Alterations, Add-Ons, and Modifications

ctlikon0712 said:
Oh Bruce, those pics are making me sick!
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French Lick MARC meet?? I think posting pics like this here are great because it reminds all of us that the best safety device our cars can have is the 'Driver' of the Model A!! Maybe folks choose to install other widgets to somewhat compensate for that failing safety device!! :D

Ironically, I am on a Model T tour down in "traffic-infested" Savannah, GA with a bunch of vehicles that have a top speed of 40 mph and 22 horsepower, ...and often times when we are on these tours, we travel 80-100 miles a day. Even when they have engine upgrades, these engines still have less Hp than what a stock Model A has, ...and several of these cars that are traveling in this group recently completed a coast-to-coast (NY to Seattle) journey. My point is anyone can find an excuse to justify a modification however just as some above have pointed out, in my opinion the word "needed" really should not be in the same sentence.

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Brent is right, much of this relates to the skill of the driver and OTHER drivers on the road. This picture is an example of what happens when another vehicle suddenly, at the last millisecond, decides that it can beat that "old car" (traveling at about 50 mph) and pulls in front of you to turn. Maybe someone with more of a lightning fast reaction time could have avoided this impact, but I did not and there were no seat belts. I went flying and folks consider it a miracle that I am alive.

My vote would be for seat belts. Just try hanging on at 50 mph-you can't.

I hate seeing this picture but figure if it makes someone act and put seat belts in, well, then maybe it has some value.
 

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When someone asks about "mods" to their Model A I always point out "that with every modification something is lost in the true Model A experience. How much of the experience are you willing to loose." That being said, I have never personally owned or personally known a person with a 100% original Model A but would like to one day.
 
These pictures are, in fact, sickening, and the problem lies with the traffic in which we put ourselves ... it seems the more safety features installed in new cars, along with all the electronic distractions, throw in the shortage of law enforcement, the drivers of today are ignorant of the capacity of distruction they can do...

It seems as though I get honked at or flipped off about once a week. This is California, and although we may not have all the idiots, we certainly seem to have the majority.
Let's face it, we are putting ourselves in harm's way when we venture out in our Model A's on anything other than low-speed local streets or backroads. If we venture out alone, my wife now fears we will be pulled over and mugged. Things have become ugly.

I don't want to get political here and get the boot.

Richard... (staying around home)
 
If you drive on freeways very much, iimproved power and braking is as much a safety factor as anything!! You need to be able to stop or power your way out of any situation that may come your way, I sure like panard bars on my car to give it stability. ( reduces body roll)
Bruce Davis a400usa@nccn.net
 
RcT said:
These pictures are, in fact, sickening, and the problem lies with the traffic in which we put ourselves ... it seems the more safety features installed in new cars, along with all the electronic distractions, throw in the shortage of law enforcement, the drivers of today are ignorant of the capacity of distruction they can do...

It seems as though I get honked at or flipped off about once a week. This is California, and although we may not have all the idiots, we certainly seem to have the majority.
Let's face it, we are putting ourselves in harm's way when we venture out in our Model A's on anything other than low-speed local streets or backroads. If we venture out alone, my wife now fears we will be pulled over and mugged. Things have become ugly.

I don't want to get political here and get the boot.

Richard... (staying around home)
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I agree with Richard and that's another reason I'm getting back into boating. It's pretty safe and relaxing cruising around at a slow pace on the lake. I wanted to take my 1918 Evinrude out on the lake yesterday, but I wound up helping my neighbor work on his 1955 Army Jeep.
 
You know I have only added a few items. HiComp head, altenator and modern points to my A. Their are many cars in the club that can cruise 55-60 mph all day long but not for me. I am in the process of rebuilding a generator to replace the altenator. Seat belts will be added when I redo my interior this summer. 40-45 is my comfort level and I don't get on major highways. My brakes are good and in most traffic situations I feel confident. My concern is always the people that run up behind me or pull out in front of me as if I am driving a modern car. Can't say that anyone has ever flipped me off in fact just the opposite. I get more smiles and waves than anything else.
 
There's a couple of old cars around town(Model A's included) that evidently poke around at 30-35 mph as I've gotten comments like "you don't hold up traffic, I was behind another old car last week and he was driving 30 on a 45 mph road holding up traffic." I've passed a couple of these guys in my own Model A's so I see the civilian's point.

This isn't the first time I've got comments like this in the grocery store parking lot, at the gas station etc. If your Model A will only do 30-35 comfortably, it shouldn't be on the road IMO. Even my bone stock Roadster with weak motor will run 50 all day along.
 
