Sage advice for Newbies

[ford38v8]

When I finally scraped up enough money to get into this hobby, I searched for several years till I found the car I would be happy with. My '38 was an older restoration, and had been a driver, but hadn't left its garage for some years. It stalled on the drive home, and wouldn't push start because the brakes were locked up. Two issues before it even made it home!

Of course this was way before the internet and the Fordbarn, and I knew of nobody who could help or advise, so after a year, I'd learned to carry a cardboard box of spare coils in the rumbleseat, and not much more. It was then that I was recruited to join a local RG of the EFV8CA, and I promptly secured the services of a volunteer to help with my mechanical brakes. My brake job was a great learning experience, neither of us knowing a fool thing about mechanical brakes! It was the same story when I obtained another volunteer to help me with a differential job.

My most important lesson on those occasions was to study the books on the subject at hand, as my willing volunteers were no more experienced than I was. We had fun, we drank a lot of beer, and we'd get the job done, but it was the books that insured that it was done correctly.

So this is my advice and I'm sticking to it: If you bought an antique car thinking you could hire someone to keep it running, wake up to the fact that it's a hobby now, and nobody works on these Fords for a living anymore. You're on your own, you and your $13.98 Taiwan wrenches. So... hit the books, read all you can find on that hunk of metal sitting in your garage, become the man you thought you'd hire. This is your hobby now, so make the most of it, enjoy every aspect of it, and show off those greasy fingernails to everyone who amires your car!!

[jerry grayson]

A-MEN!!!! It always makes me wonder why a guy (gal) buys an antique car and does not know how to air up the tires. Then he wants someone else to tell him how! Why a person will not invest in the hundreds of good publications that they can educate themselves with about the car they have bought is a mystery to me. A parts book should be first.
You have said it lots better than I can. Thanks!!!!

[Vic Piano]

That's some excellent advice Alan but, in addition to the "books", there is also a learning curve that can only be enhanced through trial and error... Nothing can replace actual hands on experience... If at first you don't succeed... And there's always the old stand by... If all else fails... go back and read the books again. The most important thing, as you mentioned, is to enjoy the hobby.

[Shadetree]

I have messed with old cars since I was a teenager but never rebuilt an engine until about 12 years ago. Like Alan says, buy a book and follow the instructions. This was a 350 Chevy engine that I put in my `37 Chevy Coupe. It was fairly simple and straight forward. It is still in it the coupe and still runs great.

Two years ago I tore into a Ford Flathead thinking I could do it. I soon discovered that it had mucho water damage from a cracked head and needed more than a ring and valve job so I loaded it up and took it an engine/machine shop. I felt I was in way over my head. But I regret it now by giving up, I should have stayed with it.

Alan is right, there is a lot more to owning an antique car than just polishing it...

[Ol' Ron]

Since I retired from building engines, I've helped several ohers build their engines in my shop. They inturn help me with the things I can't do. One of the fellows said. "It's not the destination, it's the trip" One of them is now considering building one on his own, THAT, made me feel very good, another Flathead builder. WE can use em!

[ken ct]

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Originally Posted by jerry grayson

A-MEN!!!! It always makes me wonder why a guy (gal) buys an antique car and does not know how to air up the tires. Then he wants someone else to tell him how! Why a person will not invest in the hundreds of good publications that they can educate themselves with about the car they have bought is a mystery to me. A parts book should be first.
You have said it lots better than I can. Thanks!!!!

I'll second that Jerry,so much could be answered by opening up some books.Everything you stated is correct. Thank you for putting it in print. ken ct.

[BILL WZOREK]

Alan:

You know for a fact that I want to learn by reading / with that being said I admit that reading comes hard to me,( at this date & age there must be a name for it, Besides STUPID ) I am more of a hands on kind of guy,
What I think it also important is that Just because it is in print does not make it gospel, a lot of the printed word is left up to interpretation,
By all means Read all you can about the project that you want to proceed at But at the end of the day don't think you have all the answers, just open another book and you will find a different solution to the same problem.
A perfect example is our beloved Ford Barn > ask a question and you get several answers to just one question.
Working on these old cars ( trucks ) is like using a road map. THERE IS MANY WAYS TO GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
So the best of all worlds is to read & ask Questions on this forum as well as others
( although this is the best ) Post you thoughts as well as the smallest question , it may help others.

IF YOU ARE WORKING ON YOUR HOBBY IS IT REALLY WORK ?????

[Tom in SW VA]

Alan: I agree with you in part. I am well-educated and love to read, but have found it difficult to find "how to" books on my 37 Ford. I have the 1937 book published by Early Ford V-8 Club of America on the 37 Ford, but it doest tell how to trouble-shoot or how to trace an electrical problem, etc. The diagrams are good in the book and there are many websites that are useful. I am a retired educator who has a love of old cars. I have three. But I do not have the total expertise of some of the Fordbarners on here. So, I ask questions. I get many different and varied answers and, sometimes, ridicule and criticism for asking what is considered, by some, as "dumb" questions. But, I will keep asking because I am a learner at 71.

A question to all Fordbarners: Where do I find these "how to" repair and trouble-shoot books on my car? Please note that I do not have a club to turn to nor friends that know anything about my car. Yes, I belong to Early Ford V-8 Club of America, but it has been useless. I am just wasting my money on the membership. If you don't belong to a local chapter, you are left out.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

PS - Like it or not, I will continue asking questions on Fordbarn.

