Robert Di Pietro's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe

A photo of Robert taken while he was building his coupe in 1961. Photo courtesy of Robert Di Pietro.

At age 13, Robert found his dream car on the cover of Rod & Custom September 1958. The car was Gil Granucci's 1931 Ford Model A coupe. This photo shows Gil's Coupe as it appeared when it was featured in Rod & Custom September 1958. Photo by George Burnley.

A recent photo of Robert's Coupe. Photo courtesy of Robert Di Pietro.

Photo courtesy of Robert Di Pietro.

1931 Ford Model A coupe owned and built by Robert Di Pietro of Quebec, Canada.

Inspired by Gil Granucci's 1931 Ford Model A Coupe

At age 13, Robert found his dream car on the cover of Rod & Custom September 1958. The car was Gil Granucci's 1931 Ford Model A coupe. By the time he had reached the age of 15, Robert had already bought a 1931 Ford Model A coupe for $75. The coupe was channeled to mimic Granucci's hot rod. Robert had no previous experience or proper tools, so the floor was cut out with a Vise-Grip used like a can opener. A new floor was made from plywood. Robert then purchased a 1932 Ford frame for $15. He pulled the coupe off of the A frame, replaced the body with a roadster pick up shell he had acquired, and traded the functioning Model A for a set of used acetylene torches. A 1947 Ford was purchased for another $15. In 2002 Robert told Hot Rod Magazine that you could buy a late 1940s Ford for next to nothing in those days; "Then you had all your mechanicals: engine, trans, * rearend, spindles, and brakes." He put the 1947 Ford gears in a 1939 Ford case, but before the flathead ran, it was replaced by a Chevy 283, which was mated to the Ford trans with an adapter from Honest Charley. The build was completed in 1961.

Later on, a hotter 327 engine was installed in the coupe. After going through numerous gearboxes and rears, Robert upgraded to a Corvette T10 four-speed and a 1957 Chevrolet rear end. By 1966, the 327 had high-compression pistons, a big solid cam, an aluminum flywheel, and 1,500-cfm worth of dual-quads in an effort to stay ahead of the muscle cars. In 1972, the car was parked so Robert could raise his family. It resurfaced in 1985 with a street-rod revamp. In 2000, Robert decided to return it to its roots. Robert still owned the old hot rod in 2021.