Danville Street Sighting - 1931 Ford Model A Pickup

A few years ago Ford killed off the Ranger pickup and a lot of people lamented the disappearance of one of the last true basic, compact trucks. For owners who want a very compact, even more basic truck, there's always one of these.

Ford Model As used to be a cheap, easily attainable classic for hot rodders and beginning enthusiasts. Now they're 80-plus years old and a little too primitive for many people's taste. That doesn't stop a few people in my area from keeping them around, though.

I spotted this 1931 Model A pickup on Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville one morning, fittingly along the same stretch of road where the Hot Summer Nights car shows are held. It looks great in a medium blue with creamy yellow wheels and pinstripe, stained wood bed stakes and bed floor with bright stainless bed rails. The bed looks odd, perhaps retrofitted from a 1932 or slightly newer pickup. One thing I like about this truck is, it shows both signs of restoration and of regular use. It wasn't completely finished when I photographed it; note the lack of taillights or license plates. I have since seen this pickup cruising around town multiple times, now fully assembled and wearing vintage plates.

Looking inside, one can see that it didn't take much to make a Model A livable for a modern driver.There's a cupholder and a power jack for the GPS unit. There could even be a radio in there someplace, but I don't snoop too closely looking inside parked cars.

This was a bittersweet photo shoot for me, a cool old truck in great condition. I say bittersweet because while photographing it, a group of young people passed by and not one of them commented on the Model A. They only cared about the hot pink vinyl-wrapped Mercedes E-Class across the street. Kids these days...

Photographed January 2015