“Just
An Old Beater, But Fun As Hell”
Our OverDrive Hot Rod News May 2012
Feature Car owner, Jim Siegmund, is trying to tell it like it is
about his hot rod. We don’t think so. The beater part, that is.
If you ever got a chance to meet Jim, you’d know that he’s just
a regular kinda guy, who drives a cool Model A and likes to have
fun. After all, he’s a member of the “Old Farts Racing Team” and
any team with a name like that has to know how to have a good
time.
One of the things that make this
story different is that this is Jim’s first hot rod. He bought
the car in Oregon in 1963. That’s coming up on fifty years ago!
It was an original 1930 Model A Town Car sedan. Even with the
changes that have been made over the years, it still has a
vintage look. The drive train has had the major upgrades.
Siegmund did most of the work himself with the help of his buddy
Al Simon. He ran the stock four-banger until 2009 when he
stuffed a ’53 Merc Flatty between the frame-rails.
Is there really anything unique to
Henry’s “town” car model? Wikipedia sheds some light on the
history of this car with some interesting tidbits of trivia.
The Ford Model A of 1928–1931 (also colloquially called the
A-Model Ford or the A, and A-bone among
rodders
and
customizers) was the
second huge success for the
Ford Motor Company, after
its predecessor, the
Model T. First produced on October 20, 1927, but not
sold until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T, which
had been produced for 18 years. This new Model A (a
previous model had used the name in 1903–1904) was
designated as a 1928 model and was available in four standard
colors, but not black.
By 4 February 1929, one million Model As had been sold, and by
24 July, two million.
The range of body styles ran from the Tudor at US$500 (in grey,
green, or black) to the Town Car with a dual cowl at US$1200.[4]
In March 1930, Model A sales hit three million, and there were
nine body styles available.
The Model A was produced through 1931. When production ended in
March 1932, there were 4,849,340 Model As made in all
styles. Its successor was the
Model B,
which featured an updated
4-cylinder engine, followed by the
Model 18 which introduced
Ford's new flathead V8 engine.
OverDrive Hot Rod News Feature Model Laura Baker on location in Rialto, California. Photos and story by Ed Zimmerly
Prices for the Model A ranged from US$385 for a roadster
to $1400 for the top-of-the-line
Town Car. The
engine was a water-cooled
L-head
4-cylinder with a
displacement of 201 cu in (3.3 l). This engine provided 40
horsepower. Typical fuel consumption was between 25 and 30 mpg
(U.S.) using a Zenith one-barrel up-draft carburetor with a top
speed of around 65 mph. It had a 103.5 in wheelbase with a final
drive ratio of 3.77:1. The transmission was a 3-speed sliding
gear
manual unit with a
1-speed
reverse. The Model A had 4-wheel
mechanical
drum brakes. The 1930 and
1931 editions came with stainless steel radiator cowling and
headlamp housings.
About Jim’s Car: It’s a relatively stock, 1930 Ford Model A Town Car sedan. It’s powered by a 276 cu.in. 1953 Mercury Flathead with an Offy intake and a pair of Holley carbs. The manual transmission came from ’41 Ford pick-up with an open drive. A pair of split wishbones support the deuce front axle. The eight-inch rear end is held in place with a set of old school ‘35 Ford bones. The rubber meets the road with the help of stock Ford steelies (big & littles) at all four corners.
In closing I’m wondering if I’m the only one who took Jim’s comment about his hot rod and thought he could be describing a lot of guys I know! “He’s just an old beater, but it’s fun as hell”, I’ll let you decide. Have a Happy Cinco de Mayo