Neither snow, rain, heat, or darkness prevent these couriers from completing their assigned rounds as quickly as possible.” So, what do you do if the ageing 1930 Model A Cabriolet you’re using to deliver mail isn’t making it in the thick snows of Montana winters? If you were Milton Hill of Bloomfield, MT (the post-original owner who originally used it for postal delivery), you hire one Roman Chupp to convert the Briggs-bodied car into a’snowmobile’ capable of riding the drifts on massive Goodyear 11.25 x 24 tractor tires.
According to the current owner’s eBay listing (which ended without a reserve), “The rear axle and wood spoke wheels are from a 1919 – 1927 Model TT Ford one tonne truck. That axle assembly was added in order to achieve a higher numerical axle ratio for larger diameter tractor tires. The front wheels are 21″ Model A Ford wheels manufactured between mid 1928 and 1929. The outside spokes were long enough to reach the lowered area within the 24” tractor rims. The inner crossed spokes were too short to reach the tractor’s rims. They were entirely removed and replaced with spokes that were 3 inches longer. All welds on this conversion were done using an acetylene torch because electric welders were almost non-existent.
Make sure you go through and read the car’s detailed history on the eBay listing. One piece that struck my eye says, “At a recent Modal A meet, it was very interesting to note how people reacted to this gem.” I’d say the most of them enjoyed it for what it was and urged me to keep it the way it is now. Several individuals couldn’t fathom how someone could “hack up” an automobile as rare and precious as a Model A cabriolet. I calmly informed them that any Model A cabriolet was likely almost worthless in 1940 or 1941.
It sounds quite similar to the comments we get around here when a Donk or ‘art car’ is displayed! I suppose we’ll never get everyone to agree on what’s “right” for an old, worn-out car — who could have imagined that this old Model A, or a tapped out GM B-body for that matter, would someday change status from ‘just an old beater’ to something very desirable?
In any case, I was able to find a handful additional converted Model A postal cars online, but this was evidently a rather rare conversion, with only a few remaining today. I’ll conclude with a few more photographs of this one-of-a-kind piece of Americana, which you can see more of in the now-closed listing.
