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Old 01-22-2015, 10:41 PM   #1
mercman from oz
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Default Being practical with old Fords?

My late Dad was a Builder by trade and his everyday car was a 1946 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan which my Grandfather bought brand new. Dad got the car in 1953 after my Grandfather was drowned. Being a Builder, he kept all his Tools etc in the Trunk. He loved the old 46 which proved very reliable transport and served Dad faithfully, however, he did have one complaint with it? Every time he had to open the Trunk in the rain, rain water would pour into his large Tool Box, which he quite often left in the car, only removing the actual tools required for the job. This was before all the Electric Tools. So Dad thought up a remedy. He bent some Aluminium Channel to the correct shape, cut off the lower portion of the Drip Rails and attached the Aluminium Channel by Screws. It may not have looked the best, but it served Dad well and prevented water running into the Trunk and rusting up his Tools. This was done in the late 1950's and would be a no-no these days. By the way, the old 46 Ford is still in the family, but is not in use these days. In fact, the last Registration Label on the Windscreen shows that it expired in 1966.
What have other Early Ford V8 Owners done with their cars to make them more practical? Lets hear from you.
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Old 01-22-2015, 10:47 PM   #2
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

I like your dads thinking! A simple solution to his problem, done in a workman like manner.
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Old 01-22-2015, 11:33 PM   #3
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Don't know if this counts but I've grown weary of trying to get the right temperature out of my heater and into the car since there was no control on the hot water - it just flowed full blast all the time - and there were only two fan speeds. On high fan it just got too hot and on low speed the air coming out of the heater was just as hot if not hotter resulting in my right foot roasting and my left foot and back seat passengers freezing. What I wanted was to be able to keep the fan on high but turn down the heat so that it would circulate evenly through the car and keep the positive pressure that kept cold air from coming in any little cracks or gaps to the outside.

Fortunately I found this remote control water valve though O'Reilly's that screwed right into the block in place of the old style manual valve without even needing to replace the hose with a longer one.







Added O'Reilly's remote control cable, (only came in 5' length so had to cut it down a couple of feet to fit perfectly)



And installed the knob next to all of the other heater control knobs.



Took a 400 mile road trip last weekend and it was so nice to be able to regulate the heat exactly as I wanted.
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Old 01-23-2015, 02:08 PM   #4
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

I graduated from high school in 1953, I had purchased my '36 Ford coupe in '52 from the original owner, The odometer showed 51K +.. My father was a ceramic tile contractor, I had worked with/for him the majority of my life, therefore I was quite good at the ceramic tile game.
I did not care much for ceramic tile work, preferred auto repairs, especially building faster cars. In the late fall of '53 I lost my job working on cars, since winter was quickly coming on people were "tightening their belts" for the long winter, I could not find a job.
I reverted to my standby trade, tile work, made some calls and found a job in Salt Lake City working for a company that did tile and marble work all over the inter-mountain west.
The large trunk of the '36 was great, I could get my cloths and personal items in the front of the trunk, accessible by lifting the back of the seat. I arranged the rear part of the trunk so that all of my tile tools were neatly arranged in the manner that I would need them.
My Ford and I cruised around the west, Denver, Casper, Boise, Yellowstone Park, etc., and finally landed in Vegas to do work on the many hotels under construction in '54-56. I put over 50K on the Ford in less than two years.
In the spring of '56 I moved to Los Angeles. I went for an interview with a tile company in San Fernando, drove my '36 Ford up to the front of the company location and went in for my interview, I was hired and dispatched to a job. I drove my '36 Ford every day on the streets and freeways of Southern CA until 1959, racking up another 39K on the odometer. In '59 I became a general foreman and was given a new Ford pickup, my '36 became a toy, sitting in the garage awaiting our next adventure.
Fast forward to 1995, I had advanced to being a contractor, chairman of a pension trust and then the CEO of a trade association. In 1995 the trade association had a 50th anniversary party for the members, we went out of our way to invite anyone that had ever been a member. One of the former members that showed up at the party was the owner of the company I had worked for in San Fernando.
I had not seen Jeff for many years, we talked for a few minutes, rehashing some of the good ole days. Jeff then looked me square in the eye, complimenting me on my success in the Tile and Marble Industry. I thanked him for his compliments, Jeff then asked me if I remembered the time that I had come into his office for an interview, I said I did.
Jeff went on to tell me that he had been very impressed with me, nicely dressed in slacks and shoes with a bright shine. To top it off I was driving a black '36 Ford coupe that looked like it was brand new.. Jeff said " he thought that I was one of two things, the best tile setter he had ever seen, or the biggest fruit cake he had ever seen, he hired me to see just what category I fit into"...
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Old 01-23-2015, 04:35 PM   #5
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

So what happen to the '36?
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Old 01-23-2015, 04:38 PM   #6
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Did the same thing with my heater control as Old Henry. Works great. And a T5 transmission. What a blessing it is.
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Old 01-23-2015, 06:16 PM   #7
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Trev, I can see your Dad was a real tradesman. He has all the screw slots in line on that aluminium channel on the old 46 Ford. All good stories fellas. Regards, Kevin.
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Old 01-23-2015, 06:57 PM   #8
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Before my Dad took ownership of the 1946 Ford Deluxe Sedan, he owned a 1935 Ford Deluxe Fordor Touring Sedan. As he was stationed out west during the war years building army huts, he used the 1935 Ford on these trips. So that he always had a supply of cold water, he mounted this Frame on the front of the car and hung an old Water Bag on it. It was always cold because of the breeze blowing on it. It was not uncommon to see Water Bags mounted on the front of cars back in the 40's & 50's.
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Old 01-23-2015, 08:35 PM   #9
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

