Car Guy Magazine Car Guy Magazine Issue 215 | Page 65

enterprising individuals purchased nice
used cars back east in places like Chicago
and shipped them out here on the train.
Perhaps that is how this Model A arrived in
eastern Montana on the train. Perhaps this
car had a bad convertible top back in 1936
and was very reasonably priced because of
that relatively minor and easily repairable
problem.
More Recent History
I have nick-named this car “Bigfoot”
when I displayed it at the Model A Restorer’s Club national meet in Merrillville, Indiana in 2009. There were over 300 cars there
but I suspect this ugly old beast attracted
more attention than any other car there. I
gave at least 200 people rides in it around
the parking lot even though the brakes
don’t work at all yet.
While I was at that Model A meet, it
was very interesting to note how people
reacted to this gem. I would say the majority of them appreciated it for what it was
made into and encouraged me to preserve
it they way it is now. Several people simply
could not understand how anyone could
“hack up” a car as scarce and desirable as a
Model A cabriolet is. Every time I patiently
reminded them that any Model A cabriolet
was most likely nearly worthless in 1940
or 1941. That was because the folding top
covering would have been about 10 years
old at that time and in poor condition. Very
few people in Lindsay Montana would
have had any use for a “topless” Model A
Ford. Why would anyone invest $35 or so in
having a convertible top installed on a car
worth about that same amount? I suspect
Leonard acquired this car for next to nothing, had the conversion done to it, found
out that it worked OK on the bad roads and
later on had a new top installed that did
not fold down.
I have over two hundred vehicles in my
collection and have never had any vehicle
create as much interest and attention as
this car does. I showed it at a local car show
a few years ago and won the antique class
over 6 other nicely restored Model A and
V8 Fords. This is not a show car and I don’t
collect trophies but I was happy to see the
crowd show their appreciation for a truly

special and unique “survivor” vehicle like
this. I really treasure this car as it is, due to
it’s special history, and would never restore
it. I have worked hard to take care of it and
preserve it just as it is.
The third from the last photo is of original artwork done a few years ago for me by
Don Greytak of Havre Montana. Don is well
known for his fabulous and super realistic
pencil sketches of farm and ranch life as
well as transportation related topics. The
image measures 12” high by 15-1/2” wide
while the outside of the frame measures
20” high by 23-1/2” wide. Please notice the
“US MAIL” sign above the front license plate
and the pair of stick on defroster shields
which are still on the inside of the windshield of this car. It appears that Leonard
Quammen used the rumble seat to deliver a Christmas tree to a friend who is on
horseback. This unique piece of artwork
sells with this car.
At this time, I know of at least 3 more
Model A Ford mail delivery cars that are
still in existence but they have been neglected and are in poor condition. I also
know of a WW II Dodge 1 ton 4wd chas-

sis that a mail carrier installed a Chevrolet
sedan body on. He then installed 4 road
grader tires and used this vehicle to haul
mail for many years. This vehicle still exists
in a friend’s junk pile and I am trying to get
it. I can barely remember it as a child. The
owner of that vehicle had Polio and built
it while working in a wheel chair. I have
no idea how he ever got into and out of
that vehicle but I do know he always took
somebody with him when he used it for
mail deliveries in tough weather.
Back in 2009, I advertised a 1914 Model
T Ford engine block for sale here on eBay.
The first photo of that listing showed the
bare block setting on the right hand running board of this car. Below is the interesting comment I received from an early
automobile enthusiast:
“My gosh, you are probably getting
more response to your Model A than the
block ́