Restored cars

There's all types out there in all of the antique and muscle car world today.

Case in point. Recently a friend went to a Mecum Auction. I watched on TV and thought about several cars that went through the auction and sold 'wow that's a pretty decent price on that car'.Mecum is a Reserve Auction you can hold the car if it doesn't meet your reserve. Of course you pay the auction house a fee for running your car that's only right.

When I said something to my pal that was actually AT the sale he said to me 'Yeah, 'such-and-such' might have looked good on TV BUT you should have seen it in person. What a turd.' Like Wild Bill said 'Many Model A's are just cleaned and painted.'

I'd never buy an old car w/o first going to see it in person.
 
I probably shouldn't admit this about myself, but....:o. I've bought/won at auction three antique cars that I personally did not check out before hand.:eek:
Other then look at pics and talk to the seller. They all turned out to be good
cars. The last antique car I acquired after checking it out myself. Turned out to be a lemon/turd/POS, etc.:( "Kind'a makes ya' wonder.......";)


Bob-A:D
 
What gets me is the guys with their "restored" cars with paint jobs far superior to what Henry ever produced.

Glen
 
JEFF/ILLINOIS was kind, to call me WILD BILL, but he should see me in the A.M, before my ANTI-PAIN- PILL & COFFEE--LOL----I HATE mornings & have a terrible time, just gettin' into LOW GEAR & I "suspicion" that my CLUTCH slips, a little. Is there something I can SPRAY into it???
Buster T, the Dog, is even SLOWER than me. Did you know that Dogs sleep an average of 22 HOURS a day? If I did that, I'd never be able to even git up!
Bill Limited
 
Original%204%2C000%20mile%201929_Fordor.jpg
Lona said:
What gets me is the guys with their "restored" cars with paint jobs far superior to what Henry ever produced.

Glen
Click to expand...

Glen, I once had a 32,000 mile Fordor with the original paint. When buffed out its paint had a "depth" that few (if any) restored cars can emulate. I drove that car a bit and once rode in an "A" that had 4,000 original miles. We may restore but with both the paint and the drive train, we are only close. Only close.
 
Last edited:
Lona said:
What gets me is the guys with their "restored" cars with paint jobs far superior to what Henry ever produced.

Glen
Click to expand...
I would venture to say that there is not one person living that can honestly say that the know what the paint on a brand new model A looked like. Time changes everything and even if one was to find a model A with no miles on it that was stored indoors it's entire existence, it would not look the same today as it did the day it rolled off the line.
 
Awesome car thanks for posting. I wonder if this car was parked next to a good, 15 year old restoration, restored to new condition, if anyone could tell the difference. I'm thinking MAYBE if they were TOLD that one was original and one restored some could tell which was which but if nobody was told, I bet nobody would say "Hey, this one is original and this one is a restoration". BTW, note I said a GOOD restoration.
 
It seems that most of the original paint low mileage cars are painted Andalusite blue. I have seen at least six that color.
 
Licensed to kill said:
Awesome car thanks for posting. I wonder if this car was parked next to a good, 15 year old restoration, restored to new condition, if anyone could tell the difference. I'm thinking MAYBE if they were TOLD that one was original and one restored some could tell which was which but if nobody was told, I bet nobody would say "Hey, this one is original and this one is a restoration". BTW, note I said a GOOD restoration.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I think a knowledgeable restorer could tell. For example, put this Fordor next to Marco's 40B which has a 15+ year old restoration and I think there is a select few that could. The main reason why is that generally speaking, the top-level Model-A restorations are vehicles that have been refurbished using the Judging Stds' as the benchmark. There are a few minor (-but significant) details in that 'rule book' that would differ from an all-original Model-A. Items such as frame paint, glass logo, tire date codes, etc.
 
Dean I'll take that judgement of your Fordor to the next level above what Dick said. 'OUTSTANDING'.

Love the car I can just sit and look at it all day long;)

I'd love to ride in a low mileage original Model A Ford someday. I've always heard nothing but praise for the cars and how they operate, brake, ride, and handle. As in 'no comparison' to what you've been around before.
 
I saw and drove this 4,000 mile Standard Fordor about a month ago. It is still as it was in the picture posted above and starts, drives, and sounds like a new car!
 
Great looking car. I would love to have the honor of a test drive.

Can anyone who has driven a truely low mileage Model A please try to make a comparison to a correctly restored car and a topical shade tree mechanic’s car?

How are we doing as a hobby?
 
