How This Got Started…

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Last May – 2024 – I realized a long dream and purchased a 1930 Ford Model A Standard Tudor.  An old friend, Pat Gillis, purchased a 1928 Sport Coupe back in the late seventies.  He and I drove from Central Florida up to nearby Macon, Georgia and picked it up, towed it home, and had a blast with it.  His yellow Sport Coupe took us on many adventures and from that time on I decided that I wanted my own.  It only took about fifty years for me to finally get one for myself.

So I joined our local Model A Club, the Crankin’ A’s of Daytona Beach.  They helped me learn about Model A’s and when I found one I liked, they helped me know what to look for – and I got a great car.

The car runs well and has very few issues.  However, one of the issues that needed to be addressed was the steering box.  It has a two-tooth box that had a “hitch” in the steering – a spot where the wheel would turn about an inch with no resistance whatsoever.  A rebuild would be needed.

I needed a new worm and sector, but they were not available.  No one had new parts.  So I dug.  And dug.  I read forum posts.  Talked to folks in the club and out.  Searched the internet.  It seems that the source for these parts used to be somewhere in South America, possibly Buenos Aires.  But the company making the parts went out of business several years ago and the parts were no longer manufactured.  No more worms and sectors.  Used parts were the best we could do.

Then I found them.  The company that used to make the parts for our steering systems was still making steering system parts.

It seems that they never went out of business, but instead the importer who brought us the parts from South America went out of business.

So I got them to send me samples, and I rebuilt my steering box.  Others familiar with the “older” parts looked them over and verified that the quality of the parts is good.  They are the same as what we used to get.

Then in a stroke of luck, a guy named Cristian Delaport from Argentina came by the Crankin’ A’s and hung out for a couple of weeks.  Cristian drove his ’29 Model A Fordor from his home in Argentina to Prudoe Bay, Alaska!  Then back to Los Angeles, then across the country to Daytona Beach to visit with his son.  (Look for the article about him and his trip in the Model A News this summer.)  Lots of stories…but then one day at lunch I asked him about my source in Buenos Aires!  He provided not only a great recommendation in engineering and manufacture, but they were great friends!  So…

So after some discussions we formed Model A Steering LLC with the State of Florida.  We capitalized the company, set up imports, and made the deal to be the exclusive US distributor for Model A steering components.  Our website, ModelASteering.com, went live on April 9.

It has bothered me that the only real alternative to a worn-out Model A Steering Box has been to weld up a truck steering box.  There are some good conversion components out there, but for those wanting stock steering for their Model A’s, there was nothing.

Now that has changed.  We are bringing in rebuild kits for two-tooth boxes now, and by summer will have seven-tooth box rebuild kits in stock.  We will then follow that with sets of worm, shaft and sectors.

Stock rebuilds of Model A steering boxes can now begin again.  We are not going to become another vendor of “all things Model A”, but instead try to fill the hole that has kept us from making our Model A steering systems safe.

We will begin shipping kits by May 15, 2026 – probably earlier.  Our goal is to ship orders within two working days, shipping UPS.  Your kit will arrive via UPS in a box 48″ x 6″ by 6″ to your door, normally within a few days shipping from Florida.

The website is full of warnings about measuring the shaft length in your two-tooth steering shaft to determine whether you have a 43″ or 44″ shaft.  Read and heed these warnings and please do not order until you can verify the length in your steering shaft.  Once you order we will do our best to get your rebuild kit to you as soon as possible.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Kevin Duffy, Vice President, Crankin’ A’s of Daytona Beach

13 comments

  1. Steve Becker - Reply

    Kevin, we want to sell your steering parts. Please email me when you have stock and we will buy quantities.

    I spoke with those folks in Argentina a couple years ago, but they would only sell to us if we took over their complete line of all steering parts for all years. Glad you were able to get them to just sell you the Model A ones. We would prefer to just buy worms and sectors, but open to options at a good wholesale pricing

    Steve @ Bert’s Model A Center

    Parts@modelastore.com

    • kduffy - Reply

      We will be expanding our offerings soon. We will be offering seven-tooth rebuild kits, shaft/worm and sector kits for both seven-tooth and two tooth, and also just the worm and sector for both. We are also looking at maybe offering complete rebuilt steering boxes with the steering shaft installed later this year. Stay tuned!

  3. Ted Hewitt - Reply

    Glad to see you are fillig a need in our hobby. It is much appreciated.

    • kduffy - Reply

      I spent much of my working career in public safety and teaching in public safety topics – mostly in police work, but also in 9-1-1 and other fringe public safety endeavors. While others were working in restaurants and convenience stores in high school, my friends and I were beach lifeguards for the Volusia County Beach Patrol in Daytona Beach – tough duty. So finding solutions to widespread problems is nothing new to me. While some may accuse me of just trying to make money off the Model A Community, I see it as you describe – filling a need in the hobby that has been neglected for many years. I hope that I can do a great job with it, and so far, so good!

      Thanks

      Kevin

  4. Justin Bicknell - Reply

    If they are coming from Argentina, will there be a RHD option offered?

  5. Mike Cozad - Reply

    First off thank you for doing this! I know I need a new shaft as they bent mine installing the worm gear. But I have one question for you. In the VW world at least, Argentinian parts are looked down on due to the metals being soft and wearing out fast. Although that may have changed recently as it has been awhile since I was in that world. What is the metal quality like for these parts?

    Thank you,

    Mike

  6. kduffy - Reply

    Mike – these are the same parts that we have been buying for decades for our Model A’s. And yes, there is talk about the VW parts not being too great. This manufacture has been doing this with steering parts shipped all over the world since 1962. And everything that I have received looks to be great quality. I am using these in my car.

  8. Norbert van Wingerden - Reply

    Mike will you send to the Netherlands (Europe)

  9. Norbert Kaiping - Reply

    Hello all,
    I am a owner of a right hand drive Model A from Argentinia.
    Did you make in the near future some steerings for the right hand technology?
    Have you perhaps a 2 tooth steering for me?

    Let me know and conact me on e-mail

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