1930 Model A Coupe - Readers' Rods

Mark & Lester Codd
Atwater, California
1940 Fordor sedan
1930 Model A Coupe

Here's a cool deal: Not only did Mark Codd send us these neat ol' pics of his dad, Lester, and his buddy Gary Reinero's hot rods from exactly 50 years ago (dig those old shots taken at the A&W!), but Mark has reproduced his dad's old coupe almost exactly, even using some of the original parts! The Hemi-motored A coupe in those old snapshots was Lester's "back when he had hair," according to Mark, channeled some 8 inches and fed by six twos, and was just one of a number of hot cars Lester built back then. Cars such as the '40 Fordor sedan, which was used, abused, and drag raced before being totaled in a head-on collision in '57, though Lester built a clone a few years back, which he still owns.

After running and racing the coupe for a number of years, it was rebuilt in the late '60s or early '70s, the '47 Lincoln front axle swapped out after a crash while drag racing, and the chassis extended out front. The coupe ended up bright orange with another couple of carbs added, and wide tires out back. Lester eventually sold the A in 1974.

In contrast to the primered coupe, Gary's similarly channeled Deuce roadster wore metallic red paint at first, and not only does he still own it, but that blue paint was laid on by Gene Winfield back in 1960. The cowl even wears Winfield crests to this day, though motive power now comes from a 4.71 blown small-block Chevy. Gary still has the drag racing bug from his youth (he ran a Willys with a 426 Hemi in the '60s), as he currently campaigns an AA/S '48 Austin on the nostalgia drag race circuit.

Despite attempts to find his dad's old coupe, the trail went cold after a couple of its subsequent owners were located, the second telling Mark he'd sold the hot rod to a guy in Raisin City, California, in the late '70s. So, Mark did the next best thing and set out to recreate it. Three years of collecting parts resulted in the clone you see here. The hardest part to find was another '47 Lincoln front axle. He eventually prised one from a restorer's stash, then two months later while at the Turlock swap meet he found his dad's original axle, identified by the lightening hole pattern, the colors, and the fact it was still bent! Though Mark bought it and fitted it to the coupe, it's unusable because of the damage, but he has plans to straighten it. Although, the coupe does run his dad's original headlights and backing plates.

Lester is still actively building hot rods today at 73, and is currently tackling a '55 Chevy truck. We asked Mark if his dad ever drove the coupe and he said he'd taken him on a couple of trips, but Lester declared it "too fast", letting his son continue the family speed trait. With the coupe clone done, and a gorgeous late '40s/early '50s A roadster built and sold on, Mark is now building an early '50s-style '34 coupe. Hot rod genes at their finest!

Mail vintage photos of you and your hot rod, along with detailed info, to Yesterday's Young Guns/R&C Magazine 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870