Does it run in cold weather ?

Special Coupe Frank

Special Coupe Frank

Well-known member
Why yes... yes it does. :D

Can't really compete with folks in Minnesota and such for cold, but my little Ford slowly churned-over but started-up quickly this morning, -2 * F, according to my wife's Kitchen Thermometer !

(Yes, I used the starter, it's still six-volts, no battery-tender, parked outside, etc. Just like any other car. )
 

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Oh, she turned-over REAL slow this morning... but she fired on the third or fourth grunt.

The worst part about actually driving it in this extreme cold is that the moisture in my breath quickly fogs / frosts-up the windows - I have to keep the windshield cracked-open and the side windows down at least half-way... THAT makes for a cold commute! :rolleyes:

Come spring, I 'm sure I will regret having run her in the winter slop, but I've decided to run it through one winter, just to prove that I can...
 
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I put a couple of those small 6 volt fans up in the front corners of the coupe and point them at the windshield...keeps the windshield clear...and the hot water heater keeps the cabin warm in the winter ...in fact by about 10 minutes it gets so hot I have to take off my coat and turn down the heater fan.

Dennis L Oberer
Green Bay WI (Where the next Super Bowl Champs call home)
 
Dennis L Oberer said:
I put a couple of those small 6 volt fans up in the front corners of the coupe and point them at the windshield...keeps the windshield clear...and the hot water heater keeps the cabin warm in the winter ...in fact by about 10 minutes it gets so hot I have to take off my coat and turn down the heater fan.

Dennis L Oberer
Green Bay WI (Where the next Super Bowl Champs call home)
Click to expand...

Dennis how about some pics of your setup?
 
Mr. Tube,

Yes.., the lower splash apron is not on the car.

I removed for easier access to the radiator mounting bolts back in the spring, I and had trouble with holes lining-up when I went to re-install, so I left it off.

Some warmer day, when I am super-motivated, I will get it back on there. ;)
 
I agree Dennis, How about some PICS? I'm considering the same thing in my newly restored coupe..
 
I drove a Model A to high school back in 1965 and 1966 - in Maine. Lots of winter days it was below zero, but my little truck never let me down. My father put #10 oil in it during the coldest weeks. Pretty thin, I know, but the old girl burned about a quart to 100 miles anyway.
I still have that little Model A pickup today. It was my first car, and may be my last. (it doesn't burn oil now, and I treat it a lot better than I did in high school) I once raced a Honda 50 (Honda's early entry into motorbikes) back in the day - - lost on the takeoff - - but won on the long haul - left a lot of blue smoke in my buddies face when I passed him.

Good for you Frank for using your Model A year round. They will do, and be dependable too.
 
The old saying about the model "A" is, " If it will spin, it will start". The model "A"s around here had an electric fan mounted on the steering column. They had a wire cage around them. They had kind of a ball joint connection so they could change the direction of the air flow. It seemed like every model "A" in town had a fan like this.
 
The old saying about the model "A" is, " If it will spin, it will start".

Years ago my uncle had a Model A doodlebug that he used to plow snow around his garage and he also said "if it turns over once, it will start" and you know it always did. He used that doodlebug for years and only in the winter.
 
Doug Linden said:
The old saying about the model "A" is, " If it will spin, it will start".

Years ago my uncle had a Model A doodlebug that he used to plow snow around his garage and he also said "if it turns over once, it will start" and you know it always did. He used that doodlebug for years and only in the winter.
Click to expand...

Do you have a picture?

The local gas station had the first skid steer in the country I think. It had two rear ends connected together with a drive shaft. There was a roller chain from the transmission to the drive shaft. I am sure the front axle was flipped. The output shaft of the transmission was about a foot above the drive shaft. There were two master cylinders with levers. One was hooked to the brakes on the left side and one was hooked to the brakes on the right side. The cab was a model "A" truck cab and the engine was a Ford flat head v8. It had kind of a short wheel base. It had a snow blow with some kind of hydraulic lift. It had model "A" headlights. The thing was cute. I saw the owner a couple of years ago and he did not really remember it too well. He said he bought it and did not remember who built it.
I thought he might still have it. This was back in the late 50's.

added

It had two exhaust stacks that exited the model "A" hood down by the frame. The model"A" grill was used too.
 
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The old saying about the model "A" is, " If it will spin, it will start".

I believe it. One of the big advantages ( compared to more modern vehicles ) is the gravity fuel-feed and up draft carb: you don't have to grind and grind on the starter to fill a carb that's gone dry thanks to modern fuel, and it's a lot harder to flood the engine ( excess gas just runs out the bottom of the carb, instead of swamping the intake ).


 
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