys in the St. Louis area to view the car. Like Jim Spawn, Editor of The Restorer for MAFCA.

Pluck
 
He had some info laid out on the counter. I was looking over the serial # and then he had the dates laid out that that serial was built.
 
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