LOOK! What is this 1931 Ford A custom built hearse,flower car,commercial delivery,etc? See photos.

[George Albright]

Hi everyone. Well heres my latest purchase of an obscure vehicle. I purchased this 1931 Ford Model A with some custom factory built body,to save it from being rodded,at somewhat great expense. I have been a car guy for 40 plus years,and I have seldon seen a custom bodied Ford Model A. Notice the craftsmanship on the extension of the body,the body molding,custom back fenders,etc. Don't know if the frame has been extended,as the Ford is stored in Ohio,and I am in Florida. I had the prior owner look for a makers plate on the cowl,doors and floor board,and none was found. Looks like it could be a hearse,flower car,commercial or delivery vehicle. Windows in back used to have pull down shades. Looks like pulleys and cables enable the drive to pull open the rear doors. Could be by Henney,Meteor,S and S etc. Who knows-not me! OK guys get your books out and let's ID the beast. I might consider selling for $6,900. However I am more interested in IDing it right now. Can you imagine pulling up to a national Model A meet in this restored??? George Albright,Ocala,Fla. cell 352 843 1624 10 AM to 4 PM EST. Email: gnalbright@gmail.com

Edited November 26, 2012 by R W Burgess (see edit history)

[The Continental]

Way cool, you may try asking someone with PCS for information

[George Albright]

Great Idea! I will post this same info and photos on the Professional Car Society,hopefully today. George

[Dave Henderson]

Could have been an ambulance too. Because of the shades, if original, it must have been a people carrier, (dead or alive). The rear access has hinges that have that "old ice box" look. It may have originally had a door or doors in back. Look for evidence of former hinges. An interesting find.

[jpage]

It's built on a regular Model A chassis so it seems a little light for an ambulance or hearse. The lack of any casket rollers,stretcher racks and other embelishments or built in cabinetry and the fact that the spring hump and taillight connection are in the way also indicate that it had a different use. It's pretty austere for anything other than a delivery wagon. It may have been a flower car with all the windows and light chassis. Flower cars were alot more popular in the 20's and 30's and could also double for a transfer or pickup vehicle. Be interesting to know what it really is!

[Steve Moskowitz]

George, the answers here are a bit better than the esteemed gentleman from Jacksonville!:D

[1937hd45]

George, I'm sure you know it was discussed on the HAMB while the auction was running, or maybe it was the Ford Barn. Either way there may be some info on those threads. This will make a great tow vehicle for your Dirt Track race car. Bob

[MCHinson]

1937hd45,

There was a recent discussion about a vehicle that was being auctioned and was described as a Ford Model AA Hearse on Fordbarn recently. This is not that vehicle, so maybe it was on the HAMB?

George,

I have looked at a lot of Model A and AA photos and I have never seen another with the back tailgate/door style that is on your vehicle. I really wonder if the back doors were changed from the original at some time in the past. One of the best sources of information of Ford A or AA Custom Built bodies that I have seen online is at the following link:

Ford Body Styles, Model A, Model T, V-8, Ford Motor Company, Body Suppliers - Coachbult.com

I don't see anything on that site with those rear doors either. Interesting vehicle, but I don't think it was originally built as a hearse. I look forward to you sharing whatever you find out about it with us here on the AACA Discussion Forum. Good luck with it!

[john2dameron]

In case any one is interested, the Professional Car Society International Meet is at Daytona Beach June 18-22. I dove 300 miles to visit one and it was certainly worth it.

[Joseph P. Indusi]

It certainly is unlike anything I have seen. Given the somewhat spartan accomodations it reminds me of something from the military. Perhaps some kind of field service vehicle.

Joe

[jpage]

In studying the photos it seems to me that the body lines closely resemble those of a Briggs built sedan. The window reveals,the interior garnish mouldings and the rear upper body sweep moulding appear to be of Ford design. It looks to me to be more that just a hobbled vehicle or something from an independent body builder. Even the rear doors,although they look like an afterthought,carry the same wide body moulding and the window looks like a sedan type. I wonder if this was a prototype or a custom creation authorized by Ford for a special customer. To me it looks like a Deluxe pickup or service car body mated to an upper portion of a tudor. Perhaps it's a type of enclosed deluxe pickup or "suburban" type body experiment. Maybe you've stumbled on a lost late model experiment that no one knows about! Wouldn't that be cool!

