This is a 1929 Ford Model A Roadster hot rod that was originally built in the 1950s. It’s based on a 1932-style frame, it has a steel body, and a correct Flathead V8 sourced from a 1950 Mercury, fitted with Offenhauser cylinder heads and dual Stromberg carburetors.
Original hot rods that can trace their ancestry back to the 1950s are always prized by collectors and enthusiasts. Relatively few of them survived to the modern day, many having succumbed to race-related crashes, rust, or being abandoned to junkyards.
Fast Facts – A 1929 Ford Model A Roadster Hot Rod
- This 1929 Ford Model A Roadster hot rod, built on a 1932-style frame, retains its original steel body and a 1950 Mercury 255 Flathead V8 engine equipped with Offenhauser cylinder heads, dual Stromberg carburetors, and period-correct modifications.
- Originally customized into a hot rod during the boom-time of the 1950s, the car features both vintage and modern upgrades, including a Beehive oil filter, three-into-one exhaust headers, a PerTronix electronic ignition, and a 12-volt battery with a safety cutoff switch.
- Its interior includes a black dashboard with period Stewart-Warner gauges, a four-spoke steering wheel, and a black vinyl bench seat, while the exterior is painted red with orange and white pin-striping, complemented by white steel wheels and chrome hubcaps.
- Now offered for sale out of Sierra Vista, Arizona, this hot rod comes with a clean Arizona title and it embodies a rare survivor from the original 1950s-era of American hot rod culture.
The Mercury 255 Flathead V8
Back in 1950 the hottest version of the indomitable Flathead V8 in production was the 255 cubic inch version modified for the 1950 Mercury V8 models. Mercury was founded in 1939 as a subsidiary of Ford, Mercury cars would offer a higher-end fit and finish compared to regular Fords, slotting in between the main Ford brand and the top-of-the-line Lincoln model line.
The Mercury line of cars was developed to be a step above the regular Fords but below the Lincolns and Continentals. Image courtesy of Mercury.
The production Ford V8s of 1950/1951/1952 (and on) were still receiving the “standard” Flathead V8 with a displacement of 239 cubic inches (3.9 liters) thanks to a bore x stroke of 3.1875 x 3.750. The Mercury cars would be fitted with a 255 cubic inch version of this engine (4.2 liters) with the same bore but a longer 4.0 inch stroke.
These Mercury Flathead V8s were also fitted with higher-performance cams, improved carburetors, different pistons, and a number of other changes that increased power to 110 bhp and 200 lb ft of torque, up from 95 bhp and 170 lb ft of torque in the 238 Ford V8.
In the world of early 1950s hot rodders, the Mercury Flathead V8 was the one to get, and they could be sourced relatively easily from junkyards, pulled out of Mercury vehicles that had suffered accidents or other misfortunes.
Mercury crankshafts and cams were also in high demand, along with other legendary Flathead performance parts like Ardun OHV heads, Beehive oil filters, Offenhauser intake manifolds and finned cylinder heads, and countless others – including supercharger conversions.
As the 1950s went on a number of more advanced V8 engines were released that largely replaced the Flathead V8 in hot rods, including the Chevrolet small block V8 and the Ford Y-block V8, but for many hot rod faithful there will only ever be one suitable engine choice, and it doesn’t have overhead valves.
The higher-performance Mercury version of the Flathead V8 was touted in period advertising as you can see here. This power advantage also made it highly desirable to hot rod builders. Image courtesy of Mercury.
‘The 1929 Ford Model A Roadster Hot Rod Shown Here
The hot rod you see here is a 1929 Ford Model A Roadster, and importantly it was originally built into a hot rod in the 1950s, making it a rare survivor. While many had their Flathead V8s replaced with higher-performing OHV V8s like the Chevy 350 V8 and the comparable Ford 351 V8, this one still has its original engine in place.
Power is provided by a 1950 Mercury V8 fitted with period correct upgrades like Offenhauser finned cylinder heads and dual Stromberg carburetors on an aluminum intake manifold. It’s also fitted with a Beehive oil filter housing, and three-into-one exhaust headers.
It does have some modern parts, including a PerTronix electronic ignition, a more modern alternator in place of the original dynamo, and a 12 volt battery mounted in the trunk with a cutoff switch for safety.
The hot rod was built on a 1932-style frame and it has an all-steel 1929 Ford Model A Roadster body fitted over the top. It has a front drop axle and a rear “wishbone” arrangement, a chopped, removable windshield, and a black vinyl bench seat.
Inside you’ll find a four-spoke steering wheel in front of a black dashboard holding an array of period-correct Stewart-Warner instruments including of a 160-mph speedometer, a tachometer, and gauges for water temperature, oil pressure, fuel level, and voltage.
As you can see here, this Mercury V8 is fitted with Offenhauser finned cylinder heads and dual Stromberg carburetors on an aluminum intake manifold.
Power is sent back through a 3-speed manual transmission to a narrowed Ford banjo rear end and it has drum brakes front and back. It rides on white steel wheels with chrome hubcaps and it’s finished in Red with orange and white pin-striping.
This classic hot rod is now being offered for sale out of Sierra Vista, Arizona on Bring a Trailer with a clean Arizona title. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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