Vehicle Description
1930 Ford Model A Murray Town Sedan
In the 1930's Henry Ford had 2 suppliers that made bodies for his
Model A's. One was Briggs, and the other was Murray. The two
produced similar but not exactly the same bodies with subtle
differences, and the parts could not be exchanged between the two,
making the restorers job a bit more difficult. A Murray body has a
unique feature in the side glass which is arched at the tops. It
gives the car just a slight touch of class more than the
Briggs.
Imagine if you will, a car auction attended by a gentleman who has
no particular agenda other than just attending, and somehow becomes
wildly attracted to a Murray Model A body sitting there, all rust
free and calling out his name to save it. A nod of his head and a
single finger in the air made him the high bid. That calling had
worked, the body succeeded in finding a home as he could not walk
away, and the restoration process began. What resulted is a
beautiful build and a small matching teardrop trailer and all
buttoned up too. An initial call out, a lot of work, and love
affair for a man and his build leaves us to this story, which
originates from the Twilight Zone...(cue the dramatic music!).
Exterior
This Fodor sedan built by Murray for Henry was completely stripped
and sanded and had virtually no rust to deal with. All laser
straight steel painted in Dakota Brown which will beg your eyes to
dive in this deep end of the Dakota pool! Perfectly curved fenders
are painted in deep brown and my eyes are preparing for another
deep dive! A pristine running board attaches the fenders. A nicely
chromed wire "caned" effect for the radiator down and insert which
is shiny and beautiful. From the polished flying quail hood
ornament, to the chromed radiator surround and side mounted
headlights, the cowled hood just behind it has vertical ribs on
either side to aid in the cooling of the engine. This backs up to
vertical glass which is all excellent. A two bar bumper with a
black leather trunk strapped to the back of the car and behind it
the spare inside the bumper, this car screams elegance and
perfection. A Cadillaclimousine roof has been grafted into the roof
for a full steel look and a 2" chop was performed during the redux.
14-inch front "Smoothies" wheels in chrome, and 15 inch rear
"Smoothies" are wrapped in black wall rubber from the 41st week of
2017.
Interior
Grabbing on to the french curved shiny door handles and giving them
a turn, we are in custom light tan tweed and handmade oak
accompaniments heaven. Nicely padded door panels with a wood
storage "bin" and shiny handles and power window toggles within
this tweed field, the sills have been painted cream for contrast.
Slipping in front, and resting on the wide slight tuck and slightly
rolled overstuffed buckets that cozy up to each other, I can firmly
grab the now rally wheel which is wrapped in leather polished and
has chromed center hub. Upfront is more oak which mixes with a
cream painted metal dash front and top. In the center is an
elongated oval oak panel with Stewart Warner white faced vintage
looking gauges with shiny bezels. A few warning lights are also
within this panel. Below more oak with carved flourish molding on
top of the oak and Vintage Air hangs below the dash. In back a
storage bench with no seats just carping to sit on, but plenty of
room for storage. A black headliner above with some fancy oak
strips to hold it up, this padded Caddy limo roof has been chopped
2 inches for the hot rod look. Also above the windshield is a
custom fabricated oak upper console to house the radiator and some
courtesy lighting.
Drivetrain
A lift of the cowl and we are nearly blinded by bling from this
massive 350ci V8 engine. It's all blinged out with chromed valve
coverings and plenty of rust free cast add ons. It has a 4bbl
carburetor on top and a 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission on
back The rear is a Ford 8.8. Dual glasspack styled exhaust are seen
running towards the back of the car.
Undercarriage
SInce it was only a body, our consigner has a Brookville Roadster
reproductionframe that was purchased and provides the base for the
body to sit on. This holds a super bell front axle and a rear Pete
and Jakes suspension. Power disc braking is on all 4 corners, and
is a far cry from the originals. So is the glasspack exhaust.
Drive-Ability
A treat to look at and definitely a driver, this fully restored
automobile leaves no stone unturned and runs fantastically. The
power disc brakes are awesome, and attention to detail is
unmatched. Runs great and pulls like a champ
Speaking of pulling, we also have a teardrop trailer in matching
retro styling and body color that goes with this car. This 2
wheeler tagalong has enough room for all the luggage you'll want to
have with you, save for the kitchen sink...that'll stay home!
I'm going to drop a dime that may be obvious by now but as the
consignor states and I tend to agree wholeheartedly. This is one of
THE nicest Model A's in the Mall if not the state? Very nice job
Mr. Consignor. Lesson Learned!
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
