Bratton's & Covid-19

[jak]

Moderators, if this is not the place to put this announcement could you put it in the correct spot please?

COVID-19 & Bratton’s Antique Auto Parts 3/31/20

As of March 30, 2020 Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland issued a “Stay at Home Order”. What does this mean for Bratton’s? Well per the guidelines set forth by the Maryland State Health Department as well as the Carroll County Health department Bratton’s is considered an essential business. So we will remain open and operating as normally as possible in these trying times. At this time we have closed our shop for walk in customers. Arraignments can be made to pick up your orders here at the shop, but these arraignments must be made at the time of the order. As for shipping orders, we are pulling, packing and shipping orders as fast as we are able to do so. As of right now we are not experiencing any significant delays in shipping parts to our customers. FedEx, UPS & the USPS have been deemed essential, so those carries are still making normal deliveries. As of this writing there are no longer any day definite guarantees by any of the shippers, so please keep that in mind as you proceed with your order.

We have been notified by several of our smaller key vendors that they have been ordered to shut down by their local government. This this will result in out of stock situations for parts in the near, but you will either be told when the order is placed, or contacted either via e-mail or phone call about the out of stock situation. At this time we are unable to give any ideas when parts might become available again.

Debbie and I will continue to monitor the situation day by day, and try our best to keep customers informed of any changes to our operations via Bratton’s Facebook page, Posts on the ford vintage www.vintagefordforum.net , and FordBarn www.fordbarn.com . If you have any questions or concern’s please feel free to contact us via e-mail at [email protected]. As always we thank you for your continued support and our thoughts and prayers are with all right now as we go through this together.

Jeffrey A. Kichline

[mhsprecher]

I ordered from them a week ago and got prompt service. I guess to us, if anything is an essential service, it is parts for our Model As! ;-)

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Same, shocks arrived on Sunday. Thanks to the folks at Brattons for keeping customers up to date. The idea of ordering parts, is it appropriate, surfaced on another forum. I know a few vendors are working hard to stay open. I figure now is a good time to support them rather than wait.

[updraught]

Love that definition of "essential service".

We went thru that too. Gov't anounced at 2pm one day that the country was going to be reduced to "essential services".
Crickey! We thought. Doesn't look good.
The press and us thought it was the whole country shutting down tomorrow. The misses didn't know whether to go to work the next day.

Then a reporter that evening tries to get out of our prime minister, "what is an essential service?". Does an accountant, for example, go to work tomorrow?

He dodges and dodges the question and it turns out an "essential service" is anyone working.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by updraught

Love that definition of "essential service".

We went thru that too. Gov't anounced at 2pm one day that the country was going to be reduced to "essential services".
Crickey! We thought. Doesn't look good.
The press and us thought it was the whole country shutting down tomorrow. The misses didn't know whether to go to work the next day.

Then a reporter that evening tries to get out of our prime minister, "what is an essential service?". Does an accountant, for example, go to work tomorrow?

He dodges and dodges the question and it turns out an "essential service" is anyone working.

As you know New Zealand is completely shut down Essential workers are those in Healthcare and health care support , Power supply ,Food production, supply and delivery -And that is it basically . To answer your question here an accountant is not essential and can work from home in any case.

I can't understand how Brattons a supplier of antique carparts could be considered essential. My five vintage cars won't need any parts because they will not be used for the duration. The suggestion that people will need to access parts to keep their hobby cars on the road suggests to me someone has missed the point

Here if I was out for a pleasure drive in a vintage car and was a non essential worker I would probably be pulled up and warned by the Police if I persisted I would be arrested -Karl

[updraught]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

https://youtu.be/MMBh-eo3tvE

For the New Zealanders.

[KGBnut]

Karl, in many US states, including Connecticut where I live, the governors included Auto Repair and Auto Part suppliers as essential services that could stay open. This was intended to ensure that food delivery and health care workers could ensure they had functioning cars. They made no distinction between modern vs. antique auto parts.

Nearly all the Model A parts suppliers are small, family businesses. I'm confident that they can operate safely.

