1929 special coupe

[LSJUNIPER]

Going to bring this home tomorrow. The man owned this when he was 16 years old, he is now 66 years old. He drove it until 1975. It has been in his garage for 40 years or so. He said it is a 1928 body on a 1929 frame and motor....will post more pics when its home.

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[mshmodela]

Congrats! Looks great!

[LSJUNIPER]

Thanks mshmodela......

[Dbbc]

Aloha
Cannot go wrong with a 29 special coupe. Love mine.
Half the fun is to rebuild and take care of it, other half driving it.
Enjoy.

[mhsprecher]

Congrats. Lots of great stories lately of neglected cars getting bought and attended to. That is a good trend. Maybe all this "barn find" hype has a positive side for the hobby. Have fun with it.

[super flat]

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LOOKS GREAT, Gary

[LSJUNIPER]

Thanks Gary.

[Richard/Ca]

NICE! Just make sure when you get to the top and back wood pay close attention if you have to replace any of it. I also have a 29 special coupe.LOVE IT. Richard

[LSJUNIPER]

Okay Richard.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by mhsprecher

Congrats... Maybe all this "barn find" hype has a positive side for the hobby...

I have a nice Pickup in my barn (garage), just wish I could find a little more time to work on it.

[29er]

Henrietta the '29 Special Coo-pay (that's her over there in the corner) sez, "AHOOOGAH" and THANKEE for savin' another one of us! Have FUN and check in often with updates.

Mike in Oregun

[Charlville]

Looks great as is, I'd just sort the roof and any mechanical/safety issues and drive it.

But that's just me as I love the old look

[LSJUNIPER]

Put the "A" on the trailer...


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Then got it home and into the garage...

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[LSJUNIPER]

This is where I will be working on the modal A...Going to try and get the motor un stuck. Been putting Marvals Mystery Oil in the motor for a few weeks now, still stuck.

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[ped58]

Looks like a nice place to work on your "A"

[wrndln]

There are a number of Fordbarn people, including me, that have 28 and 29 special coupes. Congratulations on your excellent choice of vehicles to restore. It looks like it is in decent condition, unlike the rust bucket I started with. I hope the wood is in good condition in your car. I spent a lot of time replacing the cab wood in my 28 special coupe. It wasn't easy. Assuming you are replacing the top material, make sure you have plenty of help and do it in the hot sun so the puckers around the quarterwindows can be worked out. I had 2 helpers tugging on the material while I tacked it in place. I basted it the first time (tacks only half way installed) and then retacked the material as we removed more wrinkles until they were gone. We did the top outside when it was sunny and about 90 degrees. We kind of burned our fingers on the hot top material, but got virtually all the wrinkles and puckers out of the material. Sorry to be so long winded, but I thought my experience might aid you a little.
Rusty Nelson

[Fred]

Looks like very nice sheet metal. Hood does look more of the 29 type, but pictures lie ??.. Did you get ALL the top moulding strips ?/ VERY hard to find.. Look on fire wall, left side right where it bolts to the upper half & see if you can find a date like this stamped into the metal 8-12-28, that is on the S/C I have owned sense 1964..

[LSJUNIPER]

The wood on the top is in poor shape, dry rotted, but the sheet metal is in very good shape. Has a few spots here and there that will need some attention as far as sheet metal...Will update as I progress....

[Dave in MD]

Congratulations on your new/old car.
I also have a 1928 Special Coupe that was completely restored and finished (if they ever are) about six years ago. There are two top moldings that Fred was talking about that are difficult to find and are not being reproduced. The belt rail molding is a two piece molding that extends from one door opening around the back below the rear window to the other door. I saw one of the belt rail moldings for sale at the Brattons estate sale this past weekend. The moldings that go behind each quarter window are also two piece moldings and were only used on the Special Coupes. You may be able to date your car by looking for the engine number and looking for the date stamp on the drivers side of the gas tank.The original engine number was also stamped into the top of the frame rail on the drivers side about where the clutch pedal is located. Both the body and running board splash shield need to be lifted or removed to find the frame stamp. The engine number may also appear on the title if you have one.
If you should need any help or advise, please don't hesitate to ask.
Again congratulations,
Dave

[racingrufus]

I have a 29 special coupe and I love it. I drive it almost every day

[JohnLaVoy]

Welcome to the hobby, hope to see it on the road soon!

