new AA owner!

last night, i became the proud, happy owner of a '29 model AA stakebed truck!

it was a barn find years ago, that nobody got around to... and it sat outside for who knows how long? 5 years maybe? so there's a bit of parts i need and a bit of information as to what's supposed to connect to what... and how.

i have no intention of full restoration, but to make it a mostly-original rat rod.

so just as a general question, what are good online resources as far as finding affordable rebuilding kits and parts? websites of detailed pictures and such are also appreciated!

thanks!

My favorite Model A parts supplier is Brattons. You need to check out their website and request a catalog. I also hear good things about Bert's in Denver, although I have never done any business with them.

http://www.brattons.com/

thanks! already made an order!

i also found mike's a-fordable auto parts, but it seems that brattons probably has a better price on some things. however, brattons didn't give me the cost of shipping yet, or even an approximate base for shipping cost vs. total cost of products. mike's did.

also bought jim shield's restoration guide for the AA, and dyke's A and AA engine and chassis manual. hopefully that's a good start while i make some more money!

You can't really use "Mostly original" and "Rat rod " in the same sentence, it's one or the other. If you go rat rod you're better off seeking advice on HAMB. If you keep it mostly original you'll get plenty of help here and on Fordbarn.

perhaps not the best choice of words, but what i'm getting at is a rusty truck with a few mods running mostly original components (maybe not a traditional rat, but still a rat, right?). at some point down the road (pun?), it may be worth upgrading the engine, but for now i'd just like to get it running and soon after, moving.

as i wait for my first round of parts and books to come, i might as well throw out a few questions. going to check fordbarn later.

1) that dang headlight/horn switch. i have no lights or horn, and no wires coming out the bottom of the column. i have the original switch, but apparently it was only attached with one solid wire in the center and broke off. for the life of me, i can't figure out how it's supposed to attach to the wheel. the nut for the wheel is probably the most rusted part on the truck. i figured out there's supposed to be a switch at the bottom of the column, but a one-wire connection at the top doesn't make sense to me. i'll probably get a new switch (or just the horn button if i can find it individually), but i currently have no reference point.

2) the reverse lockout lever on the shift arm. mine's rusted (and soaking in pb blaster). how do i get that danged cap off the lever housing to get at the structural part of it? fortunately, my floor is a couple pieces of plywood, so i have complete access from the top.

3) brakes. my front ones only have the forked joint, but no rods on them. it seems only my left rear is connected, so i'm unsure how the right rear connects as well as the fronts. my e-brake lever is busted at the floor and looks like parts are missing. also, the brake pedal is very loose. i can't find any spring that would bring it back to standard position, and it rubs against the starter when i push on it. on the subject of wheels, anyone know the size of socket i need to get the lug nuts off? they're huge.

4) running along the right side of the driveshaft from the tranny is a u-joint with a 1" rod attached to it, maybe 3 feet long, with a square end on it. any ideas?

5) is the fan supposed to be so close to the radiator that even the belt is difficult to pass by it (when removing/installing)? maybe i need new motor mounts (haven't looked). on that subject, would it be worth getting a fan shroud to make cooling better, or does it really not make a difference?

6) on the firewall end of my exhaust manifold, right before the bend somebody put a hole in it and welded a 3" long 2" diameter pipe there. there's a male coupling pipe on the end of that. there -was- a piece of sheet metal to plug the original exhaust port (broke apart and lots of nut shells poured out). perhaps a vertical tractor muffler was installed (no holes in the hood)? otherwise, why would someone do that? i do have a hole in the firewall for the heater, but this seems a bit far-fetched for that. i'd just like to know what people think.

oh, and there's tubing that's been cut off coming from the center of the intake manifold. for wipers?

7) finally (for now), i will be pulling the head and such for inspection and cleaning. any advice on a good way to clean (myself) the years of rust/dirt that may have accumulated (aside from a few cans of degreaser and a hose)? engine does turn, and overall seems to be in okay shape. i know about machining and will cross that point when/if i come to it.

i've got my old cars stored in a garage about 25-30 minutes from my house, so accessibility is not always an immediate option... but i did take a lot of pictures and can always take more on my visits.

sorry for the essay.

thanks!

First,

Buy the Les Andrews Model A Ford Mechanic's Handbook. While not perfect, it has a lot of great information that will help you. You probably should also look over the MAFCA and MARC websites, as well as consider joining one or both of those clubs. The magazines would be helpful as you learn more about your new toy.

1) that dang headlight/horn switch. The horn button completes the ground portion of the horn circuit. The headlight switch lever turns to make the appropriate connections on the horn switch on the bottom of the steering column. ++++ The Les Andrews book will help you understand how it all goes together.

2) the reverse lockout lever on the shift arm. mine's rusted (and soaking in pb blaster). how do i get that danged cap off the lever housing to get at the structural part of it? fortunately, my floor is a couple pieces of plywood, so i have complete access from the top. ++++ I have no idea on this one.

