When Art Vigil started his Model A project, he decided that it was going to be genuine Henry Ford steel, and it was going to be Ford powered. “Nothing else was acceptable,” he told us.
He’d always wanted to build a sedan delivery, and has owned this 1931 Ford for about five years. He spotted it at a car show and convinced the owner to sell it to him. The greatest appeal about this particular car was the exceptional condition of both the body and the original structural wood inside. During the course of the rebuild, a lot of that wood would get removed and replaced with custom fabricated body and frame supports.
Roseville Rod and Custom is not far from Art’s town of Granite Bay, California, and performed the transformation of the sedan delivery from an already-nice street rod into the car that Art envisioned. It is a combination of ideas contributed by the owner and the team at Roseville. Art said that he set up a board at the shop and invited the builders there to write down there ideas for the Model A. Not every idea was used, but every idea was considered and the car you see here is a success because of everybody’s contribution.
The body is Model A with a ’32 grille and gas tank. The body was modified slightly—such as the lower rear sheetmetal extended to fit around the tank. Mike Cline sprayed the classic Ford Washington Blue paint. The 15-inch steel wheels are powdercoated to match, and dressed up with caps and rings. Inside, deep tan saddle leather is a beautiful contrast to the mirror-like exterior. Roman’s Upholstery extended the leather and square weave carpet from the split bench seat to the rear door, complimented by the interior woodwork by John Delahunt and Russ McAnulth that has spectators at the 67th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Sacramento Autorama doing double takes. Vintage Air A/C and an iPod sound system further add to the appeal of the extra large interior.
Dropping a Ford engine into his Model A was never in question for Art. With a previous 1932 coupe project, Art let friends convince him to use a Chevy 350. This time, he insisted on a drivetrain that was modern, show worthy, and Blue Oval from front to rear. That’s why there is a Ford 302 from Ford Racing mounted between those original steel front fenders. The engine is topped with Edelbrock throttle body EFI, and backed by an AOD transmission and Ford 9-inch rear.
You’re not likely to find a more true blue Ford fan than Art Vigil, or a nicer example of a Ford in a Ford than Art’s 1931 sedan delivery. The car is STREET RODDER’s pick for the Best Ford In A Ford prize, presented by Ford Racing.
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