How many A's still have their original engine.

[Hitchhiker]

Found out my truck has the original engine it left the factory with in it. How uncommon do you think this is after all these years? I'm planning on storing it away and installing a B engine for touring so I don't hurt it beyond repair as I plan to drive regularly. Thoughts?

[P.S.]

You're a lucky guy!

[Joe K]

March 1929 Not original engine. Engine from a later 1930 Model A but rebuilt.

Original engine replaced maybe 70K miles with a red painted "no number never been stamped" engine (you can see distinctly the casting roughness in the number square.) This engine then worn out again with Odometer at 40K plus reading (probably 140K plus.)

This no-number engine now waiting patiently for rebuild and engine replaced with a rebuilt 1930s engine. This effectively the THIRD engine. Perhaps 3K on it now.

Two other engines hanging around - a gift (loose engine) and a purchase (came with a 1929 AA truck chassis later disassembled and parts scrapped.) Neither of these worth much except as cores.

Joe K

[700rpm]

I don't think using the original engine will damage it if it is maintained and driven properly. It's what it was designed for. My Tudor has the original engine, though it has been rebuilt twice since I bought it in 1961, most recently 18 months ago. I drive it all the time and the second rebuild was only necessary because the babbitt failed in the first rebuild.

[George Miller]

My 28 Sports coupe has the engine it came with.

[ltdann]

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My 1929 CCPU (A2344243) has the same number stamped on the engine. So yes, mine does

Rich Dann

[Mike Peters]

This is anecdotal only, but somewhere I once read that about 10% of Model A's still have original engines they came with from the factory. Another anecdotal statistic is that the survivor rate of Model A's is about 10%. On other words, 10% of all the model A's ever produced still exist somewhere. That figure seems high to me, (480,000 Model A's left intact). Any better figures out there?

[Brian-NJ]

My 28 RPU does.

[Rock Hornbuckle]

My '29 Coupe and my '31 Fordor both have original engines.

Matt in Seaattle..to what club do you belong?

[Hitchhiker]

Originally Posted by Rock Hornbuckle

Matt in Seaattle..to what club do you belong?

Not a club member.

[Patrick L.]

I believe mine has the original engine and it was last rebuilt in 1961.

[Wick]

I have 3 A's and 2 T's with there orignal motors.
Sold another T and it has the Orignal motor also.
Wick

[Allanw]

Our Tudor has it's original too.

It's done 98000 miles, but I haven't been through the receipts to see when it was last rebuilt - The receipts are a bit sproradic anyway - nothing prior to about 48 that I've found so far.

[2manycars]

My coupe and tudor have the original engines, but I am installing a rebuilt insert engine from Rich in the coupe, and putting aside the tired original.

[Rock Hornbuckle]

Originally Posted by Hitchhiker

Not a club member.

Matt, I'm down in Auburn, and also not a club member. I would love to see your car.

[plind]

Hi,
My VE 28, *A 2820* Tudor still have orig. engine, and my Town Sedan from 31 * A 4472283 * do also have the org engine.. And have from new 40000 miles behind...

Per,

[luckyal]

I have seven Model A's and 6 out of the 7 have their original motors in them.
Al

[Chris in WNC]

1st Tudor - no
2nd Tudor - no
Coupe - yes
3rd Tudor - yes
Town Sedan - replaced badly cracked original just last month

[ora masters]

I have 7 one is original

[Ron in Quincy]

My Verly Early Light Delivery (December 3, 1927) still has the original engine *A1276*

Ron

[todd3131]

My 31 has the original engine but not the frame

[Russ B]

My cabriolet has its original motor. It is stuck now, and I have not tried to rebuild it yet, but will do all I can to keep it. My recollection is that it already had a 0.125 overbore back in the sixties.

[todd3131]

Originally Posted by Russ B

My cabriolet has its original motor. It is stuck now, and I have not tried to rebuild it yet, but will do all I can to keep it. My recollection is that it already had a 0.125 overbore back in the sixties.

