Change

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EJ

Junior Member
What if anything would you guys have told Henry to change on the model A if given the chance, me personally I would have liked it a bit longer just for the look.
 
Longer cab, synchro trans, 6 cylinders.

But remember, for every change the price goes up. And that is not what Henry was about.
 
As a big boy I would've liked a little more room in the cab... we as a society have gotten bigger over the years... to many comforts i guess.

Edit, my dad always said every Model A he was in needed one more forward gear, so much so my uncle had an OD installed in his...I have to admit an overdrive would be nice...could run along at 60 mph and carry on a conversation without YELLING!!!
 
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Purdy Swoft said:
I would leave the model A exactly like it is !!!
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I agree. 90 plus years later it is much easier to see where a little change here or there would have helped.

Remember where we were coming from, the Model T.

I respect the Model A for what it is and represents. Enjoy.
 
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Also impressive was Henrys commitment to continuous improvement, even during the last year of production when he could have stopped making changes with a new model coming out.


Todays cars are tied to their design from cost restrictions. Often the cost/benefit is used to continue selling cars with known issues, and letting the consumer pay for design issues.
 
They should have changed the water inlet position from between 2-3 to between 3-4. They also should have changed the water pump from an outlet pump above the cylinder head to an inlet pump below the block deck line. Engineering corrected this in the '32 V8 but the 'improved' '32 B engine was doomed to repeat the A's heat cycle problems.
 
I agree with Mike K and with those who say a little more leg room but the biggest improvement would have been to declutter the RHS of the engine. It is near impossible to remove the carb bottom half with it still bolted to the manifold and it is just too difficult to adjust the valves. I realise Henry didn't make them adjustable but it would be nice.
Oh, wait - here's another how about oil and air filtration. It is VEREY VERY difficult to put both on an engine because the RHS is already so cluttered. A little forethought would ahve solved that!
Another gear, synchronised or not would be a BIG winner too.
 
I'm with Purdy. Given the technology of the times and where they were coming from, they did a pretty darned good job. There were a lot of running changes that took care of a lot of issues. More room or more adjustment to the seat would have been one thing, for sure.
 
It's one of those things.... All the stuff of the Model A that we love to hate is everything that gives the car its personality and what makes them what they are. Hell, if they were made to more modern standards, they just would not be the same. The stuff I love to hate: Uncomfortable seats in Tudor. Can't see traffic lights withoug crouching down; Rattle, rattle rattle, squeak, squeak, squeak shimmy shimmy shimmy. Need I go on?
 
Magicbox51 said:
It's one of those things.... All the stuff of the Model A that we love to hate is everything that gives the car its personality and what makes them what they are. Hell, if they were made to more modern standards, they just would not be the same. The stuff I love to hate: Uncomfortable seats in Tudor. Can't see traffic lights withoug crouching down; Rattle, rattle rattle, squeak, squeak, squeak shimmy shimmy shimmy. Need I go on?
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In a nutshell, Shake, Rattle and Roll!
 
Ford took a mulligan on the engine,the X8 failed and the V8 wasn't ready so they punted with the 4 cylinder.Even then,they choked it off with low compression and inadequate fuel.The car itself was a failure in the business sense.he spent close to 150 million in 1927 dollars (2bn today) developing it and had only one good year of profitability (1929) in production..

So yeah,second guess Ford..but consider this,his company was wealthy beyond comprehension by the time he built the A,he could build a failure and turn and subsidize the company for 15 years with T money..which,in effect he did..I believe he should have stuck to his guns,continued building the T..he would die before he ran out of money..
 
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