Wanted to share this with fellow A'ers. Last Friday I was on the phone talking to a fellow about some "A" parts he has. In the course of our conversation I mentioned to him that I would sure love to find a 30-31 Model A Coupe that was still in the condition of the ones that I saw running around in the 50's-60's when I was a kid. Not restored, just a car that was being driven and used for transportation, a "Beater"  for lack of a better word. He say's ,"Yes, I know what you mean and I think that I can help you." Says that he knows a guy that has a Coupe and wants to sell it and gives me the guy's number. After we hung up I called the guy and left a message on his  machine (always no one home in these situations). That night I get a call from him. He tells me that he has a Coupe that his Mom had bought from a friend of the family.  The guy that had it kept it going and let his kids drive it to school in the 50's early 60's. Years later he mentioned that he was going to sell it, so this guy's Mom bought it, parked it because she didn't have a driver's license, and never drove it.

  My wife and I go to see it the next morning and there sitting in the barn was a 31 Coupe that looked just like some of the ones I had seen way back when.





 I asked him when was the last time it ran and he said 1990 when it was driven inside this building. We make a deal then my wife and I go to find a bank to get the cash. On the way back I buy a battery figuring if it drove into the barn maybe it will drive out. Plan was to get it out then go get a dolly or trailer and haul it home. After paying the guy I install the battery and we put in some gas. 



Checking the points , no spark after fooling around with it for 30 minutes or so it has spark. The guy is sitting watching and I ask him if we are hanging him up, is there anything he wants to do.  He said, "Yes I want to hear it run."

 

 "Great, I'll keep going and try to get it to start."  There is a hand crank with the car so after it had spark I cranked it about 4 times. It caught on the 4th and sputte red back to life. My wife said she watched a big smile appear on the guy's face.

 

I drove the A out of the barn and over to the water hose to fill the radiator. Topped it off then drove it out front of his house. Was sitting there in the Coupe thinking "trailer, dolly or triple A" which way to get it home? However this "A" is sounding good and chances like this do not come along very often, wonder if I could drive it home? I went for number 4 and decided to try driving it. 



What a great feeling to be driving this car after it sat so long and here it goes down the road. The "A" took me home without any problems just rolling along like it knew where it wanted to go. So 45 miles later it chugged into the drive way of it's new home.

First Model A I have ever owned that had linoleum used for a floor mat.

  Bob