To all you suppliers, thanks for all you do. Stay safe.

Ken

[burner31]

Bratton’s is considered an essential business
Being stuck home for days on end...I would hope they are considered "essential".
What else is there to do but play in the garage.
I just put in a large order (Thursday) and they said it will be here Monday,
Bratton's is A-number one essential to me.

[Jack Shaft]

being deemed essential?..its being deemed expendable..just like that roaring economy we had,and american energy independence,both of those were deemed expendable.Is this virus serious? no doubt...but the price we are paying to kill it is serious as well

[Jack Shaft]

...

[old31]

Essential services? I really don't see how golf courses and state liquor stores can stay open.

Just yesterday on TV I saw a bunch of guys on a golf course within inches of each other talking as if nothing is going on. Then they will bring home the virus to the kids, wife, dog, Model A etc. I said my piece.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by burner31

Bratton’s is considered an essential business
Being stuck home for days on end...I would hope they are considered "essential".
What else is there to do but play in the garage.
I just put in a large order (Thursday) and they said it will be here Monday,
Bratton's is A-number one essential to me.

Yep I feel your pain However I'm happy to continue feeling in the long term if i can as well .

We know the virus can live on some materials for 72 hours or more.
The question I guess you have to ask is Is the person who packed your package virus free (could be asymptomatic but still infectious ) ? How many people are going to handle your package on its journey from Brattons to your front door? Are they virus free ? Did they wear gloves ? Did the truck that drove your order transfer the virus further a field ? etc etc Is playing in garage worth taking the risk ? . I guess its a personal choice. Lets face it we take a risk driving our old cars in modern traffic -We assess that and accept it . What is your virus risk? - probably low but certainly not zero.

If Brattons had been closed down (as it would have been on my country) it would have been inconvenient but apart from the financial loss to Brattons (and that is a real issue) what harm would have been suffered.

I'm not sure that my countries or your approach is right or wrong -there is going to be lots of economic hurt here though . One day hopefully we can resume this conversation Compare death rates and decide who was right -But unfortunately we have to decide today what to do.

Stay safe

Karl

[updraught]

You've gatta eat. That's been picked by back packers frolicking on Bondi Beach here. Then packed and put on shelves, and a few hundred people have walked past and sneezed, and checked out by someone handling money.

[supergnat]

As far as I know you can still order parts from Brattons. The shop is closed for walk-up orders but you can arrange to pick an order if that arrangement is made in advance. They are stall able to ship parts too.

[dean from bozeman]

'We know the virus can live on some materials for 72 hours or more.
The question I guess you have to ask is Is the person who packed your package virus free (could be asymptomatic but still infectious ) ? How many people are going to handle your package on its journey from Brattons to your front door? Are they virus free ? Did they wear gloves ? Did the truck that drove your order transfer the virus further a field ? etc etc Is playing in garage worth taking the risk ? . I guess its a personal choice. Lets face it we take a risk driving our old cars in modern traffic -We assess that and accept it . What is your virus risk? - probably low but certainly not zero.' Karl

My thought is that by the time the package gets here any virus inside the package is "dead" (even though viruses technically aren't living). I go to our mailbox daily with gloves and a plastic bag to collect the mail. I then bring it to the house (garage) and let it sit for three to five days so any virus on the exterior of the package is not viable. If I want to open it earlier, I can use disinfecting wipes.

I will gladly wait 3 to 5 days to get to use parts from Brattons or Bert's.


Hey Updraught, that is an awesome song. We should all learn it!
https://youtu.be/MMBh-eo3tvE

[burner31]

I have been shot, stabbed, electrocuted, almost drowned twice, hit a tree, ran off a cliff, laid up for a year with a deadly illness and bed ridden for six months with an injury, going to take more then a bad flu to take me out.

[Jack Shaft]

Kill the economy,kill our energy independence,steal our rights in the name of a virus that fizzled

[supergnat]

Fizzled?? This virus has killed nearly 11,000 Americans and there are over 364,000 confirmed cases so far. How man more need to die or be sickened before it isn’t considered Fizzled?