[West Peterson]

Notice the body reveal molding where the fender curves around the body. It stops 3/4s of the way back, with an obvious vertical weld line at that point. That, to me, signifies more of a backyard job than professional. And the back door(s) with hardware-store-type hinges emphasizes the less-than-professional work.

[jpage]

I didn't notice the lower reveal did not extend around the fender,but if this is the cutoff point,I really can't see any seems through the window reveals. This would be a pretty elaborate build for someone other than a professional. If it's not professional ,why bother with the interior garnish mouldings and the exterior mouldings seem to be all in the same plain with no breaks. Also the upper body moulding behind the rear side window is different than the one on the body side qtr. windows of a sedan. Why would any non-professional or backyard guy go to the trouble of reproducing the moulding in such detail. The mechanisms for the rear door locks and rear window support appear to me to be made to fit the application,not a rigged affair. Why fashion the body mouldings on the rear doors and those hinges appear to me to be a cast and chromed type similar to the old ice box type not uncommon to find on some custom work of the period. They don't appear to be "hardware" stamped hinges as we know then today. I think that there is more to this vehicle than meets the eye,but that's just my opinion! Also, to note..the wide body side moulding is not standard for any '30-'31 vehicles ,yet the doors appear to be Ford(Briggs) design! It also appeared to have a fabric roof ,we don't know how many changes were made in it's lifetime. I don't think the rear lamps were original to the vehicle. It may have been built many years after the end of Model a production for some reason, I know Edsel Ford had a special Model a built for him in the late '30's or early '40's.

Edited April 17, 2012 by jpage
more info (see edit history)

[jscheib]

In addition to the lamps, the rear bumper might old a clue as to when the vehicle was completed. it looks like it was modified from another bumper from the late 30's, early 40's. I thought "paddy wagon", but the it seems rear door operats from the inside also. And what looks like heavy shades add yet another mystery. Good luck in the search for answers.

John

[jpage]

Are those actually shades above the windows or just remnants of a heavy cloth or cardboard headliner?

[Rusty_OToole]

Probably a flower car modified from a stock sedan by a local body shop or garage.

If it had rollers on the floor I might have guessed a "first response" vehicle used for picking up customers from the mortuary or hospital by a large undertaking establishment.

Being made from a Model A suggests speed and weight carrying capacity was not uppermost in their minds, which argues against it being an ambulance or hearse and in favor of the flower car hypothesis.

[jpage]

I was looking through some "A" books and noticed that the latch mechanism looks very much like that used in the Ford Traveler's Wagon and the AA panels trucks.

[LINC400]

Not sure what it is, but it is definitely not a flower car. Flower cars had an open bed for the flowers. They were not enclosed. Could be a hearse or ambulance. After their service life was over, many were gutted of their interior fittings and used as a truck or van.

[Guest Old48Truck]

It's a 1930's party van!

[UCGHandyman]

According to what I've read tonight Ford didn't build their own bodies, but used a number of companies to made different standard & custom bodies for them. This began before the Model T. Some of the companies assembled specialty & custom bodies for Ford's customers, like the G. E. sales trucks, the ones for NCR, the Ambulances, the military vehicles, etc. There were body companies that sold direct to consumers too.

The lightest Sedan Delivery van was more based on a car, but the heavier vans were built on the TT, AA, or BB truck chassis, some with dual rear wheels & many with V-8 engine past 1932 or so.

So I'd be curious to see if someone uncovers this "wagon's" peculiar history & reason for being in life.

