01-31-2015, 08:44 PM | #1 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Reno, Nv
Posts: 29
|
Australian A's
Hello,
Yesterday, I learned that my model A was Canadian based on all of the build numbers, black emblem, and front bumper clamps. Today, after having someone go look at the car, try noticed a plate under the seat that says its Australian. I was hoping someone could provide insight on the Australian cars, as there is very little info I could find. I did find a small something that said the Australian cars had CA vin numbers. Any help is appreciated as I am trying to get to the root of this.
__________________
Brighton Denison 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton (Australian) Reno, Nv |
01-31-2015, 09:32 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lexington, NC
Posts: 695
|
Re: Australian A's
Is there any evidence that it once was right hand drive like maybe the firewall was patched where the steering column goes through or the existing hole isn't quite stock?
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|
01-31-2015, 09:36 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: South Coast NSW Australia
Posts: 2,596
|
Re: Australian A's
Has it got a timber subframe and seat risers ?
|
01-31-2015, 09:41 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,496
|
Re: Australian A's
The mechanicals were Canadian but the bodies were made here. That practice started early in the Model T days and continued till the late 40's when the main body maker (Holden) was taken over by GM to create General Motors Holden (GMH), as GM is known here. Once the new company got itself together, GMH cars were uniquely Australian, designed and built here. Ford did similar including local design and manufacture. These cars were for year considered superior to the parent company's product (no offense intended). Unfortunately, both head offices in Detroit in all there wisdom (????) have decided to shut down their Australian braches in 2016.
Engine numbers on Model As here start with 3 letters. C, A and other followed by a 5 digit number. I have one starting with CAQ, another with CAD and yet another with CAW. There were no numbers on the chassis.
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood. |
01-31-2015, 09:44 PM | #5 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Reno, Nv
Posts: 29
|
Re: Australian A's
Yes, seat risers are made from wood. Numbers are ca55443
Like I said there is a plate under the seat saying it's built in Australia. My grandfather once mentioned a conversion from rhd, although I don't see much evidence.
__________________
Brighton Denison 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton (Australian) Reno, Nv |
01-31-2015, 09:47 PM | #6 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Reno, Nv
Posts: 29
|
Re: Australian A's
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
I won't be around the car for a few months, and will take very detailed pictures then.
__________________
Brighton Denison 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton (Australian) Reno, Nv |
01-31-2015, 09:50 PM | #7 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,496
|
Re: Australian A's
Quote:
Does it have a number stamped into the wood under the front seat?
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood. |
|
01-31-2015, 09:51 PM | #8 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Reno, Nv
Posts: 29
|
Re: Australian A's
I'll have to check on that when I see it...
__________________
Brighton Denison 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton (Australian) Reno, Nv |
01-31-2015, 09:54 PM | #9 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Reno, Nv
Posts: 29
|
Re: Australian A's
If anyone could post some pictures of what I should be looking for it would be greatly appreciated
__________________
Brighton Denison 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton (Australian) Reno, Nv |
01-31-2015, 09:55 PM | #10 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,496
|
Re: Australian A's
Quote:
Just as a point of useless trivia, there is no such thing as a deciduous native Australian tree. They are all evergreens. Isn't it amazing what you can learn on a forum like this!!!!
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood. |
|
01-31-2015, 10:14 PM | #11 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Reno, Nv
Posts: 29
|
Re: Australian A's
Called my grandpa, and it is in fact ash. It has some evidence of a RHD conversion!
This is getting interesting. I wonder why someone payed to ship to the U.S. And convert when they could buy one here...
__________________
Brighton Denison 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton (Australian) Reno, Nv |
01-31-2015, 10:36 PM | #12 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,496
|
Re: Australian A's
Quote:
I'm pursuing an Australian woody (still RHD) at the moment where that is what happened.
