Cover Car Contest Winner: Roger's 1930 Model A
We’ve all experienced projects that took longer than expected, and in the world of cars, it’s likely more the rule than the exception. Nevertheless, thirty years is a long time - just ask Roger Riffle. Now to be fair, Roger’s build took just two years to execute once he got started in 2018, it was simply the idea of the project that had been brewing for so long. We wouldn’t want you to think Roger has a hard time getting motivated, rather it would seem the opposite is true – this guy seems to have forty things on his plate at all times!
So what’s with the lengthy timeframe? The story begins with Roger’s grandfather Floyd Riffle, who acquired this ‘30 in the early 1970s with the intent of a stock style resto. Tragically, Floyd was killed by a drunk driver in 1978, shortly after he retired and prior to getting started on the project. The car remained idle for years, and was finally given to Roger by his dad in 1989. There was never a doubt that Roger would turn the car into something special, it was just a matter of when.
Roger was already immersed in car culture by the time the A became his, but priorities like starting and running a successful business, raising a family, and other automotive distractions all contributed to a project that stayed on the back burner. Yet progress was occurring whether recognized or not, as Roger’s skillset was broadening, and collecting parts for the ‘30 was ongoing.
Roger once had a ‘36 Ford that never saw completion, and currently has a ’40 Ford underway, but this ’30 is the first street rod Ford he’s seen to the finish – and did we mention that it’s owner-built? The efforts are obviously stellar, beginning with Floyd’s all steel body. To that, Roger performed both standard and less common mods, to include channeling the body ¾-inch over a pinched ‘32 frame he ended up using, a 3.5-inch chopped top, reversed firewall, complete seam welding of the original gas tank/cowl area, and welding the rear lower panel and visor. A ’37 Lincoln Zephyr “waterfall” dash came from friend Gary Sutherland, and was melded in place with plenty of trial and error. In the meantime, Roger’s friend Oscar whittled up the custom aluminum bezels for the ignition switch and Haneline instruments.
The highly modified dash is perhaps the focal point of the miniscule cockpit, but it’s far from the only impressive feature. Roger says the “London Tan” toned door panels, kick panels, and seat, required five hides of Jaguar leather since the pleated pattern sucked up the material at a rapid rate. He learned this craft by hanging around and helping his buddy Paul Reichland at his Cedardale Upholstery shop. Indeed the ’30 was Roger’s first complete interior, but you’d never know it by looking.
Roger explained to us that he enrolled in a community college auto body program in the early 1980s after high school, and while he never made a profession of it, the education set him up nicely as a talented hobbyist. “I was in the Navy in the mid-‘80s, and must have painted nine or ten cars on the side during my enlistment, including my commanding officer’s Porsche 911”. Any stress Roger may have felt while spraying his ‘30 in 3-stage PPG Washington Blue with Azure Pearl, had to be less than painting that Porsche!
Roger’s got an unexplained thing for Y-block Ford V8s, so what do you suppose sits forward of that reversed firewall? Yep, it’s a Y-block that started life as a pedestrian 292 and was bored and stroked to its current 318 cubes. Roger used a Mummert stroker kit to arrive at the final displacement, while also using Mummert’s aluminum cylinder heads, roller rockers, and timing cover. Machine work was performed by DVC Machine in Cornelius, Oregon, but the assembly is by Roger. An Isky camshaft pops the 1.94/1.54-inch valves, while an MSD distributor and ignition lights the mixture. The engine was initially dressed with dual quad E-code Thunderbird induction and valve covers, but these were soon pulled for another project. In their place is a polished Edlebrock 578 3x2 intake mounting a trio of chromed Stromberg Big 97s. They certainly look at home in this application, and are complemented by cast Mercury rocker covers from the Australian company, YBloke. The exhaust headers were built – by Roger of course - from a Speedway kit using 1 5/8-inch primary tubes. The sound, is glorious!
Backing the vintage Ford is a Tremec TKO 5-speed, aided by a Quick Time bellhousing and Kevlar clutch. Notice the shifter which Roger fabbed up, and you’ll see the name “Floyd” on the chromed stick where manufacturers often place their company name. Obviously in this case, it’s homage to Roger’s grandfather. At the rear of the car it’s impossible to miss the Jones Quick Change rearend, featuring a locking dif, 3.69 gears, and a polished aluminum gear cover. Steve at Buffalo Enterprises custom built the assembly specifically for this application.
Certainly the choice of rolling stock can make or break any car, whether a street rod, musclecar, or even a daily driver. Here, we give Roger more kudos for his nod to the aluminum Real Rodders Sprints – 15x10 in the rear and 15x5.5-inches in front. The stagger looks great, and so does the manufacturer’s finish known as the EZ Care Magnesium look. To be sure, many other good choices exist, but we’d say Roger “nailed it” here, with the Sprints making a solid contribution to the car’s unique “one of a kind” look.
“My grandfather wasn’t a hot rodder” says Roger, “but I hope he’d appreciate what I did with his old car – it was worth the wait.” We believe Floyd would clearly be impressed, both with the execution and the nearly complete do-it-yourself nature of the build. “I just like making stuff” explains the owner. “But it doesn’t really matter what it is, in this case the Model A, next is my ’40, and I just recently helped finish a Nova for my brother in-law, I like doing the work.” It’s certainly an attitude that spells non-stop action in Roger’s shop for a long time to come!