Where Have All The Good People Gone

Aged out or passed. Look at all the craftsmen long gone.
It’s not going to get better….
The generations below are not that interested.
 
What needs to be fixed on your car that Les Andrews' Mechanics Handbook can't guide you through? If it's heavy-duty stuff like engine removal and rebuilding or rear end rebuilding, that's usually better left to those mechanics you can't find in your neck of the woods. But if the problem is fixable with simple hand tools, Les might be able to help you. The red book is worth the cost in money saved NOT paying a mechanic to fix something simple that you can do yourself by following the text and line drawings in Les' book. Do you already have that book? How about the blue troubleshooting guide? Both should be in every Model A owner's library.
Marshall
 
Most Model A owners will have to be Model A mechanics. This is something that is learned and improves with practice. There may be a autoshop class in the junior college in your area. The problem is that the modern autoshop will be tailored towards using a code reader and replacing sensors.


The Model A is really simple and we are lucky to have some good reference material, see above. I have been fighting the emission systems on my 2016 Chevy pickup for the last month. Everything is hard to get to and takes 10 times as much time as it should. The $100 code readers are not good enough and it costs $1,000 for one that can really analyze what is wrong. For the really serious work the first thing in the instructions is to take the cab off. Ha ha.
 
Belonging to a local Model A Club is a good option.

Our club is lucky enough to have a member that has a small warehouse where he keeps his cars but has enough room for other members to work on their cars and a good selection of Model A specific tools that the club has bought. We meet every Saturday morning ( when we don't have other club activities or tours) to work on our cars or a member's car that they are no longer able to do the work themselves.

Also 2-3 of us will do house calls if we can't get the car to Al's Garage.

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Rfitzpatric, Do you have any kids or grand kids that are interested in your Model A who could help?
 
nkaminar said:
Rfitzpatric, Do you have any kids or grand kids that are interested in your Model A who could help?
Click to expand...

Not anymore. Model's are to slow to interest them. Our Club Mechanic moved to Las Vegas last year, the nearest club shop is about 100 miles North. FlatBed tows are expensive and I'm considering that.
I'm afraid this era is losing it's appeal.
Thnaks
 
Clutch adjust, I have that part that allows adjusting w/o removing anything. My recent hip replacements are my restriction. Exhaust pipe leaking, front end wobbles that I think the wheel bearing tighten might fix, and I'm able to fix the carburetor myself (i think).
My two main ones are the clutch and exhaust leak. Now there may be other things I'm not aware as it's been 4 months since I last drove it. It's never sat this long w/o driving but I did put something call PRI-G in the fuel tank
 
GOLD MINE FOR SOMEONE in their 20s 30s to make a great income.


we dont need no stinkin college!
 
Fitz -
The reason I doggedly pursued you telling us what needs to be fixed on your car is because what you wrote CAN be fixed by just about any service station with even a mildly competent mechanic. He doesn't have to know Model A's to fix what ails your car at the moment. He should be able to adjust the clutch from beneath the car by using common sense. Or if he doesn't have any, show him the page from the Les Andrews' red book that tells and shows how to do this. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to make the adjustment so that there is a 1" free play at the top of the pedal.
The exhaust leak is most likely from a warped exhaust manifold in #4 port. Rather than going through the history of why this is a problem - it's been beaten to death in discussion threads here - start by replacing the manifold gaskets with the copper ones. The greenish cardboard gaskets are as useless in this application as toilet paper. The one-piece silver gasket with dimples all over its surface does a terrible job of sealing exhaust leaks. The only chance at stopping the leakage short of replacing the exhaust manifold is to use the two-piece copper gaskets with gland rings if you can make them fit. If they won't fit and seal, the #4 exhaust manifold port is most likely drooping. That corner gas station mechanic should be able to install a new manifold for you.
There are only a few repairs that will require a knowledgeable Model A mechanic. The majority of Model maintenance and repair issues can be handled by almost anyone with a modicum of automotive savvy. Check out local repair shops before you give up hope. And take along Les' red book in case the mechanic claims ignorance of Model A repairs. If he can read, he can follow Les' instructions to make successful repairs 95% of the time.
Marshall
 
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Along the lines of what Marshall has said...A local independent shop. Be prepared for any and all work to be; 1) time and material work. Figure any where from $70 per hour to $100 per hour. 2) the customer assumes all risks. If it breaks or turns into a can of worms, you still owe, and it is your problem. 3) and then there is always the discussion about parts - who, mark-up, and so on.

It's the type of thing where you need to go in ahead of time and talk to the shop owner. Notice I said go in, and not call and talk to whomever. I just went through this with my 57 Ford at a specialty shop 70 miles from my house. I am on the list for late February / early March.
 
If you install an engine management computer in your Model A then the local mechanic can read the trouble code and figure out what to do.

I can fix any mechanical system on a Model A and charge $70 per hour, but give a discount to fellow club members. So if you want to trailer your Model A to Wilkesboro, North Carolina, I will be happy to help you.

My local Ford dealer will fix Model A's and Model T's except they scrapped all the specialized tools. $$$$$
 
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Marshall V. Daut said:
What needs to be fixed on your car that Les Andrews' Mechanics Handbook can't guide you through? If it's heavy-duty stuff like engine removal and rebuilding or rear end rebuilding, that's usually better left to those mechanics you can't find in your neck of the woods. But if the problem is fixable with simple hand tools, Les might be able to help you. The red book is worth the cost in money saved NOT paying a mechanic to fix something simple that you can do yourself by following the text and line drawings in Les' book. Do you already have that book? How about the blue troubleshooting guide? Both should be in every Model A owner's library.
Marshall
Click to expand...

It's 2025 now. People don't turn to books, they look it up on the internet and prefer a video how-to tutorial over a book.
 
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