1931 Roadster, Standard & Deluxe ?

J

jbrenek

Junior Member
Is it still a deluxe roadster without wheeled fender wells ? If I add fender wells what will it be then ? Was there any factory paint schemes for the deluxe that had a black body and black wheels ?, if so, was there a stripe and what was the color ? With a black body was there any options beside Apple Green wheels ?
Thanks for any help,
Jim
 
Fender wells were an option on 31 Deluxe roadsters, they were standard on the 30 Deluxe. Apple green stripe and wheels were standard on the black 31 Deluxe but I suppose the wheel color could be changed by the dealer. I had an early 31 Deluxe Town Sedan that was black and had an original cream stripe.
 
1931 roadsters deluxe or standard came with rear mounted spares. You could special order the welled fenders to be installed at the factory or you could have the dealer install them. All Deluxe roadsters came with colored wheels that matched the stripe color. Standard roadsters came with black wheels but could have been special order painted at the factory or the dealer could have painted them stripe color. With a black body the stripe and wheel color was apple green.
 
Jim,

An interesting point is that a correctly done standard roadster without a lot of accessories or special order equipment will bring a lot more interest at a show than a deluxe one since most of them mysteriously became deluxe when they were "restored". If you are starting with a standard my suggestion would be to restore it as a standard. An extra benefit is that it is cheaper. You would find a copy of the Judging standards from the National clubs (both clubs use one book) interesting reading.

Charlie Stephens
 
I'll second that statement Charlie! When Peter 180A had his '30 standard Roadster at Hershey many years ago it just stood out on the crowd of blue 6 wheeled roadsters.
 
Charlie Stephens said:
Jim,

An interesting point is that a correctly done standard roadster without a lot of accessories or special order equipment will bring a lot more interest at a show than a deluxe one since most of them mysteriously became deluxe when they were "restored". If you are starting with a standard my suggestion would be to restore it as a standard. An extra benefit is that it is cheaper. You would find a copy of the Judging standards from the National clubs (both clubs use one book) interesting reading.

Charlie Stephens
Click to expand...

Agree 1000%! There are too many Roadsters out there with dual sidemounts, sidemount mirrors, and other gaudy accessories. Years ago, a car dealer had what he billed as a "30 Deluxe Roadster" It had Standard top irons with non original tan canvas, chrome plated Standard windshield frame, brown naugahyde seats, etc. He saw me looking at the car and tried to put the hard sell to me. I told him "You can't fool everyone, this is a Standard made to look like a Deluxe." His response- "All Model A Roadsters were Deluxe" I didn't say a word, just walked away. You can't educate the ignorant.

An added benefit of a Standard Roadster is more headroom due to the taller windshield frame and top irons.
 
Years ago, the goal and the pride of a "restoration" was to deluxe the plain ole Ford, up. Back then, at local car shows, you had people who drove their Packards, Lincolns, Cadillacs etc. A plain ole Ford, just did not get noticed.
I know it seems silly, now. You just had to be there.
MIKE :)
 
My fathers first car was a 1930 roadster and have only one pic of it. He bought it in 1938 for $90.00 and had it until 1941 and used it for recruiting. The Enlist Now sign on the door cracks me up. He traded it on a 1940 Ford 2 dr Sedan.I am not that informed with the difference between standards and deluxes so maybe one of you guys can identify which it is. Maybe someday Iwill get one of these.
 

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Don, your dad's roadster was a standard. No cowl lights, tall windshield, black top. Standards, as the guys above said, are hard to find. Many have been converted to Deluxe.
 
I am restoring a Standard 30 Roadster. I intend to have it all black, wheels as well. What color stripe do I have, or do I have to have colored wheels which I don't like.
I don't like Apple Green wheels. I understood that all 30 Standard Roadsters had black wheels from the factory, not the dealer, who could make them look like they came out of Disneyland to make a sale.
I'm not having cowl lamps either, but I would like twin side mounts.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
 
There are many differences between the standard and deluxe roadster. It is not just a matter of adding fender well spare tires, or cowl lights. The windshield on a standard is tall, the deluxe is short and chromed. The standard has black socket type top irons, similar to a 29, the deluxe has steam bent oak with chrome flat irons. The top covering on a standard is black grained top material, the deluxe is tan canvas. The seat covers on a standard are wide pleats, the deluxe is narrow. There are several more differences, but the point is just adding fender wells and cowl lights does not make a deluxe. I also agree that so many standard roadsters were converted, that a real standard roadster is now rare.
 
My late 30 in the Avatar is a standard. The only option on it are the cowl lights that could have been an extra cost option by the dealer. The color is Thorne brown which was only on the standard. As 2manycars stated , the seats have narrow pleats in black vinyl whereas the deluxe was brown leather, also the doors and cowl were black vinyl.
 
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