3) brakes. ++++ The Les Andrews book will help you understand this too.

4) running along the right side of the driveshaft from the tranny is a u-joint with a 1" rod attached to it, maybe 3 feet long, with a square end on it. any ideas? ++++ Perhaps a Power Take Off? Posting some photos might help.

5) is the fan supposed to be so close to the radiator that even the belt is difficult to pass by it (when removing/installing)? maybe i need new motor mounts (haven't looked). on that subject, would it be worth getting a fan shroud to make cooling better, or does it really not make a difference? ++++ That sounds about right. You don't need a fan shroud. If you don't have engine splash pans, you should eventually get them. They help cooling.

6) on the firewall end of my exhaust manifold, right before the bend somebody put a hole in it and welded a 3" long 2" diameter pipe there. there's a male coupling pipe on the end of that. there -was- a piece of sheet metal to plug the original exhaust port (broke apart and lots of nut shells poured out). perhaps a vertical tractor muffler was installed (no holes in the hood)? otherwise, why would someone do that? i do have a hole in the firewall for the heater, but this seems a bit far-fetched for that. i'd just like to know what people think.

oh, and there's tubing that's been cut off coming from the center of the intake manifold. for wipers? ++++ Sounds like some sort of homemade manifold heater... maybe... Yes that would have been for a vaccum wiper.

7) finally (for now), i will be pulling the head and such for inspection and cleaning. any advice on a good way to clean (myself) the years of rust/dirt that may have accumulated (aside from a few cans of degreaser and a hose)? engine does turn, and overall seems to be in okay shape. i know about machining and will cross that point when/if i come to it.

++++ I would make sure you have the Mechanics Handbook to study before I even bothered pulling the head. Why open a can of worms if you don't know how to put it back together. Cleaning it should not bee to much trouble. These engines are relatively simple and very durable.

++++ And most importantly, stop calling it a Rat Rod. A good original maintained but not restored automobile is a thing of beauty, don't call it ugly names.

first, a quick picture of what i bought (minus the wheels on top of the bed).

a quick search found the les andrews book at $160... but i did more research and found one for a reasonable price. there's also two additional volumes that i'll probably end up getting sometime in the future when i get a little more cash.

4) second and third pics (the third pic, the u-joint is in the bottom right)... i was told it did have a PTO, so that's probably it. located right next to the e-brake handle. assuming that's what it is, where's the other end supposed to go, and what's it supposed to do for me?

6) fourth pic, homemade exhaust port and hole in firewall.

7) it's not my first disassembly, but with this one, i'm not planning on removing/replacing everything. i know i could run the engine with oil for a bit, then drain the oil... but i'd like to bypass that while i'm inspecting and replacing gaskets anyway. just wondered if there was a better solvent i could use with the guts still installed besides regular degreaser. oh, and i don't have access to a hose, so i'll have to pour a few buckets to rinse, if that makes any difference.

and for reference, what engine years/models are drop-in, which of those would give me the most bang for my buck, and which more modern engines would be choice with minimal connecting modifications? i understand that stock engines will go 40-55mph comfortably, 60 is maxing it out (i think i heard the aa goes slower than the standard a). i don't see any reason why i'd need to go more than 65-70 tops (for any reason), but it would be nice to know that i'm not killing the engine by doing so. suppose i can check out the hamb about this as well.

also located the specific AA club. so much to do, so little time.

The Les Andrews Book is $37.00 from Brattons. It is item number 37580. Any Model A engine 1928 -1931 will work fine. If you expect to get speed over 55 mph or so, you are going to need an overdrive transmission and/or probably different rear end ratio than the original AA rear end. If you are looking for that sort of speed, an AA truck is probably not really the right truck for you.

I never saw a PTO like that or the manifold diversion. You should put those pictures on Fordbarn forums and maybe Marc/Mafca. I see you have the dual-capable wheels which aren't correct for the 29 not that it matters. The 28-29 AAs had a dished wheel and a sidemount spare. They even had an inward bulge in the door into which the wheel entered when the door opened. Also most of the 28s had wire wheels and the 4-speed wasn't available till 30, the 29 having the wormdrive rear and sometimes an auxilliary trans (underdrive) with a kickdown foot switch.

here's what i've got up front and the rear end. it's pretty heavy duty. i'm not sure how many gears it has since i need to de-rust that still. the engine number is what told me it was a 29 (researched it). guy i got it from thought it was a 28. saw a 29 aa on fordbarn and it looks like a light duty stakebed compared to mine. any input is appreciated!

