Starting to Have 2nd Thoughts About Restoring This Model A Coupe

Robbie Horn

Robbie Horn

Member
Wow!! $1340 delivered for Body & Top wood for my 31 coupe. I really want to restore this car but after buying it for 5k & with all the parts cost involved it's starting to look like I will be better off just buying one already done. It just don't seem like a good decision to invest several thousand dollars in it when the resale value won't cover the restoration costs. I didn't buy it to resell but I also didn't realize how much I will have in it to restore it original. The avatar pic is when I got it. It was in too poor of shape to get driveable in the condition it was in when I got it. All the top wood was rotted out & there was nothing left of the front header & that is what holds the windshield in. Everything on the chassis is completely wore out. I'm also going to need several sheet metal pieces, wheel wells, subframes, floor pan behind seat, rumble seat floor, & inner rumble lid panel. What got me interested in the car was that it was 95% complete & all original. Although I have got a lot of good used parts that will save me a lot good money. I will continue to work on it but at this point I may change direction & fabricate some of the wood out of metal tubing. It will all be hidden by the interior. The floor pans & rumble floor isn't real expensive so I will probably buy that from one of the aftermarket suppliers. I'm sure I'm not the only one to get themselves in a predicament like this.lol
 
Here is it's current condition. I have disassembled it & sandblasted the inside & outside of the body & primed it.
 

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Robbie..... looking around there a number of pretty good coupes
available for sale under $15K. Doing everything yourself you can
pretty easily have double that doing a restoration.
You pay the price for self satisfaction you did the job yourself.
When the wife squeaks just say this is far cheaper than the Ferrari
project you were looking at.

Gil. NoCal
 
Its called trading up.........really not a big deal and totally your choice.


the projects are more fun for me, but each person in this hobby has their own agenda.


many guys would just make their own wood from scraps- again, totally up to you.


as Gil says, Ive seen pretty solid coupes in the 8500. range. you could prob score 4-5k for what you now have. all up to you.
 
I don't think any owner does a restoration for profit, especially if they monetize their labor. It is the joy in doing the work and the pride in the finished project. The better economic deal is buying a car were all the work is done or maybe a few things left to do.
 
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Your thoughts are in the right place. It is virtually impossible to restore a Model A or T and come out ahead. But you get something more from learning and restoring than just buying the car. You only live once.
 
Like nkaminar says, if your goal is simply to have an “A” to drive at lowest cost, buy one you can drive. For me, the enjoyment comes from the hours in the shop rescuing what others would relegate to a junk pile. Yes, that was my wife’s reaction when she saw my current project in the driveway.
 
With the cost of resto…..yes a running car might/could/should be a lesser outlay.
You haven’t gotten to paint, plating, upholstery…….hold on!
Plating is now critical as metals are affected by the international situation. Some platers not quoting prices and others suspending operations till things change….if ever??
 
Your car is in better condition than the one I started working on last June. I’m doing as much as possible by myself, but will still end up spending more than the car will probably be worth when I’m finished. However, it’s a good retirement project and I find it satisfying to preserve another Model A and will certainly enjoy driving it.

Good luck !
Jim
 

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Conaway2 said:
Your car is in better condition than the one I started working on last June. I’m doing as much as possible by myself, but will still end up spending more than the car will probably be worth when I’m finished. However, it’s a good retirement project and I find it satisfying to preserve another Model A and will certainly enjoy driving it.

Good luck !
Jim
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Sport Coupe?

Looks good. Have fun. Been there, done that!

Enjoy.
 
If you restore it then you can make it yours. If you buy one it will have been the way someone else wanted it. A person has to like the restoration process to get fully involved in it. A lot of diy guys make there own wood but it's expensive to go out and buy the woodworking equipment. A restored car might have good wood and it might not. Fordor and Cabriolet owners have a way lot more wood to worry about than most. My Sport Coupe has a lot different wood than a metal top coupe. Prices are higher now than they were 35 years ago when I purchased my old Sporty.
 
Robbie,
Most of us that have rebuilt Model A's from a shell like you have shown understand that it will often cost more than it will be worth, monetarily, when completed. We do the restoration because we enjoy the work and choose to spend our money on this hobby instead of other activities.
If you want a good car to drive and enjoy, it is almost always less expensive to purchase one already done. My advice to picking the right one would be to ask a trusted knowledgeable Model A owner (or two) to help you evaluate a potential purchase.
Good Day!
 
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WHN said:
Sport Coupe?

Looks good. Have fun. Been there, done that!

Enjoy.
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Yes - ‘29 Sport Coupe. It had been stored in a leaky trailer for 35 years. The PO’s family told me it was a nice car when it went into the trailer.
 
That's like "it ran really good when we parked it 30 years ago"

This is a hobby at best, you can network with many very fine folks and get help, including swapping parts. But, understand that this may take a little time.

It took me about 5 years to be accepted by the race community. Now it still costs real money to play but some of the knowledge comes easier when you know who to ask.

You will find many differing opinions, each with a story and experience, it is well worth listening.

This endeavor is your decision, short, long or for eternity you have control.
Best of luck, enjoy your slice of history. J
 
I can't add much to what has already been said. I bought my 1930 Tudor 4 years ago, all new wood, patch panels, and necessary sheet metal came with it. The running gear had been gone through. I didn't have to spend much money until I bought the paint. I still wound up with ~12K in it and it's not a show car. I prefer "go" cars. And I did everything myself.
 
Found both top & body wood kits for $967 shipped from Fordwood in Utah so I ordered them today. I know you get what you pay for & everyone recommended Classic Wood but I'm going to take the cheap route & see what happens.lol Next will be the sheet metal but that will have to wait until next payday.lol Also Pate swap meet is right around the corner & I might wait & see what all I can find there. I'm only a hour from it. I'm not in a rush to get it running. I have a couple other old cars to cruise around in but they are streetrods. One of them, the 38 Chevy coupe was in a lot worse shape than this Model A coupe so I made a streetrod out of it. I started on it in 1992 & built it all myself from a total rust bucket. The 30 Model A 2 door sedan was built when I got it but had a lot of issues & took some time, work & $$ to get it straightened out but it is a good driving roadworthy car now. I want to keep this 31 Model A coupe as close to restored original as I can. I'm going to reuse & recondition as many of the original parts that came on it from the factory as I can & try to replace what needs to be replaced with good used factory parts from other cars as I find them. It's nearly impossible to find good used body wood that is still useable.
 

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Good job,,, I especially like the Chevy ( is it safe to say that here on the Ford Barn?)

Joe B
 
Thee is no question in my mind that I am into my restoration waaayyy more than I would pay for a fully restored car from someone else. And way more than I will ever be able to sell it for. However, I bought the car as a project and I have gotten much satisfaction out of it. It is interesting that I have had a lot of help from other club members that have helped me do some of the finer body and engine work that I would never have been able to do myself and I would have paid even more if I had paid someone to do. Everything else was a labor of love. My wife and I went on a 3-hour drive today and we were both commenting on the satisfaction we have gotten from the whole thing which was 2+years in the doing. One other thing....If you buy one already done, you don't know what you are getting. The word "restored" can mean just about anything.

I recommend you just close your eyes and keep writing checks. (Debit card....Nobody writes checks these days).
 
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