Rat Rod: 1929 Ford Model A
The Ford Model A is just about unrecognizable once hot rodders get their hands on them, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting your own A-bone. The basic recipe is to drop the car until the body is inches from the ground, chop that big open greenhouse into oblivion, and then stuff the biggest V8 you can find between the front wheels. Find this 1929 Ford Model A offered for $4,000 in Inland Empire LA Area, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
Four thousand smackers doesn’t get you much in a classic car these days, but I think this 460 V8 powered rat rod offers a decent package. The seller claims the engine runs good and that all it needs is some interior accoutrements and maybe a coat of rustoleum.
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The ad is missing form the list of craig now. Too bad because I was really curious about the frame rails that seem to be way up in the air with the body lowered over them. I can't really visualize how humans are supposed to fit in there. I mean don't you usually lower the frame, not just the body?
Rat Rods are so cool and SO dangerous. I sold a 55 Chevrolet Bel Air to a guy in Newport Beach that also had a model A rat rod. A few years later I tried to look him up to see how the car was doing. Turns out he was going to a car show in his rat rod early one morning and was hit from behind by a caltrans truck. Killed them. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer but I always think about structure of these cars that are Ok until something goes down.
Too bad the ad is gone. I wanted to take a look at the rear where the top meets the compound curve over the rear window. Seems like a lot of daylight through there. I agree they look dangerous as hell. Where's RatFink?
Any 1930s car is going to be mega dangerous in a wreck vs. one of today's vehicles, I'm sure. Rat rods are sadly usually built for style with not much thought to safety, handling, refinement, etc. It's kinda sad but there are a few who build "patina rods" very nicely; e.g. Rolling Bones and ICON.
Hugh: the frame/body setup on this Model A is pretty typical for an extreme rod. The body is "channeled" over the frame rails. Typically the frame will also be "Z'd" lowering the rails under the passenger compartment to give the humans somewhere to go. It has to kick up at the front and rear to clear the suspension and axles, hence the Z moniker. Looks like the builder of the car above went with a straight frame rail which would drastically reduce the space between floor and ceiling inside the cab. Can't be sure though since it could be Z'd inside and we're not able to see it in the remaining pics.
Good example of a Z'd frame below:
[image src=" jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachments/frame4-jpg.844471/" width="400px"/]
I always wondered why hot rodders didn't take the easy way out and go with an underslung frame like on my tr3. Just a couple of rails hanging below the axles. Easy peasy until you want to remove the rear axle.
Yes very few people run underslung. I guess the main problem would be bottoming out?
I have always liked this one.
[image src=" i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo214/49lincolncoupe/dodge23.jpg" width="400px"/]