Isnt that near the limit before sleeving it
Todd

[fredski]

i have someones original engine but who,s i dont know?

fredski
still have original for mine needing rebuild

[coupensw]

I have a 1931 160A SW fordor with original engine. Also have a 1931 Dlx coupe with original engine.

[Tim Ayers]

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Not to derail, but I'd like to also know how many have the original paint?

[snowbird06]

My 30 Deluxe roadster has the original but rebuilt.

Gordon

[Richard Wilson]

Just to muddy the water. Through the years a number (you decide if it's alot or a few) of replacement engines have had their original engine serial number pad ground and been restamped with the "new" car's serial number. So some engine serial numbers may match a particular title but are actually restamped engines and not the actual original engine. Model A Restoration Guidelines and Judging Standards details proper serial number design. There have been a lot of serial number re-stamping sets out there. Just because the engine number is the same as the title may or may not mean it is original to the car. Not saying anyone's engine is not original to their car. Just saying you should really look at your engine serial number pad closely.

[plind]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

Not to derail, but I'd like to also know how many have the original paint?

My avatar Town Sedan is still in orig. paint and is a one owner from 31- 62 .. After 62 to 2012 it have sit in barn....And now is it running..

[peters180a/170b]

4 out of my 5 did.....

[ronn]

Mike, I agree-the 10% left number seems ridiculous....

5% I'm buying, but that is about that. Who makes up these statistics anyway....?

[JBill]

The engine and body numbers match on my '29 roadster, so I guess the engine must be original.

[JBill]

I mean the frame number, not body number.

[Dave C]

My '29 AA has the original engine, I am the second owner. Hope to get it drivable this year.

[RichPA]

Whoever has mine please let me know.LOL

[Rowdy]

The chassis I am using for the delivery sedan still has its original engine. It began life with a fordor body on it. The person back in the day had the fordor registered using the briggs body tag number. So the engine and chassis number had never been registered anywhere, so a good canidate for a "Bonded" title for the delivery which had been seperated from its chassis sometime before 1950. Rod

[bart78]

I think a bunch of people over the next few years will see a bunch of more a's showing up. There are a few places I know that have a bunch of a's sitting. I think the more people pass away people will realize there are more. A guy I go to church with has a barn full of them. And a ton of them sitting out in a field. Most of them coupes and pickups. All 30-31's. And the little town I live in has a bunch running around. I just don't think they are near as rare as people let on about them.

[rosenkranswa]

Our '29 Roadster and '42 Jeep have their original engines.

[John Stone]

My 28 Business Coupe has the original engine and my 31 160B has one that has never been removed from the frame.

[supergnat]

My 28 Leatherback has the original engine. I haven't checked the frame but I have the original bill of sale and it matches the engine and the NJ title. This car has allways been titled in NJ. I am the fourth owner. There is no evidence that it has ever been rebuilt. Unfortunatel the pain is not original but the interior and probably the top are. Note: The top has been painted black.
Supergnat

[Gary WA]

My 30 Deluxe Del has original rebuilt engine

[TudooR31]

Not original engine but I'm thinking the steering wheel might be.

[james.heider]

When I got my Victoria it had a different motor in it. The guy I purchased th car from said he haqd another motor that came with this car but was going to junk it unless I wanted it. I went to his shop picked it up and it turns out it was the original motor, number matches the frame.

[Keith True]

I have a 31 Tudor with it's original engine.It has 99,000 miles on it,and I have paperwork for three rebuilds on it.I have a 30 roadster with it;s original engine,also.I have a 30 roadster pickup that I've changed the body and frame on.I took off the original body in the mid 70's,and changed the frame about 15 years ago.The shop in Manchester N.H.that used to do the engines for Page's Model A Garage in Haverhill would grind the number pad down if it was on a turned in core.If they were doing yours of course,they would leave it.They also did some for the local Sears Roebuck,but they didn't want to do the quality of work Sears wanted.Turn just one journal,bore just one cylinder,etc.Price was their priority.

