“It rides like a boat.” That’s what people say when a car’s loose suspension makes it float all over the road. But have you ever seen a car actually built like a boat?
Enter the 1931 mahogany Model A Roadster for sale now on eBay. The running gear is traditional. The body? Not so much.
A 1948 Ford Flathead V-8 sits is topped with an authentic Offenhauser mainfold
A Woodie of the Highest Order
The builder used vintage boat construction methods complimented by stainless steel fasteners and adhesives. The listing on eBay reads:
It’s hard to put into words the amount of time and effort it takes to make something like this happen. It doesn’t happen overnight, or a week, month, or even a year. It takes years of daily work from skilled hands.
To start, the builder carefully measured a 1932 Ford roadster body and drew up the plans. Bookmatched mahogany planks cover the white oak and poplar frame. The grain pattern is a mirror from port to starboard.
The planks diverge from the centerline down the back of the roadster, each left and right plank bearing the same grain. This continues all the way down to the rockers, where, you guessed it, each grain pattern matches from left side to right side.
Meanwhile, every screw on the body is concealed with a plug and smoothed over. A dozen coats of satin Swedish Epiphanies marine varnish were carefully sanded after each application. The roadster’s tail sports 1950 Pontiac taillights and a unique rear bumper built from barroom foot rail. (A barroom foot rail? Can it get cooler than that? Read on.)
Finally, the conservatively styled interior was 100-percent custom-built, with a mahogany dash equipped with Stewart Warner gauges. The meticulously crafted banjo steering wheel is quarter-sawn oak with dovetail biscuit joints. Cream-colored hand-stitched vinyl covers the bench seat and door panels. It’s insane.
Paired to a Traditional Hotrod Powertrain
A 1948 Ford Flathead V-8 sits is topped with an authentic Offenhauser mainfold.
It would be one thing if the Stradivarius artistry created a roller vehicle. But the 1931 Model A on eBay is backed by a solid piece of gearhead craftsmanship:
- A sweet 1948 Ford Flathead V-8 sits proudly out front, topped with an authentic Offenhauser intake and heads.
- A pair of Speedway’s Super 7 carburetors perch under a gorgeous custom wood-trimmed air cleaner housing.
- Spent gasses flow through stainless steel headers and exhaust pipes.
- A rebuilt 1939 Ford transmission and 1931 Banjo rear complete the drivetrain.
The stance is spot on. The 1929 frame was “taken down to bare metal, cleaned up and then Z’d two inches in the rear,” says the builder. It’s boxed up front and sports a custom cross member, along with custom shock mounts fitted with vintage chrome shocks. The steering box is a vintage 1951 Chris-Craft unit (designed for boats!). Firestone Bias-Ply tires wrap around 16-inch wire wheels, with 450s in the front and 750s in the rear.
Not all the parts are old school. For example, the roadster’s 12-volt electrical system includes a trunk-mounted NAPA battery. A 15-gallon fuel cell sits at the front of the trunk. The flathead fires up with an electronic ignition system.
In sum, the result is nothing less than stunning, with a look that echoes classic wooden Chris-Craft motorboats. It’s a Model A Woodie like no other.
