I have known this car for about 12 years give or take. Maybe more! Back then I traded him some Ford wheels for it as he didn't like the aluminum slot mags it had. This AV8 was built in So. Cal in 1958 by the same fella, Gordon, when he was in high school. He graduated in 1960. He then drove it to college for 5 years to earn his engineering degree and drove it all told for 12-13 years as a daily driver. He is going to write me up the whole history/story as he has time. He said he got the chassis and axles and '32 grille and shell and misc pieces from a friend in a car club that shut down. He built the complete chassis before ever having a body. It had a '39-'41 Ford V8, 39 tranny, A rear end, '40 brakes. He has pictures of it in 1958 of the completed chassis (B&W) and finished pics of it jacked up in front of his girlfriends Dad's muffler and brake shop which was for an ad in the high school yearbook. Some other pics as well. We are going to have copies of those made. He kept track of every nickel he spent on it. After many years he sold it to a friend in Cal. He drove it for 6-7 years til it started smoking and the top was coming apart. It sat in his garage for a spell. Gordon had bought a restored '30 Tudor in Madras Oregon where he has been living for quite a while. His friend called him up one day and in the conversation the AV8 came up and Gordon mentioned the friend should make him a trade for the restored A stocker. A few days later the friend called Gordon back and asked if he was serious. A deal was made, the old AV8 and some cash for the restored 30 A Tudor. That was around Nov 2000. I think it was about 2 years after that I met Gordon and we traded wheels, the slots his friend had put on it did not appeal to Gordon. Fast forward a few years (more than I remember I think!) and Gordon called me wanting me to appraise the AV8 as he had a fella at work that was interested in a father/son project. I gave him a ball park figure, he asked if it was mine what would I ask for it. I said I would get it running first as it would be worth more than that but if he said he would take xxxxx for it I would buy it on the spot regardless of what my wife would say when I drug it home! But I told him it was worth more than that. BTW, my wife asked me where the car was when got home and didn't I buy it?? Believe me, she is an enabler!! She likes cars as much as me. So, a couple more years pass, I ask now and then if he has sold it to them yet. My main concern at the time was I wanted to see this bit of history preserved and not RR'ed or shiny street rodded. I would of been happy to help them that direction. As time wore on and I read more stories like "Snoopy" on the HAMB my desire to own and preserve it myself started getting the better of me. Friday I decided to go check on it once again and it was still in the garage. He said the other fellas had not been able to come up with money so he would check with them once more that afternoon. I got a call at 9:02 that night and the other fella said there was no way they could do it and to go ahead and sell it. I had already told Gordon I would pay his asking price and would be honored to own it. I also promised to let him drive it when I get it going. So, This afternoon I gathered up a large stack of Huns and we made the deal, loaded it on my trailer and towed it home. Here came Gordon to help unload it! We pushed it backwards into my shop, then we visited 'til dark and cold and he left happy it found a good home. The only down side of this is my 33 Plymouth PD Coupe build is gonna get slowed down cuz I want to get this one flushed out and new fluids and see what we got before deciding to tear it down or not. I don't want to change anything that doesn't HAVE to be changed. I have skipped a few details like he swapped out the '40 Ford flatty for a '48 Merc somewhere in there when it was a daily driver. He did all the cutting and welding with a torch, no arc welders. All the interior he sewed himself with a Singer treadle sewing machine. The front stock bucket seats he modified with tubing and made a bench seat which is way more comfortable than those buckets. I hated the ones in a stock '29 Tudor I had. Complete steering wheel, column, box is from a different make car, I forget what. It is a cross steer. He made saddle tanks that hang between the rear radius rods and the driveshaft, 7 gals each plus the stock cowl tank at 10 gals. Petcocks to switch between them. Many many little trick things like that. Some day I will relate the story of his date with a gal that his best friend married later that has to do with seat belts! And 1 other little tidbit. My grandson Kenny Jr will be 5 on Jan 2nd and is an old car nut. I take him camping with our old car group and he fits right in. One time he took each person there by the hand and lead them over to my '31 Roadster Pickup and got them in it and proceeded to teach them how to race! Then he shows up one day and says to me, Hey Grandpa! You have 2 Model A's! The pickup in the shop and this one ('31 Coupe I was getting ready for another trip)! He knows the difference in most of my cars. He came trick or treating tonight so I took him in the shop and said "What's that?" He says "Model A Toop! "(Has a hard time with some sounds) Nope I said, it is a Tudor Sedan. That was a bit of a mouthful for him so we settled on Model A Sedan. I think this one may end up with him someday.... Soooo!! Finally, here are pics in his garage from a couple years ago, then on my trailer, then in my shop.
That is Gordon in the first pic. Here are some more. The 1st pic is my 31 Coupe on a covered bridge tour in the Valley in western Oregon that I took my Grandson on. We had a 29 Coupe join us that 2nd day and Kenny says " Hey, that's a Model A Toop Too!"
Gordon has gone completely through the brakes, new cylinders, shoes, rubber and steel lines, everything. Also new tires. Not really my 1st choice for tires but they are a least new and big and littles. 235/75/15 rear, 205/75/15 front. He had run moon discs in the old days (3 of them present) and also flipper caps at one time. I may lean towards flippers, or I have a set of Black wheels and tires for my 40 Standard w/V8 caps I may run from time to time. I also have a set of Coker 6.50/16 & 5.50/16 bias look radials I may switch this to as he had wide whites on it in 1958. Top needs all new wood and recovered. It was white vinyl as was the running boards (rubber on boards). I like that look just fine. It has a piece of plywood on the top now that the second fella put on it when the other top died. Well, what do ya think guys?
