Baby Blue Beauty: 1931 Ford Model A Project is Well Underway
Sharp-looking Model A was just fired up after sitting dormant for three years.
Given the lack of a bed, we were debating about describing the Ford Model A truck project recently posted by Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum member donthekawguy half done. But while we don’t want to jinx anything, we’d say it’s past that milestone. Fortunately, tin rot doesn’t appear to be a problem, and while the truck was acquired with a homemade flatbed, a reproduction unit has already been sourced. So after the paint is matched, getting it to sit pretty on the frame shouldn’t prove too difficult, especially if you’re as comfortable with turning a wrench as this member.
Mechanically, the truck seems to be a mixed bag. As we see in the video, after some fiddling with the choke the old girl fires up, and after some quick adjustments to the carb, drops into a decent idle.
Unfortunately, two problems become immediately apparent. First, there’s a pretty serious exhaust leak, which will need to be rectified if the occupants don’t want to be asphyxiated. There’s also an issue with the cooling system — by which we mean the Model A pees like waterlogged puppy. At this point, there’s no word on the condition of the unsynchronized three-speed transmission.
While this is a relatively new thread, folks are already starting to chime in with info. According to member 51504BAT, the running boards and grille appear to be from a 1930 model, though he’s quick to point out that “it doesn’t really matter.” Regardless of the vintage, we think they look great, and love the contrast with the cab, maybe because we just love two-tone trucks in general.
If we’re honest, the thing that immediately caught our eye here was the truck’s gorgeous finish. We like the paint so much that after finding the thread, we actually checked out some codes over at the Model A Ford Club of America, to see if it might have been an original option. From what we can tell, this hue isn’t quite the same Washington Blue which Ford offered for the Model A way back in 1931, though some of our resident experts in the 1947 and Older Ford Trucks section, might have a better idea.
For what it’s worth, we’re not preoccupied with originality enough to care, especially given how smashing it looks.
From our perspective, the wheels are another visually compelling element — just look at how much space there is between the spokes!
Even given the Model A’s svelte 2,200-pound curb weight, there sure seems to be a lot of open real estate on those rims. In comparison, the wires on this famous Jaguar E-Type seem positively stacked. Now, we know three decades of automotive development separating the two machines, but it’s interesting to note nevertheless.
While rigs like this Model A were once ubiquitous in towns and cities all across America, they’re getting rarer by the day, so it’s awesome to see this example relatively close to hitting the road. If you’re like us, and can’t wait to see where donthekawguy goes with it from here, make sure to subscribe to the thread so you can follow his progress! Hopefully, we’ll get some more updates soon!
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