Ford prototypes?

T

ThirtyFordor

Member
Did Henry Ford ever release any early prototypes? If so are there any documented? I'm guessing Ford was a very tight knit guy. But the guy I bought my car from said that this way a very rare body, saying it was a prototype. I wanted to kinda follow up on this issue.
 
There are some ''prototypes'' that survive. The 1929 Budd Sedan with Model A running gear ; The 1931 Stainless Steel Tudor ; The aluminium bodied 1928 Town Car by Le Baron & the 1931 3W Coupe used by Edsel. There must be others, all more or less ''prototypes''
Are you saying you were told your car was a prototype? Photos will tell much.
 
The problem is...is when I bought the body it was only a body. there wasn't much to it and the guy who sold it to me said it had been in a riverbank and it'd been flooded multiple times(like completely submerged.) It's not a complete car there's no engine there's no frame there's not a lot there but what is there is very questionable. It has single point garnish trim, the gas tank cap is fine threaded. It just makes me question.
 

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The guy who sold it to me said it was a prototype 1930. If I didn't know any of that it looks and measures just like a 1930 Murray town sedan.
 
First off, just because my car isn't already built when I bought it doesn't mean that I got husled. Second off, so why does this 1930 town sedan have a gas cap thread pattern that was only used in 28-29! It makes no sence. Besides somebody has to save these old bodies from being scrap metal. I mean somebody has to do it I'm asking for an answer this is not the first time I've restored one of these but it is different. Please was there any early made 30's that had the early gas tank threads on them. It's not aftermarket everything is original on the car.
 
There are others here that know better of a change over, but the short answer to the question of early 30 using threaded gas cap: yes. nothing special about it, other than looks good for being in water for a prolonged time. Oh, I believe the above posts were in good fun, good luck with the resto....
 
I've never seen or heard of a 30-31 model A gas tank that used a threaded gas cap. It could very well be a prototype.
 
Wasn't trying to be snippy just wanted serious answers. I've owned the car for a year now I'm I'm trying to do my best to get it back on the road. Is there any difference as far as the obvious to look for when looking at a 28-29 body as opposed to a 30-31 body.
 
ThirtyFordor said:
First off, just because my car isn't already built when I bought it doesn't mean that I got husled. Second off, so why does this 1930 town sedan have a gas cap thread pattern that was only used in 28-29! It makes no sence. Besides somebody has to save these old bodies from being scrap metal. I mean somebody has to do it I'm asking for an answer this is not the first time I've restored one of these but it is different. Please was there any early made 30's that had the early gas tank threads on them. It's not aftermarket everything is original on the car.
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No one said anyone got hustled. Yes, someone definitely should be encouraged to save these bodies. In the above thread you commented about a "fast tank cap is fine threaded". You were pretty vague when you said the "cap". You said nothing about the tank. Anyone could have modified an old cap or stuck one on there or ???, ...but please remember you did not post any pictures showing that anomaly. I would start by submitting some detailed pictures and lets see what is there.




ThirtyFordor said:
The problem is...is when I bought the body it was only a body. there wasn't much to it and the guy who sold it to me said it had been in a riverbank and it'd been flooded multiple times(like completely submerged.) It's not a complete car there's no engine there's no frame there's not a lot there but what is there is very questionable. It has single point garnish trim, the fast tank cap is fine threaded. It just makes me question.
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The cowl was different on the 28-29 fordor bodies. The 28-29 fordor bodies had the standard 28-29 gas tank with threaded neck , mounted under the top of the cowl, not exposed like most others. Does the body have wood subrails and wood framed doors? It appears to be a 30-31 straight windshield Murray town sedan .
 
I understand what your saying Brent, my mistake. The actual tank it self is threaded, and I have never seen that before. And the tank slides in from the top. I have pictures on my old phone of the gas tank. There was only one subframe rail in the car, and yes the doors are wood. It also has the single point garnish moulding that was on the 29's. To be 100% honest I just want to know what parts to order. Or if I have to make parts fit.
 

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I saw one once that had the same stem and cap on the tank as the 28/29's but had a 30 tank. I was led to believe, Ford used parts up on the line at change over and some got mixed like the early 28 A and the 27 T doors.
 
The 28-29 gas tank won't fit a 30-31 cowl unless its on an early 30 truck or station wagon that used the coupe pillar style cowl. This must be a very rare tank or maybe custom built.
 
The one I saw was a 30 tank true to form but it had a 28/29 neck with a screw on cap. It was on a AA truck. I was told that trucks got the left overs to be used up off the line.
 
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