Rides from the Readers: 1931 Ford Model A Tudor

Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to the above email address.

Today’s featured vehicle is a 1931 Ford Model A Tudor. The successor to the Model T began production in October 1927 and presented Ford customers with a much more refined transportation experience than the Model T did. A 40-horsepower, 200-cubic-inch flathead four nearly doubled the output of the Model T’s four-cylinder engine, and a positively modern three-speed gearbox replaced the T’s planetary design. Model As featured practically identical drivetrains but came in a bevy of body styles, including the (relatively common) Tudor sedan before us today.

This particular Tudor got a new lease on life thanks to three generations of the Le Blanc family: Edward, Sr., Edward, Jr., and Eric. Originally a Colorado “field find,” the Model A began as a father-son project for the younger Edward and his son. “It had the usual rust, also known as cancer, and mice living everywhere,” Edward, Jr. writes, but “it was all original, including the engine, transmission, lights, fenders, bumpers, and seats.”

Though the Le Blancs decided on a tastefully understated aesthetic, the Tudor didn’t stay stock for long. Edward, Jr. got the “gearhead gene” from his father, he writes, who owned rods and bikes and raced stock cars. The younger Edward grew up racing go-karts and quarter midgets, wrenching on anything with an engine in their spare time. Naturally, the Model A was destined for an old-school build.

Out went the 40-hp four-cylinder, and in went a 385-hp Ford 351 with a roller cam, rockers, and lifters, which inhales with a Holley 770 carb and exhales through Sanderson headers and a Borla stainless steel exhaust. A five-speed Tremec sends power to the wheels via a 9-inch Ford Positraction rear and 31-spline axles. Adjustable coilovers and Wilwood discs sit at all four corners.

The Le Blancs lavished equal attention on the Model A’s interior, which now boasts Vintage Air air conditioning, power windows, wool carpet, and Katzkin leather.

“The project renewed the bond I’d had with my father when I was young,” Edward, Jr., writes . “The Model A ended up being a three-generation project for me, my father, and my son.”

That’s the kind of relationship building we support.