Thread: 1928 model a roadster

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this is a long term project that i've been working on for over 10 yrs.it started out with a fibreglass body but i was lucky enough to find a steel one and replace it.i paid a hotrod builder to do the chassis using local fabricated 32 rails and pete and jake suspension parts and a currie 9" diff. all fairly standard hotrod stuff.

i swapped a t-tourer body i had to an old panelbeater who tidied up the body and swung the doors and sorted out the chassis mounting




the old guy is into model t's and took me for a drive in his old stock t-pickup--excellant fun

Love an 'a' roadster on duece rails, great combination and hope to build one myself one day.

yes-its a fairly popular combination and theres some very nice examples on alot of different forums.
the next few photos show where the car sits now and she's patiently waiting for attention which won't happen until i get the A-pickup finished.

Heck that A Roadster is going to be a cool car too. That looks like Terry Furnies from over Papamoa way in the T. You have enough work to keep out of trouble with the pick up and the roadster on the go. Excellent choice for the inlet and carbs. on the small block too.

Nice project! Keep up with the pictures and updates!!

not much to report on this
bought a swaging machine and box bender to start on the floor/ seating but still have to go up to auckland (our main city) and pick them up-not looking forward to venturing into that horrible place!
going to a swapmeet in town tomorrow to sell some stuff and hopefully find a steering column and wheel.weather looks crap tho and it may be a fizzer.
mark

Real Steel also carries nostalgia not available with fiberglass. I bought one 1929 "archaeology" project but it was too far gone and I sold it cheap. For what it is worth to U.S. readers I realized after I bought the BeBops fiberglass '29 I learned that Bratton's in Maryland actually sells a real steel body for less than the fiberglass body so the only way I saved was in the fun of aligning steel fender because the BeBops floor comes with all four fenders attached. So if you are going fenderless the Bratton steel body might be a good source. The '28 here looks really good and straight so all I can say is that you are a lucky guy to get it, although the most amazing thing about the Bebops 'glass body is that the dimensions are spot on and every repo item I bought fit as good as original except I had to use a '30-31 center hood hinge bracket instead of a '29. Even so I would rather have a steel body because when you touch the steel it is like time machine in knowing how long ago it was made and how much it has been through. You have to use your imagination with fiberglass. I wish you well, it looks like wonderful project.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/Teen Rodder

Hey Mark, harden up man, take a dose of sulphur fumes and jump in the car and just do it. I still am amazed at the number of people who hate Auckland and it's traffic when it is simply no different then driving around Rotorua. My only advise to anybody is do a goggle earth search of the area you need to get too and become familiar with the layout and it becomes easy. Don't rely too much on those speaky in car map systems as I believe they will get you lost real quick. Is it Mt Wellington area you are going to to pickup your tools as if so it is even easier ?

yeah-i know
i have a daughter living in kelston and venture up there quite abit-but i still dislike the place!!
the tools are in mt wellington-some street behind sylvia park

Awesome car and nice find on the new body!

time for an update!!!!
about 11 yrs ago i took a 283 mtr into an engine reconditioners an got them to diassemble/clean and rebuild me a shortblock.they bored and put in new flattop pistons/ground the crank etc and i picked up a sparkling new shortblock assembly-knowing i wouldn't use it for awhile i coated it with gibbs lube abd sealed it in a plastic bag with some dissicant and stored it.
fast forward to 3months ago and i unsealed it an started assembling bits to finish it for the 28.
it was in great condition apart from alittle surface rust on the head mounting surfaces which i carefully polished off.

i found some 305 heads and had them checked and recon'ed and assembled a whole bunch of parts ready to finish this motor off.

i'm looking to build an old fashioned looking motor that i can put some different intakes on.it will have a tubo350 behind it an a currie 9" prob 3.25 or 3.5 gears.
the plan is to run it in with a standard manifold an small base rochester 2g 2-barrell.

cleaned this manifold up









this is one look that i like

this is another possibility with a 600 holley