Vehicle Description
1928 Ford Model A -1980 Shay Reproduction -Only 3,268 Miles
This Model A "tribute" will provide SO MUCH FUN for someone! If you
are looking for a reliable, weekend car show and evening cruise
night "cool car", come in and check this one out. It's affordable
and easy to maintain. (Only 3,268 Miles!)
The Shay Model A reproduction car was built by Harry Shay's company
between 1979 and 1982. These cars were sold by Ford dealers
throughout the United States. They were built to provide the
classic look on a modern chassis, allowing for better drivability
and handling.
It is powered by a 2.3 liter 4 cylinder with 88 horsepower with a
4-speed manual gearbox. Modern improvements include coil spring
suspension, rack, and pinion steering, disc brakes, dual-mounted
wire wheels, whitewall tires, rumble seat, dual "vintage" horns,
luggage rack with a luggage trunk, and the very cool Rumble
Seat!
(From Hemmings Motor News):
The rolling 25-year window continues to provide an air of
collectibility to many cars that perhaps would not have earned a
second look in their prime. It also affords an opportunity to
re-evaluate cars that have slipped off the collector-car scene's
radar. Take, for example, Harry Shay's effort to provide the
nostalgic looks of the Model A Ford roadster with the ease of a
late-model car. Underpinned by thoroughly modern Ford mechanicals,
the Shay was embraced by some and derided by others because it was
inevitably compared to the simple and affordable 1928-'29 Ford it
replicated.
In that sense, as a late-'70s, early-'80s automobile, the Shay is
unmatched. There was no two-seat roadster version of the Pinto-no
open version at all, in fact. It was not a time for fun cars. Even
the Corvette had dropped its roadster body after 1975. The only
comparable cars were the small, sporty roadsters still being
imported from Italy and the U.K.
But the Shay was all Ford underneath. Thanks to a savvy arrangement
by Shay's company, The Model A and Model T Motor Car Reproduction
Corporation (changed to the less-cumbersome Shay Motors Corporation
in late 1980), Shays were actually offered through Ford dealers
when new. When maintenance was needed, that same dealership could
provide service, as could scores of local garages used to working
on domestic cars.
Possibly the greatest appeal after the Shay's sheer driveability is
how easy it is to work on. Kevin tells us that he got all of his
service parts through his local NAPA store. He even has a plaque on
the dashboard dedicated to the counter guys who made his work so
easy by having parts either on hand or available soon after the
asking.
Harry Shay wanted to offer the public the fun of a Ford Model A
without the dedication required to own a car of that vintage. That
is really still the appeal of the Shay. Anyone who could drive or
service a Pinto can drive or service a Shay. With prices still very
low, a Shay may well be the easiest way to replicate the carefree,
open-air motoring of the late 1920s for the modern enthusiast.
VIN: MOMIEX4470M
Price: $14,900