[LSJUNIPER]

Thank you all for the comments. I think this is going to be a fun project.

[LSJUNIPER]

I have been adding Marvels Mystery Oil to this motor off and on since August. Still stuck, will not move... Should I continue letting it soak in the oil or should I take the head off and see if it can be freed up by tapping it with a piece of wood???

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[29spcoupe]

Great looking car. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine, John

[Barry B./ Ma.]

Congratulations on the Special coupe, these were only made for one year (mid 28 to mid 29). Good luck and if you have questions don't be afraid to ask. I did mine over from scratch in 1981and it's still going strong.

[DJ S]

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Originally Posted by LSJUNIPER

I have been adding Marvels Mystery Oil to this motor off and on since August. Still stuck, will not move... Should I continue letting it soak in the oil or should I take the head off and see if it can be freed up by tapping it with a piece of wood???

You should pull the head off.

[bart78]

Mix ATF and acetone. That will get it unstuck. Mix it 50/50.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by LSJUNIPER

I have been adding Marvels Mystery Oil to this motor off and on since August. Still stuck, will not move... Should I continue letting it soak in the oil or should I take the head off and see if it can be freed up by tapping it with a piece of wood???

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Attachment 200462

How long since the engine last ran?
Any chance you could borrow an inspecion camera to look inside the cylinders?
There is a tool made that fits in place of the starter which is the best way to try to move a stuck engine. I wouldn't wrench on the front crank bolt, or at least not more than the usual amount to hand crank the engine.

If you don't know how long since it last ran, then it would probably be best to remove the head.

[LSJUNIPER]

The last time it ran was in 1975,,, Wow I was 14 years old!! LOL
bart78, Is the ATF transmission oil???

[700rpm]

If you have the belt molding that goes around the back of the cab, be very care with it when you remove it. They are extremely hard to find and expensive if and when you do. Also, don't throw anything away, no matter how nasty it looks, and use original parts whenever you can. Take lots of pictures.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by LSJUNIPER

The last time it ran was in 1975,,, Wow I was 14 years old!! LOL
bart78, Is the ATF transmission oil???

Yes, auto tranny oil.

Best to start a new thread to keep this from getting mixed in with the original thread.

[bart78]

Yes it's auto trans fluid. And I have seen it unstick all kinds of nasty stuff.

[LSJUNIPER]

Will try it this week when I get a chance... Thanks for the advise!!

[somethingspecial]

Welcome , I have a 28 S/C if you look in my avatar in albums I have pics you might be intrested in

[LSJUNIPER]

Motor is still stuck! Took the valve cover off and it looks good in there, not rusted up. Then I took the head off and it also looked pretty good. So what’s my next step??? Can the starter be causing the motor to not turn???
Here are some pics of of what I have taken off of the car so far…



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[Fred]

Before you even try and start it , get rid of that bent looking fan & copper gas line..

[Mitch//pa]

yes it can ,, loosen the starter bolts and the starter should easily come loose.. also if someone put to long a starter bolt in it will wedge against the flywheel

[Tom Wesenberg]

You might get lucky and can unstick a jammed starter by shifting to 3rd gear and rocking the car forward.

[Barry B./ Ma.]

Put some of that ATF around the valves as the stems can be stuck in the guides. When you remove the starter try to work a long pry bar between the teeth and see if you can break it free by going back and forth. Don't use too much force as you can damage the teeth. Have you filled the crankcase with new oil?

[Fred K-OR]

What did the oil look like or have you drained the oil out of the engine?

If the starter stuff mentioned above is OK, I have unstuck engines by taking a short 4x4 block and tapping on it after setting it on top of the piston. But do not tap to hard.

[Brobrian]

Plus one , on loving the Special Coupe. I have a '28 that I've been driving for 25 years now. Everyone in our family loves that cars. Enjoy.

[Purdy Swoft]

I wouldn't have pulled the head. If the piston rings are stuck I would have used ATF and acetone like Bart said or Kroil or even kerosene. Marvel oil is a little thick to unstick a stuck engine. It is very likely that you have stuck valves or something as simple as a stuck starter drive. First try turning the engine backwards. If the engine turns the slightest bit in the backwards direction, then you have stuck valves or lifters. If it won't turn either way, put it in high gear and rock the car back and forth and this will usually unstick the starter and the engine should then turn . Good luck and keep us posted for more thoughts on how to get it unstuck .

