Accesories for the Model A

[Steve_Mack_CT]

There are plenty of options out there to accesorize the Model A. I just saw a friend's deluxe roadster this past weekend, he took off the quail and stone guard, and the car looks pretty clean.

I have the following accessories on mine: Stone guard, Motometer, dual mirrors on doorposts, rearview with wind up clock, bakalite shift knob, dual tail lamps & canvas tire cover.

I considered but decided not to add WW tires, cowl lights & fog lights or a luggage rack. I may add the spare tire protector.

Do you prefer a "loaded" car or is less more? What accesories do you have?

[JFranklin]

I have the less is more attitude towards accessorizing a model A, When Henry made a lady out of lizzy he wasn't envisioning a hooker of the evening. I think safty items are worthwhile like the dual mirrors, but gaudy items that were rarely seen on a Ford, especially whitewall tires, make them look like toys. A lot of accessories were sold after the A was handed down to the youngsters of the family and they wanted to personalize their plain-jane cars. look at some of the rice rockets looking ridiculous in their teenage drivers notion of (pimp your ride). I think it is always up to the owner what he wants but I choose not to drive a gaudy Model A.

[Guest ewing]

I agree that 'less is more'

Were white wall tires available from the factory? The A's really look better with black wall tires ( to me).

And a question.... was it common to put wind wings on a cabriolet? and furthur, was it common to put rear view mirrors on the wind wings?

How about twin sidemounts. Were they only offered on the deluxe cars and if on the car, was it only on the driver side? and could you get a second side mount as a factory option?

Ok, one more question, with the one sidemount from factory, could you have a choice as to which side it would be on?

[JFranklin]

I would guess that things like windwings and motometers and maybe side mounted spares were most likely the more common accessorys found during model A production years. They had a practical pourpose. Eyebrows on the headlights, whitewall tires, fender guide lights & etc. were probably less common till the 1940's -50's when the daddy-o crowd took them over. most people bought their new Fords to get them from one place to another at reasonable cost and would have bought a Packard if they were after googahs and status.

[JFranklin]

there is a post here about a standard roadster at auction it looks to have no options but looks like they would in the thirties

[Guest ewing]

I have a picture of my dad with his first car, a 29 phaeton. It had small lights mounted on the front fenders at the 'top' of the fenders, directly above the front wheel/ axle location.

I have never seen another one with these lights and I wondered if they were an option, but I'm guessing they were added after. He bought the car in about 41 for $70, and sold it a couple of years later for $75, when he went off to navigate a bomber flying out of England.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

JFranklin, thanks for posting - Nice Model A. I follow the Packard forum a bit and these guys have the same issue. Less is more on those cars also.

John, I would agree the small lights you describe were added at some point. As to sidemounts, these not so much accesories as factory equipment/optional on some models. I know for example, pick up trucks had them as a matter of necessity, not style. Ford designed these with the worker/driver in mind, single mount only. I would think windwings would be most useful on a roadster but the found there way on all other bodystyles as well. Ford dealers were encouraged to add to their profits by selling accesories. These are period, unlike the eyebrows, etc. that JFranklin describes. Sounds like you need to add a Model A to your list, sir!

[Guest ewing]

Here's a picture of dad's 29, taken back in about 42/43. You can see the fender lights on it.

[Guest ewing]

here's a picture of the 30 cabriolet we 'restored' in the 60's

[JFranklin]

The lights on the fenders were the English equivalent of the cowl lights on American cars. Nice photos all.

[Guest ewing]

Steve,

How does the stone guard mount on the rad shell?

Do you have to drill holes thru the rad shell?? or are the mounting brackets a pinch type fit on to the rad shell somehow?

I'm curious as the car I am looking at has a stone guard and I wonder if I take it off will I be left with ugly mounting holes that will need to be fixed.

No guarantee that it doesn't cover something ugly, but typically , how are stone guards mounted?

The car is put away for the winter so I can't go for a look.

Thanks

[MCHinson]

They do not require drilling any holes. There are clips and rubber bumpers that hold it on the radiator shell.

[Guest ewing]

Thanks Matthew... I was hoping that was the answer!

[rwoods]

Those fender lights were a Genuine Ford accessory that came out in 1929.They cost about three dollars a set with wire and a switch that mounted under the top rail on the dash.Very very rare today.

[Guest ewing]

I thought you all might like to see a couple more old pictures of the fender lights . Here's my dad in about 1942, I love this picture.

Here's another of Dad on a camping trip .... a broken fan belt. See the 1942 Manitoba licence plate.

A couple of good views of the fender lights.

I think he said he bought the car in about 1940 for $70 and sold it in 1943, when he travelled over seas in WW2 for $75. He had good memories of that 29 Phaeton and that's why he bought the 30 Cabriolet when I was a kid, to restore.

[1910Hupp]

I do have Sidemounted spare ,Radiator Stone Guard,Quail Rad Cap,Wind wings, Early Sportslight,Running board mounted Petrol can and Luggage rack on my 1930 Sports Coupe. I like it a lot but would never put an accesory on that was not period correct. White walls,swirly gearstick knobs and V8 wheels just look plain wrong to me. As I drive my car lots I do believe in hidden modern safety/reliability features Like Brake floaters Modern points set up,indicators, safety fuses, sealed water pump and EVR on the generator but go to great lenghts to check are well hidden!

One of my friends calls my Model A a Christmas Tree (ie some thing you hang decorations on) heck even my 1910 Hupmobile has accesory windsheild, top, Motormeter and Side mounded carbide searchlight