The Ford Barn

Bob Leonard · 11-14-2024, 10:40 PM

I have a 1931 Deluxe Roadster that I have had for about 64 years (Yes, I'm an old fart). It was my second A, my first being a 1928 pickup truck. Over the years, I have driven it for a while, and then it sat up for a while. This last time, it has been sitting up for about 15 years or so.

I want to get it back on the road and use it frequently. To do that, I dropped the oil pan and cleaned it out really well. I did not want to run it with a lot of sludge in it. Before starting it, I intend to gap the points and plugs and set up the timing. I bought a new glass sediment bowl (I don't know what happened to my old one) and need to reinstall the carburetor.

1. I'm also going to run several gallons of fuel through it to make sure that the gas tank is fairly clean. I'll replace the oil, gas, and water (for now at least, I'll use antifreeze before the first freeze, but I want to start with water in case there are any leaks to deal with).

My first question is: What else should I do or inspect before starting it?

2. After I run it (probably only for a minute or so), I will prepare to get it down from the jacks and take it out of the shop. For that, I intend to change the transmission and rear-end fluids and go through and lubricate all of the grease fittings.

So my second question is: What else do I need to do then to start driving it. A subsidiary issue would be whether there is anything that I can do to the tires to make sure that they are road-worthy. They have been sitting up for a while and might be a little stiff.

3. Assuming that I get this far, my third question is: What should I do to turn my, now road-worthy, car into a daily driver? I am considering switching out the generator for an alternator. I want to keep it as original as reasonably practical.

Thanks for any help that you can give me.

11-14-2024, 10:40 PM	#1
Bob Leonard Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Texas Posts: 25	Getting my A back on the road-three questions I have a 1931 Deluxe Roadster that I have had for about 64 years (Yes, I'm an old fart). It was my second A, my first being a 1928 pickup truck. Over the years, I have driven it for a while, and then it sat up for a while. This last time, it has been sitting up for about 15 years or so. I want to get it back on the road and use it frequently. To do that, I dropped the oil pan and cleaned it out really well. I did not want to run it with a lot of sludge in it. Before starting it, I intend to gap the points and plugs and set up the timing. I bought a new glass sediment bowl (I don't know what happened to my old one) and need to reinstall the carburetor. 1. I'm also going to run several gallons of fuel through it to make sure that the gas tank is fairly clean. I'll replace the oil, gas, and water (for now at least, I'll use antifreeze before the first freeze, but I want to start with water in case there are any leaks to deal with). My first question is: What else should I do or inspect before starting it? 2. After I run it (probably only for a minute or so), I will prepare to get it down from the jacks and take it out of the shop. For that, I intend to change the transmission and rear-end fluids and go through and lubricate all of the grease fittings. So my second question is: What else do I need to do then to start driving it. A subsidiary issue would be whether there is anything that I can do to the tires to make sure that they are road-worthy. They have been sitting up for a while and might be a little stiff. 3. Assuming that I get this far, my third question is: What should I do to turn my, now road-worthy, car into a daily driver? I am considering switching out the generator for an alternator. I want to keep it as original as reasonably practical. Thanks for any help that you can give me.