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood. |
|
01-31-2015, 10:41 PM | #13 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Reno, Nv
Posts: 29
|
Re: Australian A's
some photos
__________________
Brighton Denison 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton (Australian) Reno, Nv |
01-31-2015, 10:46 PM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,496
|
Re: Australian A's
Being an Australian car, you'll have to be a little careful when you buy some body parts like hood (Top) bows. The US ones are different and don't fit.
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood. |
01-31-2015, 10:51 PM | #15 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Reno, Nv
Posts: 29
|
Re: Australian A's
I do not plan on selling this car in my lifetime, and I hope my son won't either. That being said, does the Australian build affect value? I'm going to keep digging and get a whole history of this car put together!
__________________
Brighton Denison 1928 Model A Ford Phaeton (Australian) Reno, Nv |
02-01-2015, 12:41 AM | #16 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: South Coast NSW Australia
Posts: 2,596
|
Re: Australian A's
Quote:
Are you saying Geelong stamped the metal bodies inhouse in 1928 ? |
|
02-01-2015, 01:42 AM | #17 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Canterbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,242
|
Re: Australian A's
I am no expert on Canadian export A's, but I do own one. Re some of the previous quotes ; the first 150,000 Canadian engines were CA ......., after that they were done in batches of about 10,000 with 3 letters, eg. CAQ, CAE etc. until mid '31.
If your car has an Aussie tag on the seat frame somewhere, it has its true bona fides. I do not think Geelong was stamping body panels in 1928 or '29 but they were building up these imported panels & using wooden sub & door framing. They were stamping for 1930 '31 [ same, no change to any US '31 types] but not fenders, hoods, just bodywork & probably not all panels were 100% made in Aust. The top frames of a '28 '29 Phaeton should be the same as Nth America, but not the '30 '31's. Most foreign Model A's went back to the US with Servicemen in the '60's [ a lot from NZ] because they had a lot more money than us & they went back in Hercules planes for nothing. Open cars were common Downunder then but not so many in the US, hence the Phaetons & roadsters . It still goes on , mostly from Sth America to US & Europe. We buy all your '50's & '60's cars. |
02-01-2015, 03:29 AM | #18 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Victoria, Australia
Posts: 1,177
|
Re: Australian A's
Quote:
The wood used in Australian bodies was Mountain Ash, which is a type of Eucalyptus. The wood was used for main body side stringers, cross pieces between the stringers except the rear and seat risers front and rear. The panel between the front and rear doors has a beefier mount bracket compared to the US phaeton bodies. The phaetons have the side curtain box under the front seat, and is accessed by lifting the front seat base, and sliding the curtains between the seat base support ribs. Holden never made a lot of bodies for Ford, if any at all, everything I've read and heard says that they didn't. Ford made most of their own bodies, with some more exotic styles made by companies like Propert of Sydney, who made fabric bodied Fordors, and Brownlie and Keats of Launceston who made a body they called a Tudor-Coupe. |
|
02-01-2015, 03:39 AM | #19 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: South Coast NSW Australia
Posts: 2,596
|
Re: Australian A's
And Propert made accessory folding camping bodies for phaetons .
The back of the front seat was hinged and folded down. And the only wood in the doors is a horizontal piece that looks like an anti intrusion bar sandwiched between the inner frame and outer skin. I got no idea what this was for, as it would not do anything much. Would actually help in a T-bone prang, but this was not mandated law until about 1977 to have to fit anti intrusion bars. I guess all 28/29/s had this wood in door ? |
02-01-2015, 04:45 AM | #20 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Queensland Australia
Posts: 640
|
Re: Australian A's
[ The phaetons have the side curtain box under the front seat, and is accessed by lifting the front seat base, and sliding the curtains between the seat base support ribs.
.[/QUOTE] Not sure that this statement is entirely correct. My Phaeton being an early 1928 (AR) had the curtain box under the rear floor. The compartment was just over 2" deep and reached from the rear seat riser to well under the font seat. There was no doubt that the timber was the original.
__________________
Adjust your points with gentle blows of a 2 pound hammer |
|
|
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) |
|