Classic Wheels Spotlight: 1929 Ford Model A

Steve Speakman is no stranger to the Ford Model A. He had been working on them for about a year when he purchased his first one in 1969, on his 18th birthday. There were other Model A’s over the years, and people knew if they had a question about them, he could help you out, or point you in the right direction.

Over the years, Steve has had other car interests in addition to his affinity for the Ford Model A. He says he got into race cars for a while and did quite well. There was even a stretch where he did some competitive ‘Rock Crawling’ with Jeeps.

As a member of a few Model A clubs, Steve explains he was offered his current 1929 Model A pickup by a fellow club member who had it sitting up on blocks for 17 years in his garage. When Steve went to pick it up, he said he got it running, but it didn’t have enough power to pull up onto his trailer.

“That’s what happens when you don’t drive your cars, the oil gets too thick on the moving parts, and you need extra attention to get them back to reliable condition,” said Steve.

According to Steve, his truck was built on August 16, 1929 at the Twin City plant in St. Paul, Minn. It was the 10,353rd unit built at that facility. Most of the truck’s life was in Savana, Ill. It later moved to Galesburg, Ill. at Sycamore Trucking, and later it moved on when Steve’s club member bought it. Steve has had it for the last 14 years.

The 1929 Model A’s whole drivetrain has been completely rebuilt. A new radiator was after the truck kept overheating. The engine that came in the truck was from a 1930 Model A. Steve was able to find the original engine, the one with the same numbers as the chassis of his truck.

The short block was rebuilt by KB2 Engine Rebuilders, in Lisbon, Ohio. They bored the cylinders 0.30, installed a counterweighted crankshaft, and shaved five pounds off the flywheel. A high lift cam was installed, along with stainless steel valves and seats. A 5.5 high compression head was installed, bumping the horsepower from 40 to 50.

Steve said that the engine in this state of rebuild is considered a touring motor. All aspects of the undercarriage have been overhauled, all to factory specs, including the transmission and the differential.

Steve says that his truck is definitely not “a trailer queen!” He drives it almost every day. He takes it to as many car shows as possible, some local, some out of state. When he goes to any of the shows, Steve says he drives it there, whether it’s down the street or on a road trip to Clinton, Wisc. or to Ottawa, Ill., where he is a member of the Model A Club.

The clubs that Steve belongs to have car shows at local nursing homes and participate in parades in the area. At one of the shows, an enthusiast was asking about the truck: “how did you get it to the show,” and “it must break down a lot?”

Steve told him that in the ten years it’s been on the road, it has never broken down. Proper maintenance, including lubricating everything, keeps it in top order. And you must drive it regularly otherwise, things get gummed up and don’t work right.

If you have a car you would like to see featured in Classic Wheels, contact Rudy Host, Jr. at Classic.Wheels.Rudy@gmail.com.