What year is this car???

[Cape Codder]

Tom F - Ohio - Very NICE '29! Living in Ohio I would think you won't be, sorry to say, driving too awful soon with a Roadster. Have FUN when you do!

 

[ModelA29]

Open the hood and look at the lower corner of the gas tank in front of the driver. SOME 28-9 had a date stamped. People argue if it's the date the tank was made or like engines the date it passed QC.

 

[al's28/33]

1929.

 

[Gene F]

Sure looks like the color of my 1928

 

[w.michael]

Your brother has a very nice looking 1929 Roadster. All 28-28 Roadsters were considered “standards” as there was no Deluxe Roadster in 28-29 (except a rare duck in Canada.)

The 19” wheels are from 30-31, but will work just fine on your car. I would not be in any hurry to change them. If in the future you need to buy new tires, you could consider at that time whether you want to change to the correct 21” wheels and tires. It would require locating good wheels, having them sand blasted and painted or powder coated, buying new tires and tubes. That’s a fairly expensive proposition, and a decision that can be postponed.

Those are NOT fluted headlight lenses. They are the correct lenses for 1929.

In short, everything I can about this car is 1929, except the wheels.

As you gain experience looking at Model A’s you will find the shape of the hood and the shape of the radiator is the quickest way to tell the difference between the 28-29 cars, and the 30-31 cars. (Trucks are an exception to this.)

Congratulations on landing a great Model A in the family.

W. Michael

 

[Randy in ca]

My brother-in-law just bought a Model A Roadster. We thought it was a 1929. But it has 4 19" wheels and tires. According to the motor number it was built in September of 1929. It has an oval speedometer. Could this be an early 1930 Model A? Is their another feature to say whether its a 1929 or a 1930.

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As already mentioned, there are numerous differences in almost every area of the 1928-29 verses 1930-31 year groupings. As was previously mentioned by others a couple of times I always find a glance at the cowl area works quick and easy from any viewable distance.

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[Synchro909]

Open the hood and look at the lower corner of the gas tank in front of the driver. SOME 28-9 had a date stamped. People argue if it's the date the tank was made or like engines the date it passed QC.

It is not possible to see any of the fuel tank by opening the bonnet. The fuel tank is NOT part of the firewall. There is a gap between the front of the tank and the firewall for very obvious reasons.
If you reach way forward under the tank from inside the car, your hand will find the gap.

 

[Keith True]

Technicaly,you are right.The upper part of the firewall is welded onto the tank,and becomes part of the tank on the 28-29's.There is no gasoline contact with the firewall.

 

[rotorwrench]

The 1928/29 fuel tanks were seam welded by teams of two workers that fed the halves through the roller seam welding machines. After they were tern plated, they were pressure tested. If they passed test then they were dated for completion. Ford stopped dating them in late 1929 so not all were dated. Manufacture dates were always approximates on the model A production due to the amount of branch plants that assembled them and how they handled the completed parts that were shipped from the Rouge out to the different branch assembly plants.