Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Model A (1928-31)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-31-2014, 09:36 PM   #21
henry's 31
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Columbus(Cataula) Georgia
Posts: 848
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

This is a great topic. I currently own 3 model A's. One is a great 31 Roadster, my second a 31 Roadster Pickup which I purchased and was claimed to be restored and I am correcting many items. The third is my dad's car which I started to restore.
I love working on these cars and this Forum is key in helping me work on them.
The most frustrating thing is when you get ready to do a project and the new parts you purchase do not fit properly. Vendors should make it a point to test what they sell on an actual car and if it does not fit demand from the manufacturer better quality and fit.

Henry's 31
henry's 31 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2014, 09:39 PM   #22
mshmodela
Senior Member
 
mshmodela's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Posts: 2,763
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Well, I'm thankful BillS is making me some new shocks... I'm hopeful new engine blocks will be available as there a limits on how long these 83+ year old engines will run... Fuel tanks would be very helpful but those are likely harder to make than an engine block.
__________________
-Mike

Late 31' Ford Model A Tudor, Miss Daisy

I don't work on cars --I'm learning about my Model A.

Cleveland, Ohio
mshmodela is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 07-31-2014, 09:56 PM   #23
C26Pinelake
BANNED
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Michigan / Ontario border, Sarnia, Ontario. 50 miles from Detroit and 150 from Toronto.
Posts: 5,800
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred View Post
You will learn how to, Real Fast, When you go to buy your new Re-pop tank & then it wont fit !!

And why would you think it won't fit ! I am the eternal optimist, not a pessimist ! A great majority of repop parts fit fine. And as I asked before how do you clean holes in a rusted out tank ? Wayne
C26Pinelake is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2014, 10:04 PM   #24
Chris Haynes
Senior Member
 
Chris Haynes's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Camarillo, CA and Pine Grove, CA
Posts: 2,830
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Correct '28/'29 truck outside door handles. Correct AA side view mirrors and mounts for all years.
__________________
1921 Runabout
1930 Tudor
Early 1930 AA
Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?
Chris Haynes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2014, 10:16 PM   #25
Fred
BANNED
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: California, Maryland
Posts: 1,421
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Quote:
Originally Posted by C26Pinelake View Post
And why would you think it won't fit ! I am the eternal optimist, not a pessimist ! A great majority of repop parts fit fine. And as I asked before how do you clean holes in a rusted out tank ? Wayne
SAND BLAST !!
Fred is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2014, 10:20 PM   #26
C26Pinelake
BANNED
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Michigan / Ontario border, Sarnia, Ontario. 50 miles from Detroit and 150 from Toronto.
Posts: 5,800
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred View Post
SAND BLAST !!
So now we are talking a little more than cleaning. I have been down your road and it was not fun. I prefer to spend a few bucks and buy quality reproduction and if you look the original post did say quality. In my book quality means it fits !
Wayne
C26Pinelake is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2014, 10:58 PM   #27
Arlen
Senior Member
 
Arlen's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Dallas
Posts: 524
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Really nice fenders.
__________________
DMAFC
Arlen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2014, 11:20 PM   #28
caboose
Senior Member
 
caboose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Sulphur Springs & Saltillo, Texas
Posts: 135
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Gas tanks; 28/29 and 30/31.
caboose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2014, 11:27 PM   #29
david801
Member
 
david801's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Farmington, Utah
Posts: 77
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

28-29 hood shelves.
david801 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2014, 11:45 PM   #30
Mike V. Florida
Senior Member
 
Mike V. Florida's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: South Florida
Posts: 14,054
Send a message via AIM to Mike V. Florida
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

I think this is a good thread. A wish list is never a bad thing. As for "why not just restore what you have?" Well, not every one has the equipment to do such things. "Sandblasting" needs what equipment? Fender repair, what equipment is needed? wheel lugs and truing the drums, what equipment is needed?

All the time in the world and all the money in the world.
All the time in the world and no money.
All the money in the world and no time.
No time and no money.

Where do you fit in?

Why can't there be people that have the talent and equipment to do the restoration work and people that can install what is already ready to be installed?
__________________
What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II
Mike V. Florida is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 04:18 AM   #31
Christoph
Senior Member
 
Christoph's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Frankfurt am Main in Germany
Posts: 671
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Thank you Eric for this thread

I am 100% with Mike (even i am a no4 ).

