The Ford Barn

oldredford · 10-22-2015, 07:25 PM

While driving my 1930 Model A coupe on the Blue Ridge Parkway I experienced a flat tire. Now having a flat tire wasn't a first for me what followed was. A stranger pulled over and asked politely if he could change my tire. He was so fascinated with this old technology that he wanted to get his hands on this old metal. At first I said thank you for the offer but I really could handle this tire change. The stranger looked so sad, I mean he looked like a child with no toys. Then I said sure go for it. A big smile returned to his face. Still nice people around.

Sid the Maineiac · 10-22-2015, 07:40 PM

Great story !There are some really nice people that live in that area ! You were lucky enough to meet one and made his day !!

Flathead · 10-22-2015, 07:40 PM

Model A's seem to have a positive effect on most people.

Mike in AZ · 10-22-2015, 07:41 PM

yep... love the old cars....fun to work on, even if just changing a tire....lol....Mike

JM 35 Sedan · 10-22-2015, 08:55 PM

Had a similar experience in 2013 on a cross country tour in my '35 fordor. Broke down on the side of the road (Lincoln Highway) about 50 miles west of Lincoln Nebraska in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Had to remove the distributor and replace it with a rebuilt spare that I carried with me. A guy stopped because he admired my old car and almost begged to help me get it back together. I was having trouble getting the distributor alligned, mounting bolts in place and the vacuum line attached. I wound up turning the job over to him and to my surprise he had everything back together correctly in about 5 minutes. Test fired the engine and it started right up purring like a kitten. As it turned out he was a mechanic for a local railroad and just happened to own a '35 Ford 1-1/2 ton truck. He was so happy to have been able to help, and I was also very happy that he did stop to help.

Drbrown · 10-22-2015, 09:15 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

There is hope for our human race, and our Ford's.

fordor41 · 10-22-2015, 11:12 PM

I had my electrical fuel pump go south in the middle of a awful traffic jam in Lake Norman, NC this spring. We managed to get the car against the left guard rail. I had a spare pump in the trunk and as I was getting ready to crawl under the car when young guy stopped and offered to help. He went under and changed the pump as I handed him tools and held the flashlight. I thanked him, he held up traffic so we could pull out and he was gone. Cool!!

Planojc · 10-23-2015, 08:24 AM

With an old Ford, sometimes you have to stand in line to work on your own car.

Mike51Merc · 10-23-2015, 03:31 PM

These days you're lucky to even find someone capable of changing a tire. Most people just call AAA.

Steve Staysko · 10-23-2015, 09:24 PM

A little off the topic but still a "First For Me" and the young man is a genius. I was driving into work this week very early in morning and I spotted a very clean cut nicely dressed young man walking along the highway carrying a bright red plastic gas can with his backpack slug over his shoulder. So I stopped and asked, if he needed assistance and he said, that a lift into town would be very much appreciated? I said, hop in and he said, thanks for the lift and got into my truck. I then said, that I didn't see his vehicle parked along the side of the highway and he said, that he didn't have a vehicle. So I said, why are you carrying a gas can and he said, that its not a gas can its his suitcase. He had cut the top off of a plastic red gas can and fitted it all back together with a rod running through the top of the tank to the bottom all bolted together and he had some of his personal belongings in the gas can. He then told me that he carriers the gas can because most people will stop and help someone carrying a gas can and that it had only taken him a few days to travel from Eastern to Western Canada! I dropped him off in town he thanked me for the lift and he went on his merry-way and I smiled all the way to the office...

38coop · 10-24-2015, 05:41 AM

I knew an old guy that travelled all over the united states using the gas can trick.

46ford · 10-24-2015, 06:28 AM

My '50 vapor locked in an iffy part of town, in the middle of an intersection. Some high school kids were milling around and started walking toward the car. I figured I was in trouble until they asked if they could push the car out of the intersection. I got in and steered and we hit about 10 mph, and went maybe 1/4 mile to a safe area where I pulled off.

mhsprecher · 10-24-2015, 06:47 AM

My story is the opposite of these. I stopped in a quick stop to grab a soda and saw a couple of young women next to a car with a flat tire and a wheel-less tire out next to the car. I wondered what was up, so I went over and asked if they needed some help? They said yes, that they looked in the trunk and found this tire, but could not figure out how it would get on the car? I said this was just an old tire and that the spare should be under the floor of the trunk, which, it indeed was. I asked if either of them had changed a tire before? No, was the answer, so I figured that I had a teachable moment there and showed them, and got their help, in changing the tire.

When we were all done, I asked them how long they had been waiting there? About 45 minutes. I asked where were all the gentlemen and dads out there who should have helped these young ladies? Well, it was me, I guess. We all left happy.

