1931 Model A Ford Victoria in Excellent Restored Condition

1931 Ford Model A

For your consideration is my 1931 Model A Ford Victoria leatherback. The car is in very good to excellent overall condition, and is a fantastic candidate for MARC Touring Class judging, or as a starting point for fine-point judging.
This car was built in April 1931, the last month before the later steelback with indented firewall. The early history of the car is unknown, however what is known is that the car was completely restored between 2008 and 2009 with a full body-off nut-and-bolt restoration (whoever did the restoration did a really good job). The owner of the car passed away and it was sold in 2012 via a vintage car dealer to a major car collector who specialized in muscle cars of the 60s and 70s. While he owned it, the car remained on display in his climate controlled garage, but was not run until this last year. The car ran when acquired, but needed considerable work which has been accomplished as detailed below.
The car is painted Ford Maroon with vermillion wheels and pinstripe over black fenders, trim, and running boards. The interior is tan mohair, with matching color carpeting. The car exhibits correct "butler nickel" finish on the shift column, emergency brake, and dash (the emergency brake has the correct butler finish with polished nickel handle). The original engine was removed at one point and replaced with a rebuilt Model B engine block and "C" marked cylinder head, Model B water pump, Model B intake manifold and Model B carburetor. The Model B engine provides approximately 10 horsepower over the standard Model A engine and is a very common upgrade for touring and dependability purposes. The remainder of the vehicle, including the transmission, running gear, suspension, steering, etc., are all Ford Model A original equipment. One of the greatest design features of the Victoria is the "bustle" which is accessible through the upper back seat. For this genre of car, it is very spacious and allows for the hidden transport of far more items than a standard trunk. There is also storage under the rear seat. The interior of the car exhibits exceptional hand-painted faux wood mahogany-style finish.

