Hand-Built 1930 Ford Model A Mail Truck Is One Seriously Cool Relic
This hand-built 1930 Ford Model A mail truck was modified by a former owner for a rugged route in rural Wisconsin.
In the early days of the automobile, you couldn’t just go down to the dealership and order what you wanted or needed, nor ring up the local customization shop and have them make it for you. There were very few types of vehicles to choose from, and those that needed something different had to build it themselves. That’s precisely the case with this incredibly cool hand-built 1930 Model A mail truck recently shown off by Truck Trend.
What’s particularly amazing about this Model A mail truck conversion is that it has somehow remained in its original converted condition to this day. It started life as a simple sedan, but after just a few years on the planet, the owner turned it into something of an SUV and tractor hybrid, with an enclosed rear section designed to haul the mail and rear tractor tires that help it traverse rugged country roads.
According to a letter from one of the Model A’s former owners, it appears that this wild conversion was originally purchased by an older couple who later sold it to a Wisconsin-based Pontiac dealer. That dealer sold it to a man named Allen Cooper, who proceeded to use it on his rural mail route for three years before he broke out the saw.
Cooper did a pretty amazing job modifying the Model A for rural Wisconsin roads, fitting it with new rear springs and custom fenders to make room for a set of Ford truck wheels wrapped with tractor tires. Up front, he simply flipped the front beam axle for extra clearance, then set about building that custom cargo box out of plywood.
The Model A’s original 200 cubic-inch, 40 horsepower mill would obviously have a hard time turning those massive rear meats, so Cooper removed the original torque tube and replaced it with a more conventional driveshaft and four-speed transmission with a granny gear to help get it going at low speeds, especially in rough terrain.
The result is a seriously cool find that has done the improbable and survived in its current form all the way to today. Finding an early, modified Model A is nothing unusual by any means, but this is easily the first time we’ve ever come across something so unique, and that’s really saying something.
Photos: Truck Trend
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