Newbie with a question

C

Cwarner

Junior Member
Howdy,

I've recently taken ownership of a 1930 Model A closed cab pickup. My question is in regards to radiator caps. I ordered the 1930-31 replacement radiator cap through Brattons which arrived today. To my confusion it utililizes a quarter turn to secure the cap where my radiator neck is threaded. My gas cap looks like the 1928-29 radiator cap sold at Brattons but no clue if that is original or not. Is there a threaded radiator cap available that is stylized like the quarter turn cap I ordered or does my 1930 actually need the 1928-29 cap?

Total newbie to Model As here but doing a bunch of reading and looking forward to taking this journey with my newly retired father who aquired a 1929 Roadster pickup last year.

Thanks for any input you all can share.

~Chris
 
Welcome aboard! You have a 28-29 radiator. Are you sure that your truck is a 1930? The 28-29 body style is more boxy like a T model and the 30-31 body style is more curved and rounded. Either way, get a 28-29 cap and enjoy.
 
This is my 1931 pickup.
 

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Ford used 1928-29 style sheet metal on pickups and AA's until mid 1930.
Post a picture of your truck, you may have an early 1930.
The picture shows an early 1930. Notice 30-31 headlights, 19 inch wheels
and quarter turn gas cap.
 

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So my understanding is that this pickup was started in 1929 but rolled off the line early in 1930 which may explain. Quick and dirty photo attached
 

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Thanks all. Ill have to arrange an exchange for the 28/29 cap! This thing had not been run for 6 years. 45 minutes of cleaning the distributor. Setting points and timing plus new fuel and a battery and she woke right up. These certainly are fun to wrench on.
 
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The interesting thing about the early closed cab pickups is that they used the doors from a Model T!. Ford must have had a bunch of left over Model T doors. I had a 29 pickup truck for a while. People not familiar with early Ford cars would mistake it for a Model T.
 
nkaminar said:
The interesting thing about the early closed cab pickups is that they used the doors from a Model T!. Ford must have had a bunch of left over Model T doors. I had a 29 pickup truck for a while. People not familiar with early Ford cars would mistake it for a Model T.
Click to expand...
In my experience most people think the Model A, whatever year, is a Model T.
 
Thanks! I've been taking it on regular short drives to get to know it better and start compiling a list of things to do to it while its parked for the winter. One of which will be taking the steering box off and apart to asess if it needs to be rebuilt. Someone previously put a grease zerk on the steering box instead of oil, so im a little worried what I will find in there.
 
Love your truck. I had one just like it. 30 gas tank.30/31 head lights etc. Fun vehicle. We put hay bails in the back for the kids to sit on in parades. The grease fitting on the steering box was used with the special grease that would creep. Regular axle grease does not return after being squeezer out of the gears. Adjust your steering box first to see it it is worn out. Cleanout the box and use 140wt oil.
Join a local Model A club and ask for help. Rebuilding the steering is a fun job. You will learn a lot about you truck..
 
From your picture, your truck has the 30-31 body style. Does your gas tank have a twist on cap or a screw on cap? It should have a twist on cap. I think that at some point your radiator neck was changed from a twist on to a screw on. To be technically correct your radiator neck should be for a twist on cap. The gas cap and the radiator cap should match.
 
Thanks Bill, the gas cap and radiator cap do match, but they are both threaded, not twist style. It seems mine is a compilation of remaining 29 and incoming 30 pieces based its very early 1930 birthdate.
 
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