Welcome to Stinch's MAF Gallery
My Dad's Years
April 1971 - Memphis, Tennessee
Early pictures (originals dated April 1971) of the Tudor body and no sign of the 150-B cowl that was to come later. The Tudor body is in pretty good shape with what may be some rust at the bottom of the cowl sides and dents along the roof edge. The body wood is inside. Various parts including the front fenders are in the yard. Although it is not clear, the Ford chassis appears to be between the Tudor body and the back of the house. My Dad is holding a book that I've yet to find in all the Ford Model A books that he once collected. The house is located at 5608 Forsyth Drive, Memphis, TN (click for Google Maps). The Tudor body was later sold to an unknown buyer. I've often wondered what happened to it.
Summer of 1971? - Memphis, Tennessee
Although this is from a poor quality print, it does show the car in it's early days of restoration. There are no fenders, running board, headlights, or lower hood panels. I'm sure he had intended to be in the picture to the left but things didn't quite work out as planned. This frame must have been first on the roll and got partially overexposed. The Station Wagon cowl is mounted to the chassis.
Fall of 1971 - Memphis, Tennessee
Our cat "Tiddles" gets some sun on the station wagon cowl. The Tudor body that was on the frame when it was purchased in Mississippi is to the left almost out of the picture. The Tudor body looks to be in decent shape and was sold soon after. It would be nice to have now since unrestored New England bodies don't look as good. Rust wasn't as popular in the South as it is in New England. Picture taken with the Tudor body and Station Wagon along the back of the yard; Wilson Park on the other side.
These pictures were taken in our backyard in Memphis, Tennessee. The chassis has been restored and the station wagon cowl fitted.
May 1972 - Memphis, Tennessee
My Dad and Mother sit in the Model A. The inscription (among other things) on the back indicates this was the car in May 1972. The seats and large wooden tray in the back did not go to Connecticut with the movers. If you look carefully, the front left wheel is missing a lug nut. It wasn't until July 2008 that the stripped stud was replaced with a new one. That's thirty six years later!
Fall of 1972 - Trumbull, Connecticut
With the car now reassembled in Trumbull, my Dad stops chopping firewood to pose in the backyard of our house on Larkspur Drive. We only lived there for about a year because of the constant water problems from a nearby stream. Those who drive through Twin Brooks Park today should be able to spot this house and backyard.
Summer of 1973 - Trumbull, Connecticut
(left) At our second house in Trumbull on Pinewood Trail. Taken behind the attached garage and off the concrete patio. The hemlocks between the Model A and the patio are much taller now. Notice there are no "green house" boxes (as seen below in the Fall of '73) in the background under the shade.
(right) The car was used at various times to do yard work. Here the chassis with the 150-B cowl is being used to pull a stump and a large rock from the middle of the yard. I remember this attempt to get the rock out but it was too big and was reburied. The trailer in the background would be used later in the year for the Cabriolet body parts.
Fall of 1973 - Darien, Connecticut
"The Great Rust Pile"
At some point in 1973, my Dad had the opportunity to trade the station wagon 150-B cowl for these 1930 68-B Cabriolet body parts. He nicknamed this the "Great Rust Pile" since everything was covered in rust and/or seriously rusted out. These pictures show the body parts as they were gathered together in Darien Connecticut. Notice the 150-B cowl in the shed. That's me standing by the body at 16 years old. Unfortunately the Briggs body tag is missing from the Cabriolet cowl so I'm not able to determine when the body was manufactured. The 1966 Volkswagon Carmengia was used with a homemade trailer to get the parts home.
Fall 1973 - Trumbull, Connecticut
The parts were placed in the front yard upon our arrival home in Trumbull. The bottom of the cowl is pretty much gone with some of the structural pieces laying next to the cowl. At the back of the door picture, you can see the white "greenhouse" planters that have now been built. Another picture of the cowl sitting upright in the yard is here.
The rear fenders, fixed (not adjustable) front seat base, and trunk lid. The extent of the rust is evident on the lower edge of the trunk lid. The front seat base looks pretty thin and may not have been used.
For two years my Dad would work on welding replacement panels to the rusted out body sections.
Christmas 1976 - Trumbull, Connecticut
(left) This picture was captioned "Christmas Eve 1976". It shows the two rear quarter panels, one in primer. (right) My Dad poses with the disconnected paint gun in hand. This is the right side rear quarter panel. The cowl for the 1930 Cabriolet is in primer. Snow can be seen on the ground. It must be below freezing since there is no water at the snows edge.
April 1977 - Trumbull, Connecticut
(left) This picture shows some of the larger body pieces painted in Bronson Yellow. Newspaper has been taped to the parts in preparation for the Seal Brown application. The gas tank is finished and didn't require any more color. (right) The other body parts with the completed two-tone paint. It is likely that this picture was taken shortly after he had painted the parts. The wooden frame that is mounted between the body and frame is leaning against the garage door. The Ford's chassis wood hasn't moved since the previous picture was taken.