[LSJUNIPER]

Got the motor free, removed the starter and put little pressure on the flywheel and the motor moved. Then turned the hand crank until it started to turn.

[Anteek29]

Great news your motor is free...a major hurdle cleared! Enjoy your Special Coupe restoration project

Alan
1929 Special Coupe

[LSJUNIPER]

The last owner of my modal a came across this picture of the car in 1968. Thought I would share it here on the forum...


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[racingrufus]

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I see a f100 in background of picture #3 in post 35. I also have a 55 f100 along with my 29 special coupe. I love them both, good luck on your coupe. Dwayne

[LSJUNIPER]

Thanks Dwayne,
Yup the f100 is a 1956. Will be driving that this spring.

[LSJUNIPER]

Just wanted to give a small up date. All of the valves are now unstuck and the motor turns nice and smooth with the hand crank. I think the next step will be to put the head back on and get it ready to start.. Any advise here will be appreciated..

[Anteek29]

Before you get seriously ready to fire it up be sure to pour a quart of oil down the
'dizzy' hole to pre-lube the engine bearings if you did not already do that. (You
may have to drop a quart from the crankcase first to make room.)

[LSJUNIPER]

OK Anteek29... I think I will change the oil and flush out the gas tank too. Thanks

[dlfrisch]

Good luck on your new/old "A" . I have a 30 coupe and it is 99.81/2% completely finished or rebuilt. I drive it almost every day and it is a real fun vehicle. At this point in time, I'm kind of looking for another project. Hope my wife don't here me typing this. Maybe another Model A, but one that is not to far gone. I'm somewhat lost having my "A" sit here my garage and not having a project to work on other than maintenance, washing and polishing.

[LSJUNIPER]

Update: The water pump is froze solid. Purchased a new one yesterday from Brattons...

[WRA]

Very cool car..

[Goldhardt]

Congrats and good luck! Keep the pictures coming. And don't forget, HAVE FUN!!!

[LSJUNIPER]

Thanks, WRA & Goldhardt, Will be posting more pics soon...

[ronn]

Coo-pay
29er

for a second I thought I was at the Drs office........................

[marc silva]

I say leave it as it is. Everyone seems to gravitate to my car whenever our club goes out. lots of them say "don't do anything to that car" I love it looking "old". look at it this way, you don't have to shine it up!

[LSJUNIPER]

marc silva, I do plan on keeping it the way it is, want to get it running then enjoy it.

[DadOfTwo]

Nice! looks very similar to my std coupe. Mine was not originally baby blue, but a dark green. May return to that some day.

With regard to the 'drive it like it is' comments, that's my plan.

I'm looking for a 'broke farmer' outfit to wear. Old hat, workboots, overalls, white shirt...

Until I can get her fully restored (if ever), rather than 'dress up' the car I'm going to 'dress down' the driver.

Have fun with it!

[LSJUNIPER]

Thanks DadOf Two, I noticed that you have a chrome grill on your coupe, is that original for the car??

[SHEC]

Very nice ride sir -

Many folks have noted that this model was Henry Ford's personal favorite!

Enjoy all that is ahead of you - especially the driving.

Be well -

SHEC

[DadOfTwo]

Originally Posted by LSJUNIPER

Thanks DadOf Two, I noticed that you have a chrome grill on your coupe, is that original for the car??

Gee, I think so. The condition seems to match the overall condition of the car...

I did notice yours has black grill and headlights? I thought they all had chrome (except the commercial vehicles)?

What do the experts say? Anyone, anyone, Bueller?

[d.]

original '28-'29 passenger cars had nickel plated headlights and radiator shells. commercial vehicles had black painted lights and radiator shells.
you might want to get a copy of the Restoration Guide and Judging Standards from MAFCA or MARC...it will answer a ton of questions you are likely to come up with. Best $25 you could spend; lots of photographs to help you.

[DadOfTwo]

Originally Posted by d.

original '28-'29 passenger cars had nickel plated headlights and radiator shells. commercial vehicles had black painted lights and radiator shells.
you might want to get a copy of the Restoration Guide and Judging Standards from MAFCA or MARC...it will answer a ton of questions you are likely to come up with. Best $25 you could spend; lots of photographs to help you.

