Parade Season - any tips?

wgmatt

wgmatt

Member
As we start the summer season there are several parades and events where we will be driving slowly for a long time. Any tips for keeping the Model A engine running smoothly at these speeds? Thanks!
 
Be sure to advance the spark a bit even at idle speeds and consider enriching the GAV a tiny bit so the engine runs cooler and count on adding weight to the driver due to excess hot dogs and ice cream. Parades are generally surrounded by great high calorie food! :)
 
With my car parade prep is cleaning the horn commutator, adjusting for parade speed (1 click out from road adjustment)

for a walking speed parade fine speed adjustment I use spark advance---from full retard for slow slow, to 1/2 for fast paced walk, no riding the clutch
 
I push clutch in every once in awhile and rev up the motor to charge things up a bit and could the engine. Also use the horn a lot when throwing candy to keep the kids and adults from getting run over. It is great to scare the pants off a kid when you sneak up on them and let the horn blow!
 
Sunscreen for your left arm as you drive. When I did a parade years back in Wichita Falls in my fordoor, my left arm got a severe sunburn on the top of it where it hung out the door window as I drove.

All the chronic stop and starting as you drove behind the band or the cheer leaders as they stopped to do their act of baton twirling or such was tiring with a long parade, but much better than being behind the horses and smelling what they left on the road in front of you for the duration of the parade. Get your place behind an interesting group and not the horses or, Lord help you, the elephants. :-)

If you have the room, give the folks from the AARP or any vet group a ride. They can probably remember what riding in a Model A Ford was like in real life, so it brings back lots of memories for them. Kids are another option, but someone mentioned tossing out candy, which can be fun, but be sure it is allowed. In Vernon, TX, at the Summer's Last Blast, they will stop you when you do that as they feel it is a safety hazard with kids and adults rushing to the street and picking it up. Check to make sure it is okay, first.

Make sure your engine is tuned up and radiator working well before heading out.

Have fun and take lots of pictures or a good video. Bring a dog to ride and folk always love that. Make sure your horn works well, as the Ahooga sound is a must for a parade.
 
Try saving some candy for the kids at the end of the route. Every one usually tosses lots of the stuff at first and runs out at the end leaving sad little faces at the end of the run. I don't even toss any for about the first third,, well just a little.
 
I don't throw out candy anymore. Sometimes, with these big front fenders, you can't see. The kids run out in front of you. I was afraid I would run over a "candy diver".
 
Dont run in front of the fire trucks if you can help it.
Take plenty of water for yourself and your passengers and maybe some for the car if you happen to need it.
Retarding the spark will make it drive slow, but it will also make it run hot if you do it for too long.
Others have left good tips also. Have Fun, Good Luck!
 
I know somebody that was sued from throwing candy:eek:.... A piece hit a kid, wacked him in the eye...:mad:.
 
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We don't throw candy anymore. Instead we throw little baggies with and clearly marked 'bird food'.
 
We can't throw anything anymore. They even try to say we can't blow our horns. Good luck with that :D
 
Mitch//pa said:
I know somebody that was sued from throwing candy:eek:.... A piece hit a kid in the eye...:mad:.
Click to expand...
They want us to hand it out around here. One of my buddies walks along and hands it out from a nice clean bedpan. Gets some funny looks and some laughs from the parents, but the kids dont care.
 
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