Worth saving?
 

I've been lurking around here for a while, and the post by Beater called "saved a pile" has resulted in me finally writing about my car. I have a 28 A phaeton (Canadian built) that I bought as a teenager back in the mid-1980s. Like many old cars in western Canada (and Beater's), the back of the body had been removed and a home-made truck box was installed (in Saskatchewan anyway, where this car came from, farmers could then register these cars as "farm trucks", allowing for very cheap insurance and the ability to burn marked (cheap) "farm" fuel in them). It had not run for a few decades, but I got it going, drove it around the block a few times, and then life got in the way. But I always thought that one day maybe I would have a son, and it would make a good father-son project.

I remember years ago talking to the owner of an antique Ford parts outlet in western Canada, and mentioned I had the phaeton, but it was missing the back of the body. He scoffed at me and told me at best all I had was a parts car. Life was still getting in the way of working on that car, and his words were like a nail in the coffin of having something worthy of saving, working on, or spending money on.

So, the car sat for thirty years. This past summer one of my kids asked me if we could "get that old car running". That kid was not my son, but rather one of my daughters. And that is what we did. It doesn't run great, has a knock I don't remember it having 30 years ago, but we got it running. And it has kindled an interest in my daughter, and rekindled one in me. And reading what some of you said about Beater's car - that it was worth saving - made my day. It is unlikely that I will ever find the parts for the rear of the body to make it back into a phaeton, but I figure my daughter and I could build a lot nicer truck box than what's on there now. Should be fun trying to get this old thing back into drive-able form! I think I will move forward with it.

Some photos below of the car back in the 80s when my dad and I hauled it home, and how it sits today under the overhang of my barn.

Re: Worth saving?
 

Yes save it I have done a lot worse. Most of what is left looks real good.

Re: Worth saving?
 

That does not look bad to me. Have done some good things with worse. Will not show as they are not Fordbarn appropriate. Rod

Re: Worth saving?
 

I agree. It looks like a great start. You don't need much to have a lot of fun.

Re: Worth saving?
 

Looks good to me too-you can fix that up real nice!

also wouldnt be impossible to find an A bed on CL and makerfit for a few dollars.

the point is in the fun!

Re: Worth saving?
 

Certainly its worth saving but more important will be the memories you will have sharing the experience with your daughter.

There is a very inspiring story on the Fiero Forum about a 12 yr old girl named Kathryn who convinced her parents to let her buy a trashed Fiero so she could rebuild it by the time she reached her 16th birthday. Her blog about the rebuild has been going on for more than four years and it is truly a wonderful story. It would be an inspiration for your daughter to read it before you both started on the Model A.

Google "kathryn fiero forum, then click on "12 year olds and cars"

Good luck with your project and the relationship it will build with your daughter.

Glen

Re: Worth saving?
 

You also could also buy the back and 2 side wings (repro) and make that into a open cab pickup. The beds and rear fenders etc are relatively easy to find. Or build a nice pickup length wood flat bed with racks that would look good and go along the later farmer modification. From the pictures it looks to me that you have alot of good stuff to work with.

Re: Worth saving?
 

You can only shed a car once.
SAVE IT!
If the resurrection costs are bigger than you wallet or your give-a-damn, find someone with more money than sense and the same gleam in their eye as you had 'way back when'.

Re: Worth saving?
 

Absolutely worth saving, and a great opportunity to build good times and cherished memories with your family. Do it!

PS: keep that nickle radiator shell and use it as is. Good originals are hard to find, and repros aren't right. Same for your headlights.

Re: Worth saving?
 

That look like a very nice car to start with.
You could make a nice wood box, but keep your eyes open for a rear section to put it back original.

Re: Worth saving?
 

Get it so it runs, and stops, then drive it!!!

It has a story as came to be with you. Get it running and worry about a "proper" restoration later.

We are here to help you anyway we can.

Re: Worth saving?
 

Very nice, well worth saving. Enjoy.

Re: Worth saving?
 

Thanks guys for all the positive replies. My plan for the near future is to try and get it running a bit better and driving it, as Mike V Florida mentioned. I am sure I will have questions as I work on the "get it running a bit better" part!

In the longer term, I was thinking a wood flat deck with side rails, but I like the idea of converting to an open cab pick up with repo parts!

Thanks again!

Re: Worth saving?
 

that's very neat, as been said here I think id build an open cab truck top style thing for it, and then a nice rear box for it. that's very good shape it looks like I wouldn't even paint it, just enjoy it

Re: Worth saving?
 

I have excellent rear doors, one quarter panel and rear panel if you would like to build it up as a phaeton again. alfi (408)316-8151

Re: Worth saving?
 

I bet you did not need this forum, just your daughter's reaction to be glad you kept it all these years. Measure your success in the fun you have working on it, still lots of possiblities as noted above. :)

If the parts dealer is still around why not mail him a bunch of receipts from competitors when you get a little farther down the road, as a thank you for his encouragement when you were younger ? Too bad you let him color your thoughts for so long, but also shows how an ignorant comment can have impact. I might have felt the same getting feedback from an "expert" as a younger person but the older I get the more I reallize a lot of know-it-alls actually know very little. :rolleyes:

Re: Worth saving?
 

I think Lona and 700RPM laid it out perfectly...you're building memories, not a show car,
No matter how it looks now, believe me, in twenty - thirty years down the road it will be beautiful, not because of the car, but because of the memory of your Daughter in yours, and her Father in her's.
Even the troubling aspects (frustration, anger, disappointment) that you two will experience on this project, will meld into fond memories a thousand miles down the road.
Enjoy your little girl now and you'll always have her tucked away.
This opportunity does not last forever

Re: Worth saving?
 

Save it, I have been a long time fan of the phaeton and had to do exactly what you are about to undertake. There is a lot more available now than when I did it, for one this site for assistance.

The picture shows my phaeton at Yosemite in 2007, I restored the car in 1965!

Re: Worth saving?
 

Such memories you'll have working on this with your daughter. Have someone take lots of pic's of the two of you working together. Now that my daughter is married I miss having my work buddy.I envy you. Great car I love it.

Re: Worth saving?
 

How did you manage to be in the front and back seats at the same time?

Is this one of those internet photo-editing tricks or was the car simply going faster than the camera's shutter speed?