[bbrocksr]

30 Deluxe coupe, Original engine, Matching numbers, Standard bore, Standard crank, 86000 miles.
Bill

[kwisor]

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my 30 tudor has original motor
kevin
1930 model a tudor
1923 model t

[Purdy Swoft]

The frame an engine numbers match on my roadster. I have a Dec.1930 AA project with matching numbers. I have a rusty 29 tudor with a june engine number and a June 29 date on the tank, I haven't seen the frame number yet. I can't find a frame number on the frame of my sept 29 strip down but everything looks right and its the engine that was in it when I got it over fifty years ago. The others that I have in running condition don't have matching numbers. I also have an engine in my collection with no engine number.

[Fred K-OR]

1929 Huckster has orginal and coupe just has a 1929 engine.

[Mitch Bunkin in PA]

Hi,
My 1930 Town Sedan has a dealer's plate on firewall whose block number matches my engine block number. I bought it with about 57,000 miles on it & had Schwalms rebuild it at 60,000 miles.
Mitch Bunkin

[Wick]

1930 orignal...Motor,Paint,Tires.

[dankurth]

'29 Business coupe.......sort of. Bought the car when I was 12, many years ago. By the time I scraped away the roofing cement and house paint that were holding the pieces of rust together, all I had left was the original engine, with matching number title. Car is slowly going back together with a few replacement parts- replacing everything but the original engine and title.

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by TudooR31

Not original engine but I'm thinking the steering wheel might be.

Sort of like the expression. "It's Granpa's Axe. I've changed the head twice and the handle three times, - but it's still Granpa's Axe."

Joe K

[jerry of whidbey]

my 31 AA still has origninal engine it is adualy

[dennis lumbert]

My 30 tudor still has its original engine.I purchased it from out of my state and it was real handy having the matching Vin number on the engine.It satisfied the Ca. DMV

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by Hitchhiker

Found out my truck has the original engine it left the factory with in it. How uncommon do you think this is after all these years? I'm planning on storing it away and installing a B engine for touring so I don't hurt it beyond repair as I plan to drive regularly. Thoughts?

Excellent Idea!!!

[TudooR31]

That's a real kicker if you move to a new state that sees a valid title but no matching visible numbers on a non-original engined car.

[Tudortomnz]

My "29 Tudor has the original Ontario Factory engine ; CA 141967 which matches the Registration/ Ownership Papers when it was sold new in Dec. 7, 1929.
In 1969 when I received it, it had 64,000 miles & the engine was worn but still went well. It had never been overhauled but this was finally done in 1975 . It now has 104500 miles & I have only had to replace some valves, redo the carby, distributor & waterpump a few times in the last 20 years.

[Oldman Freeman]

My Panel's engine is the original. I suspected that it might not be when I spoke with an early owner who's dad had bought it from a wrecking yard in 1951. He said the engine had a "terrible knock in it" and that his dad dropped the pan and filed a bearing cap there in the wrecking yard but he didn't know if dad had swapped engines after that. When I disassembled the truck for restoration in 2003 I found the matching number on the frame.

The motor number on the 1931 Canadian Phaeton I had matched the title but...it was a Model B engine. Apparently Canadian manufactured cars did not have the number on the frame. A long-time Canadian Model A enthusiast told me that he believed that my engine was probably a dealer-installed replacement. He suggested that dealers usually stamped the original number on the replacement engines. Who knows?

[Russ/40]

My '29 RPU has the original numbers matching engine. Was a basket case when I got it.

[Mafman]

My '30 Tudor still has its original engine.

[modelacarman]

My 1929 todor sedan does not have original engine!

[Aerocraft]

Three of my five Model A's have their original engines.

Gar Williams

[Special Coupe Frank]

Can't say for sure, because I haven't found a frame number yet, but between the gas-tank date stamp, engine number, vehicle mileage, engine condition, etc, etc, I'm better than 50% certain my Coupe has its original engine.

[larryf]

still have mine in my 31 deluxe tudor

[msmaron]

My Sport Coupe is A7191 engine and frame!

[Barry B./ Ma.]

