Bone Stock or Modified?

I tend to read the posts that deal with solving specific problems or "How to" topics. These topics about originality, what kind of oil do you use, whether or not to use antifreeze, etc just seem to be magnets for anger-laden posts. Those topics will go on and on until Hell freezes over so I move on and ignore. :D
 
700rpm said:
If you are in an accident in your A rumble seat passengers are at a great risk of serious injury. If it is a rear-ender, the seat back can be thrown forward and increase the injury front and back to the person also being thrown forward. If the accident is a T-bone, the car is likely to be tipped over, throwing RS passengers out, especially small children, and children are the most often RS passengers. Our cars are top heavy and light weight compared with SUVs and large pickups, and a T-bone could cause an A to flip onto its top or roll over completely.

Seat belts and seat back stops might help, but in 60 years of owning and driving A’s I have never seen these installed in a rumble, and even if they were, adequate and secure anchoring would be necessary, and could present a false sense of safety.

In any accident now in an A vs a modern car or truck the A is going to lose, but at least in a closed car you have more protection than sitting in an open rumble seat.

Considering today’s cars, speeds, and traffic, these risks are more than I wanted to assume. So I quit letting people ride in my RS and converted it to a trunk. It just seemed like a safe, responsible and practical thing to do.
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Thank you for the reply.
 
McMimmcs said:
I congratulate you For building your dream but you don’t have a Model A anymore, you have a hot rod.
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Maybe I do. But nothing on my car is cut or butchered. Everything is bolt-on. If the next owner doesn't want my modified car then can un-bolt what I have added and replace it with original parts, which I still have. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy it.
As for being a Hot Rod, I prefer the term Period Modified.
 
Bill G said:
I tend to read the posts that deal with solving specific problems or "How to" topics. These topics about originality, what kind of oil do you use, whether or not to use antifreeze, etc just seem to be magnets for anger-laden posts. Those topics will go on and on until Hell freezes over so I move on and ignore. :D
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Yet to see an “anger laden” post in this thread. However, by ignoring this posts, you could miss out on some original parts being sold for five cents on the dollar. I make sure that the original parts that I replace with era correct speed equipment are made a available to A owners for cheap.
 
I think back to 1971, and the first thing everybody was doing to their new Muscle Cars was putting on a set of Cragar S/S's, Holley carburetors, open element air cleaners, throwing the smog pumps away, for starters.

Easily put back to bone stock original. Bolt on parts.

Now, those smog pumps. We tossed them in the garbage and now today one for a 428CJ Mustang sells for north of a thousand bucks, if you can find one, and want the car back to bone stock.

I haven't met any Model A folks that throw original parts away, so that won't be a problem putting those 19 inch rims back on, replacing that Tillotson with a Zenith, etc.:)
 
Model a modified.. that's catchy, someone should name a facebook page that..it a good description of what's done, original components modified for speed and handling..
 

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Modified? Intake & Exhaust manifolds made by Tod. A little re-arrangement of other things.
 

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Mister Moose said:
I'm not a purist, but I did stay sorta stock, and took a few liberties.

I started with a very tired but running all black 1930 Tudor on 16" wheels. Came with 19" wheels also, and they balanced out great. Probably was Andalusite blue originally, based on the paint on the fuel tank edges. Seats had been covered in black vinyl, but the frames were all good. I didn't really like the 1930 Tudor colors, and needed some kind of turn signals. I liked the look of cowl lamps.

So I restored with a 31 deluxe Tudor mohair interior and cowl lamps. Used the cowls for front turn signals. Went with Washington Blue and Tacoma Cream, really like that color scheme. I wanted room for a larger trunk at some point, and moved the spare to a side mount. Safety glass all around, of course. Everything else is bone stock, and quite a lot of it is original. The radiator shell and cowl band came out flawless. New England Chrome Plating did great work. The horn was toast, as was the running boards. Added a right tail light.

Any knowledgeable person would know the car is "Not correct" but 99.5% of the people that talk to me have no idea, and they probably don't care. I might be the only side mount Tudor around.

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So far, I like driving it as it left the factory. As many have mentioned, I like keeping the time machine at 1930. All the parts and colors on the car were being produced by Ford in 1930.
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Nice car. It sounds like you drive it, which is the best part.
 
Chris may have hit on something here, back when the Model "A" was new, aftermarket parts were available. It wasn't un-common for a dealership to install an OHV head on one.

I can hear my Dad now at the dinner table, "no, no changes to the car"!!

This subject has been around forever, it is an individual choice.

Most respect to those who drive them today, it can be a challenge.

John
 
Gene F said:
Nice car. It sounds like you drive it, which is the best part.
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2,000 miles in 20 years, so not a lot. The early overheat issue and then the loose steering issue that followed took time to work out. (At worst we're talking 60 degrees on the wheel of slop) I'm still in the "Don't completely trust it" phase, but now with the steering down to under an inch of play it's an ice cream car, a hardware store car, a light grocery list car, a farm stand car, and I'll probably take in a few car shows next summer. Look at everyone else's Model A on my list of "Is this the way it's supposed to be???"

