The Ford Barn

sconnors · 04-25-2013, 09:55 PM

Driving my 1930 Ford Model A time stands still in a sense and I am magically transported back to a simpler time. You see there are no modern luxuries in the truck; it’s a basic simple machine. There is no radio or CD player, so you’re forced to spend time by yourself thinking or conversing with whomever is with you. There is no digital cluster in front of you on the dashboard giving you more information than you’ll ever need, simply a gas gauge, and ammeter. Vehicles back then didn’t even have heat and obviously air conditioning was out of the question, but the front windshield folds out so you can get some air into the cab.

The mechanics of the car are beautiful in its simplicity also. This was long before automatic transmissions so a standard three speed transmission without synchronized gears makes you double clutch when you drive. You have to manually adjust the spark, throttle, and gas mixture when starting the car! The brakes consist of mechanical brakes, not the hydraulic ones we’ve come to know and love in our current vehicles. No power steering either, just basic transportation that tops out at about 50 MPH.

When I drive the Model A I’m in another place and another time. I realize all the finer points of what at the time was cutting edge technology in transportation. With nearly 4 million Model A vehicles sold, Henry Ford revolutionized the auto industry and all of our lives as we know it today. Up until Henry automobiles were only for the rich and well to do. Henry realized there was some decent profit to be had for making a car for the common man. Driving a Model A forces you by its sheer design to slow down a bit from the rat race we all live in. The Model A makes you take a moment and surprisingly you see a lot when you slow down. You suddenly appreciate the countryside around you, you suddenly notice that gorgeous horse in that field over there, and you see the beauty of God’s hand in everything you pass that you would have otherwise missed if you were flying by at 70 MPH.

Driving my Model A gives me some quality alone time, or quality time with my girlfriend Pattie if we’re together. It’s a beautiful ride and once you’re used to not going 50, 60, or 70 and you realize that you can take life slowly. The Ford Model A makes you take a step back in time to a much simpler time and a much simpler place. We have become a society of rushers, we rush to work, rush to get the kids off to school, rush to the grocery store, rush to the drive thru to get a coffee, we rush our lives away. It’s nice every now and then when something comes into our lives that make us slow down and take a look around and enjoy life rather than rushing through it.

The old adage “it’s the journey, not the destination” holds so true when driving my Model A. That truck has allowed me to enjoy more journeys in the past year and given me some great views along the road.

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04-25-2013, 09:55 PM	#1
sconnors Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Stephentown Posts: 446	Driving my Model A Driving my 1930 Ford Model A time stands still in a sense and I am magically transported back to a simpler time. You see there are no modern luxuries in the truck; it’s a basic simple machine. There is no radio or CD player, so you’re forced to spend time by yourself thinking or conversing with whomever is with you. There is no digital cluster in front of you on the dashboard giving you more information than you’ll ever need, simply a gas gauge, and ammeter. Vehicles back then didn’t even have heat and obviously air conditioning was out of the question, but the front windshield folds out so you can get some air into the cab. The mechanics of the car are beautiful in its simplicity also. This was long before automatic transmissions so a standard three speed transmission without synchronized gears makes you double clutch when you drive. You have to manually adjust the spark, throttle, and gas mixture when starting the car! The brakes consist of mechanical brakes, not the hydraulic ones we’ve come to know and love in our current vehicles. No power steering either, just basic transportation that tops out at about 50 MPH. When I drive the Model A I’m in another place and another time. I realize all the finer points of what at the time was cutting edge technology in transportation. With nearly 4 million Model A vehicles sold, Henry Ford revolutionized the auto industry and all of our lives as we know it today. Up until Henry automobiles were only for the rich and well to do. Henry realized there was some decent profit to be had for making a car for the common man. Driving a Model A forces you by its sheer design to slow down a bit from the rat race we all live in. The Model A makes you take a moment and surprisingly you see a lot when you slow down. You suddenly appreciate the countryside around you, you suddenly notice that gorgeous horse in that field over there, and you see the beauty of God’s hand in everything you pass that you would have otherwise missed if you were flying by at 70 MPH. Driving my Model A gives me some quality alone time, or quality time with my girlfriend Pattie if we’re together. It’s a beautiful ride and once you’re used to not going 50, 60, or 70 and you realize that you can take life slowly. The Ford Model A makes you take a step back in time to a much simpler time and a much simpler place. We have become a society of rushers, we rush to work, rush to get the kids off to school, rush to the grocery store, rush to the drive thru to get a coffee, we rush our lives away. It’s nice every now and then when something comes into our lives that make us slow down and take a look around and enjoy life rather than rushing through it. The old adage “it’s the journey, not the destination” holds so true when driving my Model A. That truck has allowed me to enjoy more journeys in the past year and given me some great views along the road. http://scottpconnors.tumblr.com