MTFCA Forum

My mom just happened to send me some old pics today in the mail. I won't share my baby pics...

But, here's a picture of her mom in some car in 1936. At least that's what it says on the back of the photo.
.

29 Model A Ford. Might be 28. From the smooth cowl I would guess a delux model of the 4 door.

Briggs body? It might be brand new as there is no license plate.
Rich

Wouldn’t be brand new if the picture was taken in 1936.

Yep, you're right. Still looks new.

Yes, it does look awfully good for a 7 or 8 year old car.

Not to be contrary or anything, but the cowl indicates a '30 or '31 to me. The '28-'29 Model A's had a narrower cowl at the firewall, and a front-facing A-Pillar indentation at the back of the cowl which went all the way down to the hood shelf area, much like the '26-'27 Model T's. The picture shows the hood-hinge body line continuing into the rest of the body as well, not stopping for an indent at the back of the cowl below the windshield. This is from the FWIW Dept.
Good keepsake photo!!

Marv, take another look. The radiator shell says '28 or '29 to me. Going by the crank hole in the lower part of the shell, it looks like a '28.
Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.....
Keith

The bead on the hood and cowl is very deceiving on those '28-'29 Fordors. It does make them look like a '30-31'. I have been fooled a few times.
Rich

-Keith & Rich-
Perhaps I've not paid close-enough attention to those '28-9 fordors to ID that part?

Looks like a right hand pinkie to me or maybe an F3 twister.

Headlamp lenses suggest '28. A long-time best friend many years ago had a '29 Murray Town Sedan (model A Ford). '28 and '29 Ford had a larger variety of sedan models. Most (not quite all) of them had the smoother cowl lines, lack of A pillar offset, and bead on the hood making them look more like the '30/'31 models. Many of the "deluxe" models came standard with cowl lamps, including Steve's Town Sedan. Some "deluxe" models had cowl lamps as options. Most body styles were not available from the factory with cowl lamps in any way in '28 and '29(as with many "options", dealers could sometimes put them on unofficially). In addition to the Town Sedan, sedans were available in various "blind back", "leather back", and standard models (many without cowl lamps). Most Fordor sedan bodies were built by either Murray or Briggs, as were the cabriolets (which as I recall were also available with the optional cowl lamps?).

Marv K. - Reich Eagle "nailed it"! It's a 1929 Briggs Town Sedan (155-B)

The smooth & flush cowl sides do indeed make people think that body style must be a '30 - '31, however, the Briggs Town Sedan body was built starting with the '29 model (like this one pictured above) for the rest of the Model A period. As was mentioned above, the radiator shell size & shape is indeed typical of the '28 - '29 Model A, but it is for sure, a '29 Briggs Town Sedan. Murray also built that same body with one slight difference,....the slightly curved top of the side window openings, while the Briggs (as pictured above) had the top of the side window openings perfectly straight. Yes, the '29 Briggs Town Sedan is indeed "unique" design of its' own (and fools a lot of people) as it has the radiator, hood & cowl, front fender design of the '28 - '29 Model A, but also has the flush & smooth and more streamlined side panel design & style of the '30 - '31.

Sorry Wayne,...."simultaneous typing" and you explained much more thoroughly,.....(:^).....harold

No worries Harold! I like what you wrote about them.

Wayne,....I kinda' sounded like a "know it all" kinda' guy I guess, however, I just happen to own a 1929 Briggs Town Sedan (155-B) "exactly" like that one! (:^)

(.....not often,....but once in awhile,....a subject come up that I actually know something about! (:^)

I would go with standard late 28 to early 29 leather or blind back Briggs 4 door (2 window) with the old style fluted lens. I don't see a cowl band so don't think it would be a town sedan. If it was an early 28 it would have had the cowl vent which was dropped in late 28. The standard model 4 doors did not come with cowl lights or cowl band. The Town sedan was introduced some time in the calendar year of 1929 (Junish) and for 29 at least was a deluxe model with plated cowl band and lights. I wonder if the date was wrong on the photo, that car looks too new to have been driven any by 1936.

Holy cow you guys.... I’m going to have to show this thread to my mom. Her mom never got this much attention. Ever!

Jeff

To add to this, blind/leather backs are not town sedans. All town sedans had quarter windows which the the blind/leather backs do not.

Very cool pic..

Definitely a Briggs Blindback, '28 or '29. Interestingly the '29 was a "plain Jane" model with plain seats (no piping) and less were made than of the infamous A-400 convertible sedan--but guess which one is worth more nowadays? I rebuilt one from a bare, wood-less body shell (with no dents in it!) about 30 years ago. I would question the 1936 date though--the car is VERY shiny, and their is no front plate, but the front plate clamps are on the headlight bar, if it was from a state with no front plates, I would think those clamps would have disappeared by 1936.

Screw on radiator and gas caps and small hubcaps indicate 28-29.

Here is my Leatherback. It has a November 1928 build date stamped on the firewall.

Yup! "Blindback" for sure! Wish I'd had just a little bit better side view on that first almost direct head-on photo and I would not then have made a fool of myself! Ya' gotta' admit tho' that the unusual '28 -'29 radiator that blends into the normal '30 - '31 4-door body lines is the same on the town sedan as well as th "blindback"!

David D.....that color photo you posted sure looked familiar to me! My '29 155-B Briggs Town Sedan is painted exactly the same,....medium gray with the normal black fenders & running board splash shields and all black above the belt line. I didn't paint mine, but I kinda' like it,....almost a bit on the "elegant" side for a Model A!

Harold,
Last I knew, that A was in Louisville, KY. I haven't seen it for some 30 years!
If you find a '29 Fordor with the standard "stepped cowl, you've found a factory Taxi Body, almost all metal, and last I knew, only about 3 survived. Yes, radiator shell, etc. is standard. The hood, and cowl are Fordor and Cabriolet only, and the gas tank is the standard '29 tank, hidden under the cowl. the hood is also unique. although I THINK the regular hood would fit the hole (but of course, not look right). BTW, you CAN find '29 type gas tanks with the twist-on/off gas cap; the design was held over on the Commercial truck line for a short time.

PS the car in my photos is dark blue above the belt molding, not black! Here's a pic before I put the body on the chassis. I wonder if I could still do a paint job like that now? That's actually the room I painted it in! No fancy paint booth, just a huge fan in a window frame to ventilate the area. I once painted another model A in a guys carport behind his house--at the car shows no one would believe it--but we'd water down the ground and paint early in the morning before the bugs came out.
Here's another paint job in that same room; and the results I even woodgrained the interior trim pieces (authentic finish--I think the lower one is the original graining clear coated to bring it out) These were done a long time ago, not certain I could do the same today. AAAUGH!!