[Bruce/CT]

Boy, do I agree with Tom. I've restored a Model A and 57 T-Bird years ago. I had a number of good " How to Restore" books to reference for both, especially the "A". Step by step books. Now there are even more. There are NO good Flathead restoration books. The Early V8 35-36 Restoration Guide by Don Rogers is just that... a good Restoration Guide. It doesn't do step by step. Makes this total restoration much tougher.
I'm not sure if there is not enough market, too diverse a group of cars or no one out there motivated to take on this type of project. You'd think National would be motivated!
My 2 cent rant.
Bruce/CT

[Cecil/WV]

I have found, in many cases, that reading the book makes it clear as mud and then you get into the job and get yours hands on it and start reading again and it all makes sense.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Keep asking questions, reading, doing and learning. The big payoff will come when you take the first drive. You will forget about all the problems you had getting there.

[41ford1]

Tom,
Find a Motor's manual that has your year in its range. You usually can find them at swap meets, CL or EBay. You can also get the Ford shop manuals on CD from many of the parts suppliers. The CD has the service bulletins, trouble shooting methods and rebuild/repair instructions. These are about $60. Keep asking. Remember, there are no stupid questions.

[Vic Piano]

Owning, working on, and really driving a Flathead is like taking a continuing education class, you are always learning something. Books are a good start but, to me, "hands on" is the best teacher.

Also, there is no such thing as a stupid question however; there can be a lot of stupid answers...

[BILL WZOREK]

Vic:
Was that a stupid answer ?????

You know what a real STUPID answer is "I am to busy to go to the 2014 Barners Bash"

SORRY FOR STEALING THE THREAD::::::::

[Vic Piano]

Originally Posted by BILL WZOREK

Vic:
Was that a stupid answer ?????

You know what a real STUPID answer is "I am to busy to go to the 2014 Barners Bash"

SORRY FOR STEALING THE THREAD::::::::

Bill, I guess that depends on one’s point of view...

[Vic Piano]

Bill, I guess that depends on someone’s point of view...

[Tom in SW VA]

Originally Posted by Bruce/CT

Boy, do I agree with Tom. I've restored a Model A and 57 T-Bird years ago. I had a number of good " How to Restore" books to reference for both, especially the "A". Step by step books. Now there are even more. There are NO good Flathead restoration books. The Early V8 35-36 Restoration Guide by Don Rogers is just that... a good Restoration Guide. It doesn't do step by step. Makes this total restoration much tougher.
I'm not sure if there is not enough market, too diverse a group of cars or no one out there motivated to take on this type of project. You'd think National would be motivated!
My 2 cent rant.
Bruce/CT

Bruce, I agree with you. Apparantly the market is too small to produce "how to " manuals. I, too, have two Model As and the help from the national organization and books (manuals) have been invaluable. Not so with the Early Ford V-8. The Model A Ford Fordbarners have also been very helpful as have the Early Ford V-8 Fordbarners, but there is a dearth of manuals, etc. Makes it much harder to work on the V-8 because it is more complicated that the Model A anyway.

[37 Coupe]

Mayby it has been mentioned but the Early V-8 Ford service manual is a good book to have on hand .It is a Clymer copy of the Victor Page book.I don't know if it is in publication now but sometimes can be found on Ebay. The original Victor Page books also show up on Ebay but some are early publications and the Clymer book covers all. Having said that I will say that after 43 years of working on V8 Fords I think my biggest learning curve has been the last 7-8 years on Fordbarn. I now think of issues I had with past projects that with the knowledge I have now I wish I had back to correct.One in particular was a build on a 53-F-100, copper head gaskets on aluminum Edelbrock heads,nothing but problems. That was the recommend of the day with what printed material was available and from Edelbrock. Some bad advice lives on forever in the printed word,one case in partcular is engine rebuild advice in a mid eighties I believe V8 Times article.Author who was a well knowned engine builder here in Ohio advised to rebuild the earlier V-8 engines with 49-53 valve parts and do away with split guides and mushroom stems,sound advice. He went further to say that one may also improve by using all internals from 49-53 including crank and flywheel. I was so fortunate to have stumbled across the old Fordbarn as this was a current posting about proper flywheels for proper starter engagement. I had already placed a reconditioned 8BA flywheel and clutch behind a 4" Merc crank in my 59AB. Much help at the time from Walt Dupont and others,some not so good but basically the knowlege and help on here cannot be beat.

[37 Coupe]

Tom in Virginia I would also add that some of the information in books like Clymers and Motors are not going to help if you have modified some areas like you mentioned before with the remote coil.It should not be any different but may confusse you if going by any written word. One of the things I would do on your engine would be to get a good original coil rebuilt from Skip or a guy in Virginia that is really not mentioned much John Shelor in Radford Virginia. He rebuilds and sets up distributors,a retired electrical engineer who has written articles in V8 Times about coil moisture,distributors etc,long before Skip came along. When he got done with you , your ignition problems would be over and you would be certain it was a fuel problem. I don't know how far Radford is from you.

[Tom in SW VA]

Originally Posted by 37 Coupe

Tom in Virginia I would also add that some of the information in books like Clymers and Motors are not going to help if you have modified some areas like you mentioned before with the remote coil.It should not be any different but may confusse you if going by any written word. One of the things I would do on your engine would be to get a good original coil rebuilt from Skip or a guy in Virginia that is really not mentioned much John Shelor in Radford Virginia. He rebuilds and sets up distributors,a retired electrical engineer who has written articles in V8 Times about coil moisture,distributors etc,long before Skip came along. When he got done with you , your ignition problems would be over and you would be certain it was a fuel problem. I don't know how far Radford is from you.

Thanks, Radford is very close.