Joe Tully's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe
1931 Ford Model A Coupe owned and built by Joe Tully of Dixon, Illinois. In November of 2021, Joe's son, Dave, told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that his dad was an auto mechanic all his life and that he was a member of the Blackhawk Rod & Custom club when he owned the coupe.[1]
Contents
Chopped and Channeled
Joe's coupe was chopped 4 inches. The body was channeled an additional 4 inches, and the frame was kicked up 8 inches for a lowslung appearance. It ran a 1932 Ford grille and a louvered hood. Joe dressed it up with 1950 Pontiac taillight lenses and custom-made nerf bars front and back. The front nerf bar was created with the word "JOE." Painted blue, it ran a matching custom blue and white upholstery. It was powered by a 286 cubic inches Flathead V-8 engine from a 1948 Ford, and it ran a dual carb set up. Chromed hubcaps and wide whitewall tires wrapped up the style.[1]
Drag Racing
In 1956 Joe raced the coupe at The World Series of Drag Racing in Lawrence, Illinois. His number at the event was GB111.[1]
Sold
Joe sold the coupe around 1962, and according to Dave, it was his last hot rod. "He would have been about 27 and with a young growing family when he sold it. He used to say that as a younger guy, he cut up a number of Model A's though." Dave believes his dad was 14 when he bought his first hot rod.[1]
Where is it Now?
Dave was about two years old when his dad sold the coupe. Joe passed away in 1989, and Dave is now looking for whatever happened to the hot rod. " I believe it came through his shop again around 1970, so the guy who bought it must have been relatively local to Northern Illinois. I remember seeing it in the shop as a kid, but I think the color was different, maybe yellow, and it may have had an SBC instead of the flathead. I can't be sure." Please get in touch with Kustomrama at mail@kustomrama.com if you have any info to share about the old Tully Coupe.[1]
Magazine Featured and Appearances
Rodding and Re-styling February 1957
References
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