[Guest Foggy norm]

This has been around a while, so I'll give my impression of it. It started out as a 2door sedan, then was customized into a van/party wagon, not professionally and post WWII. It appear's to have work done by someone with experience in sheetmetal. It's quite visible where another section was added to the rear of the original body, where the body filler was used on the seam's, appear's to be lead (oldschool), especially above the rear wheel and between the window's. The window's appear to match the existing window molding so I'd guess a donor car of the same model. ?You can also see what appear to be rivit's showing through the filler along the roof line. The broad beltline seems added for strength and applied to the door for asthetics. Nice work till you get to the rear area, appear's hurried or short of fund's. Truck marker light's used for taillight's, refridgerator/ bar cooler hinge's for the gate's and a forty's style bumper (shortened) was a nice touch but the sheetmetal work lost all connection to the front part of the car with all the square'd body corner's. A big clue to what has happened is the lack of the fender mold above rear of the fender. A coachwork company wouldn't be in business very long, doing something so obvious. IMO.

Oh yeah, I may have seen this at Woodstock!

Edited November 26, 2012 by Foggy norm (see edit history)

[Guest Texas Old Car Guy]

George:

Coachbuilt.com reports "A number of derivatives of the Type 300-A Deluxe Panel were made available soon after its February, 1931 debut. Among them was the Type 270-A Funeral Service Car which was available with or without side windows with prices starting at $1550. The rear casket compartment measured 54” wide x 102” long x 55” high. Standard equipment included casket rollers, side window covers, a removable flower tray, black leather seats, stainless steel trim and cowl lights as well as chrome bumpers front and rear. Although pictures exist of a disc-wheeled prototype, most of the 17 Type 270-A’s known to have been built featured steel-spoke wheels. Much more popular (and more expensive) was the Type 275-A Funeral Coach, priced at $1900. Its body was a specially constructed four-door derivative of the Type 300-A. Standard equipment included: casket rollers, rear compartment window curtains, removable center pillars for side-servicing and green mohair upholstery. A total of 96 Type 275-A’s were built including three with a combination Ambulance option which was offered at $1950. Introduced at the same time as the Funeral Service vehicles was the 1931 Ford Type 280-A ambulance. Using the same Briggs-sourced side-door-equipped body shell as the Type 275-A funeral car, the Triplex safety glass-quipped $1700 dedicated ambulance included a glass partition, 2 attendant’s seats and a white lacquered rear compartment with built-in dome lights, heater and fan. Emergency equipment consisted of a medicine chest, folding stretcher, spring-equipped cot, fixed bed with two mattresses, rubberized curtains and folding rear steps. The Ford Motor Company archives reveal that not all of the 84 Type 280-A ambulances were sold for transporting the injured. One 1931 Type 280-A was used by mid-west bandleader Red Wilson and his Zenith Rhythm Kings as a tour bus.

Bandleader Red Wilson found that a converted 1931 Model AA Ambulance made an ideal tour bus for his seven-man group and assorted instruments and baggage. Even with this type of sale, fewer than 100 of these units found buyers - an expensive lesson to the Ford commercial sales department, which had incorrectly projected a big demand. Double side doors and wire wheels were standard on these big coaches.

The somber, dignified Model AA Funeral Coach ($1,750), body by Briggs, was upholstered in dark green mohair and came equipped with rollers and stops set into the floor to handle heavy caskets, loaded through side doors. This unit was based on the Standard Model AA Panel, while a companion model - the Model AA Funeral Service - was based on the Deluxe Model AA Panel and had different door and side window configuration. It was equipped for general funeral work with a removable tray halfway up the body so that two caskets could be loaded.

The Model AA Ambulance ($1,800), body by Briggs, looked just like the Funeral Coach, but instead of casket-loading hardware, came with a medicine chest, dome lights, fan and a buzzer to signal the driver. The Funeral and Ambulance units came standard with steel spoke wheels.

According to "The Commercial Fords" book by Loren Sorensen there were 75 Funeral Coaches and only 17 Funeral Service vehicles produced. He says limited production began on the Ambulance and Funeral Coach models in February, 1931, and on the Funeral Service unit May 4 of that year. These were vehilcles unique to the traditional Ford commercial line and would never be offered again in any model year.

Fred