The Ford Barn

WTSHNN · 07-26-2012, 08:38 AM

This came through in this morning's Hemmings Blog Email and I thought some of you might appreciate the creativity, freshness and honesty...

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...up/?refer=news

It will fetch the morning paper, another case of ale or a three-story, gilded plastic bowling trophy the minute you rattle the keys.

And funny, come to think of it, on several occasions, all at the same time. Cosmetically restored about fifteen years ago, this truck has been recently refurbished so that everything runs more faithfully than my dog. It has more integrity than my local congressman, is more dependable than my mailman and more truthful than a lifetime of marriage. It hides nothing, works harder than the county chain gang and never asks for shady rest alongside any road. Mechanically, this truck is excellent and true, with little to worry. I finished the mechanical restoration recently hoping it would run circles around my Lionel standard gauge trains if only I could figure how to squeeze it on the platform. I’m a retired truck mechanic with no more daily grease under my nails and almost too much time on my hands to be practical.

Brisk and snappy, this truck never lost its soul.

It is mostly original short of mechanical refurbishment as needed from the spares found at Bratton’s and Snyder’s where every part is available down to the last cotter pin. This Ford has become comfortable in warm, dry storage and being run regularly. The motor is bank-vault tight, with no crankcase blow by, and will tick over all day. I’ve rebuilt the carb and replaced the water pump. It steers like an arrow on rails, with a straight frame, tight king pins and no steering slop or suspension sag. The steering box rebuilt, the tires fresh and the brake system reconditioned, it will stop faster than anyone lost texting nearby in a modern car. The lights work and the interior is neat as a pin as all the gauges: fuel, amp, speedometer and odometer, never fail. This truck has about a thousand miles on it since the repaint to enjoy working any mechanical bugs out and fine tune.

The body is all metal with no plastic filler. The enamel paint is professional enough to keep the judges bestowing honor and show every handprint when my car-crazy grandkids climb in and out. The detachable huckster canopy of oak matches the cab roof perfectly. The bed is replaced with new wood and the trunk has a period tool set and crank, along with manuals, a spare starter and generator. The lenses and tail light are correct and actually work well enough to get you home safely after last call. A man will never be left thirsty or stranded when a Model A truck stands ready to post bond.

This truck will last longer than you will. Surely, it’s not on its first date, but it has never been hammered hard down at the quarry and put away rusting wet. Get out the fine-toothed comb and let’s walk around… There’s a half dime-sized puncture tear that’s repairable in the brown seat back cover, acceptable random chips along the black running boards, a small frozen out-of-sight stress crack in the windshield glass along the bottom edge and a slight driver’s door gap at the top of the frame that reminds me these characters were hand-made from forest and ore. What bugs are there left to squash? The window regulators could be tightened up as they will slide down when rattled and the metal floor pan under the bench seat could use a wire-brushing and repaint. It is the only spot in all the sheetmetal that has a few small pitted holes.

The Model A is such a delightful form of analog simplicity, but my favorite contraption is still my next one. Springtime is madness and I’m quietly saying good buy after having the pleasure of understanding what Henry was thinking inside and out. One never owns these pleasures, they seem to only be shared among friends.

-Tim

07-26-2012, 08:38 AM	#1
WTSHNN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,413	How to sell a Model A Pickup... This came through in this morning's Hemmings Blog Email and I thought some of you might appreciate the creativity, freshness and honesty... http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...up/?refer=news It will fetch the morning paper, another case of ale or a three-story, gilded plastic bowling trophy the minute you rattle the keys. And funny, come to think of it, on several occasions, all at the same time. Cosmetically restored about fifteen years ago, this truck has been recently refurbished so that everything runs more faithfully than my dog. It has more integrity than my local congressman, is more dependable than my mailman and more truthful than a lifetime of marriage. It hides nothing, works harder than the county chain gang and never asks for shady rest alongside any road. Mechanically, this truck is excellent and true, with little to worry. I finished the mechanical restoration recently hoping it would run circles around my Lionel standard gauge trains if only I could figure how to squeeze it on the platform. I’m a retired truck mechanic with no more daily grease under my nails and almost too much time on my hands to be practical. Brisk and snappy, this truck never lost its soul. It is mostly original short of mechanical refurbishment as needed from the spares found at Bratton’s and Snyder’s where every part is available down to the last cotter pin. This Ford has become comfortable in warm, dry storage and being run regularly. The motor is bank-vault tight, with no crankcase blow by, and will tick over all day. I’ve rebuilt the carb and replaced the water pump. It steers like an arrow on rails, with a straight frame, tight king pins and no steering slop or suspension sag. The steering box rebuilt, the tires fresh and the brake system reconditioned, it will stop faster than anyone lost texting nearby in a modern car. The lights work and the interior is neat as a pin as all the gauges: fuel, amp, speedometer and odometer, never fail. This truck has about a thousand miles on it since the repaint to enjoy working any mechanical bugs out and fine tune. The body is all metal with no plastic filler. The enamel paint is professional enough to keep the judges bestowing honor and show every handprint when my car-crazy grandkids climb in and out. The detachable huckster canopy of oak matches the cab roof perfectly. The bed is replaced with new wood and the trunk has a period tool set and crank, along with manuals, a spare starter and generator. The lenses and tail light are correct and actually work well enough to get you home safely after last call. A man will never be left thirsty or stranded when a Model A truck stands ready to post bond. This truck will last longer than you will. Surely, it’s not on its first date, but it has never been hammered hard down at the quarry and put away rusting wet. Get out the fine-toothed comb and let’s walk around… There’s a half dime-sized puncture tear that’s repairable in the brown seat back cover, acceptable random chips along the black running boards, a small frozen out-of-sight stress crack in the windshield glass along the bottom edge and a slight driver’s door gap at the top of the frame that reminds me these characters were hand-made from forest and ore. What bugs are there left to squash? The window regulators could be tightened up as they will slide down when rattled and the metal floor pan under the bench seat could use a wire-brushing and repaint. It is the only spot in all the sheetmetal that has a few small pitted holes. The Model A is such a delightful form of analog simplicity, but my favorite contraption is still my next one. Springtime is madness and I’m quietly saying good buy after having the pleasure of understanding what Henry was thinking inside and out. One never owns these pleasures, they seem to only be shared among friends. -Tim