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1929 Model A ford Doodlebug


mchook

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I started this yesterday for a new friend that asked if I could build one for him. I found my box of Model A parts & this is what I got done so far. You don't need much to build one, It's basically just a cut down chassis turned into a poor mans tractor. I built a worm gear rear for it & mocked some of it up.

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Very cool. Where did you get the worm gear rear?

Thanks, I made it from a Model A car rear, some scrap evergreen & some putty. The bolts are just stretched sprue put through drilled holes then heated with a lighter to round them off. Nothing fancy but it looks ok.

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Very cool model! I saw two of these conversions at a local antique machinery show in September. The blue one used the Model A rear end flipped over, then geared to the rear wheels. The gears on the wheels were about 3 feet in diameter. There were kits sold in the 1930's to make the conversions.

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Very cool model! I saw two of these conversions at a local antique machinery show in September. The blue one used the Model A rear end flipped over, then geared to the rear wheels. The gears on the wheels were about 3 feet in diameter. There were kits sold in the 1930's to make the conversions.

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My friend has a Model T conversion like the blue one & that orange one looks like one I had about 10 years ago.

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Thanks, I made it from a Model A car rear, some scrap evergreen & some putty. The bolts are just stretched sprue put through drilled holes then heated with a lighter to round them off. Nothing fancy but it looks ok.

Brilliant execution on scratch building. 

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O.k. I'm having an issue & I need some opinions. I have built real Doodlebugs & models & they always look old & rusty because that's the way I've seen them. Now the real ones are being restored & used in shows & parades, not the work horses they were meant to be. Poor mans tractor is what they were, but seeing them shiny is pretty cool too. So my question is should it be restored or not? I'm ready for paint & don't know which way to go. Please give me some advise.

Here's one of my old ones & one someone restored.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was going to make it restored but this time of year is busy so I haven't had time to do much. About the only thing I could do is screw up a paint job so it looks like it's going to look very used. I even fixed the holes I added in the cowl but between the temperature being below zero here & being in a hurry I wasn't having any luck. I got some wheels the other day for the rear & added some wires & crappy paint.

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