While some people talk about the looks and waves you get, and I get some, I also notice quite a few people that look right at me with a complete indifferent expression that looks like I'm driving a Ford Taurus.
 
Modifiers don't have ice cream runners,the mechanical performance is paramount.most don't tolerate issues with their cars,other than appearance.And that's only for some. High end modifiers can have over 15k in their engines alone..model a horsepower is expensive. If it was raw cheap horsepower we were after we'd all run small block chevys..but modifiers are model a guys,its not about hotrodding its about performance from an L head four cylinder ford engine..the same reason why you love to drive an A,technically its called low end torque..when you can build on that torque,to coax all that engine has without flogging it...split second gear with a mitchell and pull hard...that same second gear a stock A takes to 25 I can take to 50..
 
I have the same Model A that I grew up in with my grandparents. I will say when we went on tours as a kid, the Model A was purely stock with the exception of a 6v alt.

My car is now still a Model A, but with several modifications for speed and what I consider safety.

As a kid, we'd go on a tour and we'd occasionally break down. Condenser would go out, or points needed to be reset. Often before a tour, we'd check the points, radiator fluid, etc. There was a whole checklist.

Now, after modifying the car, I very rarely have to check anything at all. Check the brake fluid once a year. Never have to do anything with points or condensers because I don't have that anymore. I tour WAYYY more than we did growing up and have fare less issues or maintenance. I literally do not even know the last time I checked my radiator fluid because I now have a closed system. I have a temp gauge so I would know if it got low and started running warmer.

That being said, I loved touring in a stock car. I love touring in the same car that is now modified. I am more comfortable now that previously. I can get there at a quicker rate with less issues.

That's my stance on the issue.
 
I have had my cabriolet since 1958-59. It was a bit modified when I got it with 16” 1935 wire wheels and BLC sealed beam headlights. It survived the depression and WWII. It was mostly complete, but worn. I made a few more changes while I was still in high school and it was my everyday car. Fifty years later I rebuilt it and made a bunch more modifications, spending a couple thousand hours of my time and many additional hours with the painter and upholstery pros. To most people it is just a nice old car with a four cylinder Model A motor. They couldn’t care less what is a modification. On a 500 mile trip by myself on mostly freeways, I realized better brakes than the 40 Ford brakes are needed, so one more modification is in the planning. It is my model A, and I am happy with it, and that is all that matters.

The debates on original versus modified all seem the same, some for and some against, with many personal qualifications on their positions. My basic position is there were many millions of Model A’s built, even tens of thousands of my fairly rare cabriolet, so no one should feel that there is only one proper way to build a Model A. Just do what you want with your car, time, and money.

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As you can easily see, my roadster is way out of line for body and wheel color but it is eye catching if only for a quick glance. It also came to me with a March, 1937 diamond engine. It has seat belts, leak less pump, white wall tires, wrong color upholstery and top, 6 volt alternator, ( but I do still have the original powerhouse ). But it is wicked fun to drive, gets lots of smiles and waves, travels about 1000 miles a season and is not subject to a monthly payment--- except for gas and oil. I think of it as being " stockified." Bill
 
springerpete said:
As you can easily see, my roadster is way out of line for body and wheel color but it is eye catching if only for a quick glance. It also came to me with a March, 1937 diamond engine. It has seat belts, leak less pump, white wall tires, wrong color upholstery and top, 6 volt alternator, ( but I do still have the original powerhouse ). But it is wicked fun to drive, gets lots of smiles and waves, travels about 1000 miles a season and is not subject to a monthly payment--- except for gas and oil. I think of it as being " stockified." Bill
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Pete, the best part is that you drive it, and enjoy it. Good for you. Lots of guys in our club have more than one A, and I have never seen most of them ay all. Just a shame. One good car that gets driven will always be better than 3 or 4 and none of them run or are reliable.
 
For many years, I have said "If it looks like a Model A, Sounds Like a Model A, Runs like a Model A, then it is a Model A. Safety improvements and unseen additions aside, IT IS YOUR CAR, ENJOY IT...
 
It’s such a shame when someone doesn’t respect or honor someone else’s hard work. We inherited our A from my wife’s uncle when he passed away. Is it Period Correct? No. But it was his VISION and it took him 9 years to rebuild it the way he wanted and he did almost everything himself. It’s close to perfect. But what matters most is the pure joy we see on other peoples faces when it’s driven-which is 2-3 times a week. That’s honoring him to us. We’ve had old timers come up and say how their day has been made by simply seeing it and reliving their past for a few moments. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. As others have stated- an A is an A. They all came off the Ford assembly line at some point. What someone chooses to do with it and how they envision it should be respected even if it doesn’t meet your own criteria
 
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