A RE-INSPIRING 1931 FORD MODEL A

I've had this idea rolling around since 2001 when I first purchased this 1931 Model A body. I'd already had a motor leftover from another project (a D-stroked 350 with a 400 crank - which made it a 377). It had Carrillo rods, Aluminum Chevy heads, a roller cam and tunnel ram 2-quads... Shortly thereafter I got around to getting a frame.

I could never seem to find the time to finish this build. Funds were always tight at the wrong time, I'd started my company soon thereafter - and I needed some more confidence in tackling a project that meant a lot to me only piecemeal & on a part time basis. Besides, when ESE got started we were bombarded with other projects, client builds and our focus was really on bikes...

On 9/19/09 I was out test riding a client bike and got t-boned. I don't want to bore anyone too much with the details, but the major gist of it was the bike was destroyed & I ended up in the hospital for a couple weeks in a coma with a broken leg (bad - ouch)... blah, blah, blah... yes, i was wearing a helmet...

By the time 10/6/09 came around I wheeled my chair into the shop for the first time since my accident to take a peek around and see where we were with things... As I was completely uninspired with motorcycles for the time being, I had the guys jump hard into this Model A whilst trying not to be too bummed with myself from a wheel chair...


This is what I saw when I rolled into the shop...


Started machining the front end parts...


After having drilled the frame inserting different sized tubes, reassembling the front end (which we had c-notched so it would go lower) it all started to make sense and really resemble something ESE...


Scored some kick ass Haibrand's from Mr. Rich (aka the "performance king")


Mr. Rich


Modded the visor to carry the theme plus a new firewall...


gas tank, tranny & cooler done - starting to get a boner...


There's my 377 forcing those frame rails down...

Not bad for 10-years worth of work in 2-weeks, in a wheelchair - with my leg swollen up like a fucking sausage....

My accident on 9/19 seemed at the time to take everything away from me, all of my outlets were stripped away. As of right now, I can't ride... I can't surf...

Over the course of this build and the last few months I've again been super psyched as a builder and really gotten back to my original inspirations for why I started doing stuff like this in the first place... I've also gotten to involve myself with something that I've never had time to spend on before...

Obviously much is left to do, but we're not getting off it... it's going to be hauling my broken ass around very soon...