There is an additional point in the fact that in some countries on
this planet there are no old parts available. As having to do all
"repairs" during night time and growing to old to do so, i urgently
want to keep my car running. As so i cant take out broken parts
and do long-lasting (?) repairs.
I want to buy a new part (plug and play) and decide later on, what
to do with my original (but broken) parts.
For sure i dont scrap them
Christoph is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 06:01 AM   #32
ronn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NNNNNNNNJJJJJJJJJJ
Posts: 6,758
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

well said Mike.

Why dont we send our fenders and tanks to McPherson and support the school?

hows about them apples....?

plenty of practice for the students and nice product turn around......
ronn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 07:26 AM   #33
Mike V. Florida
Senior Member
 
Mike V. Florida's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: South Florida
Posts: 14,054
Send a message via AIM to Mike V. Florida
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ronn View Post
well said Mike.

Why dont we send our fenders and tanks to McPherson and support the school?

hows about them apples....?

plenty of practice for the students and nice product turn around......
If they would accept parts for training and we could get them back, I would think many would be wiling to do so. As the labor is "free" for them it might even prove to be a profit center for them. Do the restoration work to a level where those without special tools can finish the work and pay them?!
__________________
What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II
Mike V. Florida is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 07:27 AM   #34
clay co 27
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: N E arkansas
Posts: 43
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

how about a quality amp gauge?
clay co 27 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 07:35 AM   #35
jimvette59
Senior Member
 
jimvette59's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Perry OH
Posts: 1,327
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Steel 26 27 turtle deck quarters. That's my vote.
jimvette59 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 07:55 AM   #36
Halswell
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Wanganui New Zealand
Posts: 53
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Well the range of parts thats available now days is mind boggling compaired to when I got my first Model a nearly 50 years ago. Back then over here you had to break up a few cars to build up a stock of parts to keep the old daily driver running. Some of the cars I broke up back then would get restored today.
As for what I would like to see reproduced would be new front axel beams. Good ones are now impossible to find here. I have a few and they are all worn out in the perch bolt eyes or the axel eyes ( where the king pin goes). It is most important to have these holes tight as looseness in these areas is a cause of the dreaded shimmy, Sure you can bore these out and sleave back but its expensive and if it is not done properly the geometary of the steering can be changed, resulting in further problems. There seems to be no shortage of new droped style front axels for hot rodders but no new stock ones for restorers. Next would be some new stub axels (spindels I think you call them). Good ones of them are getting harder to find overhere. Happy Motoring
Halswell is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 08:18 AM   #37
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Senior Member
 
BRENT in 10-uh-C's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Eastern Tennessee
Posts: 11,485
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

ericr;919977 said;


Well, yes and no, isn't it? I just posted a comment where I returned a US made open car door lock that was substantially more expensive than foreign made but no greater in quality. On the flip side, Brattons's new headlamp reflectors seem to be gathering praise (and hopefully sales) and are substantially higher in cost than the former ones. Am I to think Walt doesn't know what he is doing or never heard of ROI?
No, Walt & Jeff are pretty smart guys who have traveled down this road many miles however most folks do not realize the behind-the-scenes obstacles they had to overcome just to manufacture reflectors. If I recall correctly, these have been 3-4 years in the making trying to find a manufacturer that will take on the project, produce in small (-affordable) quantities, and supply with Q/C from batch to batch. It goes without saying that if it were not for Walt's "depth" of his other parts, the reflectors would likely have never came to fruition by him. In other words, an average small businessman could not take the same idea and manufacture reflectors, and survive off of the sales. So what does that say about the parts manufacturing business in general?

Members have commented on who sells better running boards and trim, better nuts and bolts, carb jets, points, condenser and many other things and I think you advise people where to buy better fender welting.
Ok, you DO realize there is a magazine that is supposed to offer this very information to hobbyists.

The thought to ponder is how do folks here REALLY know which is better quality? How many on forums offer/give that advice based on hearsay but have no first-hand experience with the advice they are giving you? You mentioned running boards, ...so how many posters here actually get to personally install a pair from both vendors within a short amount of time to be able to say why one is better than the other. Adding to that, how many actually have studied the original item to compare? Very, -very few get this opportunity,--and that is why finding a parts vendor you can have a solid relationship with who gets feedback from reliable sources is key.

