68a

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Rare 29 Cabriolet. Shares the newer cowl with the Fordor and besides the fordor is the only model on which cowl lights are correct

 

[mercman from oz]

Rare 29 Cabriolet - Dave Mellor NJ

 

[Marshall V. Daut]

And the Town CAR!

Interestingly, the prototype 1929 Cabriolet had no cowl lights or cowl band. These were added when the Cabriolet went into production. See page 119 of Geore DeAngelis' "The Ford Model A As Henry Built It" (1971) for a photo of the prototype Cabriolet.
Marshall

 

[nkaminar]

The building is pretty spectacular too. I cannot read the license plate to know what state this is in. Hopefully it is in one without earthquakes and the building (house?) still stands.

 

[Ray in La Mesa]

The 1929 town car also had the same cowl lights.

 

[Marshall V. Daut]

I would bet the photo was taken in one of the more affluent areas outside of Detroit, such as Grosse Point. Most Ford photos that show factory fresh Model A's seem to have been taken in very woodsy and cold climates, such as in Michigan. The same Michigan license plate turns up time and time again on various cars in advertising photos, such as seen in Floyd Clymer's "Model A Album".
Marshall

 

[rotorwrench]

Ford dealers were glad to install cowl lamps for customers that wanted them. Painting the wheels to match the stripe was another thing that dealers would do.

 

[Dave Mellor NJ]

And the Town CAR!

Interestingly, the prototype 1929 Cabriolet had no cowl lights or cowl band. These were added when the Cabriolet went into production. See page 119 of Geore DeAngelis' "The Ford Model A As Henry Built It" (1971) for a photo of the prototype Cabriolet.
Marshall

Did the prototype have the 2nd generation cowl?

 

[Marshall V. Daut]

"Did the prototype have the 2nd generation cowl?"

If you mean the usual Murray or Briggs Fordor body cowl with the concealed gas tank and flared cowl molding, yes. The '30-31 cowls were a variant of this style and a heck of a lot simpler than the three-piece '28-29 Murray-Briggs firewalls!
Marshall

 

[fried okra]

Are cowl lights period correct on the later body styles maybe?

I see a lot of them.

 

[rotorwrench]

The 30/31 Deluxe models and high end models had cowl lights. Standard cars just had the park lamp bulb inside the Two-Lite headlight bucket. All of the Fords with the Two-Lite headlamps were wired for park lights. If a person adds cowl lamps then they should purchase the wire harness for them with the clips and connectors.

Adding cowl lights make the car look like a Deluxe model in those years. In 1928/29 only the high end Fordors and Cabriolets were cowl lamp equipped.

 

[Dave Mellor NJ]

When I said only Fordoors and cabriolets were correct for having cowl lights I meant on 29 models (28 Fordoors). I know you could get them added on by the dealer but they ren't correct for judging on other body styles. They can be on any 30-31 model,maybe not commercial