The Ford Barn

JamesAC · 11-24-2015, 10:57 PM

Glad you got the car, vespaholic. I found a 1930 deluxe coupe last year the elderly previous owner had spent several years doing a nice off-frame body restoration (gave it up due to health and other issues) and the owner previous to him had rebuilt the engine very nicely. Only thing the car lacked was the entire front end, brakes, and steering to be rebuilt and the interior done. Spent a year doing that and just put it on the road in recent weeks. The purchase was a perfect "fit" for me as I like brakes, front end, ignition, carburetors, exhaust, top-end engine work, and interior repairs and finishing, but don't have the set up for paint and body and bottom-end engine work.

I guess everyone has something that fits what they can do and feel comfortable with and that determines how they'll look at a given potential purchase, just as you looked at yours. For example, I couldn't conceive of spending $2000 to have brakes done as I did all mine myself for far less in the cost of new parts and some long winter nights spent out in the garage playing with my new toy.

And don't be afraid of getting into your carburetor. Again, from my growing up on the farm and rebuilding dozens of old tractor and 1950's to 1960's era truck and car carburetors, the carburetors on these old cars are really simple. An inexpensive rebuild kit and some fun time taking the easily disassembled thing off the car and cleaning and putting it back together will reward you with years of good service not to speak of the satisfaction of having done it yourself. And the adjustments are so easy, just an idle mixture and idle speed screws you turn to make the engine idle smoothly at the speed you want is all there is. It's fun to actually get to adjust something just the way you want compared to today's fixed fuel injection systems all controlled out of some black box hidden under all that stuff under the hood.

Best of luck with your new project.

11-24-2015, 10:57 PM	#11
JamesAC Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 26	Re: Purchase Advise: 1930 Model A Tudor Glad you got the car, vespaholic. I found a 1930 deluxe coupe last year the elderly previous owner had spent several years doing a nice off-frame body restoration (gave it up due to health and other issues) and the owner previous to him had rebuilt the engine very nicely. Only thing the car lacked was the entire front end, brakes, and steering to be rebuilt and the interior done. Spent a year doing that and just put it on the road in recent weeks. The purchase was a perfect "fit" for me as I like brakes, front end, ignition, carburetors, exhaust, top-end engine work, and interior repairs and finishing, but don't have the set up for paint and body and bottom-end engine work. I guess everyone has something that fits what they can do and feel comfortable with and that determines how they'll look at a given potential purchase, just as you looked at yours. For example, I couldn't conceive of spending $2000 to have brakes done as I did all mine myself for far less in the cost of new parts and some long winter nights spent out in the garage playing with my new toy. And don't be afraid of getting into your carburetor. Again, from my growing up on the farm and rebuilding dozens of old tractor and 1950's to 1960's era truck and car carburetors, the carburetors on these old cars are really simple. An inexpensive rebuild kit and some fun time taking the easily disassembled thing off the car and cleaning and putting it back together will reward you with years of good service not to speak of the satisfaction of having done it yourself. And the adjustments are so easy, just an idle mixture and idle speed screws you turn to make the engine idle smoothly at the speed you want is all there is. It's fun to actually get to adjust something just the way you want compared to today's fixed fuel injection systems all controlled out of some black box hidden under all that stuff under the hood. Best of luck with your new project.