Buyer's Remorse ?

As for the shimmy.................
Check the wishbone mount under the bellhousing for tightness. If if it's loose or you see the remnants of a rubber ball, that could very well be the problem. Also chect the sterring box to frame, and the pitman to shaft for looseness.
 
One other thing. As one of the posters mentioned, find your cars "sweet spot" For many it's around 45 MPH, but your mileage may vary. You will find your driving much more relaxed and enjoyable. These cars are happiest on back roads, cruising along at that "right" speed. Just my 2 cents, Harry K
 
tamagrouchy said:
One other thing. As one of the posters mentioned, find your cars "sweet spot" For many it's around 45 MPH, but your mileage may vary. You will find your driving much more relaxed and enjoyable. These cars are happiest on back roads, cruising along at that "right" speed. Just my 2 cents, Harry K
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Here, here ! Well said.

:)
 
Special Coupe Frank,

Previous expereince with the 1933 Chev. was at Sea Level (Massachusetts). Indeed, the car was heavy and the six did make a difference. At that time, my crusing speed was 45 MPH. Could go much faster though.

Others : Thanks for the comments. Looks like my expectations were that the Model A would be "similar" to my earlier experience with the Chevy.

Marc
 
stock babbitt motors run about 40/45 mph . 1800 rpm is about all you want for a drive , after that the crank whips the center main to death . ive killed 2 babbitt motors with to much rpm .
that said , your car should run right up to 50/55 mph . i like the timing plate & using a timing lite much better than guessing the old way . cruise @ 40mph . ................ steve
 
Marc;

One of the reasons that Ford came out with the V-8 in '32 was that they were getting killed sales wise by Chevrolet and some of the others. Chevrolet introduced the 6 Cyl. in '29. It had more power and very smooth. It would run a lot easier at higher RPM for long periods of time then the Model A. While the Model A may have been more sutable for use in the more rual areas with poor dirt roads, more people were using their car for long distance touring.

I grew up driving early Chevy 6's ('30-'32s). Some of my buddies had Model A's. At the time I lived in Phoenix, Arizona where there were long distances between stuff. My Chevy 6 was the car of choice when were to go some place out of town. I went to college in Missouri and bought my first Model A. It was perfect for the back roads and rual areas.

I now live in southern California. I have a '31 Roadster which is stock except for a 3.54 R&P. It is just fine around town and in the local adjacent areas but I am in the process of restoring a '30 Tudor with a counter weighted B Engine, Mitchell O.D. and better brakes. That is the car I will use for touring.

A stock Model A is usually comfortable crusing at about 45 MPH. With engine modifications and taller gears or an Overdrive, you can cuuse faster but watch the brakes. You can over run the stock brakes very easily.

Your car could definately benifite from more compression at the altitude where you live. Get in touch with other Model A'ers in your area. They can help you with tunning for the higher altitude.

Chris
 
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My '29 Coupe runs real nice at ~45 MPH. I will run her up to about 52 or 53 MPH but that is as hard as I push her. I have no overdrive, a stock head, FSI distributor and a Stromberg 97 downdraft. I am at a fairly low elevation.

Tom
 
Not that anyone wants to believe this. Certainly the guys that run the 55 to 65 all day long with a reasonably stock A have given up trying to explain what the A really can do with not problems.

The A was designed to run 55 MPH. Ford told the dealers to show that the car can run 65 MPH. That was a factory A that had a mostly precision built chassis. The engine was precision built and balanced and everything was set up properly.

Today most A's are built with the attitude that it was just a simple car. Few want to believe the engine was precision built. I can tell you if you take the crank to a grinder and ask them to follow the original specs then they will charge you for a racing engine grind.

So if your car had all the wear painstakingly removed from all the mechanical parts and everything balanced as it should be then I think you will find you are driving a different car.

I can tell you that my brothers coupe has been run above 55 MPH for extended periods of since 1970. Currently it sports everything stock except a used B cam. The really crappy looking 1930 fordor I owned for a bunch of years like to run the 55 MPH. I had to redo most of the chassis to make the fordor safe as it was assembled wrong and with worn out parts. Both cars drove well though all the speed ranges, including a 2 mile parade on July 4 every year.

If your car does not feel comfortable running over 45 MPH then something is wrong with it. If it does not stop well then something is wrong with it. Keep in mind I am not telling you to run over 45, I am telling you a car that is comfortable to drive 65 MPH is just as comfy at 45. Many of the cars I know that run 45 are not even comfy or safe to drive at that speed.
 
Kevin in NJ said:
If your car does not feel comfortable running over 45 MPH then something is wrong with it. If it does not stop well then something is wrong with it. Keep in mind I am not telling you to run over 45, I am telling you a car that is comfortable to drive 65 MPH is just as comfy at 45. Many of the cars I know that run 45 are not even comfy or safe to drive at that speed.
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I just don't like the sound of the engine much above 50MPH. It sounds pretty wound out at that speed. Mine runs smooth above 50 but I have had many folks tell me not to run it over 55MPH w/o an overdrive.

