Tiss A Shame.. another one

i don't think that is right, i know that is his car, but he should pass it along to someone who can appreciate it for what it is a orignal model A
 
Ladies and gentelmen, we might as well face the music on these. This type of thing is going to happen time after time now and yes, it makes me sick.

We, the purists and semi-purists will bust our asses to do ourselves a fairly decent original Model A Ford only to see one day, after we get tired of it, go down the road only to become a chopped up hotrod never to see the light of originality again but we hope that will not be the case.

Once the money for our beloved restored, original Model A is in our hands and we see it go down the road for the last time, we must remember...It is their car now and they can do anything they want with their car...makes one sick dosen't it?

Pluck
 
Over 20 years ago I looked at a real nice original 30 Briggs Town sedan. I told the owner that I was going to pass on it for I was looking for a roadster. Talk to the owner a couple of days later and he told me that a guy was going to buy it and chop it, so I ask the owner if I matched his offer could I still buy it. The car is still in my posession today, come to find out I bought it from the original family.
 
Starting with one that purty sure won't make a rat rod! It'll be more of a wrong rod. I agree with you guys that it really doesn't make sense and it sure does tug on the purist's heart chords ... but guys have been making Model A's "better" for 80 years! At the Iola, WI Car Show the Model A modified by legendary Dusenberg designer, Gordon Buehrig, was in a place of honor with crowds of lookers around. It was a very stylish and formal convertible "custom" that not one of you would "kick out of your garage." In fact, you'd slobber all over it. It was beautiful.
So, this kid (assumption) looks at a Tudor and he sees something low and fast that cheats the wind. In his way he's just as in love with the Model A as you are or Gordon Buehrig was.
And, on the bright side, for $2,100 somebody will get a very nice start to putting their sweetheart back on the road.
Sure a lotta work ... but we are all having fun!
 
Not meaning to whiz in anybody's Wheaties here, but the opening sentence pretty much tells the tale: "This car is no longer for sale as a Complete Unit."

Sounds like he tried to let some purist step up and "save" the car, but nobody put their own money on the line.

I had a similar situation a few years ago when the market was stronger than today. Came into possession of a very complete '40 deluxe tudor sedan project. It came with box loads of NOS and restored parts and a good title. Had one of the cleanest original frames I've ever seen. I carefully cataloged and made a spread sheet of each part and had loads of pictures. I advertised it for months nationwide. The result? I got to email out gazillions of pictures and spreadsheet copies. Not one serious buyer after a lot of work. Finally I had to part it out to make it go away. The good news for me was I made about 4k more selling it in pieces. Yeah, a potential good car was removed from the world inventory. On the other hand, many, many other projects got excellent parts to bring them back to life.
 
Note that one Canadian dollar = 0.961354 U.S. dollar. US bidders shave almost $100 off before any dickering! That's enough for a tank of gas and a couple stops at Tim Horton's for donuts!
 
I sure like street rods, but, that said, I sure don't like seeing a good car[ or one with possibilities] turned into a rod.. There are so many different plastic bodies on the market today, frames are easy to build or can be readily bought today that I think its a real shame to butcher an old steel body car..
 
I am not a hard core purst and I think the hot rod does have its place in car history however this does disturb me as well.
 
I bought two nice solid cars to save them from being rodded.I had to top the rod boys bids to get them,and I wound up paying a lot.The A guys would not step up to the plate,on a solid 29 coupe barn car the best offer was less than half of what I paid for it.If I had sold those cars to A guys,for the best offers I got over a years time,I would have taken about a $7000.hit.Both cars went to rodders,and I made money.I didn't care for it,but I'm not about to take $7000.out of my pocket to save an A.It has changed a lot now,but years ago we had A's for old cars because they are cheap to buy,own,and fix.Most of us here are cheapskates.A guys are nothing when compared to british bike guys.When they look at a bike they start deducting the retail cost of every incorrect washer,nut,bolt,cotter pin,then deduct the cost of having it professionally replaced at a british restoration shop.By the time they get done you have to give them $25. to haul your bike off.Now I treat old cars like I do british bikes.I take people to whatever barn,shed,or garage it is in,tell them to take all the time they want,if they have any questions come to the house or garage and see me.If they want it,for my price,pay me.If not,just pass on it.No more offers.I give bottom dollar price up front now.I had a fellow with several A's look at a coupe I wanted about $7500.for.I told him before he came there was no wiggle room,it was what I had paid for the car to save it.He actually offered me $1000. Then he got mad because he had driven 125 miles to have me turn him down.He admitted the car was as described,and remembered me telling him very clearly FIRM on the price.I sold it to a rodder for just over or under $9000.
 
When I said,Most of us here are cheapskates,I meant here as in where I live,not here on the Fordbarn.I just read and realized what I wrote.The old boys around here are mostly gone now,but what you had for sale was a dime a dozen and what they had was made of gold.A lot of them used to holler and scream about rodders,and said their car would never go to one,but when the money came out that car was history.
 
It is too bad, but I got to thinking why does it really matter to us? There are plenty of original model As out there. The world has more nicely restored model As in it than ever before, and will continue to gain restored cars as time goes along. Barn finds and those 'future projects' will eventually start popping up in car shows and tours.

I think I start to feel sorry for the car. The problem here is obvious...the car doesn't have the capacity to care. If it does (like I would like to believe) maybe it would like being a hot rod...and will surely get the looks either way. If it is starting out that nice, it is unlikely to become a rat rod. It will likely become a traditional hot rod or something along those lines and be pretty nice.

I think the real issue here is the guy could probably sell this car for a little less and still have a less expensive hot rod. Most of the money in hot rodding is chassis components and drive train, depending on what he builds. So say he gets 2100 (I think) for what is left. Couldn't he redo another body for say 10k? The frame has to be modified for a rod anyway. I think he just lost a lot of money. I guess people who do this don't like the joy of refinishing a body, choosing a color and doing the upolstry part of the job?? Just my thoughts.
 
Steve Plucker said:
Once the money for our beloved restored, original Model A is in our hands and we see it go down the road for the last time, we must remember...It is their car now and they can do anything they want with their car...makes one sick dosen't it?

Pluck
Click to expand...
No. Absolutely not.
 
I have a friend, who was looking for the best Model "A" tudor, that he could find, to chop. He followed one on E-bay. It did not sell. He went to look at it and made a low offer. He got it, and is now ready to chop 6" out of the top. He says it has never rusted or dented. He is very happy with it. Just a matter of time now .............
MIKE :confused:
 
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