1930 Ford Model A for Sale

What changed for 1930

• Wheels and tires: 19 inch wheels with 4.75 tires replaced the 21 inch wheels and 4.50 tires of 1928 and 1929, lowering the car and giving a softer ride.
• Front end: a new radiator and shell and a longer hood.
• Fenders: new, more sweeping fenders front and rear.

Wheels fit any Model A year, so wheel size alone does not date a car. Look at the radiator shell, the fenders and the engine number together.

Body styles and how many were built

The 1930 range covered Tudor and Fordor sedans, coupes, the cabriolet, roadsters, phaetons, the station wagon and pickups, with DeLuxe versions of several bodies. Late in the year Ford added the Victoria, a two-door with a slanted windshield and a bustle back. Ford sold more than 1.1 million Model As in 1930. Most buyers chose closed sedans and coupes, which is why those are the 1930 Model As most often for sale.

Engine and drivetrain

The 201 cubic inch L-head four at 40 hp carried over unchanged, with the three-speed sliding-gear manual and four-wheel mechanical brakes. The fuel tank remains in the cowl and feeds the carburetor by gravity.

Is it a real 1930?

Start with the engine number, which Ford used as the serial number and which should match the title. It is hand-stamped on the left side of the block above the water inlet, between two star symbols. Engines have often been swapped, so a mismatch needs an explanation, and a number struck through with X stamps means the engine was renumbered. On Fordors, the firewall body tag and hardware show whether the body came from Ford, Briggs or Murray.

What to inspect before you buy

• Body wood: closed bodies are framed in wood. Check door fit and look for rot at the sills and the bottom of the door posts.
• Engine: listen for bearing knocks; the original bearings are poured babbitt. Ask for rebuild records.
• Brakes: the mechanical brakes need correct adjustment to stop the car straight.
• Metal: the longer 1930 fenders, the running boards and the splash aprons.

Related listings

• 1928 Ford Model A, 1929 Ford Model A and 1931 Ford Model A for sale, or every Ford Model A.
• The truck of the same era: Ford Model AA.
• Background: the Model A as a hot rod platform and sourcing parts for pre-war cars.