Model A Rejuvenated Newbie

[sailorcowboy]

Hi All,
This is my first post. Just bought a 1929 Model A Sport Coupe from a friend of mine. It was restored 20-40 years ago depending on who you ask in Freeport, ME. And he inherited it from his Father. He was not a tinkerer so it has some issues.

Although it runs great, the paint is cracking and pitting. Some parts are missing, some old, rusted and about to fail. To my newbie eyes there are many things that need fixing and upgrading to bring the car up to a safe and reliable level of operation.

Just the car I was looking for. It is too late for me to restore from the ground up so this one, being in relatively good shape, will keep me out of trouble, provide a great project for learning about the Model A, and replenish all the engine and mechanical knowledge I learned back in the 70's when I helped my older brother restore his 1929 sedan.

I have been lurking for a while now and can see there is lot of knowledge out there. I usually don't ask for help until I have exhausted books, google and local mechanics. But I will ask when I am stumped. And I will suggest if I think I can contribute intelligently.

I thank Ryan for allowing me to join and I look forward to a rewarding association with the Ford Barn.

Thanks,
Tim

[Charlie Stephens]

Just a couple of suggestions. Put your general location in your profile as well as your email. Knowing your general location lets people recommend local sources instead of one across the country. Another use is when making recommendations that are affected by location. I prefer water soluble oil in the radiator instead of antifreeze. I would recommend you do the same if you live in Southern California like I do. There is a different recommendation for Alaska. Email generally gets messages through quicker than waiting for someone to check their private message. Welcome to the Barn.

Charlie Stephens

[Mike V. Florida]

Congratulations and best of luck.

[sailorcowboy]

Good suggestion Charlie,
Yes, suggestions do depend on the owner's location. I live just east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. At about 7000 ft elevation the air is thin and arid. The summers are hot and dry. The Winters can be mild but can be harsh since the Sandia mountain range attracts the snow storms. It runs the gambit. I always plan on harsh - that way I am ready.

[sailorcowboy]

P.s. my email is in my profile.

[Sunnybrook Farm]

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Put some seat belts in it and new tires then drive it around for a while, it may not need much at all to be fun.

[JDupuis]

Welcome to the Barn. I travelled through New Mexico about 6 years ago in a 1928 Whippet. Loved the area. Would like to see it again. All the best.
Jeff

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by JDupuis

Welcome to the Barn. I travelled through New Mexico about 6 years ago in a 1928 Whippet. Loved the area. Would like to see it again. All the best.
Jeff

JD,
Dog here, Whippet is a Dog, I'm a Rat Terrier & my ancestors included Whippet & Italian Greyhound, I can run FASTER than a Model A
If you're BORED, search "Rat Terrier History"--You'll be AMAZED & you'll see why Ol' Bill likes me
Buster T.

[JDupuis]

YO, BUSTER T! What up rat dog?
Love yer interesting history! A lesson for all of us to learn.
Come to Canada, and I'll tour you around, WHIPPET style. Car made in Leaside Ontario.
Bring that Ol' fart Bill with ya. I'd like to shake his hand. Maybe some of his knowledge would rub off on me.. Yer Canadian friend, Jeff. Eh?

[30ccpickup]

You mentioned the word upgrade, my suggestion would be to keep everything to the most part original or original style unless you are a mechanic. With original style if something goes wrong there are many people to help and many spare parts out there. You may find the vehicle will preform well above your expectations and if not you can make modifications based on experience and not someone's opinion like I am giving you. Good luck and enjoy

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by 30ccpickup

You mentioned the word upgrade, my suggestion would be to keep everything to the most part original or original style unless you are a mechanic. With original style if something goes wrong there are many people to help and many spare parts out there. You may find the vehicle will preform well above your expectations and if not you can make modifications based on experience and not someone's opinion like I am giving you. Good luck and enjoy

Sailor/Cowboy,
REMEMBER MODELABASICS.COM There's tons of practical info there, even ANIMATED descriptions of HOW things work!
Get & study Suppliers' Catalogs, they're almost like having a SERVICE MANUAL.
Unrestored cars often get the MOST attention!
Bill W.

[1930artdeco]

Welcome to the club! Since you may not know what went into the restoration many decades ago this is where I would start.

1) Fluids-drain and replace (crud in the oil pan and fuel tank)

2) BRAKES-they need to work or you will have a bad day, check for slop, good shoes(?), steel drums (replace with cast iron)

3) check the steering

4) tires

5) drive it like you stole it and learn the car

Mike

[sailorcowboy]

Originally Posted by 30ccpickup

You mentioned the word upgrade, my suggestion would be to keep everything to the most part original or original style unless you are a mechanic. With original style if something goes wrong there are many people to help and many spare parts out there. You may find the vehicle will preform well above your expectations and if not you can make modifications based on experience and not someone's opinion like I am giving you. Good luck and enjoy

I may have misused the word "upgrade" as it relates to the "Ford Barn" parlance 30ccpickup. My goal is to keep the car and/or bring the car up to an "original" status. There are items on this car that I don't think are original and those need to go and be replaced by original.

Having said that, I am not going to drive the car if it means I or my passenger's lives are in danger because I haven't added to the original or I haven't replaced an original item with a modern one that will save lives.

Hence, seat belts are the first items I planned on adding to this car.

thanks for the input everyone!