[chrs1961815]

Statistically, those numbers are small compared to the 324 million people living in the US. But 367,000 cases is a lot of people: several times more than the capacities of every stadium out there. Whatever your opinion is, we have to agree that a lot of Model A guys are susceptible because of their age.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Jack Shaft

Kill the economy,kill our energy independence,steal our rights in the name of a virus that fizzled

I'm sorry I just have to ask is your TV broken ? If it is then I can tell you from the other side of the world that they are interning bodies in a New York park because the morgues ( and refrigerated trucks outside the hospital ) are over flowing with bodies . Fizzled ? -its just getting started.

Please keep yourself safe !

[M2M]

Originally Posted by burner31

I have been shot, stabbed, electrocuted, almost drowned twice, hit a tree, ran off a cliff, laid up for a year with a deadly illness and bed ridden for six months with an injury, going to take more then a bad flu to take me out.

WOW! Bruce Willis is on the Fordbarn Forum!

[Karl]

Originally Posted by burner31

I have been shot, stabbed, electrocuted, almost drowned twice, hit a tree, ran off a cliff, laid up for a year with a deadly illness and bed ridden for six months with an injury, going to take more then a bad flu to take me out.

Keith I concede and you made me laugh -Which we all need right now !!
I always considered that after the Nuclear Holocaust the only things left would be cockroaches and Keith Richards Liver- I am happy to add you to that list. One day I would love to hear more but in the meantime stay well -Karl

[CarlG]

I have plenty to do in the garage without ordering new parts.

Also, I've been "self imposed" SIP since Feb 1 due to having knee replacement surgery. I'm just now getting to where I can get out to the garage to do all the winter projects I had saved up before all this broke loose.

[updraught]

Another one for the New Zealanders

[Karl]

Thanks Updraught - We do seem to be controlling it so far despite now 4 deaths out of 1200 cases . The Washington Post said that "New Zealand is not just flattening its curve but squashing it " The Lockdown has certainly reduced new cases today 29 but more recovering per day than getting sick and lots of the new diagnoses in known and well isolated clusters- Easier for us (and you) than most of the rest of the world as we are islands with low population densities but still tough- Time will tell if this is the right way to go but cautious optimism here - Stay safe -Karl

[Hunter]

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I'm with Dean.

I am so thankful that car part vendors like Bratton's are still open enabling me to continue to enjoy the antique car hobby. With all this time I would really be frustrated if I couldn't get the parts I needed.

When I receive parts, I just let the boxes sit three or more days before I touch them, or if I need to move them I put on a pair of my disposable latex gloves and move them to garage.

Stay healthy - Hunter

[burner31]

Originally Posted by M2M

WOW! Bruce Willis is on the Fordbarn Forum!

Funny thing is...you add a mustache and that's what I look like

[30 Closed Cab PU]

He looks like he has had a rough day working on a Model A.

[M2M]

Originally Posted by 30 Closed Cab PU

He looks like he has had a rough day working on a Model A.

Maybe the rear spring exploded when he tried to remove the rear end from the car without using a spring spreader?

[Tom Endy]

A few days ago I removed a rear axle assembly from a 1930 Tudor for the purpose of overhauling the differential and restoring the rear spring. As always I did it the correct way. I installed a proper spring spreader and used it to capture the tension in the spring, that happened to be a ten-leaf spring. The shackle bolts were removed, the rear assembly dropped out, and the spring spreader collapsed. Then the rear spring was removed from the car.

During the shackle removing part I discovered the left shackle had one of the shafts broken in half. See the photo, I had no idea the shackle was broken until I removed it. Had I removed the rear assembly with the spring attached as many prescribe. The rest of the shackle could have easily torn apart once it was out from under the frame. No telling where the spring would have ended up when one end came loose.

Give a Model A rear spring proper respect for it is lethal.

Tom Endy

[GPierce]

��. Mistake

[30 Closed Cab PU]

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I deleted due to was responding to GPierce Post..