All my info indicates that the pto is the std. type mounted to the side of the tranny housing and operated by a lever inside the cab. If not pto equiped ,there was a blanking plate bolted over the opening. 1928 trucks did use wire wheels to about February '29 when they switched to a 6 hole steel disc wheel( like on the Walton's truck). The '28's also had a worm drive differential with a type of ring and pinion( looked like a larger car diff.) later in '29. The new ring and pinion diff. became available in January '30 with the addition of the 5 hole Budd wheels. The only AA trucks that I've ever seen with side mounts were the Service Trucks, Closed Panel Trucks,Ambulances ,Hearses and some dump trucks. Express trucks(like the Walton's ) carried the spare behind the right side cab above the running board. Most flatbeds carried it under the rear of the bed. Only the sidemount version,and only AA's used the indented front door to accomodate the larger tire. I't looks to me that you have a very late '29 or an early '30 transition. I have seen several 1930 trucks using left over parts from 1929 and '28 mixing older parts with new, a regular Ford practice. The tapered rear frame rails also suggest an earlier frame. Your truck looks like a candidate for a full restoration and AA parts aren't aways easy to find. You'll find that most AA's top out at about 45mph. To gain any hi-way speed you'll have to replace the entire driveline. You might be ahead to part with that truck and find something else that you'll enjoy more. It's a good start for someone who really wants a stock AA but I hate to see it altered( just my opinion)! Good luck!

aa-fords.com

Marv.

Pretty nice rig, really. What's great is all the different versions of an AA Model A you could re-build. Milk truck, grain bed, stake bed, moving truck. One of my favorites is dump express, I think it was called: a low-sided dump truck(metal dump body only came up about 18").

You can do about whatever you want with a car or truck, even make it a salad bar, but if I had one, I don't think I 'd concentrate on speed. Even if you put a 700-hp engine in it, do you really want to be doing a power slide at 110 in a vehicle like this? You'd get a lot more mileage fixin' it up like a Jethro Clampet-mobile and driving it into the KOA at 7 mph with the totally-correct Ford 40 hp flathead. Imagine a Jethro Clampet Motorhome! They'd probably pay you to show up at RV shows(or pay you not to show up).

From what I can see of the steering wheel it looks like the 30-31 style. I was glad to hear jpage' input as it seems he's well versed in the AAs. On the early 30 carryover models they changed the gas cap from screw type to the 1/4 turn. That's one way you can tell it's a 30.

the engine is a january 29 production number. i'll try to figure out more later, but it's really all details that i'm not very concerned about at the moment. i want to get that engine runnin!

found the AA club and am waiting for my membership to go through.

located a mid-late 40's ford 100hp flathead v8 with "59ab" on the heads, stuck, no carb or exhaust, for $100. is this reasonable to accommodate my engine cavity and trans? $100 is pretty tough to beat.

I know almost nothing about 1940's engines. I hope you seriously reconsider what you are about to do. With any of the original AA drivetrain it is not going to be easy to get the 65 to 70 mph out of it that you want. You would be better off selling that to someone who wants to restore an AA truck and buying a slightly later truck that is easily capable of the speed that you want to drive.

point noted. thanks!

...but how do people react to an antique car going 45 in a 55-60 zone? just curious. don't see that very often!

You spend a lot of time waving people around and stay off the interstates. The back roads are more fun.

I'm thinking that pto was for a dump box...my favorite model of AA! I've hauled 1000's of yards of sand and gravel in one.

I would think that most pto units were supplied by the manufacturer of the body. I don't think Ford made any dump bodies or special equipment like cement mixers,etc.so pto's may differ by mfg. The engine no. is not a reliable way to date a Ford. Engines were built faster than cars and trucks and were put in storage. It might be weeks to months for an engine to reach the assembly line and the engine no. was stamped on the frame when the engine was installed. 1928 and some '29 vehicles had a date stamped on the upper left(drivers side) of the gas tank front. Some believe that that is a build date while others say it's the date the body was built. Most dating of A's is guessing game using changes in parts and design during the years to get in the general time frame. Some people use the title dates but that can be false ,especially if a 1931 A is registered as a 1932 as production was stopped in '31. Trucks are harder to date as Ford would use up extra parts ,especially on the truck line, to save money and use up stock. It was not important to Ford to build trucks ,or cars for that matter, that were identical to each other or with over concern about looks. In fact,Ford trucks including pickups,were not rubbed out after painting except on special order,which I would think was not very often due to cost. Most A trucks are not restored properly when it comes to paintwork,and they never had varnished bed boards( a real beef with me!)

I totally concur, the pto would have to be added as a body/purpose accessory. Not every

AA needed a pto.

Also, I share your dismay with over restored trucks!

Your truck will probably top out at 40 MPH when fully rebuilt, and not too much faster with a V-8. They were built to haul a big load with 40 HP. it is not a 1930 style but could have been registered in 1930 originally. I would guess the engine date is correct. I think you will have a fun rig but if you are concerned about speed you should do a trade for a bit later car as they were made to go faster. Most owners of Model A Fords don't drive them much faster than 45 -50 Mph. unless they are equipped with an overdrive unit.