Tom
 
hey ford barners i have a 1929 roadster i did a body off complet resto had ingine re built starts good runs good on level no power up hills i have changed timeing many times does not help i have 7 other model a cars and trucks all have power and pull great i have tried everything nutring helps could it be the camshaft thanks 83 year anut
 
i have tried everything nutring helps could it be the camshaft thanks 83 year anut
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Yes, that is common. Most reground cams will peak at 34-35 hp with reduced torque as well, assuming the engine is otherwise stock. Too many Model A owners believe that is "normal".
 
T.W.Dustin said:
I just don't like the sound of the engine much above 50MPH. It sounds pretty wound out at that speed. Mine runs smooth above 50 but I have had many folks tell me not to run it over 55MPH w/o an overdrive.

Tom
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Keep in mind the babbitt does not have a problem running rpms that are not under load. As long as your engine is pretty close to balanced. The babbitt does not like lugging, like not down shifting going around a turn. That will do more damage than running 55 all day long.

BUT

Too many engines are not assembled with the proper care. You need to restore the engine to factory tolerances. A worn cam, improperly set valves, off center crank, out of balance rods. They all work together to give you poor ride. Worse is the interaction of the problems can leave you scratching your head as to what is really wrong.
 
I'm a novice at the A stuff, but what is your gear ratio in the rear? This will have a huge impact on the driveability. 4:11's will be pretty peppy around town but limit the top end into the 45-50 range depending on tire size. If you can find a 3:54 rear you will be much happier with top end speed on a mildly level surface. Your car when in solid mechanical shape will easily cruise at 50-55 safely. I can cruise mine at 60-65 with the set-up currently. But that's a dropped axle, juice brakes and a '36 rear installed with 3:54 gears. But before I changed all that I was cruising about 50-55 pretty happily. The guys are right though 45-50 on a back road is more fun in these cars for me, after all they are meant to be enjoyed. If you are in a hurry you should probably take something made to go 70+. But that's no fun!


Have Fun,

Tim
 
Back in the days before computers in cars when you moved to high altitude Colorado you had to get a "high altitude tune-up" if you stayed very long. The points and timing and carb adjustments were changed. Check the local Model A club for advise.
 
I Have two model A's the first is a 1930 Sport Coupe with standard engine bored to 100 thou plus with a 3.54 rear end . This is good for 50 to 55 but 50 is much better than 55 with less vibration and engine noise. The Second is a 1930 Phaeton with a B engine and Model B carburetor but A ignition and drive train. This car has much more accleration and will do 55 to 60mph but cruises nicely at 55mph . I find the major difference between the B and the A engine is not top speed but pick up/accleration. Of course timing the B engine ( B Timing cover) with the A ignition is slightly different and it's possible that I don't have the timing spot on- but good enough for me -Karl
 
I like to drive my A several times a week here in S. Calif., and even surface streets folks are going 50 mph, not to mention frequent runs on the local 405 fwy. Before I bought my current 1930 Town Sedan, a friend took me for a ride in his roadster with a Mitchell overdrive. I was just amazed when he shifted it into OD at about 45 mph......the car absolutely quieted down and ran effortlessly at over 55.
I swore than and there that when I bought my car, it would get a Mitchell, and it did, along with a Snyder head, cast iron drums, and floaters. For those of you that want to be able cruise quietly and easily at 55-60 mph, that is sure the program for me, as well as having the versatility of the split gears. The only drawbacks are the added shift lever, which I got over immediately, and the relative high cost. But what a transformation for a Model A! Go for a ride with someone who has one..........
 
Marc,

Let me ask you this, what would you like the car to do? Between here and HAMB we can get you the car you want. Just let us know and we will help you get there!
 
As far as the wheel shimmy is concerned, check to ensure that the pitman arm is secure to the steering sector. You really have to clamp the pitman rod tightly. I had a shimmy which was corrected this way.
 
Mike V. Florida said:
Marc,

Let me ask you this, what would you like the car to do? Between here and HAMB we can get you the car you want. Just let us know and we will help you get there!
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Mike,

Not sure what "HAMB" is.....

What I would like, and I thought that I had, is a car for taking medium length (+200 Mile) trips around the state. Back roads in the 40's MPH.

Marc
 
Model A Man said:
I have a 31 coupe with a BF head and mitchell overdrive and at 55 the motor sounds like it is screaming. I try to keep it at 45 tops!!!
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screaming at 55mph with a Mitchell? that sounds odd.
two A's I've had with Mitchells & HC heads ran over 60 very smoothly!
the 3rd one had a stock head and 55 was a very comfortable cruising speed in overdrive.
even our Coupe with standard head and 3.78 rear feels very good at 50!
 
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