Well you've got yourself a real piece of early So-Cal hot rodding history there. Great to see and good to hear that it will be preserved. Have never seen that style of headlight bracket before, that's something different and looks like the grill shell has been sectioned and the inner panel removed. Good score and congrats.
Thanks Swifty! And you are swift! 1st one to reply and I just finished! Grille is stock height but as far as inner panel, I think yes it is removed. He made the headlight brackets, from the fender to light it is stock '29 bar in stock location then from light down is tubing. Nice and solid, and I am glad he did that rather than push the bar and lights forward in front of grille. Hood is 2 inches longer than stock. Lower part of light bar is, ummm interesting, but hey it's chrome and original to the build so it will stay.
I like it, and it's history is not lost, so even better. I'll be keen to follow along, and watch you give it a birthday.
He told me but I forgot where. We are close by and will be getting all that info soon. The second owner is Rodriguez B. who lived in Whittier CA. Or maybe it was B. Rodriquez.
^^^^ Thanks When I lived in Gardena back then there was one similar to that running around. I had not been in SoCal very long from a move from Canada. It was the first Hot Rod I saw. Stopped a few houses past my friends place to pick up his girl friend.
The last sticker on the black CA plates are 1978. It had nerf bars on the back before too. There are remains of them still underneath. The decal in the windshield says S C Engineer.
Another tid bit Gordon told me was that the interior was actually light blue and dark blue. The lighter blue has turn nearly white except under hidden edges. I thought maybe they were pearl white at first. I have removed grille, radiator, complete hood, which BTW the sides are Aluminum and the top steel. When he first put it together the hood top was aluminum as well. I found the assigned serial/VIN number stamped on the boxing that the front motor mounts bolt to. 1st step to getting it registered in Oregon.
I forgot to tell how Gordon got the body. By now the chassis was completely finished. He wanted nothing less than a '28-'29 A Tudor. His buddy told him about one a farmer had that they had bought new, then during the war it got put up on blocks and never moved. Farmer wanted $200-250 for it but Gordon didn't have that kind of money but went to talk to him none the less. Turns out they wanted to use the engine and other parts to make a pump so Gordon got the body and all the sheet metal and the title for $1.00 !!
Does anyone recognize the brand of head lights on this car? Gordon said Rodriquez had them chromed. The have a glass bubble on top for park light or maybe turn signal. they have a groove around the bottom of the glass and a coil spring around them to keep them in place. 1 of the lenses is missing and I would love to find another. Thanks, Dave
OK, I stumbled across some on FLEABAY. They are BLC 904 A head lights. They are asking some ridiculous money for some of them. I just need the glass bubble lens on top.
Here are some more pics as I tear into this. Pulled the grille and shell and radiator. Looking at the front axle and spring I notice they are not the same as my other Model A's. I am assuming this is a later axle, '32 perhaps? Spring length loaded is about 34 1/2" and spring perch C-C at bottom is about 39+". Perches and radius rods are closer to the king pin than Model A too. Spring is interesting as well. There are a couple shorter leaves in the middle of the stack. Another interesting thing I noticed, the front axle was school bus yellow at one time!?! Took a pic of the rear treatment too. Gordon said when he got the body it had a trunk attached at the rear and was cut open to be accessible from inside the car. He removed that and welded in new sheet metal which he continued on down below the sub frame and attached the '50 Buick lights and license plate. While I was under there I discovered the rear spring center bolt was broke and missing and 1 of the u-bolts had the threads stripped and only had 1 nut on it. Picked up a new pair today. Have a temp bolt through spring until I find a new one. There sure is a lot of dust, dirt, and crud after 58 years!
I'd say that axle is 37-41. Spring perch c-c is only slightly wider on 32-36 when compared to the A. By the way, love this car. Looks like it's in good hands as well.
That is a really nice comparison! I will have to look at and measure the one on my '40. Aren't the springs wider on '35 and up though? Like 2" vs 1 3/4"? There is so much crud on the perches and shackles it is had to tell what is there. But the later axle explains how much lower it sets than stock. Thanks for posting that. Dave
OK ChopnDrop, I think I get it now. '37-'40 axle and radius rods with the forward spring perches cut off, then use Model A perches and a different spring over the axle instead of in front, right? Lowers the car with stock pieces. That also explains the cross steering, although I don't like how far back the steering box is in relation to the tie rod. Ideally the drag like should be paralell to the tie rod. This one is at way too much of an angle. However it worked for the last 58 years so maybe not too bad! Thanks
Right. Stock perches were cut off that wishbone and earlier bolt on ones used. Not sure what spring that is, stock spring to that axle would be too long as perch spacing was wider. Also, spring was 2" wide and wouldn't fit in A crossmember. How wide is that spring?
The spring is 1 3/4" wide and 34 1/2" long loaded length. I see Speedway sells a spring pretty much like that for this same application. Of course this car was built way before that came around in after market.
Very neat car, yes those headlights are Guides and the glass lenses are very hard to find. I have a pair on my 33 and 34. If you ever get tired of that sedan and your Grandson don't want it, give me a yell I aint too far away
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