28 vs 29: How to tell the two apart?

[mshmodela]

Model A Experts,

I was enjoying Bonnie and Clyde two part mini series over the weekend and can surely tell a 30' vs 31' and those two from a 28' or 29' but I cannot tell a 28' from a 29'... I own a late 31'. So is there some sign that one can tell the two part?

[pooch]

I guess when you are walking up to a phaeton or roadster , from a distance the first thing you see is the lack of or the existence of outside door handles.

[wrndln]

As you know 28 and 29 model A's look almost the same. Only looking closely can you tell 28's form 29's and even then early 29's had many 28 carry over items. I usually check for flute headlight lenses, body mounted taillight bracket, round verses bell shaped raised area around the radiator shell crank hole to denote 28 model A's. There are other differences like a powerhouse generator, red steering wheel, slightly different bumperettes, but again many of these things were changed in late 28 and early 29. My early 29 phaeton has many 28 features like flutes lenses, powerhouse generator, body mounted taillight, etc. Hope this helps a little.
Rusty Nelson

[Tom Wesenberg]

My early (2-23-29 tank date) Tudor has body mounted drum taillight and fluted headlamps, but it does have the new 2 tooth steering box.

On the open cars, it's easy to tell the 28's by lack of outside door handles as pooch noted, but on closed cars you need to look for many small details. This is another reason to buy a set of the Restoration Guidelines. You can learn a lot of these details in just the one book.

[Tiny]

I believe it's 29's that have the bump in the splash apron. Of course it could be 28's. It tells the difference in them I just don't remember which is which.

[wrndln]

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Tiny,
Only the very early 28's with the combined service and emergency bake system had no splash apron bump. Ford was forced to change the emergency brake to a separate system isolated from the service brakes quite early. I don't remember when the combine brake system was abandon, but I believe it was in the first half of 28. I have seen very few splash aprons on 28's or 29's without a bump for the brake return spring.
Rusty Nelson

[GB SISSON]

Is the combined service/emergency brake system the same as saying emergency brake lever on the left side? Mine on my AA feels like they are the same and it's on the left. The engine # starts with AA and dates from Oct '28. When did the two systems become seperate?

[MikeK]

The very early '28's had the Ford bug (oval logo) on the top of the "H" style (fluted) headlight lenses, not the bottom.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Is the combined service/emergency brake system the same as saying emergency brake lever on the left side? Mine on my AA feels like they are the same and it's on the left. The engine # starts with AA and dates from Oct '28. When did the two systems become seperate?

Yes, when the parking brake is on the left side the cars and trucks did NOT have the seperate parking brake bands.

AA's kept using parts usually much longer than the cars, so while cars got the seperate parking brake about May 1928, it's not uncommon that your AA still had the old system.

[SUHRsc]

I've had roadster bodies where the rear "bumper" section of the subrails was a full C shape inside... and some that have an air gap in between, sort of like a box with one side recessed. Was this change done when the taillight moved off the body? The boxed type seemed to be on 28's for sure but not sure of the change?

[Mike V. Florida]

At first glance, 1928-29 cars look identical. You'll have to look closely to tell the difference. The single tail light of the 1928 cars was shaped like a tuna can and is referred to as a "drum" tail light. This design was carried over to the early 1929 models until the more common "tea cup" design was introduced. That design was used until the end of production. The drum tail light bracket was forged steel and was bolted to the bottom of the body on the driver's side. The tea cup bracket was stamped steel and was bolted to the rear fender on the driver's side. If you find a left-rear fender with no mounting holes for a tail light, it's probably a 1928 fender.

1928 cars originally had red steering wheels. These gave way to black wheels in 1929. 1928 roadsters, pickups, and phaetons lacked outside door handles but 1929 roadsters and phaetons were so equipped.

Headlight lenses can also help determine the year. 1928 lenses were a carryover from Model T days. The design of the lens was changed for 1929 and continued thorough the end of production.

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Yes, when the parking brake is on the left side the cars and trucks did NOT have the seperate parking brake bands.

AA's kept using parts usually much longer than the cars, so while cars got the seperate parking brake about May 1928, it's not uncommon that your AA still had the old system.

sometimes that left hand emergency brake/no seperate bands bleeds over to early 29 in AA's

[GB SISSON]

Good, then maybe my AA really is Oct 28, just like the first AA I bought in 1972, and my Mom who is also Oct '28. Thanks very much.

[smurph]

I believe the front center bumper clamp on the '28 was round. This was continued until April '29 when it was changed to the smaller, oblong design.