1930 Ford Model A Coupe. (Bootlegger)

Well, now you know the plan.

The car will be built stock apart from the engine. No Shay, it won't have a 427 Hemi!!!. It's going to have Riley OHV head conversion to 'hop it up' some and out run the cops. The engine was supplied to me by a member on another site and is from a 1931 Ford Woody.

The boot opens but I won't use the rumble seat cushions as that is where the 'hooch' is going to go.

If anyone has any ideas on what the hooch would have looked like, tank, barrel, drums etc, I'd be pleased to hear them!

First photos a bit later.

Here you go Alan. This is a clay jug that was used in a 58 Ford that was chased at over 100mph hauling moonshine.

got the pic from a write up on moonshine smuggling and they are some what a antique now by all accounts.

Tony.

Handmade clay jugs like this one were often used for storing moonshine. For collectors looking to get into whiskey making and moonshining, a jug like this is a good place to start.


Aug. 10, 1958, just north of Blacksburg, Va.:

The blue ’58 Ford sedan was hard to keep on the road. Moving at nearly 90 miles per hour and heavily loaded in the back, the car’s front tires weren’t making good contact with the pavement, causing the vehicle to “dance” over the winding and hilly mountain roads. The Ford was equipped with a supercharged Offenhauser engine, believed by many to be the best racing engine ever built. At 90 mph, the Ford was nowhere near its maximum speed. The back seat and the trunk of the Ford were loaded with 200 gallons (1,300 lbs.) of moonshine whiskey destined for Winston-Salem, N.C..

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) enforcement agent spotted the Ford from a high bank overlooking the road. ABC agents had received intelligence about this run, and a trap had been set. At the Gap Mills Bridge, two Thunderbird interceptors blocked the road, forming a “V” that no car could pass. A mile down the road from the lookout, a pursuit car waited: a souped-up 1950 Oldsmobile 88. The pursuit car would chase the liquor-laden Ford to the blockade, bringing it to a halt.

That’s the way it was supposed to happen. But the Ford’s driver had other plans.

The Ford pulled away from the pursuit vehicle and was going nearly 100 mph as it approached the bridge. Moving too fast to stop, the Ford’s driver tried to turn the vehicle into a cornfield adjacent to the road. The heavy load in the back caused the Ford to spin around 180 degrees and continue down the road backwards for 285 feet (nearly the length of a football field) while its tires spun forward at a high rate of speed. The tire’s burning rubber released billows of blue smoke, and an acrid odor and squeals filled the air. Sparks were flying from underneath the Ford, and an ABC agent later testified that he saw a great ball of fire coming from the Ford’s dual exhaust headers.

When the Ford’s driver regained control of the vehicle, he tore through the cornfield. The surprised ABC agents jumped into their Thunderbirds to pursue the Ford, but they were just “chasing air”—the Ford was nowhere to be seen. Days later, the Ford was found along with two other vehicles and 2,000 gallons of illegal whiskey in a barn just south of Christiansburg, Va.

Regards Tony.

Nice idea!

Cool, Skid.
So many ways to go with this neat model, eh?
I was mildly chastised for even building one of these rare babies.

They are rare, I heard they only made 6,000 of them. Also Heard that Revell was going to re-issue it because of high demand. If it comes back I will buy a case of them.LOL

No doubt by a 'collector Clay. Well, in my book, kits are meant for building, so 'Sod 'em' If it was the last one in the world, I'd still build it!!! Just out of spite!!! LOL



So true Clay.

Thanks for the intersting write up Tony.

At first I was going to do the body as per box art, but then thought 'a bootlegger surely wouldn't shell out extra for a two tone paint scheme... would he?'

Then I thought of Old Henry 'Any colour as long as it's black' but thought it too boring.

Looking through my stash of paint I spotted a tub of Revell Aqua Color Purpurrot (Purple Red) water based acrylic. Horrible stuff to use which I don't get on well with. BUT it was the perfect colour for this one, so I bit the bullet..

Just in base coat at the mo, gloss 2k to follow. Roof will get a medical tape 'fabric panel' after the gloss.





The front seat has no back to it (Clever since the boot opens!! don't ya think?? LOL) so I had to make one.



I haven't yet figured out what to do about the 'hooch' containers yet. Still working on it.

Great start. Nice color I think it's perfect.

Al: Love the color! How is the fit of the "boot" when it is closed? I had fits with the one I have stalled out on.

Love this one Al. My grandfather was a bootlegger back in the day. lol  The exterior of the car was as plain as possible so it would not attract attention and painted in the most common color for that particular car, so it would blend in. It what was under the hood, and drivetrain upgrades that counted. Heavy duty springs and shocks because of the heavy load were common modifications.

Thanks guys.

Sam.... I figured they'd use the most common colour, which was probablly black!!. LOL. But I already have a black 32 so wanted a sort of non descript colour. This seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

John.... the fit of the 'Trunk' can best be described as 'slack' LOL. It doesn't matter though as it will be displayed in the open position to show the 'shine'.

Really like that color, Skid !!
  

Hi Mr Skid Sir,

Maybe this owner thought that seeing as the rest of the runners normally used the most common colours and the agents themselves would also be looking and checking the most common coloured vehicles, they'd think to themselves that surely no one would use a colour that stands out, so your chap gets away with it each time...

Looking great so far, I think the colour really suits the car to...

Andy...

Nice build Al love the colour. As for the hooch get the jugs made   the runners would have wrapped them with a corn flour sack to stop them banging and smashing off each other.
The donk would have probably ran on hooch to or at least had a drop put in the gas to give it a bit extra kick.

Beautiful color combo! :)

Thanks all.

It's been suggested on another site that the better to reflect a bootleg car, I should leave the paint as is. ie..... NOT clear coat.

I'd planned on clear coating, then, muddying/dusting it up some as if run on wet/dusty dirt back roads.

What do you think guys, which way should I go?

I think leave it alone. it's not supposed to be a shiny car. Just a well used old car. That was the beauty of the bootlegger. Nothing that would attract attention.

I agree with skipping the clear coat. Might make it easier to add the dust and dirt!

OK..... my peers on two sites are in total agreement. No clear coat. Just muddy/dusty it up some.

That gives me the perfect excuse to look for another to build as Henry intended!!!! Muhahahahaha!!!!  

I can't find any scale bottles or carbuoys of suitable size but I did find these. So I have both coming in the next few days.





Both are 1/35th scale but size in this case is relative.

Guess I'll belatedly join the consensus, I like the suede' look you have.
 001 

I got the engine assembled.

As I want this one wrapped up by Dec 24th, apart from adding a coil, this is it as far extra  wiring/plumbing goes.

Revellogram, didn't provide any spark plugs or spark plug locations for this one so I copied Bucks Bonneville build for the plug locations.

Lookin good !

Good looking engine Al.