New guy saving for an A.

Joey Anchors

Joey Anchors

Junior Member
Hi everyone! I just joined and will be in the market for my first Model A in about a year or so (going to school for welding currently). I've owned old cars all my life as daily drivers (vw bug, '63 Falcon fast back, '58 ford F100, '64 Galaxy)

My budget will be around $15,000 and ideally would like a bone stock A to run as my daily driver.

Ideal choices would be a five window or Tudor. Anyway, I am glad to be apart of this great forum and looking forward to learning as much as possible.
 
So you want a stock A? Don't get me wrong they are tons of fun but once a flathead 8 is put between the rails, whole different ball game. In a good way. Lol.
 
there are plenty of As available. TAKE YOUR TIME!
Join a local club. Clubbers usually know where to better cars are and their history. And on in good shape. Don't start with a sieve. You'll take it apart and get discouraged. Buy a good one for your first: then a project car to show off your skills.
 
Vanspeed said:
So you want a stock A? Don't get me wrong they are tons of fun but once a flathead 8 is put between the rails, whole different ball game. In a good way. Lol.
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My wife's father built a '31 back in the early '60s and has all the early hot rodding tricks (flathead V8, quick change, juice brakes..ect) that we will be getting sometime in the coming years. Which can't not come soon enough for me!
 
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Clem Clement said:
there are plenty of As available. TAKE YOUR TIME!
Join a local club. Clubbers usually know where to better cars are and their history. And on in good shape. Don't start with a sieve. You'll take it apart and get discouraged. Buy a good one for your first: then a project car to show off your skills.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the info. As for clubs I live in rural NM and not sure if there are any clubs in my area. My goal is to get a great condition A.. Is a budget of $15,000 do-able?
 
Joey Anchors said:
Thank you for the info. As for clubs I live in rural NM and not sure if there are any clubs in my area. My goal is to get a great condition A.. Is a budget of $15,000 do-able?
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$15 will get a really nice 2DR or coupe but I think you want something you can build yourself. Look for a roadster' if you're single or a tub if you have some passengers. Welcome.
 
You budget is fine, take your time looking for the right car. Take someone that knows the Model A when you go to look at one.

Charlie Stephens
 
Sounds like wife's father is still kicking.

He will be your best person to take along to look at prospective purchases.
 
Thank you everyone for the great help! I will keep an eye out for a restored stock A coupe in the coming year.

My plan is to turn it into a prewar hot rod with keeping the body/frame 95% stock. I will remove the fenders, have the top chopped 4" and lower the front/rear 4" while keeping everything else stock.. (Engine, headlights, wheels, brakes... Ect) and then use this as my main means of transportation. Also looking at hop up parts for the 4 banger .. Snyder 5.5 high comp head, Ansen single carb intake, dual header exhaust, to get slightly more pep while keeping it reliable.
 
With the plan you have in mind and the budget... You may want to consider looking into a Brookville reproduction steel roadster body to start with. Then search out for a running original chassis to put it on. I think you would be money ahead compared to buying a complete restored car.

Of course this is only if you want a roadster (who doesn't?)

Good luck
Zach
 
SUHRsc said:
With the plan you have in mind and the budget... You may want to consider looking into a Brookville reproduction steel roadster body to start with. Then search out for a running original chassis to put it on. I think you would be money ahead compared to buying a complete restored car.

Of course this is only if you want a roadster (who doesn't?)

Good luck
Zach
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Zach, good running into you here. I've been following your work over on FB/IG for some time now. Also enjoy the engineering you've done on flatheads V8/4bangers.

That is a good option but I'm aiming for a complete driver with a hard top (I need a roof for all weather use) to start with and plan on doing the mods slowly (chop being last on the list and probably 3-4 years from now)
 
Welcome Joey, the Barn is the place to get amazing knowledge on early fords be they V8 or not. It will get you through all your rebuild, repair, & restoration issues. While I do love the flat head 4 cylinder early Fords and enjoy looking at and novelty driving them, also have seen some really ingenious builds you may reconsider as a daily driver after you've driven a few. A little short on power (unless a radical performance build) for getting into fast traffic. Nice to play and have much fun with driving to shows, parades, and Sunday afternoon but as a daily driver a little scary. A pre-war hot rod popular choice was a V8 Flatty in the older Model A's, consider your same configuration but with the Flatty V8 and convert to juice brakes as well. I think as a daily driver your experience will be much more enjoyable and you will drop fewer F-bombs at other drivers who won't seem accommodative on your daily driving, LOL.
Just one guys opinion. Have fun with what ever you decide and again Welcome to the Barn.
 
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