Car owners: Art & Cheryl Bauder Words & photos: Gary Rosier
The Ford Model A (A-Bone among rodders) was Ford’s second success story after the Model T became such a sales success. It racked up sales of several millions by July of 1929 alone!
Art Bauder and his wife Cheryl from Port Orange, Fla. now own this one-of-a-kind 1929-based “Jalopy,” as Art likes to call it. It’s definitely unique, but more than that, it was one of the finest works of the former engineer/owner who created it – even if it was for display purposes only.
Somewhere along the way, it was included in a bulk sale of muscle cars and languished away at a local establishment nearby. Art had retired from one job up north some time ago, then started another – a landscape business – once relocated to Florida. Because of a recent illness (actually a flu shot that went awry!), he had to sell his landscape business while he tried to recover.
He had lots of time to think about things, he said, and he’d always wanted a hot rod. It was one of the things foremost on his “bucket list!” Life was precious and the timing made it even more urgent to find something with which to tinker, as the days and his ability might allow.
While visiting a local car museum/sales warehouse, Art found this non-running display piece that the owner quite frankly was anxious to be rid of!
Art’s dad was a picker and had built a couple of cars himself with bits and pieces gathered from around and about (often referred to as Doodlebugs). His Dad was always working on something – “Make it work” was a favorite expression of his. It was only natural, then, that Art became a machinist/metal worker, so he had the skills to tackle almost anything – and skills are what he would need to get this piece up and driving around.
The real challenge, however was having good days to work on it, as his health was deteriorating and living day to day and functioning 100% was a real chore. It gave him something to focus on, and bit by bit it came around to his way of thinking!
It’s powered by a Chevy straight six (292 cu in) truck motor. Stromberg carbs (2 – 2brl) on a custom homemade manifold give it the juice and a set of 50 cal machine guns exit the exhaust gasses. It rests in a boxed frame and transmits the power through an early Chevy two-speed transmission. A toggle switch ignition system lights its fire (it’s push button activated!) and fuel is provided via an aluminum jerrycan Canister fuel tank complete with “site hose.”
It rolls on a set of ’32 Ford wire wheel spokes shod with Firestone “skinnies,” 6.00/16 Firestone Tubes up front and 7.50/16’s out back. The front end consists of a custom ’29 dual stabilizer struts/buggy sprung spring system. The rear end is a four-shock set up – 9 inch Ford with buggy springs – and rides quite well.
He takes no credit for the frame, as it was engineered and welded up by the previous owner, who also did some porting and strengthening of the frame via some serious “Z” fabrication and gusseting. ’59 Caddy taillights are molded into the rear body area for another old school hot rodder touch.
The interior was fabricated from a full frame seat out of a Mercury Comet; he cut it in half and covered the seats with a sliding door curtain that was lying around. The inside of the doors are actually part of his back-yard fence!
You’ll note many interesting features, like the grenade for a shifter handle, ammo box for clove box door and so much more. The more you look, the more you’ll see, and that’s what makes this build so fun! It even has an altimeter gauge out of an aircraft, P40 Sharks mouth artwork and those 50 cal guns for exhausts. Art was inspired by the WWII theme and decided he would keep it as a tribute to the military.
Having relocated from the upstate NY area was one thing, but coming down and starting a landscape business quite another. To find this car, get it up and running as a goal to complete his “bucket list,” especially while trying to recover from a flu shot gone wrong… It shows you the fight left in him and the passion and resolve to carry on like his dad always taught him.. “Let’s make this work” – so “Low Flyer” it is, and he sure did make it work.
