The Ford Barn

Ricko · 08-19-2023, 09:23 AM

Hello to Everyone,
At 69 years young, I took my first ride in a 31 four door sedan this week, and I think I was bit by the bug. So I'd like to run some basic questions by you "A" folks which I'm sure you've answered many times before. My apologies if my questions are redundant.

Now the gent who exposed me to this addictive past time suggested I look for a restored vehicle which I'll happily do to cut down on wrenching time.

So my main question would be, how much wrenching time under a car on your back on the garage floor is required on such a vehicle other than general maintenance such as checking fluids, oil changes, greasing, etc. Is it going to be a case of doing a 2 hour Sunday drive followed by a 12 hour repair/adjustments during the week?

My hope was for a Sunday driver for the wife and I to go to dinner in and then back home.

I had a friend that owned a classic car parts store in Grand Rapids Michigan. I asked Sammy one day why since he owned such a store, why he didn't have a garage full of antique cars? His answer was simple, "I know what it takes in money and time to keep them on the road".

So before I jump in with both feet into this big boys toy game, what would you tell me about owning an " A"? My recent ride was in a 31 four door sedan which was a nice ride which sparked my interest as I mentioned above.

Lastly, let me say, I'm no stranger to working on my cars. When I was younger, clutch and brake replacement was something I'd do out of necessity, not out of joy at getting my hands covered in grease! I would in no way refer to myself as a "gear head"! I will say the idea of arching brake shoes, steering linkage adjustments, bearing shimming, etc. is all new territory for me, both in knowledge and tool requirements. Many thanks in advance for any encouragement or discouragement you may offer!

Banditorama · 08-19-2023, 10:27 AM

It really depends on the condition of the vehicle when you buy it. I'd strongly recommend going through everything (brakes, carb, suspension, etc..) thoroughly no matter how good or restored the vehicle seems to be when you first get it. Once you get it sorted, its just a matter of keeping up with basic maintenance and fixing little problems here and there to keep it on the road

Luckily, they're dirt simple and not many of the bolts are torqued as hard as more modern cars are. Its a lot less intense to work on compared to any of the other cars I've owned.

rer_239 · 08-19-2023, 10:27 AM

First thing I'd suggest is get in touch with the local M A R C club, there's one in Grand Rapids. They're good folks full of knowledge and willing to help.
rer_239

shew01 · 08-19-2023, 11:57 AM

I agree with posts above, and I recommend that you prepare to spend some “quality time” with your car every 1000 miles to change the oil and grease the chassis. Changing the oil is simple—the car was manufactured without a filter. You don’t even have to jack up the car to change the oil.

To my surprise, greasing the chassis is labor intensive, and you should do it when you change the oil. There are about 30 or so fittings to grease and several places to oil. Many of those places are awkward to reach and some are hard to find for the first time. (Don’t forget to oil the distributor in two places and put Vaseline on the distributor cam.) If you have a mixture of original-style grease fittings and modern zerk fittings, you either need two grease guns, or you will be swapping the grease coupler over and over again. For our car, it’s easier to get the steering fittings to take grease when the front wheels are jacked off the floor slightly. (If you jack the front wheels up too far, the carburetor may leak gas on the floor.) Some of the other fittings will likely have you getting down on the floor a number of times to reach them. I greased the car “quickly” yesterday, and it took me two and a half hours, but maybe I’m slower than other folks.

Also, there are an incredible number of things bolted together on a Model A. It is prudent to spend time retightening/retorquing them periodically. For example, head bolts, differential banjo bolts, windshield vent knobs, seat knobs (on the Victoria) lug nuts, door handles, etc. can loosen on their own. The constant vibration tends to loosen some of the fasteners.

Is the Model A worth the time I spend on it? ABSOLUTELY! I’m very often entertained by making a new friend every time I fill it up with gas.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Marshall V. Daut · 08-19-2023, 12:05 PM

Check out the 1930 Fordor Sedan a friend of mine has advertised on this website:
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329812. It's good driver and reliable.

Where are you located? It would help people help you if you fleshed out your "Fordbarn" profile with location, background, interests, etc.

Marshall

Gene F · 08-19-2023, 01:46 PM

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Depends (time). My car is just the way I want it, reliable too. Now it's more like just maintenance. I seldom have to fix my car any more. Gotta have a top notch car, and stay up with it to get to less time spent. I spend way more time on joy rides, and washing the bugs off the windshield these days.