The Rule of Modifications​
​
The modifications you make to YOUR car make it safer, faster, more reliable and enhance its beauty, character and value.

The modifications I make to MY car are expensive, unneeded, unreliable, unsafe and destroy its beauty, character and value.

Rainmaker Ron
​
 
Rainmaker Ron said:
The Rule of Modifications
​
The modifications you make to YOUR car make it safer, faster, more reliable and enhance its beauty, character and value.

The modifications I make to MY car are expensive, unneeded, unreliable, unsafe and destroy its beauty, character and value.

Rainmaker Ron
​
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Very well put.
 
RcT - Richard you should get your wife set up with a concealed weapons permit and a nice Glock. she will feel much safer, but will you? He He!
 
I will, I will, I will:p, remember, that when I do something to, or add something to my Model A, "VERMIN," I WON'T open a can of WORMS by asking for anyone's approval or atta' boys!!:D I'll just confer with The Ghost, (we're gettin' kinda' friendly!) if he disagrees, I can bank on the dog's approval!!:p
Let's scrape up all them Barn Worms & GO FISHIN'
Bill W.:D & The Ghost:eek: & The Vicious Ratter Dog:eek:
 
I've been touring for 40 years so when I'm planning a long tour, in my deluxe delivery, I try to take everything I could possibly fix on the road. So far I've been pretty lucky.
 
glenn in camino said:
If your Model A is modified, take extras of all the parts no one else on the tour is likely to have.
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Amen brother!!!! Many times someone in a Model A tour group will have a needed common part for a roadside repair to share but a modified part you are probably on your own.

An electronic distributor module comes to mind. The only Model A on a long club tour with electronic ignition had distributor problems 150 miles from home. Luckily, after a couple hours trying to bypass the module somehow, one of the more "worry wort" type members remembered that he had a complete restored points style distributor under his seat so we swapped out the distributor and the guy made it home.
 
A stock model A has reliability in it's simplicity, a modern car has reliability in it's complexity.

When you try to combine the 2 it's easy to have a car you need to tow home when it breaks.
 
Alterations, Add-Ons, and Modifications?

Alteration: The way you drive. Much more defensively in an A!
Add-On: Turn Signals.
Modification: Henry went to Cast Iron drums ('mountain brakes') late in the game. New iron drums replacing the fade prone original steel.
 
I walked this whole "slippery slope" and have come to the conclusion that the wording has a more profound effect on the idea than the reality. The bravado of what a great car it is as-is is expected, especially here. The whole concept of the hot rod is to improve power, braking and handling. Today as we restore our cars, EVERYTHING is better. Better paint, cloth, engine gaskets and mat'ls, brake linings, stronger chassis parts, tires. Still, in my opinion after driving the roads in my part of the world, the tires are the biggest "fear factor" on the Model A. Out here in rural S.E. Mich, the old blacktop roads are rutted and lumpy from decades of farm equipment and tractor/trailers. Even with tight steering and good kingpins the car wants to follow those grooves, and when you have 5-6 foot deep ditches both sides, the ol girl gets your attention pretty fast. Is it too bad to enjoy? Not at all, but that attention that's awakened is most likely the biggest safety factor of all. To those of you who've gone from 19 or 21 inch wheel/tires to maybe 16 or 17, did it make a difference? Most likely, yes. Does it really steal from the A experience? Maybe not. Drive a 31 Packard or a 31 Cadillac and tell me what you feel. The difference is like a Harley vs a dirt bike. Both fun, both good at what they do, but as was said already, the driver's ability and response to what they're driving is the only limit here. I'm all about making things as good or better, but when you ask yourself what you expect out the car, the experience, right there is where your answers will be found. You need an additional hour to get places, you need warmer clothes in cold wether, you need good lighting, and you need to be more aware of your surroundings than ever...even in that Packard.
 
After reading 38 posts here, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned seats. After 10 years of driving my roadster, I was ready to sell it. However, I found an upholsterer that custom fit a lumbar support that enabled me to drive five or six hours with out pain. On my CCPU, I replaced the stock seats with Jeep buckets that make driving a pleasure. I could probably swap out the Jeep seats in an hour with stock A seats and nobody would be the wiser.
 
denis4x4 said:
After reading 38 posts here, I'm surprised that no one has mentioned seats. After 10 years of driving my roadster, I was ready to sell it. However, I found an upholsterer that custom fit a lumbar support that enabled me to drive five or six hours with out pain. On my CCPU, I replaced the stock seats with Jeep buckets that make driving a pleasure. I could probably swap out the Jeep seats in an hour with stock A seats and nobody would be the wiser.
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I would love to see how the jeep buckets are installed as I have a set in my basement.
 
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