As far as "better" though, when you read some of the posts above, "better" is also defined as 'something affordable' or 'something that will get me by'. Those folks are being honest, ...many others have that same thought or mindset but choose not to speak it verbally however they show it with their wallet by what they purchase. Face it, if two like items are available in repro., it stands to reason that the better quality item will force the lesser-quality item to no longer sell and the manufacturer of the poorer-quality item ceases production in a matter of time. The problem is, the vendors will tell you that history dictates that just isn't the case.



I think nature, size, complexity and ultimate price of the part at issue might also be involved in the mix. Surely no one expects sellers to take a risk of loss but I also suspect there is some pecking order of parts dealers, some of whom can afford to take greater risks of ROI than others.
Trust me when I tell you that manufacturers AND sellers alike take a HUGE risk every time they place an order. There seemingly is no loyalty amongst hobbyists, and as such the majority of sales is driven off of price & convenience. Take this for example, let's suppose the word is getting around about how nice Walt's new reflectors really are. Now, a small (greedy) businessman buys a couple of his reflectors and sends them off to China or India to have the reverse-engineered and copied. Now without the R&D expense Walt incurred, nor his Marketing expenses or product acceptance risk, this person imports his reflectors and retails them for $20 less because his overhead/risk was lower. You know that Loyalty 'thingie' I just spoke about, there ain't none! Folks will get on the forums and tout how the new import is cheaper and just as good! Now Walt is left holding the bag trying to get at least get back to a break-even position.

Did someone say Nah, that probably wouldn't happen?. Don't tell that to me. If you don't believe me, then research Model-A brake drums and the like!! How is any of this good for the hobby? Justify it any way you like, but poor quality parts are the direct fault of the hobbyist, and not the vendor! The parts vendor/manufacturer only does what the customer asks for!
__________________
.

BRENT in 10-uh-C
.
www.model-a-ford.com
...(...Finally Updated!! )

.

Last edited by BRENT in 10-uh-C; 08-01-2014 at 08:24 AM.
BRENT in 10-uh-C is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 08:26 AM   #38
BlueSunoco
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Windy City
Posts: 937
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

Remember in all fairness to the vendors, that even when 'new' Model A parts wouldn't always FIT it took the guy on the assy. line some creative hammer and alignment tools to get things together when the cars were originally being built. Look at the NOS parts that Marco tried to use on his Roadster that wouldn't fit and had to be tweaked. Assy. line rejects but still sold as NOS thru the dealership network.

Ever work on an assy. line building automobiles or tractors or some other complicated machine? If you have you know just what I mean. Parts just don't always line up. Oftentimes, even on new stuff today, you can't take a part right out of the box and pop it on. Sometimes it takes a little urging.

Last edited by BlueSunoco; 08-01-2014 at 08:32 AM.
BlueSunoco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 08:47 AM   #39
newshirt
Senior Member
 
newshirt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 868
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

I want tire tube valve dust covers identical to original.
__________________
Ray White
newshirt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2014, 08:52 AM   #40
KGBnut
Senior Member
 
KGBnut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Southwestern Connecticut
Posts: 931
Default Re: What Part Would You Want to See Reproduced with Quality?

I am in the business world, and supply specialty retail items (different industry...not auto part). I completely understand the 'only make and sell what you can make a profit on' concept.

I'm also a hobbyist that loves the challenge of bringing original parts back to life. But, some things are a pain, or nearly impossible to restore.

When evaluating specialty items in my business, I attack the 'low hanging fruit' first. In my opinion, the logical next item would be the headlight sockets that BlueSunoco mentioned. The problems with the current repros are obvious, but not insurmountable. The engineering would not be complicated or expensive, allowing an attractive price-point. And, demand is high... the fiber pieces are bent out of shape on nearly every car I have tinkered with. If there was a quality repro, I would have bought several of them already myself. As such, the engineering and tooling costs could be spread over a great number of units.

Just my opinion.

Hey, and a big thanks to Walt Bratton for taking the risk on his headlight reflectors. I have an original set with okay original finish. I am now doing just enough night driving... and the reviews of Walt's reflectors are so impressive... I think I am going to get a set for my daily driver.
__________________
Style beats speed any day, and with a lot fewer tickets.
KGBnut is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:43 AM.