The hot rod culture began during a bygone era when car guys stripped pre-war vehicles down to their bare necessities so they could put their rides on a serious weight reduction program.
Their main goal was to own a very cool and fast car that could be driven every day of the year by its owner.
Jim Sutherland
The idea of year-round hot rod use was eventually replaced by a fair-weather plan that eased the hot rods out of the four-season approach to ownership. Don Douglas is the fearless owner of a 1928 Model A roadster hot rod that he is unafraid to drive at any time of the year.
Bear in mind Don lives in Alberta Canada, a place where winter occupies a large chunk of the calendar year and very few car guys will challenge winter in their hot rods, particularly 1928 Model A roadsters.
Don is a car guy who is generously blessed with an old school hot rodder’s spirit of adventure so the idea of driving his Model A roadster in any weather is simply part of his overall philosophy.
Don’s ’28 Model A has undergone a major powertrain upgrade and now sports a 350-cubic-inch Chevy small block mated to GM’s reliable 700R4 automatic transmission. It also has a Ford 9-inch rear end with posi-traction.
Don told MyStarCollectorCar he “loves his car and bought it to drive it”, in his words. He has logged over 20,000 miles behind the wheel of his Model A and Don never let weather get in the way of his road adventures.
The winter excursions have included a few like-minded road warriors in old school classics, but Don was occasionally the guy without a lid on his car-even in cooler weather. The inclement weather experience meant Don learned how to dress for the elements, so he added a collection of clothing and head gear to combat them.
Don also mentioned his Model A has a design that allows passengers to remain relatively dry when the car is moving down the road without a top because the rain will flow over them, rather than on them, due to the motion.
An open-air vintage vehicle typically generates plenty of noise at higher speeds so Don wears headphones and listens to tunes on the road. The combination of Don’s weather and wind protection is aided by a small under-dash electric heater that also helps Don weather the storm, although he mentioned the heater does not completely compensate for an open roof.
Don describes his Model A’s ride as comfortable because it has rear coil springs and aftermarket seats that absorb the road bumps very well–he’s still impressed after thousands of miles.
The ’28 Model A roadster left the factory with a rumble seat, but now the space includes extra storage, along with a larger fuel tank for more miles between gas stops. Don added the car gets good mileage because of its light weight and 3:00 gears in the transplanted Ford rear end.
The net result is a very cool Model A roadster that will go farther and faster than its factory counterpart, a perfect combination for its road warrior owner.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
- CLICK HERE to Sign Up for the Newsletter
- CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest
