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1928 Ford Roadster Abandoned for 60 Years Gets Second Chance, Engine Agrees to Run

Introduced as a replacement for the Ford Model T, the Model A was rather short-lived compared to the world's first affordable automobile. While the Model T remained in production for a whopping 29 years, the Model A was launched in 1927 and discontinued in 1932. But even though it was sold for only five years, the Model A is just as iconic as the Model T.
1928 Ford Model A Roadster barn find 6 photos
Photo: Muddy Rascals/YouTube
1928 Ford Model A Roadster barn find1928 Ford Model A Roadster barn find1928 Ford Model A Roadster barn find1928 Ford Model A Roadster barn find1928 Ford Model A Roadster barn find
That's mostly because it was one of the most common automobiles of its time, but also because it was the number one hot-rodding platform for decades. The Model A was there when it all started in Southern California in the late 1930s and it has remained a popular base for hot rods ever since.

Come 2022 and all-original Model A survivors are as rare as they get. While most of them were transformed into flashy, powerful hot rods, others are rotting away in junkyards and barns with little hope of returning to public roads anytime soon. But here's one Model A that got lucky after sitting for a whopping 60 years in a barn.

Saved by the folks over at YouTube's "Muddy Rascals," this 1928 Model A is of the Roadster variety, one of 17 different iterations of the full-size Ford.

Ford built more than four million Model As, but only 456,000 of them left the factory in Roadster form (both Standard and Deluxe trim). Granted, that's a lot of cars, but keep in mind that most of them have been hot-rodded or abandoned. In 1928, Ford assembled 81,937 Roadsters, but it takes a lot of luck to see one in the metal outside a museum or a classic car show.

Hopefully, this example will return to public roads soon. Because even though it sat untouched for six decades, it's still in one piece. I would dare say it's in solid condition given the circumstances, without major rust issues. And it's pretty much complete, down to its original four-cylinder engine.

Yup, while most hot-rodded Model As come with V8 powerplants under the hood, Ford sold this nameplate with a 201-cubic-inch (3.3-liter) L-head inline-four. Rated at 40 horsepower, it wasn't mind-blowing on the performance front, but it had enough grunt to push the Model A toward a top speed of around 65 mph (105 kph).

These engines were reliable too and, as the video below shows, easy to maintain. This particular unit agreed to run again after sitting for 60 years, which is downright impressive. Sure, it got a few new parts and it's not yet road-worthy, but it agreed to fire up without a rebuild, which is usually necessary after decades of neglect.

Watch the four-cylinder come back to life in the first video below, but make sure you check out the second one as well because it documents the moment the Model A was dragged out of its barn back in 2021.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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