Last edited:
Jeff/Illinois, unfortunately this Fordor is not mine. It, however, is a gorgeous time capsule of the Ford car that we love.

WHN, Gary Karr is the man to ask about that. He has ample experience with both. My experience is that the original cars seem solid and power is smoother and steady.

Let me just throw in a story here. - At the national MARC meet in Merryville I had my 32,000 mile Fordor (not the one pictured, that one has 4,000 original miles) at the swap meet just to show people. As the day wound down I found myself talking to a man who was very interested in the car and about original cars in general. I looked at him and asked, "How many miles do you drive your "A" annually?" I forget the answer but I was comfortable enough to point to my trailer that was in a field a couple hundred yards away and threw him the key. "Meet you at the trailer", I said. He drove it to the trailer and got out. The look on his face was the one that guys have when they've fallen in love.

I sold that Fordor to a collector whose family is also into the hobby. So I knew that the car would be well taken care of and would probably have a great life with that family for years (generations) to come. Another story: the new owner brought that Fordor to the MAFCA meet in Loveland, CO. Another person brought a near identical original Fordor. I judged both and noticed that the engine numbers were within 300 engines or so of each other. Truly siblings!
 
There is getting less people every day that can tell if the car is original or not .My28 roadster has a honey comb rad and a plate glass windshield from new .Ford. Told me years ago that it was assembled in Regina SK and they ran out of radiators so they got some from the local hardware just to finnish the shift .I knew both the first owners and the Ford dealer ,Zable Motors. I was at an acution sale where they were selling a COPO Camaro.I ask them to see some of the numbers .They refused me . I have one and know they were lying . Buyer be ware. My 30 Fordor is now Finnished ,10 + years restoration to original,with new parts,new glass,tires ,interior and paint . not original but better than when new
 
28Ca8149 said:
There is getting less people every day that can tell if the car is original or not .

I was at an acution sale where they were selling a COPO Camaro.I ask them to see some of the numbers .They refused me . I have one and know they were lying . Buyer be ware.
Click to expand...

That is getting to be more and more common especially with the 60's muscle cars. Ya gotta be careful and know what you are looking at, as you were. A friend who is into Chevy's pretty heavy once told me that 'There are more '62 409 Impala Super Sports and '70 Chevelle SS's running around today than what GM actually built.' I found that interesting. And I'm sure he is correct.
 
Some People do STRANGE THINGS! I heard of a Man that bought a '55 Thunderbird & displayed it like a "MUSEUM" piece, in a Casino. It had ONLY 27 Miles on it! ORIGINAL EVERYTHING, even the BATTERY/TIRES/ETC. Tubes had been replaced, to keep the tires up. WHAT A WASTE!!!----AND they think I'm NUTS????
It would cost a "SMALL FORTUNE", just to get it driving, again!
Bill W.
 
28Ca8149 said:
There is getting less people every day that can tell if the car is original or not .My28 roadster has a honey comb rad and a plate glass windshield from new .Ford. Told me years ago that it was assembled in Regina SK and they ran out of radiators so they got some from the local hardware just to finnish the shift .I knew both the first owners and the Ford dealer ,Zable Motors. I was at an acution sale where they were selling a COPO Camaro.I ask them to see some of the numbers .They refused me . I have one and know they were lying . Buyer be ware. My 30 Fordor is now Finnished ,10 + years restoration to original,with new parts,new glass,tires ,interior and paint . not original but better than when new
Click to expand...

About three years ago I went to a local estate auction of a Model T and Model A restorer.Very nice cars and parts that mostly went for a reasonable amount.Lots of Model A parts that day did not interest me then,wish I could go back. The thing that amazed that day was the 1930 Model A roadster that sold,beautifull car and again I wish now I could go back and check it out better. The auctioneer before selling disclaimed that the title was for a 1930 Tudor not for a roadster.An old friend of the deceased told me right then and there that it was a steel body reproduction on the tudor running gear,I imagine Brookville,this was not disclosed by the auctioneer if he did know or not. Now what was really unbelievable was the selling price was over $30,000 by a phone bid.The roadster was a beautifull blue and I think more like a standard roadster build. Of all the cars that day that is the one that shocked me the price even if it was an all original car. I did not get the Model A buy again bug until about 6 months ago.
 
BRENT in 10-uh-C said:
Yeah, I think a knowledgeable restorer could tell.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure i understand. If a restorer is knowledgeable enough to tell the difference, why wouldn't he/she use that knowledge to make their own restorations authentic enough to not be noticeably different from this well preserved original??.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top