Question on Differences/Compatibilities for Coupe and Sport Coupe

[zwomack]

I have my heart set on getting a 30/31 Model A Sport Coupe, but the area I live in doesn't have a decent selection of that body style. I am, however, spoiled for choice when looking for 30/31 'regular' Coupes.

My question is 1.) is it possible, and 2.) is it realistic to convert a 30/31 Coupe into a Sport Coupe?
More specifically, can the parts needed for conversion be acquired for 5-6K?

I'm no stranger to vehicle restoration, including sheet metal work and wood work, but I'm not up for re-building entire structure...

To give hard numbers: I can go look at and buy a local 'good condition' Coupe for ~15k. Similar condition Sport Coupes I've seen are closer to 20k, and due to distance I would not be able to look at the vehicles before purchasing, and I would be paying an extra 1K to ship the car to my address.

 

[Phil Brown]

So 15K for a standard coupe and say 6K to convert (if possible ?) =21K
Or 20K for original sport coupe and 1K to ship =21 K

 

[zwomack]

If my options are:
Spend 16k on a vehicle I can inspect and confirm it's condition, then another 5k to make it the vehicle I want,
OR
Spend 21k on a vehicle I can't inspect before buying, and just have to hope that the seller doesn't send me a lemon.

I'll pick the first option every day of the week. If you wouldn't, that's fine.

 

[jack backer]

Sport Coupe? Fords folly, an attempt to sell the public a soft top that doesn’t go down..they built 134,000 in ‘29, when they were the hottest car on the market.. by ‘32, the last year of Ford sport coupe production was 6,000, the body style was gone in ‘33..

Expensive to restore, unwanted by hotrodders..you can find them, especially’29 models ..


I happen to own one and like it, it and the cabriolet are the only 3 window coupe model A’s.. blurt that out and folks heads explode, the Bible says ford didn’t run a 3 window in production..

To convert a coupe? Spendy.. good value and great people here for the top.. wood? Mine was serviceable so no first hand on that

https://www.classtiqueupholstery.com/

All snarking aside go for it..

 

[WHN]

I have only owned Sport Coupes. Since 1962. I think they are pretty cars.

Very expensive to restore. The correct top alone could set you back over $4,000.00.

If you want a Sport Coupe, buy one. I wouldn’t even guess at the amount of work it would take to convert over a regular coupe.

Last year I sold a Sport Coupe, sight unseen. New owner was very pleased.

Ask the right questions, see many pictures, have a local appraiser view car.

It will be cheaper in the long run.

Good luck!

 

[rotorwrench]

There are too many differences in the body to make it worth while. The Cabriolet basically made an honest open car and had the same type good looks but they were Briggs bodies and are all wood framed so they are more expensive to restore and especially an example with rotten wood.

I have a 29 Sport Coupe and it's an upper scale car compared to a hard top coupe but only in the landau look. The Special coupes were an in between with more wood and faux leather than a hard top coupe. The Sport and Business Coupe models really dropped out of favor in 1930 and 31. The interior furnishings only had the gray choice for those years. Few were sold so they aren't as common as the hard top version. The soft top takes a lot of care to preserve it when compared to a hard top coupe. There is nothing wrong with a hard top coupe in my book. They were more popular due to the lower price and they could take foul weather a lot better.

The depression really started to kick in in mid 1930 and was getting worse through 1931. Ford came out with the V8 and model B cars in 1932 hoping that they could keep things afloat better. 1932 was the worst year of the depression to start off. When FDR came into office in early 33, they were trying everything in the book to try and get things going again. They literally tried to take over big business with parts of the NRA in the New Deal but lost out on the supreme court ruling. Henry really soured toward the administration due to that and all the labor union problems were just starting to really slow things even more. I certainly hope it never gets that bad again. It's a wonder Ford Motor Company pulled through it all. Henry had a stroke in 1938 and was never quite the same after that. I'm sure the hard times had an affect on Edsel and then the rapid build up for WWII just finished him off.

 

[jack backer]

Ford survived on profits from the model T.. profits so strong the company didn’t show a profit from ‘29 to ‘46 .. ( war work was done at cost plus a dollar) T profits financed the Deuce when he retooled the Rouge in ‘49.. T profits carried them through the massive redesign for the A and the disaster of the flathead V8 (96% casting rejection rate in ‘32)…

The sport coupe died for a number of reasons, there is no doubt it was the hottest seller in the line up in ‘28, it was the highest priced car in the lineup as well..

Did my top in modern Harrtz stayfast convertible top fabric.. not authentic but it is as bulletproof as a soft top can be..

 

[mcgarrett]

I think I read somewhere that the Sport Coupe was a model especially designed by Ford to attract the female car buyer.

 

[jack backer]

Does the coupe quarter panels have the shelf the wood belt rail bolts to?

 

[jack backer]

There is quite a bit of work if you want it to be authentic

 

[rich40701]

Get a Cabriolet, unless you know the differences they are hard to tell apart except on beautiful sunny days you can put the top down! I have seen Cabriolets listed as Sport Coupes and vis versa. Of course that wouldn't happen here but most people don't know the difference. Something that fascinates me, no matter how old, if you mention you have a Model A you almost always hear "you have a Model A?". lol

 

[rotorwrench]

Ford marketed the Sport Coupe as a mother-daughter car. Ford's marketing department was not all that strong in the early days. Henry felt the cars would sell themselves and they pretty much did. Most of the marketing people were laid off in 1930/31/32 along with thousands of other employees in order to tighten the belt. Ford had invested a lot in properties for branch plants and other manufacturing during the model T era and a lot of that was sold off. Most of the model A patterns and manufacturing equipment was sold off to the the Soviet Union and they actually paid for it. By laying off personnel and selling/leasing of real estate assets, Ford managed to keep things functioning in Dearborn and at the more modern branch plants that would remain open. Henry was always slow to react to the markets but due to his magnificent son, they still managed to manufacture stylish cars for decent prices to the masses that could afford them. After Edsel died in 1943, it was all dumped into Hank the Deuce's lap. It still managed to become profitable again after the war.

 

[ModelA29]

Go to the MAFCA web site - click on chapters - go to the pages for chapters nearest you and keep widening your search until you find the car you want for sale in one of the newsletters. My coupe was 200 miles away when I found it.