Holy Indented Firewall Batman! My late 31' Ford Tudor is actually a DELUXE model!

[Capt Quahog]

Holy Indented Firewall Batman! My late 31' Ford Tudor is actually a DELUXE model!

In thinking about it again, the well installed Cowl Lights with cloth covered wiring should have tipped me off that the things were not slapped on by some old car club hobbyist goober back in the 1960s as originally comprehended.

As acquired, the front seats in that car were not correct but instead weird mongrel looking things figured to have been plucked from an ancient junkyard someplace. The passenger seat appeared to have been a 1920s era Model T Ford Tudor sedan driver's type. Meanwhile the installed seat on the driver side was unknown being mounted low on some sort of base.

Recently acquired a pair of Model A Ford Tudor sedan front seats that were in decent usable condition. Yesterday it was decided to finally pull out that oddball driver's side seat and install the replacement. That seat was covered / encased in very old pleated beige color material that was actually dry rotted. Managed to rip off the "outer" cover and was surprised to find another layer of pleated upholstery underneath. That stuff looks to be Ford "Bedford Cord" material. Once all the outer vintage re-upholstery covering was off, we realized that it was in fact an actual Deluxe Model A Ford seat. Pulling off the bottom cushion, the base mounting underneath turned out to be the floor attached rails and sliders for that original adjustable seat. The thing happens to be missing the ratchet and adjustment mechanism.

First thing, we measured that seat across the bottom cushion. Interestingly, it was a couple or so inches wider than the Standard Tudor replacement seats that were there ready to install. Also too, on the driver's side, there are NO holes factory drilled for the standard pivot type front seat legs.

As it turned out, we removed the mounting hardware from one of the standard tudor front seat assemblies. Took the sliders and screwed them to the seat frame bottom. Know one thing for sure, old Henry used very high grade hard wood for his Model A Ford seat frames. As it ended up, a narrower Standard Tudor front seat was installed and is now push and shove adjustable. It might be a primitive thing, but to me, this is luxury driving at it's best.

The original seat is now safely tucked in the garage. Was surprised that the springs and metal parts are mostly covered with what looks to be original black paint. There is no rust! All in all, after stripping off most of the cover fabric along with old padding material, the seat assembly looks to be in very good or perhaps excellent condition. No doubt, that seat assembly would be a good candidate for proper restoration.

Question please . . . Are these 31' Deluxe Tudor driver's side seats the same creature as factory equipped into that year Model A Ford Victoria model? Can't help but to be impressed by how intricate and well manufactured are these seat units.

So in summing it up, am quite pleased to instead of piloting a Standard car, I am now driving a Deluxe model jalopy having adjustable seat with freshly greased rails.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Now you will have to do some interior woodgraining.

[Capt Quahog]

Now you will have to do some interior woodgraining.

Done did it kinda sorta. Found some Kona Moocho Mocca Mahogany Reddish Brown rattle can stuff and awhile ago blasted the window moldings as well as the dash metal thing. The otherwise amateurish lousy paint job gives it all a Baltic Avenue aged wood effect. It's quite rustic and presents an "I don't give a damn" Gone with the Wind circa 1939 feel.

[1931 flamingo]

Do you have rear seat arm rests??
Paul in CT

[Capt Quahog]

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Do you have rear seat arm rests??

Arm rests? I dunt need no stinkin arm rests?

Some now long dead goobers back in the 50's or 60's or sooner or later "re-upholstered" the interior on this car. It must have been one of those Filenes Bargain sub-basement kit deals. The interior is void of arm rests, window shade, dome light, straps and even inside door locks. The door panels are some sort of now dry rotted beige cloth material held on with what seem to be big rust color exposed battleship rivets. Word has it that in some high style places, the Hipsters are paying extra top buck for this steam punk ratty condition look.

The gentleman who owned this car for almost 30-years appears to have had the entire drive train restored. Literally everything underneath is either brand new or appears as nicely overhauled. Meanwhile, the body is a rude assortment of ancient metal repairs punctuated by dents that are covered over by an old time poorly done thickly peeling enamel paint job. To me, it's the PERFECT Model A Ford for driving around here n' there.