Model A as a Daily Driver

Aerocraft said:
I have never thought that driving my Model A on a daily basis was anything special. I am sure there are many non-Fordbarners that do just that with their Model A without feeling they are unique.

My '30 Coupe was my only car in the late fifties through the time I was married in the mid-sixties. I drove it frequently from Otis Air Force Base in southeast MA to my home in the Chicago area from '58 thru '61. The Coupe isn't driven as much now that I have several other A's to drive. One of them is generally out daily. Now that it is too cold for an open car, the Coupe will be out and about until there is salt on the roads. When the roads get salty, out comes my winter "beater", a '29 Briggs TS complete with an Autolight heater. The salt can't do anything that I (or someone else) can't eventually fix. Gar Williams
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If you think that car is a "beater", i'd love to see how nice your other cars are. Luckily down here we don't have salt on our roads...because they don't freeze.
 
I only drive the tudor in the summer, but living in mich. Ive always believed that you should have a beat up pick-up to drive in the winter so I drive the 31 widebed when the snow flies, (it has an ottwell heater) and I figure I have about 10 more yrs driving left and I want to drive an A as much as I can. They are not that expensive when you look at the price of a good used pick-up today.
 
From 1961 to 1964, my first car was a $210 six-wheel '30 sport coupe w/rumble. I drove it to high school daily; there were four other kids that had A's, too. This car was my daily driver through high school, on to community college, after school job, dates, etc. Out of the five A's I have had in my life, this one, mechanically, was probably the worst. Rain or shine, I was out there. No snow to contend with in Central California.

Each car got progressively better and now I have probably the best one, mechanically, I have ever had, but drive it the least. The car will do a daily routine, but driving has changed. The speeds are faster, and quicker to get to the limit. Brakes, belts, turn signals, lighting, all have to be competitive to contend with today's driving.

The car is now 82 years old and I am in my senior years. I can't help but feel more vulnerable than I once was. The car will do fine as a daily driver, but conditions are tougher than ever. Another big issue when using the car daily is just doing the errands; I don't feel good leaving the car in a parking lot as I go about my errands. Too many theives and vandals and touchy-feely people out there.

Daily driving the A is not for me, but the car will do it. It's all the other things I have a problem with. Maybe in a smaller town... with a bigger dog to leave in the car...
 
I'm trying to drive mine every day, but today she isn't available. Soon she will be with a new Snyder's 6.1 head...FUN!

Ken in Orlando
 

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I've had a 29 coupe since 1965 and have put over 50,000 miles on it. Not restored or a show car, rolled it once and still going strong as long as I keep it under 45 mph. I've lusted for a steel back Victoria for years and can't seem to find the right one. Any help would be appreciated as time is getting short. Bill
 
I sold my daily driver a few years ago, and drove the coupe while I searched for a new car. What started out to be a one week search turned into five months with the
coupe as my only transportation. It was so much fun that I was in no hurry to shell
out the bucks for a new driver.

Jack
 
I drive mine to work probably three times a week Its parked out the back of work now . As I live in a small rural town I'm only about 5 minutes drive from work but I normally drive in a big loop way out of my way to make it a 15 min drive. Since I've had the Sports coupe I've done 20,000 miles and although I've had one or two breakdowns I've always got it going on the side of the road and its always brought me home (once on two cylinders) -Karl
 
I drove my 31 coupe as a daily driver for many years, we always had other vehicles but I really enjoyed driving the model A to work. in the early days I drove it in primer with blue fiberglass rear fenders from Ricks.
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I wish I could drive mine daily! I drive it into work occasionally, and run errands in our little town with it but I hate driving it in rush hour traffic in the city where I work. Plus I ride my Harley to work most days in the summer.
 
Here is a concept, All Model A's can be a daily if you want them too, I drive mine on a daily basis and there is repairs that need to be done from time to time to keep them on the road.
 
Salt and idiots on the road would be my 2 biggest deterrents from driving an A daily. If I were in a warmer rural area, it would be a consideration. Working in the Chicago area, you take your life in your hands in a modern car they way people drive around here. Heck if you are going ONLY 10 mph OVER the speed limit, they try their best to run you off the road. A model A would infuriate them to do something even more hostile. People and conditions were a LOT more hospitable to driving the A years ago. I.e. no salting and other drivers were in similar cars and had these crazy things called respect and sense!
 
Purdy Swoft said:
I drove my 31 coupe as a daily driver for many years, we always had other vehicles but I really enjoyed driving the model A to work. in the early days I drove it in primer with blue fiberglass rear fenders from Ricks.
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Purdy, you're MUCH better looking than I would have thought, if I had thought about it.:p:p
 
JoeWay said:
Purdy, you're MUCH better looking than I would have thought, if I had thought about it.:p:p
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Thats not me, Joe. I've changed quiet a bit over the years. Here is a picture of me standing behind my Sept. 29, taken sometimes in 07. That is my wife in the picture standing on the running board of our coupe several years ago.. She still looks a lot better than me, thank goodness!!
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Here is a very faded photo of me standing by the same car in 1962. I was 15 going on 16. I got the strip down model A in the spring of 1960, lots of water under the bridge since then but i've still got the strip down and it looks a lot better now than it did then, runs better too!!!
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I will drive mine daily once I get it back from the shop this week. I will be driving it to and from work and to college. Cant wait to see peoples' reactions!
 
Hondamate said:
Where did you get the 4 speed transmission from? I thought they only came in 3
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In the DFW area, We get them from Gary Bernard. He's a Model A're who owns a transmission shop near the stockyards in Fort Worth. He owns AAAA Transmissions on 28th street.
 
I am retired now, but still run around town a lot, and use my 1930 Town Sedan for most of it...running errands and to the store, and also on our Southern Calif. freeways. I have a Mitchell and the V-8 clutch and pressure plate, so stop and go isn't fun, but not a big problem either. I also park in the parking lots...a little careful just where, but I don't go crazy over it. Lots of folks gather around the car and ask questions, but very few touch it...although young kids seem to love the running boards. With a properly, nice running engine and good brakes I really enjoy driving mine frequently, even in fast and busy traffic, but you do need to be careful and aware of the cars limitations!
 
I drove my 1933 Chev daily from 1967-1970 when I sold it.

Then again, being a Chevy it was more "modern" than a Model A.

Marc
 
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