Cabriolet, Sport Coupe?

[funrunr]

Hi guys, I'm preparing to go look at this car, I'm told by current owner of last 6 months that it is a sport coupe with Vicky doors. However it has a slant windshield with two door hinges. I found on the internet other cabriolets with slant windshields and two hinges but them are convertibles and this car isn't a convertible. Is this car something I should entirely avoid? Here's some pics (white car) of it. The yellow car is from the internet. The owner told me some sport coupes had a slant window, is this accurate?

[gary678*]

What year is the car?...slant winshields appeared on some A's in 1931. It could possibly be an owner's hybrid that was cobbled together. However, if you are not a purist do an evaluation with a knowledgeable Model A person. If it meets your satisfaction and the price is fair, consider purchasing and enjoy. "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". Good luck!

[WHN]

Run the other way and don’t look back.

In my humble opinion, this car is a mess, and I haven’t even seen under the hood or under the car.

I have owned Sport Coupes since 1962, including a 31. Just sold a 29.

I obviously don’t know what level of car you are looking for or how much you want to spend. In my mind this would be a very low level car in need of many $$$$$ of work.

Good luck.

Good luck.

[jw hash]

Ford never produced a slant window sport coupe; the front half looks to a Victoria and the rear half looks to be a sports coupe; how is it titled. I would pass on it.

[nkaminar]

Well, there you have it. Two different opinions that are 180 degrees different. I say it depends on what you want. WHN is right that a detailed inspection must be done. Even if you are qualified it always helps to have a second set of eyes look at the car.

I cannot help you with the authenticity of the car. Maybe looking at the restoration guides would help. Maybe someone with more experience will chime in. Looks like JW chimed in while I was typing.

[edzaha]

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Ford did not produce a slant window sport coupe, that car has been patched together with spare parts.

[Oldbluoval]

Albeit not an easy task…
In the past I’d considered building a 3 window coupe much the same way. But use coupe quarters to slice and dice.
I know prototype 3 windows exist.
Too old, no more dreaming ….got
To get done what I’ve already got
On my plate

[Ed in Maine]

This car is best described by what it is not! It is not a Cabriolet, Sport Coupe or a Victoria. It is a modified something with a custom top that does not go down. Like what has been previously said, it depends on what you are looking for. But, it will never be a Model A that was built by Henry Ford. I would look for something else. You could invest a fortune in this car and have a car that is worth next to nothing. Ed

[rotorwrench]

The rear end is obviously a coupe with a trunk. Either the roof was damaged or gone so the builder used what he had to work with. Since the car is already in the custom category then it may be easier to use it that way or rebuild it some other way if not.

[WTSHNN]

That's a Frankenstein.

[Ivan in southeast va.]

I would pass!

[Karl Wescott]

Perhaps the elusive A-200?
Seriously, the car is what it is and authentic it is not. However if you can enjoy it for what it is... and the price is right... go for it!

[ronn]

all depends on price. People build home made hucksters and speedsters dont they?

what do you really want?

[McMimmcs]

If you ever intend to resell it run away from it, very fast!

[old31]

This car just does not look right to me. Look at the big gap in the dash were it meets the windshield.

Also, the ebrake is missing.

[Eccentric Old Guy]

If the price were right, the things that aren't correct from a picky restorer's POV wouldn't bother me. If it drove nice, it will give someone some pleasurable times behind the wheel......it's a driver, nothing more. Enjoy!

eog

[jack backer]

It’s a fugazi.. but hey, if it’s done right and you like it get it..

[Benson]

Picture 4: WHAT IS with the floor board not fitting right, frame near floor board looks wider and welded up.

[Kevin in NJ]

Someone made up something. They had the cowl and doors of a vicky and the rear of a coupe or sport coupe.

The dash gap is because they put a straight window dash (which is taller) on a slant cowl. Just will not work.

So the interesting issue is the fact that the vicky doors are longer then coupe doors yet the rear wheels appear sort of centered in the wheel wells.

So it would make for and interesting car at A shows. It will draw attention. My guess is the creative build is likely to have some serious issues. If you are not mechanically adept and understanding in the differences between bodies you are likely much better off keeping far away. I would also not pay very much for the thing.

By body differences the vicky is a wood built up body with wood sills and the coupe is a metal silled body. They had to do something to get the 2 parts to work well together. Usually people are not very good at engineering sound solutions to these kinds of things.

I will note, at a low enough price and if the condition was very good -no rust- there may be some value in building it back to a vicky and selling coupe rear section. Assuming it was a vicky to start with (look for the #6 mount point on the frame)

[CHuDWah]

Victoria doors are considerably wider than coupe doors. It's hard to tell from the 3/4 pix but the doors look close to coupe width. Either somebody did some serious surgery on them or they're not Vicky. Maybe slant sedan - I think those are narrower? Anyway, it's the front half of a slant something and I'll go with the seller's statement that the back half is a Sport Coupe. Those came with a rumble seat but converting to a trunk isn't that difficult.

No, it's not authentic and restoring it to a slant something and/or a Sport Coupe would cost more than just buying one already done. But despite the purists, I like it. If it passes inspection and the price is right, I say buy it - just think of all the lies you can tell about having the only surviving prototype slant windshield Sport Coupe!

[J Franklin]

The one in question may be homebuilt but what is the yellow one?

[funrunr]

Well, I went to see the car in person and the doors are longer which made it nice for getting in and out of the car. It had very little rust and a small patch on each lower quarter. The floorboard in the pics, was just not in place and fit pretty good. I think whoever built it did a fairly decent job. However I passed on the car and the owner was very kind and curious about the car himself. I appreciate each and everyone of you sharing your insight and knowledge to help me make my decision.

[Russ B]

Originally Posted by J Franklin

The one in question may be homebuilt but what is the yellow one?

68C cabriolet

[woofa.express]

Is Authenticity So Important. Not all of us are pure.

If the authenticity is not important: well so be it. To whom does it have to appeal?
Ever since I was a kid I hankered for a Model A. My first was a Tourer and when it was rebuilt I drove it to show an old timer. He was most critical and included faults such as the door card sewing starting and ending in the incorrect place, not at the latch like Henry etc etc

I love it and have had fun in it for years.

[Cape Codder]

jw hash - Why do you say "the front half looks to a Victoria" because of the two hinge doors on this car. Reason I ask is I have never heard that distinction.

[rotorwrench]

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The slant windshield designs came in mid 1931 except for the Vicky and were limited to only a few of the passenger car models. The long door Victoria coupe was the first model introduced in this format but there were several short door Fordor models that have this change. Sport coupes were already starting to become old hat and sales had dropped off in 1931 so they weren't included in this change. The Cabriolet and the A400 were also included in this change. Even the rare town car delivery was included in the slant windshield design.

I figure the front end was more likely from a Fordor model but it would need to be measured to know for sure. The short doors could be made to fit with coupe rear section as long as the top was removed. The long door may require modifications to the B-pillar to get a good fit on a coupe rear section. Sport coupes always had the rumble seat but is could have been changed as was previously mentioned.

[Bob C]

I agree that the front half is a Vicky. If you look at a coupe the seat back is behind the B pillar and the belt area looks longer on the real coupe.