I plan to do what Old Henry did, when I finally get my heater rebuilt and back in the car. Since I don't have a Flathead in my 40, I plan to use the Throttle Knob for the cable. I'll secure the top end of the cable to the side of the radio chassis, and fasten the cable's wire to the Throttle knob using the original screw, and the other end to the control valve. I did the same thing with the Choke knob, to control the manual choke, and it's worked great for the last 25 years.
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Old 01-23-2015, 08:52 PM   #10
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

To this day I use wooden clothespins to hold loose wires, reduce vapor lock , derattle exhaust pipes,and eliminate rattles. Chewing gun tinfoil to wrap burned out fuses. kerosene to make vacuum wipers glide on the windshield.
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Old 01-23-2015, 09:10 PM   #11
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Old Henry .... You're right, its a great way to control the heat output, or even turn the water flow off. My '47 has a very similar flow-control valve but its in the return heater hose. You can barely see it in the bottom center of the photo .... the valve is black. By the looks of the under-dash accessory control plate which holds the heater switch (same as yours) and has a place for the choke cable knob right next to it, I think it may be an original add-on accessory. I'll have to see if I can ID the manufacturer on the valve.
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Old 01-23-2015, 11:26 PM   #12
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

[QUOTE=mercman from oz;1020531]My late Dad was a Builder by trade and his everyday car was a 1946 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan which my Grandfather bought brand new. Dad got the car in 1953 after my Grandfather was drowned. Being a Builder, he kept all his Tools etc in the Trunk. He loved the old 46 which proved very reliable transport and served Dad faithfully, however, he did have one complaint with it? Every time he had to open the Trunk in the rain, rain water would pour into his large Tool Box, which he quite often left in the car, only removing the actual tools required for the job. This was before all the Electric Tools. So Dad thought up a remedy. He bent some Aluminium Channel to the correct shape, cut off the lower portion of the Drip Rails and attached the Aluminium Channel by Screws. It may not have looked the best, but it served Dad well and prevented water running into the Trunk and rusting up his Tools. This was done in the late 1950's and would be a no-no these days. By the way, the old 46 Ford is still in the family, but is not in use these days. In fact, the last Registration Label on the Windscreen shows that it expired in 1966.
What have other Early Ford V8 Owners done with their cars to make them more practical? Lets hear from you.[/QUOTE

At first glance I thought some bugger had put a vinyl roof on it!

GB
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Old 01-24-2015, 01:55 AM   #13
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Drbrown View Post
Old Henry .... You're right, its a great way to control the heat output, or even turn the water flow off. My '47 has a very similar flow-control valve but its in the return heater hose. You can barely see it in the bottom center of the photo .... the valve is black. By the looks of the under-dash accessory control plate which holds the heater switch (same as yours) and has a place for the choke cable knob right next to it, I think it may be an original add-on accessory. I'll have to see if I can ID the manufacturer on the valve.
Here's a NAPA valve like yours.



Available here:
http://s7d9.scene7.com/is/image/Genu...Company/395129
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Old 01-24-2015, 01:59 AM   #14
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Not a Ford story, but my father was a sheet metal worker, and moonlighted installing furnaces and water heaters. He discovered the '46-'48 Dodge Business Coupes, and would drive them into the ground and buy another. He liked that he could contain all his tools as well as large water heaters and furnaces locked safely in those mile long trunks with room to spare. He'd also suspend 20' sections of galvanized pipe under the car or along the passenger side belt line. I learned to drive in one of his Fluid Drive Dodges, and remember his having me uproot an old tree trunk chained to the rear bumper of one coupe. Didn't work, of course, left the bumper in the dirt and took out a fence instead!
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Old 01-24-2015, 12:45 PM   #15
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blu Dice View Post
So what happen to the '36?
My '36 Ford, "Henry" sits in the garage awaiting our next adventure.. Unfortunately he has not been out of the garage for over twenty years. I keep telling myself that "this is the year" to get him going. I'm 81 so I had better get busy.
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Old 01-24-2015, 12:50 PM   #16
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Get busy on it blucar.
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Old 01-24-2015, 03:19 PM   #17
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ford38v8 View Post
I learned to drive in one of his Fluid Drive Dodges, and remember his having me uproot an old tree trunk chained to the rear bumper of one coupe. Didn't work, of course, left the bumper in the dirt and took out a fence instead!
That was my belly laugh for the day! Thanks Alan!
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Old 01-24-2015, 07:01 PM   #18
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

Didn't work, of course, left the bumper in the dirt and took out a fence instead!
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Old 01-24-2015, 07:38 PM   #19
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

I've had a couple of PM's asking about part numbers for my heater temperature control system. Here's the O'Reilly valve: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...?keyword=74683 That one is pretty pricy. I had to sleep on it a night to talk myself into buying it. Here's a much cheaper one from NAPA but it has to have a hose on each end. http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Re...Dp%3d3%26N%3d0
Here's the control cable: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...&keyword=55103
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Old 01-26-2015, 04:33 PM   #20
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Default Re: Being practical with old Fords?

One of the things I neglected to incorporate into my earlier (#4) contribution, was that if I carefully arranged my tools and personal items, cloths, etc., into the huge '36 trunk, I could make the area flat, which would allow for the drop in the trunk area. Leaving the seat back up I could lock the doors, roll out my sleeping bag into the trunk area, from the seat cushion to the rear area and snuggle in for a nice, safe nights rest. The raised seat back partially blocked the side windows, therefore it added to my privacy. On many occasions I would turn the radio on and listen to music for awhile, it was real handy to reach up an turn the radio off as I was falling to sleep.
I used the Ford as a temporary bedroom on many occasions during my travels around the Western US..
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