(left) The body panels assembled on the chassis. Notice the still missing lug nut on the front left wheel. This is because the wheel stud was stripped many years before my Dad bought the car. My blue 1966 MGB convertible is in the background. (right) The work continues on the car. My Dad who is on the left and John Sutay look on.
May 1977 - Trumbull, Connecticut
These pictures were taken on a nice spring day outside Pinewood Lake. The Model A has no spare wheel and cream colored wheels. The rear fender is matt black. Non-standard hand holds from a roadster can be seen mounted to the top of of the rear quarter panels.
Summer 1977 - Trumbull, Connecticut
My Dad with his 1930 Ford Model A Cabriolet. The car here has all the features of the two pictures above so it had to have been taken about the same time. Possibly in June since the weather must be warmer to be wearing shorts. A sticker has been applied to the windshield. This looks to be near the Pinewood Lake club house. He made frequent trips to Pinewood Lake for Sunfish sailboat races on Sunday's.
Work begins on installing the spare wheel on the drivers left side. Nice view of the engine compartment. This is another picture of the missing lug nut on the left front wheel. The chrome plated headlight bar is mounted to the cast iron fender support. The headlight bar was originally painted black. There is no conduit on the horn wires. The wheels are still cream colored. The orange wheel would likely be painted over black later on.
Early 80's - Trumbull, Connecticut
Not sure when this was taken but it is possibly in 1981 since the car is very similar to the two Monroe car show pictures displayed below. A few additions have appeared on the car since the 1977 time period. The single spare wheel with stainless steel cover is mounted on the left side only. Black wheels have replaced the cream colored wheels and a pair of fog lights have been mounted to the bumper brackets. The vanity license plate "ST*INCH" is on the car along with a stone guard for the radiator grille. The rumble seat is also installed. The rear fender has been restored and painted. There is a rear view mirror mounted to the leading window post on the drivers door. Picture was taken in our backyard on Pinewood Trail.
1981 - Monroe, Connecticut
These two pictures were taken at a Monroe car show. Fortunately my Dad marked the date and place on the picture. This helps to generally determine when other pictures were taken such as the two above. The only difference that I can see is the front license plate has changed. Perhaps he simply swapped out the official plate for a vintage 1930 CT plate just for the show. The right side fender is missing the tire but the well and mount can still be seen. (left) My Dad shows a car show spectator the finer points of a rumble seat. He was always good about allowing people to touch the car. (right) John Sutay's tan Roadster appears to be the car to the left of my Dad's car.
September 1981 - Trumbull, Connecticut
This picture was taken in September of 1981 at the Pinewood Lake club house parking lot. Friends of my mom visited us and brought their children and grandchildren. Dad took them to the Pinewood Lake club house which is a few miles from the house. My mom is at the far left and my dad, far right (wearing the white shirt). My sister Jane is fourth from the left. It is interesting to note that the right side fender of the Model A now has a spare tire.
Undated - Connecticut
These black and white pictures were possibly taken at the Southbury Training School in Southbury, Connecticut. Left picture is a Sport Coupe that caught the interest of my Dad. His car is the right photo.
Left picture is a Ford Model Victoria with my Dad's car just visible behind the back end. The unrelated photo to the right is of my Mom, Uncle Walter (Dads brother), and his girlfriend taken in the driveway of my parents house on Pinewood Trail. The Tennessee license plate on my Dad's Cabriolet was actually reproduced in fiberglass. He drove the car with this plate to link our previous residence in Memphis.
While it looks to be an old photo from the 50's, it was taken at an unknown location in Connecticut during the 1980's. The wood structures may be boat supports and could place the location near water, possibly Long Island Sound. The buildings in the background could also help determine the location. The people in the picture are not known.
Debbie and I sit in the rumble seat of my Dad's 1930 Ford Model A Cabriolet. The buildings in the background place the picture at the Southbury Training School in Southbury, Connecticut. While the exact date is not known, it was taken in the early 1980's before Debbie and I were married. We still recall today the cold but enjoyable ride back from Southbury to Trumbull via Route 34, through downtown Derby, Bridgeport Avenue, to my parents house in Trumbull. The top bows were never installed and the cover was simply stuffed with a large foam roll to fill it out. Roadster hand-holds on the quarter panel were added by my Dad and was not originally used on Cabriolet's.
My Dad driving his car in a parade, most likely the Barnum Festival parade in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Big Bird rides alongside on the back of the passenger side. The fold in the top cover is very similar to the picture of Debbie and I (above) and would place both pictures at about the same time in the early 1980's. It would be a challenge to find the street location today.