During my ownership, the following has been done:
-Replaced cylinder head gasket with a Best (brand) 509g gasket-Resurfaced cylinder head and intake/exhaust manifolds-Replaced all cylinder head and manifold studs and nuts-Rebuilt water pump with all new interior contents-Replaced fan with new two-blade aluminum fan-Replaced distributor with a correct 1931 manufacture distributor-Rebuilt distributor upgraded with modern points and point plate. Lower plate has been removed but the distributor has a half condenser and plug to replicate the original as-designed look-Restored Champion 3X spark plugs-Replaced all engine hoses and hose clamps-Flushed and tested radiator-Replaced fan belt-Replaced generator with newly rebuilt generator-Replaced cutout with NuRex cutout-Replaced coolant drain petcock with leakless valve-Added engine battery fuse (30A fuse)-Replaced distributor cap and body-Replaced ignition wiring. The ignition switch is directly wired to the distributor top plate, giving additional driving dependability-Replaced ignition switch with a three-position NuRex switch-Replaced battery grounding strap-Replaced throttle and timing rods.-Replaced throttle and timing steering column rod arms-Repainted steering column and steering box-Cleaned, repaired, and repainted floorboards-Repaired anti-squeak material on floorboards-Replaced reproduction floorboard "V" style washers with correct "domed" washers and raven finished screws-Drained and cleaned gas tank-Replaced gas valve, gas tank screen, and internal fuel line-Cleaned and replaced internals in the cast iron sediment bowl-Replaced original Model B carburetor with a rebuilt Model B carburetor-Carburetor was rebuilt with a rebuild kit and tested fuel jets from Renner's Corner (kit number 667)-GAV rod removed, GAV knob correctly finished (polished aluminum) GAV rod finished in cadmium color and all firewall gaskets replaced-Starter removed, tested, and repainted-Starter switch removed and rebuilt with all new components-Starter button replaced with correct cadmium plated one-Accelerator pedal replaced with correct cadmium plated pedal-New accelerator floorboard grommet installed-Exhaust/intake manifold gasket replaced-Exhaust manifold to muffler joint fitting replaced with nutless style-Engine dust pans removed, taken to bare metal and repainted-Engine nuts and bolts restored to original color and/or style of finish (cadmium plated, natural, etc.). All natural finish items are coated with Eastwood brand Diamond Clear spray-Rebuilt steering box. Changed lubrication with John Deere Corn Head grease-Replaced steering column upper bushing. Tapped bushing and replaced bushing screws-Removed and polished steering wheel. Replaced steering shaft nut-Rebuilt speedometer-Replaced ammeter-Installed armored cable for ignition with correct Electrolock plate-Rebuilt dash light. Rewired light for junction box connection. Replaced bulb with an LED-Added F-3 level industrial felt for soundproofing around shifter, emergency brake, and pedals-Added reproduction felt soundproofing behind front interior panels-Replaced gear shift/transmission cover-Replaced headlights and taillights with LEDs-Repainted bumper clamp inserts Washington Blue-Replaced bumper end bolts with spacers,stainless bolts, nuts and washers, correctly finished gloss black-Replaced original mirror with a vintage clock mirror (wind up clock operates with 30 hour power reserve, functions perfectly, and includes original box as well as original mirror). Mirror is in excellent condition with no flaking or peeling-Replaced wiper blade-Replaced front seat hinges, hinge rods and knobs, and seat studs-Replaced windshield locking knobs-Rewired and replaced dome light with LED bulb-Replated nickel plated dome light switch cover-Replaced window shade tassels-Repaired and rebuilt turn indicator wiring-Replaced all turn indicator bulbs-Replaced all engine wiring-Replaced all control and dash wiring-Drained and replaced all engine fluids. Replaced transmission and differential oil with proper 600W oil.
Purchase receipts for these upgrades and repairs total close to $5000, not including labor.
The car comes with two ignition keys and one door key. All keys work. As with any 93 year old car with a 15 year old restoration, the car does have some imperfections, visible in the photos. These can be left as-is or repaired as desired. The running board mats will need replacement at some point (they are peel and stick). The car was brought up to date using the Model A Restorers Club and Model A Ford Club of America (MARC/MAFCA) Fine Point and MARC Touring Class judging standards. In a draft trial run (informally judged by me) the car scored a 466 out of 500 in MARC Touring Class with the majority of points deducted due to the Model B upgrades (manifold, carburetor, cylinder head, water pump, etc.) incorrect finish on the control levers (butler nickel instead of chrome) and rubber stems on the tire tubes. These could be easily changed to maximize points, or left as-is.
All visible body wood appears to have been replaced during restoration, with no rot or sagging noted anywhere on the car. The only original wood I have found is in the seats, where the restorer used the original wood seat frames but replaced the springs with new ones during restoration. The doors close correctly, and the passenger side external door locks (no external lock on the driver's side as original). Both sun visors and present and operational, with original hardware. There is no visible rust on the car, except where the mat is cracking on the passenger side running board and water has seeped below it (depending on how long the car is listed, I may fix that, however). The Motormeter is a reproduction, but it works and the car does not overheat. The tires are dated 2004 for manufacture, but still have considerable tread on them. The spare tire is in brand new condition and retains the original manufacture markings on the tread. The tires have the correct red "F" Firestone shield on the sidewalls. There are no leaks in the passenger compartment of the car, and this has been proven by driving in a horrific downpour (not intentionally!). The vacuum wiper works in slow and fast speeds, but as with all vintage windshield wipers of this time period, is not particularly useful. All windows have been coated with Rain-X which is excellent for repelling rain. All door handles and locks work, as do all four window regulators (the back seat side windows roll down). The car does not exhibit the "driver side tilt" that many Model As show, so it is believed that the springs and shocks are in operational condition and it appears that the shocks were rebuilt during restoration (they have not been disassembled to verify). The leaf springs have been greased and appear to be in very good condition. Likewise, the brakes have not been disassembled as they are fully operational. Similarly, the transmission operates as built and aside from opening and inspecting from the top cover, has not been altered. The crankshaft pulley appears to have an approximate 1/16th of an inch arch to it, being visible but not affecting operation of the car. The car has a mix of original style and new style grease fittings. All appear operational. The steering wheel exhibits minor cracking, as is very common for original wheels. The wheel can either be replaced or used as-is. The car's "sweet spot" for speed is around 37 mph, but can attain 55 mph with 50 mph being a comfortable and maintainable top end speed.
There is no manufacturer's engine number on the engine, proper for a Model B engine. The frame number under the driver's cowl (if it still remains) is unknown. The body number is 190A 26748, which is assumed to be correct. It matches with the details of the car and is in line with the known April 1931 manufactured Victorias. The car has a clear Virginia title. The actual mileage is unknown, though the mileage at purchase (13,191) was retained during the speedometer restoration. Since the car is an excellent driver (both day and night), I use it almost daily around the neighborhood so the mileage will be different based on the length of time the car remains for sale.
Please note, the license plates and license plate topper do not convey with the vehicle. Please forgive the quality of my videos and photos.
I am happy to discuss the car and can answer any questions not addressed above via eBay messenger. I have additional photos and videos, including cold start, horn operation, and night drive, and can make extras as requested. Please feel free to make me an offer via eBay's "make an offer" button. For a Buy it Now purchase, a non-refundable deposit of $500 is required. Payment is cash on pickup, though I will consider other common sense payment methods. I also welcome any in-person inspections of the car. I will work with your chosen car transport shipper and will ship worldwide, though all import and customs requirements must be conducted by the buyer. The car is listed for sale locally so I reserve the right to end the listing at any time. I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to own and work on this car and am proud of how good it looks and runs. It's now time for it to move on to its "forever home" for many years of future driving enjoyment. Thank you for looking!.

• Make: Ford
• Model: Model A
• Type: Victoria
• Doors: 2
• Year: 1931
• Mileage: 13461
• Color: Ford Maroon
• Interior color: Tan
• Vehicle Title: Clean
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