08-19-2023, 09:23 AM	#1
Ricko Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2023 Location: Rockford Michigan Posts: 4	Greetings from Michigan! Hello to Everyone, At 69 years young, I took my first ride in a 31 four door sedan this week, and I think I was bit by the bug. So I'd like to run some basic questions by you "A" folks which I'm sure you've answered many times before. My apologies if my questions are redundant. Now the gent who exposed me to this addictive past time suggested I look for a restored vehicle which I'll happily do to cut down on wrenching time. So my main question would be, how much wrenching time under a car on your back on the garage floor is required on such a vehicle other than general maintenance such as checking fluids, oil changes, greasing, etc. Is it going to be a case of doing a 2 hour Sunday drive followed by a 12 hour repair/adjustments during the week? My hope was for a Sunday driver for the wife and I to go to dinner in and then back home. I had a friend that owned a classic car parts store in Grand Rapids Michigan. I asked Sammy one day why since he owned such a store, why he didn't have a garage full of antique cars? His answer was simple, "I know what it takes in money and time to keep them on the road". So before I jump in with both feet into this big boys toy game, what would you tell me about owning an " A"? My recent ride was in a 31 four door sedan which was a nice ride which sparked my interest as I mentioned above. Lastly, let me say, I'm no stranger to working on my cars. When I was younger, clutch and brake replacement was something I'd do out of necessity, not out of joy at getting my hands covered in grease! I would in no way refer to myself as a "gear head"! I will say the idea of arching brake shoes, steering linkage adjustments, bearing shimming, etc. is all new territory for me, both in knowledge and tool requirements. Many thanks in advance for any encouragement or discouragement you may offer!

08-19-2023, 10:27 AM	#2
Banditorama Senior Member Join Date: May 2023 Posts: 166	Re: Greetings from Michigan! It really depends on the condition of the vehicle when you buy it. I'd strongly recommend going through everything (brakes, carb, suspension, etc..) thoroughly no matter how good or restored the vehicle seems to be when you first get it. Once you get it sorted, its just a matter of keeping up with basic maintenance and fixing little problems here and there to keep it on the road Luckily, they're dirt simple and not many of the bolts are torqued as hard as more modern cars are. Its a lot less intense to work on compared to any of the other cars I've owned.

08-19-2023, 10:27 AM	#3
rer_239 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: muskegon, mi Posts: 297	Re: Greetings from Michigan! First thing I'd suggest is get in touch with the local M A R C club, there's one in Grand Rapids. They're good folks full of knowledge and willing to help. rer_239

08-19-2023, 11:57 AM	#4
shew01 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Roanoke, VA USA Posts: 1,949	Re: Greetings from Michigan! I agree with posts above, and I recommend that you prepare to spend some “quality time” with your car every 1000 miles to change the oil and grease the chassis. Changing the oil is simple—the car was manufactured without a filter. You don’t even have to jack up the car to change the oil. To my surprise, greasing the chassis is labor intensive, and you should do it when you change the oil. There are about 30 or so fittings to grease and several places to oil. Many of those places are awkward to reach and some are hard to find for the first time. (Don’t forget to oil the distributor in two places and put Vaseline on the distributor cam.) If you have a mixture of original-style grease fittings and modern zerk fittings, you either need two grease guns, or you will be swapping the grease coupler over and over again. For our car, it’s easier to get the steering fittings to take grease when the front wheels are jacked off the floor slightly. (If you jack the front wheels up too far, the carburetor may leak gas on the floor.) Some of the other fittings will likely have you getting down on the floor a number of times to reach them. I greased the car “quickly” yesterday, and it took me two and a half hours, but maybe I’m slower than other folks. Also, there are an incredible number of things bolted together on a Model A. It is prudent to spend time retightening/retorquing them periodically. For example, head bolts, differential banjo bolts, windshield vent knobs, seat knobs (on the Victoria) lug nuts, door handles, etc. can loosen on their own. The constant vibration tends to loosen some of the fasteners. Is the Model A worth the time I spend on it? ABSOLUTELY! I’m very often entertained by making a new friend every time I fill it up with gas. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

08-19-2023, 12:05 PM	#5
Marshall V. Daut Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Davenport, Iowa Posts: 2,154	Re: Greetings from Michigan! Check out the 1930 Fordor Sedan a friend of mine has advertised on this website: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329812. It's good driver and reliable. Where are you located? It would help people help you if you fleshed out your "Fordbarn" profile with location, background, interests, etc. Marshall

08-19-2023, 01:46 PM	#6
Gene F Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,023	Re: Greetings from Michigan! Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Depends (time). My car is just the way I want it, reliable too. Now it's more like just maintenance. I seldom have to fix my car any more. Gotta have a top notch car, and stay up with it to get to less time spent. I spend way more time on joy rides, and washing the bugs off the windshield these days.