1931 Ford Model A

Rat Rod Convertible

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Manual

A1007415

Clear

Gasoline

I listed this car for sale about a year ago at a much higher price, I guess I wasn't really ready to part with it. After another year of driving all over I think Im ready to get rid of it. The details of the car are best laid out here, the magazine article written for Rat Rod Magazine: 0 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE The most logical starting point was simply pulling everything off of the wreck. Underneath, there is a very convenient frame member connecting the back of the transmission housing to the rear differential. From there I could establish a parallel rail chassis design using 2x3” rectangular tubing. The stock rear suspension sub frame was bolted onto the parallel rail frame, and the front sub frame was sleeved and welded directly to the front of the custom frame. This allowed me to keep the stock geometry and front steering rack mounting position. The stock front coil-overs were a bit large for an open-fendered car, but scrounging through some parts bins turned up a stock Suzuki GS500 rear mono-shock. Surprisingly, the Suzuki shock is a direct bolt-on to Mazda Miata A-arms! After a quick Ebay search, a passenger coilover was on its way. Motor mounts on a Miata engine are not unlike most American V8s and were simple to fabricate from 3/16th plate. The Miata Rat Rod body is pure Frankenstein. The Model A cowl, gastank, left and right doors are all from the same generation but different cars. For the more complex back end, I cut and bent sedan rear doors around a 15-gallon beer keg (which eventually became the gas tank). The turtle deck is from a 20s Model T, widened about 4 inches. The floor and interior are handmade from old 18ga sheet. Stock 70s Monte Carlo seats fit nicely in the Model A body. The front grill is made from two fender skirts narrowed and turned sideways, covering a used aftermarket all-aluminum radiator. The 1.8l Miata engine remained mostly stock. 130hp and 114lbs of torque move the 1400lb car down the road nicely. I fabed Zoomie headers but later changed to a single lake style header, using a gutted Honda CB muffler. For convenience, a flex tube and cone filter replaced the stock intake. The stock ECU and electronic fuel injection stayed on the engine and keep it running smoothly — so smoothly that two weeks after getting the car running, I had few hesitations about driving 1800 miles round trip on Route 81 between Athens, GA and Ithaca, NY. I didn’t need to open my tool box once. Since then Ive driven all over Athens Georgia and the sourounding areas, In its current configuration the car has done about 10,000 miles. This car was built to be driven! its comfortable and easy to drive. The tires on the car now are brand new, Mounted on 14" steel wheels. Included in the auction is also the removable hard top. The car is being sold with a transferable registration, listed as a 1931 model A roadster, and bill of sale. all numbers are matching. This is the standard for any vehicle older than 1970 in Georgia and shouldn't be a problems registering this car in most states. I am happy to go get a notarized bill of sale with the buyer if desired. On Apr-19-12 at 01:22:46 PDT, seller added the following information: On Apr-19-12 at 11:23:50 PDT, seller added the following information: Some updates: Ive added new photos of the car as it sits now, Any images with the red steel wheels are current. Ive also added a picture of the removable hardtop. Actual millage is now 150,064 and will go up as I keep driving. On Apr-19-12 at 11:43:35 PDT, seller added the following information: Ive had a lot of people asking for contact info: Please contact me by Phone 607-two-two-7-4204 or email at Benjaminrmckee@gmail-dot-com