Old Car Identification.
- EarthWindandFire
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If anybody knows, it's gonna be you guys!
Back in the late 1980's my father had bought me an antique car from the local car show held at the Rhinebeck NY Fairgrounds. It was in very good shape and I tinkered with it for a few months over the summer before I made an enormous error and sold it. I was maybe 14 or 15 years old at the time. I wish that I had at least taken a picture of it. In fact, I'm not even sure what make or model it was. Here's what I do remember about the car.
1). Headlights were mounted on the front fenders.
2). Was a 2-door and had a rumble seat.
3). Hood opened up on either side and could be removed.
4). Four cylinder with plugs on top (I had fun pulling spark plug wires until only 1-cylinder was running).
5). Hand crank but also had electric start.
6). Open car without a roof and the windshield folded down.
I look at old cars at the car shows all the time, can't seem to find a good match. It was probably not original but didn't seem to be highly modified (at least not to my 14 year old eyes).
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Back in the late 1980's my father had bought me an antique car from the local car show held at the Rhinebeck NY Fairgrounds. It was in very good shape and I tinkered with it for a few months over the summer before I made an enormous error and sold it. I was maybe 14 or 15 years old at the time. I wish that I had at least taken a picture of it. In fact, I'm not even sure what make or model it was. Here's what I do remember about the car.
1). Headlights were mounted on the front fenders.
2). Was a 2-door and had a rumble seat.
3). Hood opened up on either side and could be removed.
4). Four cylinder with plugs on top (I had fun pulling spark plug wires until only 1-cylinder was running).
5). Hand crank but also had electric start.
6). Open car without a roof and the windshield folded down.
I look at old cars at the car shows all the time, can't seem to find a good match. It was probably not original but didn't seem to be highly modified (at least not to my 14 year old eyes).
Any thoughts or suggestions?
- D-frost
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E/W/FIRE,
I'll give it a WAG!!!
If it was black.....Model T or Model A Ford roadster. Did it have wire wheels, wood spoke wheels, or regular steel wheels? That will put it in the correct decade...maybe.
Sunny Boy(Paul) can maybe shed some light, or a few other old farts, like myself.
Cheers
I'll give it a WAG!!!
If it was black.....Model T or Model A Ford roadster. Did it have wire wheels, wood spoke wheels, or regular steel wheels? That will put it in the correct decade...maybe.
Sunny Boy(Paul) can maybe shed some light, or a few other old farts, like myself.
Cheers
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I’m thinking Model A roadster also. 1927 to 31 I think was the production years. After that the Ford model B replaced the A I believe. I think both were 4 cylinder motors.
- EarthWindandFire
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Hi guys,
Thanks for the responses. I can vaguely remember wire wheels.
The placement of the carburetor escapes me. I can't remember which side of the engine it was on.
Thanks for the responses. I can vaguely remember wire wheels.
The placement of the carburetor escapes me. I can't remember which side of the engine it was on.
- warminmn
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There were so many cars that fit that description its a needle in a haystack. If you've been to car shows and didnt see one like it I doubt it was a Ford. They are at every show and are common so you saw them already. Most cars were 4 cylinders back then.
You'll have to think up more details Im afraid.
You'll have to think up more details Im afraid.
- Sunny Boy
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Only cars of the Ford Model A era that I know of that had head lights on the fenders were Pierce - Arrow, which did not have a 4 cylinder engine. Cars of that era had head lights mounted on a bar between the fenders and the radiator shell that supported and connected the front fenders.
Later in the 30's headlights were mounted on the fenders, but, by mid 30's most cars had six or more cylinders, stamped steel spoked wheels, and very few roadsters with rumble seats.
Paul
Later in the 30's headlights were mounted on the fenders, but, by mid 30's most cars had six or more cylinders, stamped steel spoked wheels, and very few roadsters with rumble seats.
Paul
- johnjoseph
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Wild guess....1932 Plymouth Roadster, 4 cylinder, 2 door, lights on fenders, rumble seat, wire wheels, not sure about fold down windshield.
- coaledsweat
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It would fold on that Plymouth.
- warminmn
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i want that Pierce Arrow!
One thing Ive done to pin point things like that and I'll give an example. I bought an old Buick gas tank at a sale. I knew it was super old. i just did google image search's for 1920 Buick, then 1919, then 1918, etc. Turned out its about a 1914. Amazing quality, Over 100 years old and could still be used and I may use it sometime.
You'll get lots of useless images but worth a shot. Isnt there anyone you could ask that might remember what it was?
One thing Ive done to pin point things like that and I'll give an example. I bought an old Buick gas tank at a sale. I knew it was super old. i just did google image search's for 1920 Buick, then 1919, then 1918, etc. Turned out its about a 1914. Amazing quality, Over 100 years old and could still be used and I may use it sometime.
You'll get lots of useless images but worth a shot. Isnt there anyone you could ask that might remember what it was?
- coaledsweat
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Greg (LsFarm) restores and shows Pierce Arrows. He had a real gem of a 1928 as I recall when he visited CT.
- freetown fred
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He did C, stopped by the old homestead here & took me for quite a ride--the old Pierce don't like big hills that much. Real good to see Greg though.
- EarthWindandFire
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Thanks everybody for the responses!
I can't guarantee that the headlights were fender-mounted or just not housed inside a hood or enclosure.
I google images of old cars constantly but can't seem to find a good match. I ruled out Model T because my car didn't have a manual voltage regulator. I'm going to start looking at Plymouth images and see if that's a possibility.
I can't guarantee that the headlights were fender-mounted or just not housed inside a hood or enclosure.
I google images of old cars constantly but can't seem to find a good match. I ruled out Model T because my car didn't have a manual voltage regulator. I'm going to start looking at Plymouth images and see if that's a possibility.
- EarthWindandFire
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Well, with a few more days of searching, the information you guys gave me above has gotten me a lot closer to identifying the car as a 1929 Ford Model A Roadster. The fold-down windshield ruled out most other cars of that era. Mine also had the gas tank located in front of the windshield.
The car had no rust that I could see, with a nice interior and shifted smoothly. Since I made a few unlawful excursions with the car on the road, I figured the smooth shifts must have been due to the better transmission made by Plymouth. Maybe I was lucky and the distance was fairly short.
The car had no rust that I could see, with a nice interior and shifted smoothly. Since I made a few unlawful excursions with the car on the road, I figured the smooth shifts must have been due to the better transmission made by Plymouth. Maybe I was lucky and the distance was fairly short.
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- johnjoseph
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Now the challenge will be to find one and make it yours.