10-22-2015, 07:25 PM	#1
oldredford Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Moncks Corner, SC Posts: 439	A first for me.... While driving my 1930 Model A coupe on the Blue Ridge Parkway I experienced a flat tire. Now having a flat tire wasn't a first for me what followed was. A stranger pulled over and asked politely if he could change my tire. He was so fascinated with this old technology that he wanted to get his hands on this old metal. At first I said thank you for the offer but I really could handle this tire change. The stranger looked so sad, I mean he looked like a child with no toys. Then I said sure go for it. A big smile returned to his face. Still nice people around.

10-22-2015, 07:40 PM	#2
Sid the Maineiac Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norridgewock,Maine Posts: 657	Re: A first for me.... Great story !There are some really nice people that live in that area ! You were lucky enough to meet one and made his day !!

10-22-2015, 07:40 PM	#3
Flathead Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern Maine Posts: 1,499	Re: A first for me.... Model A's seem to have a positive effect on most people.

10-22-2015, 07:41 PM	#4
Mike in AZ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Waddell, AZ Posts: 2,540	Re: A first for me.... yep... love the old cars....fun to work on, even if just changing a tire....lol....Mike

10-22-2015, 08:55 PM	#5
JM 35 Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Near Rising Sun, Maryland Posts: 10,858	Re: A first for me.... Had a similar experience in 2013 on a cross country tour in my '35 fordor. Broke down on the side of the road (Lincoln Highway) about 50 miles west of Lincoln Nebraska in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Had to remove the distributor and replace it with a rebuilt spare that I carried with me. A guy stopped because he admired my old car and almost begged to help me get it back together. I was having trouble getting the distributor alligned, mounting bolts in place and the vacuum line attached. I wound up turning the job over to him and to my surprise he had everything back together correctly in about 5 minutes. Test fired the engine and it started right up purring like a kitten. As it turned out he was a mechanic for a local railroad and just happened to own a '35 Ford 1-1/2 ton truck. He was so happy to have been able to help, and I was also very happy that he did stop to help. __________________ *John* *"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts". Albert Einstein*

10-22-2015, 09:15 PM	#6
Drbrown Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Glens Falls NY Posts: 1,267	Re: A first for me.... Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) There is hope for our human race, and our Ford's.

10-22-2015, 11:12 PM	#7
fordor41 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: elmira,ny Posts: 1,518	Re: A first for me.... I had my electrical fuel pump go south in the middle of a awful traffic jam in Lake Norman, NC this spring. We managed to get the car against the left guard rail. I had a spare pump in the trunk and as I was getting ready to crawl under the car when young guy stopped and offered to help. He went under and changed the pump as I handed him tools and held the flashlight. I thanked him, he held up traffic so we could pull out and he was gone. Cool!!

10-23-2015, 08:24 AM	#8
Planojc Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Plano, Texas Posts: 848	Re: A first for me.... With an old Ford, sometimes you have to stand in line to work on your own car.

10-23-2015, 03:31 PM	#9
Mike51Merc Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Northeast Pennsylvania Posts: 1,582	Re: A first for me.... These days you're lucky to even find someone capable of changing a tire. Most people just call AAA.

10-23-2015, 09:24 PM	#10
Steve Staysko Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Dewinton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 463	Re: A first for me.... A little off the topic but still a "First For Me" and the young man is a genius. I was driving into work this week very early in morning and I spotted a very clean cut nicely dressed young man walking along the highway carrying a bright red plastic gas can with his backpack slug over his shoulder. So I stopped and asked, if he needed assistance and he said, that a lift into town would be very much appreciated? I said, hop in and he said, thanks for the lift and got into my truck. I then said, that I didn't see his vehicle parked along the side of the highway and he said, that he didn't have a vehicle. So I said, why are you carrying a gas can and he said, that its not a gas can its his suitcase. He had cut the top off of a plastic red gas can and fitted it all back together with a rod running through the top of the tank to the bottom all bolted together and he had some of his personal belongings in the gas can. He then told me that he carriers the gas can because most people will stop and help someone carrying a gas can and that it had only taken him a few days to travel from Eastern to Western Canada! I dropped him off in town he thanked me for the lift and he went on his merry-way and I smiled all the way to the office...

10-24-2015, 05:41 AM	#11
38coop Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cocoa Florida Posts: 180	Re: A first for me.... I knew an old guy that travelled all over the united states using the gas can trick.

10-24-2015, 06:47 AM	#13
mhsprecher Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Takoma Park, MD Posts: 2,817	Re: A first for me.... My story is the opposite of these. I stopped in a quick stop to grab a soda and saw a couple of young women next to a car with a flat tire and a wheel-less tire out next to the car. I wondered what was up, so I went over and asked if they needed some help? They said yes, that they looked in the trunk and found this tire, but could not figure out how it would get on the car? I said this was just an old tire and that the spare should be under the floor of the trunk, which, it indeed was. I asked if either of them had changed a tire before? No, was the answer, so I figured that I had a teachable moment there and showed them, and got their help, in changing the tire. When we were all done, I asked them how long they had been waiting there? About 45 minutes. I asked where were all the gentlemen and dads out there who should have helped these young ladies? Well, it was me, I guess. We all left happy.