What year is this car???

[Tom F OHIO]

My brother-in-law just bought a Model A Roadster. We thought it was a 1929. But it has 4 19" wheels and tires. According to the motor number it was built in September of 1929. It has an oval speedometer. Could this be an early 1930 Model A? Is their another feature to say whether its a 1929 or a 1930.

[ModelA29]

Today 99.9% of Model As are a collection of parts from several years. firewall difference is that 28/ 29 gas tank IS the upper firewall and cowl, while 30/ 31's have a one piece firewall.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Tom F OHIO

My brother-in-law just bought a Model A Roadster. We thought it was a 1929. But it has 4 19" wheels and tires. According to the motor number it was built in September of 1929. It has an oval speedometer. Could this be an early 1930 Model A? Is their another feature to say whether its a 1929 or a 1930.

Tom - I would not put too much emphasis on the motor number. Over the years many Model As (I'd go so far as to go out on a limb and say "most Model As") needed an engine rebuild, and it was common to pull the engine out of the car, go to your local auto parts store and swap out your engine for another one already rebuilt. (Sears even sold rebuilt engines - order one up, delivered to your local store, and take in your old engine!) There's no difference in fitment across the four years, so an engine swap could be for any engine built during that time. It is rare to find a "numbers matching" car, especially with the original engine (not uncommon to grind off an old engine number and restamp the engine with the previous engine number during a rebuild).

I think you need to look for more indicators. Certainly the 19" wheels points to 1930. The oval speedo was used in the 1930 model year through June of 1930. The only real way you will be able to pin down when the car was built is to look at the frame number, which you cannot easily do with the body on it. 1930 had a different cowl, hood and radiator from the 1929. If you can post a picture of the car showing the front we can likely help identify.

[wrndln]

I doubt the car is a 1930, if it was built in September of 29. However, the engine may not be the original one that was in the car when built. Someone probably in the past swapped the 21" wheels for 19" wheels. 30 and 31 model A's had stainless cowl bands near where the hood and cowl meet. There are a myriad of other differences between 28/29 and 30/31 A's. Post a picture of the roadster so we can see what it looks like. In one second most people familiar with model A's can tell the difference between 28/29 and 30/31 A's.
Rusty Nelson

[Gene F]

Originally Posted by Tom F OHIO

My brother-in-law just bought a Model A Roadster. We thought it was a 1929. But it has 4 19" wheels and tires. According to the motor number it was built in September of 1929. It has an oval speedometer. Could this be an early 1930 Model A? Is their another feature to say whether its a 1929 or a 1930.

The title matches the motor number at least? What does the title say?

[ModelA29]

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Engine and frame numbers mean nothing. They were basically the same parts from 1928-1931. You can put any year body on any year frame and install any year engine. Using the body years seems to be the best way to define which year it is.
I'm certain if you mounted a 31 Slant window body on a 1928 frame with a 1928 engine number and called it a 1928 people would walk away from you shaking their heads.

[700rpm]

28-29s had a date stamp in the inner firewall upper driver’s side. Sometimes theyre still visible. That can give you a clue.

[dave in australia]

Could we see a picture please?

[ronn]

I put 19s on some of my 28-29 as well. they are 5x more plentiful.


If you wtd to make your car look more "modern" in the day, lower profile whls were the way to go. Much like rodders use 16s today.

[rotorwrench]

The frame number stamped on the top rail just to the rear of the front left body to frame attachment, is the only official indicator of approximate date for title registration purposes. All else is replaceable. If it has a 1931 frame then it's a 1931 and so on. If it indicates September 1929 then it's a 1929.

There are subtle clues to the trained eye about approximate date of manufacture in the factory changes to frames that happened regularly during model A production but it still comes down to that VIN serial number. November 1929 was the change over time frame when production of the 1930 model bodies would have been fully incorporated. The only acception was the early 1930 pickups or commercials. All of the car bodies made the change for the new styling whether made by Ford or by the subcontractors like Briggs and Murray.

[WTSHNN]

Originally Posted by Tom F OHIO

My brother-in-law just bought a Model A Roadster. We thought it was a 1929. But it has 4 19" wheels and tires. According to the motor number it was built in September of 1929. It has an oval speedometer. Could this be an early 1930 Model A? Is their another feature to say whether its a 1929 or a 1930.

Is there a "coupe pillar" that is, is there is a step between the cowl and the body or is it smooth?

Stepped is '28-'29. '30-'31 was smooth transition.

That is what you should be looking at.

[Joe K]

There are subtle clues to the trained eye about approximate date of manufacture in the factory changes to frames that happened regularly during model A production but it still comes down to that VIN serial number. November 1929 was the change over time frame when production of the 1930 model bodies would have been fully incorporated. The only acception was the early 1930 pickups or commercials. All of the car bodies made the change for the new styling whether made by Ford or by the subcontractors like Briggs and Murray.

One can look to the bottom of the radiator and see if an additional "pad" of thickness has been added at the mount. Ford "lowered" the frame radiator landing spot October 1929 in anticipation of the new body styles: if there is an additional square of something there - then THE body style is probably the 1929 version - and the frame the 1930 version.

Front crossmember change shown Page 387 of the Service Bulletins - the next to the LAST page so marked "October." (Page 388 shows a cut-away of the 1929 body. Page 389 missing - Post Era Publishing yellow reproduction, Page 390 marked "November.")

I have one of the transitional frames - numbered (still readable) showing late October production but the front cross member obviously designed for the 1930 body.

Joe K

[gdmn852]

Hello, if you can post pictures that would help, attached is a picture of a 1931 Deluxe Roadster, similar to a 1930 Roadster body but different top on a Deluxe, also cowl lamps would not be on a 1930 Standard roadster.

[Cape Codder]

gdmn852- Your Roadster sure is GREAT looking with NICE Colors! I also like the TRUNK which seems to be taller than most! Thanks for posting the pictures!

[Tom F OHIO]

[attach]2024-02-06 11.50.38.jpg

2024-02-06 13.41.26.jpg[/attach]

Thanks for everyones reply. I'm leaning towards 1929 Hope these pictures
will determine. Thanks again.

[gdmn852]

Hello again, I would say a 1929 , had outside door handles , thanks for the compliment on the roadster, looks better in pictures than real life.

[gdmn852]

Looks like your roadster is in nice condition, hopefully be driving it , when (if?) weather gets warmer , I am in Pennsylvania so probably sharing the cold.

[Keith True]

That car on the trailer is a 29.30 has different body and fenders.There was no DeLuxe roadster until August of 30 anyway.When you see a 30 DeLuxe with an oval speedo it has either been deluxified,or somebody changed the gas tank to a pre-June tank.

[JayJay]

1929 - maybe with original engine? or at least a restamp to the original number?

[700rpm]

The fluted headlight lens are ‘28. The wheels are ‘30-‘31. But the body and doors would indicate ‘29. I’ll go with ‘29.