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My 29 Special coupe would still have the original engine if I didn't have 2 Model A's at the time and switched them. The coupe ended up with the rebuilt huckster engine (late June 29) and the huckster ended up with the coupe (mid June29). It didn't matter at the time, the coupe was on the road and I was building the huckster so I borrowed the engine so I could keep driving the coupe. I sold the huckster after I installed the rebuilt coupe engine. Confused yet?

[mccsix]

Pardon my ignorance here, but with the body on, where/how can you see the s/n on a '28 pu to verify against the eng #. My eng matches the title, but that doesn't mean anything.

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by mccsix

Pardon my ignorance here, but with the body on, where/how can you see the s/n on a '28 pu to verify against the eng #. My eng matches the title, but that doesn't mean anything.

If you are one of the lucky ones, and I mean one of the lucky ones, the number may be readable within the cowl area of the upper left hand frame rail but most of the time, 99.999999% of the time it is hidden by the splash apron.

To understand more about the placement, go to my website www.plucks329s.org then go to Additional Studies, then go to Letters, Numbers and Codes and there you can educate yourself on the placement of the frame where the numbers are stamped.

Pluck

[no6]

My original 30 had the original motor. Sold the car.

[mccsix]

Thanks Steve

[BCCHOPIT]

Mine did until 3 years ago. I still have it but is had a big hole in one of the pistons. Some day I will rebuild it.

[dcline3037]

My 28 Roadster still has the original factory installed engine....121 k miles

[jrelliott]

My '28 Fordor has the original engine. Must have been reworked at some time as was painted red when got the vehicle.

[Steve Wastler]

My fordor 13,960 miles, original engine....

[warren va]

How do you determine that it has the original engine ?

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by warren va

How do you determine that it has the original engine ?

First, the engine number must be an original stamped engine...NOT A RESTAMP. A restamp is an engine whose original number has been ground off and another number, other than the original, is stamped on the block.

Then, the engine number on that engine must match the number that was stamped on the upper surface of the left side frame rail in the vicinity of where the left cowl section sits on the frame, providing THAT number is the original stamped number in relation to the engine number.

Most of these frame numbers are coverd by the splash aprons thus the splash aprons must be removed to view the number stamped on the frame.

Pluck

[warren va]

How do you determine that your motor is an original ?
Thanks

[clo2jim]

Our original US 1930 Town Sedan, 28,996 miles, has it's original engine
Our Canadian 1930 Roadster, 56,700 miles, has it's original Canadian engine
Our Canadian 1930 Coupe has a 1929 US engine

[warren va]

Sorry for the double post....

Thanks Pluck!!
Warren

[Dave Mc]

My 5-06-29 Business Coupe has The Original Engine Bored 0.60 Runs Strong

[HillbillyTim]

My 29 Coupe has the original engine.

Tim

[usered]

One on my two '31 pickups has the original engine, 1st rebuild was last year.

[Donvito]

The number on my engine block matches the one on my title, so I would say "yes" on my 1930 Coupe. I have not seen the frame numbers yet. My car also has a gasoline ration sticker on the windshield, dated 1942.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Donvito, you need the 1930-1 water outlet, as it's about an inch taller than the 1928-9 outlet you have on the engine now. Notice the top hose doesn't fit quite as straight as it could.

[Donvito]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Donvito, you need the 1930-1 water outlet, as it's about an inch taller than the 1928-9 outlet you have on the engine now. Notice the top hose doesn't fit quite as straight as it could.

Tom, thank you. I didn't know that. However, I got my James Rupert water pump this week. I installed the pump yesterday, and finished the job today. I also put a new radiator in the car. The old pump was a nightmare to separate from the head. It took about an hour to loosen it. My aluminum two blade fan broke, trying to get it off from the old pump, so I had to use a four blade fan that I picked up this week. I got everything back together and the hood lines up very nice. I drove the car this afternoon, not one drop of water leaking anywhere. I did not remove the water outlet while installing the water pump and radiator. I've read how the water outlets can break while working with them too. I think I will leave that water outlet alone for now.