New Class Being Considered

Wisconsinjimmy

Wisconsinjimmy

Senior Member
"Restorers Class Awards is to recognize members who utilize their Model A Fords"
I was just now reading the rules and saw this, I am hoping it comes to be as I for one do not want to depend on Mechanical brakes, I realize when the car was made these were state of the art and one has to realize that traffic was not a great problem. Today it is a whole new game of stopping and I for one want to stop. I know this will stir up a few bumble bees =8;)

 
Wisconsinjimmy said:
"Restorers Class Awards is to recognize members who utilize their Model A Fords"
I was just now reading the rules and saw this, I am hoping it comes to be as I for one do not want to depend on Mechanical brakes, I realize when the car was made these were state of the art and one has to realize that traffic was not a great problem. Today it is a whole new game of stopping and I for one want to stop. I know this will stir up a few bumble bees =8;)
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Jimmy, there really isn't anything to stir up. My mechanical brakes will do everything your hydraulic brakes will do, ...except for leak brake fluid all over the brake shoes and the garage floor. I can stop equally as well with restored mechanicals as what your hydraulic brakes can!!

As for "utilizing" a Model-A, have you ever stopped to think about how many years Model-A's were 'utilized' in stock form before some "restorers" decided they needed to be modified to become reliable? My suggest is for you to truly 'restore' instead of 'repair' and see exactly how reliable a Model-A truly is!! ;)

.
 
Wait just a minute.....what have I done wrong in that the hydraulic brakes on three of my A's have not leaked in the past 20 years?
 
Also, hydraulic brakes that have sat for a long time, need to be rebuilt. Mechanical brakes will still be good.
MIKE :)
 
Mechanical brakes are perfectly fine on an A. I used to be amused, now I am bored, when folks look at the car and comment to the effect of "Wow--how do they work? Can you stop?" They must be thinking of my pal Jerry's A in the 50's--that sucker needed an anchor and shoe leather to stop. But hey, we did learn to look ahead and judge distances which is a useful driving skill to this day. I always trust A drivers to be good drivers-they can do 2-3-4 driving things at the same time.
That said, I am glad for hydralics and self adjusting brakes on my modern. Don't want the adjustment hassle. To hard to crawl under.
 
I wonder how good the mechanical brakes of the early Flatheads were, using cables instead of rods? I would think that brake rods would be a better set up? Just curious don't know many flathead guys running original brakes......
 
BlueSunoco said:
I wonder how good the mechanical brakes of the early Flatheads were, using cables instead of rods? I would think that brake rods would be a better set up? Just curious don't know many flathead guys running original brakes......
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What early V-8 had cables all of mine have had rods.
 
At one time Ford advertising had a line that read; "The Safety of Steel, from toe to wheel!" :)
They must have thought the mechanical brakes were good! ;)
 
Here's how people think these days: My son won't even ride in my Model A until I install "disc brakes." :) I told him the mechanical brakes would make him hit this head on the windshield. Sorry; no dice... won't even get in.
 
My kid is the same if it does not have disk brakes it is unsafe, I bought a Pinto and that had disk front brakes (no Power) and I hated that thing. I have decided to keep my "A" and will convert to hydraulics, I see no reason how this can affect the look of the car and I also have no intention of showing it in fact I am not going to remove the rust just scuff to get the loose stuff off and squirt it with a clear coat.
 
I think '35 and '36 were cable also '39 was the first year for juice brakes. Henry hated to pay out royalties to Bendix was the reason he was late in the hydraulics game.

It wasn't until 1967 that the Fed made the car makers install a dual Master Brake reservoir system. Up until then a leak anywhere in the system, cost you all of your brakes.
 
my car (1931 coupe) being a daily driver ( and my only car) has 1942 hyd on it . I like the consistent pedal & stopping ................ yes mechanicals are good , but my hyd
do not need the regular maintaince .
 
The original brakes are plenty for the weight and speed of the car. The only thing they are lacking are the more modern idea of shifting most of your braking force to the front. I suppose self adjusters would be nice.

Sure, they are more maintenance intensive than a modern car...but isn't that part of why we drive them. All that regular maintenance make me feel much more connected to my Model A than any of my newer machines.
 
bobv said:
1937 and 38 had cable brakes.
Click to expand...

Yes, 37 and 38 were cable.


BlueSunoco said:
I think '35 and '36 were cable also '39 was the first year for juice brakes. Henry hated to pay out royalties to Bendix was the reason he was late in the hydraulics game.

It wasn't until 1967 that the Fed made the car makers install a dual Master Brake reservoir system. Up until then a leak anywhere in the system, cost you all of your brakes.
Click to expand...

35 and 36 were still rods.
 
BlueSunoco said:
I wonder how good the mechanical brakes of the early Flatheads were, using cables instead of rods? I would think that brake rods would be a better set up? Just curious don't know many flathead guys running original brakes......
Click to expand...

They could be a problem in real cold weather. They could freeze up.
If you lived in the cold north you learned not to use your E brake in cold weather.
 
George Miller said:
They could be a problem in real cold weather. They could freeze up.
If you lived in the cold north you learned not to use your E brake in cold weather.
Click to expand...
if you still live where it freezes its best to not use the ebrake in the winter...most cars are still cable controlled e-brakes
 
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