Thanks

[LSJUNIPER]

The new water pump in on...
Now how do I set the timing on the Model A? Would like to set it while the head is off, or is the head and the distributor supposed to be on the motor.
Any help, suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks..

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[Tom Wesenberg]

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You'll need the head and distributor in place to set timing. While the head is off you could rig some kind of stop for the piston to stop about 1" before it's TDC. You then make a mark on the pulley with reference to a pointer on the engine block. Then turn the engine the other direction until it hits the stop and make another mark on the pulley in reference to the pointer. Now measure the two marks and make a final mark exactly half way between. This will be TDC in the most accurate way to find it.

I just use the dimple on the cam gear and trust it's accurate.

[LSJUNIPER]

OK, Thanks.......

[LSJUNIPER]

What cylinder is the number one piston? Is it the one next to the fire wall or the one next to the radiator? I am a noob when it comes to the model A....
Thanks for your help..

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by LSJUNIPER

What cylinder is the number one piston? Is it the one next to the fire wall or the one next to the radiator? I am a noob when it comes to the model A....
Thanks for your help..

It's next to the radiator.

[LSJUNIPER]

Where can I find the torque specs for the Model-A?? I am ready to put the head back on and the new water pump is on the head but the nuts are only snug??? Any help will be appreciated.. Thanks......

[d.]

you really need to buy a copy of the Restoration Guide from either MARC or MAFCA...this will answer most all of your questions. Also consider the Les Andrews manuals available from the same sources...all the answers you are looking for plus great diagrams.

[LSJUNIPER]

Thanks d., Will be picking up the two books you mentioned.....

[Bob C]

Vince has the tightening sequence on his site.
http://www.fordgarage.com/pages/tighteningsequence.htm
You want to go to 55 ft lbs in small steps.

Bob

[LSJUNIPER]

Thanks Bob C!!

[Dick So. Cal.]

I have a question for you. . . . On the back side of the top where the rear window is, what direction does the grain of the material go? Vertical or horizontal?

Original is horizontal.

Dick

[LSJUNIPER]

Dick, it goes vertically.....

[wrndln]

Dick is correct - the grain is suppose to run horizontal. I am positive that is the way it should be. It has been discussed before here on Fordbarn. My 28 special coupe has the grain running horizontal.
Rusty Nelson

[Barry B./ Ma.]

When I did mine back in 1980 LeBaron Bonney recommended the black pebble grain material, I guess since then the straight grained material is correct. I found the pebble grain to be easy to work with and attractive when applied. I don't know which is right but I find it's easy to keep clean (the pebble grain) and looking at old factory pictures it could be either pebble or straight grained.

[LSJUNIPER]

..Last night I put the new head gasket on and also put the head back on...Did not put all of the nuts on yet or the studs...Will do this over the weekend.......


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[LSJUNIPER]

Next step is to make sure that the radiator is not bad. Any advice??????

[bobpo1]

Take it to a radiator shop that has done these old radiators and knows what they're doing. It would be great to save your radiator.

Gotta Love That Special Coupe.....

[LSJUNIPER]

OK, Thanks bobpo1, there is a shop not far from my house that works on old radiators..

[LSJUNIPER]

Installing a new wiring harness. Headlight are finally reassembled.

[LSJUNIPER]

Added a second tail light and yup one is chrome and one is black. I goofed, I will have to live with it for now.

[Dave in MD]

Hi,
It looks like your Special originally had the drum style tail light mounted on the drivers side of the rear body cross member. There are three D nuts in the cross member just to the right of the license plate in the first photo above.
Regards,
Dave

[ryanheacox]

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Been 5 years since the last update. Get her running yet?

[LSJUNIPER]

Originally Posted by ryanheacox

Been 5 years since the last update. Get her running yet?

Wow!!!! Time flies. Not running yet. going to finish a few more things on the harness, put a new battery tray in then check on the fuel system. Hope to fire it up after that.

[LSJUNIPER]

Originally Posted by Dave in MD

Hi,
It looks like your Special originally had the drum style tail light mounted on the drivers side of the rear body cross member. There are three D nuts in the cross member just to the right of the license plate in the first photo above.
Regards,
Dave

Never noticed it, thanks