"Repairs"??

I've always had to build anything I wanted.None of us ever bought much,if we needed something we did what we needed to do to get it.If I needed water I dug a well.Electricity?Wire the place.Septic? Plumbing?Foundation?Build a house?Go look how it's done and just do it.I've done quite a few different things,mostly because I needed to do them for myself so I would work for somebody and figure it out.In the early 70's I worked for an older fellow that had worked on A's when they were new.He still worked on a lot of them then,I became kingpin boy in his shop.130 pounds of rosebud torch and sledge hammer.I went to work for a contractor in the 80's as a mechanic.Because I paid attention to what was going on around me I found out I was also a foreman,operator,truck driver,had to know the status of every job going on and what men were on them.The owner walked in one day and asked me when he could have the lowbed.After he realized who he had asked permission from to use his own truck he laughed and said,yer gitten five bucks more an hour now.Because I paid attention I learned how to do all of his work.Computers,video games,cell phones,etc,completely baffle me.I feel that is because I have nearly zero interest in them.
 
Interesting thread, I've had to deal with machinery all my working life. I have operated a farm...ranch...on my own since I was 22 and before that worked with my father. I have very little mechanical ability but had to learn to do some things out of necessity. I know when to "get" help and have no problem asking for it. I have a few hand tools and don't want anymore. I was always interested in the end game, how to earn a profit, more than I was on doing the mechanical work myself. So I learned about future markets and hedging and options and so forth to help on the marketing end of business and a keen interest in the producton process, just not the mechanical. As was said once, "A man has to know his limitations":)
I bought an A truck, paid a good price for it and just wanted to drive it for the enjoyment, not to spend time working on it. The problem for me is finding a "mechanic" who has the ability to actually perform the work. I bought the service bulletin book and the Les Andrews book for my mechanic to have as a reference. Since owning the truck I have learned about babbitt bearings vs inserts, what a journal is and a weighted crankshaft and lots of other things. I have installed a water pump, real fun job, replaced fan, replaced fuel gauge, electric fuel pump, new speedometer beside the normal greasing and oil changing. If I had known then what I know now about Model A's I probably would never have bought one. You really need to be mechanically interested in working on them or live around alot of A owners or have access to mechanics that specialize in them.
 
Sorry, ALL,
I interrogated the Dog:cool: about this thread he posted! He said he didn't mean to sound like a smart a**ed, snappy old Dog:cool:, after all, he can't even "wrench" (no thumbs) He was jist encouraging folks to study Model A books on stuff, figger what stuff looks like afore askin' for help and givin' year & model & pics, if they've learned how to post them.
The Dog:cool: even remembered one guy who asked how to fix a rattle in his L/R door, even before the car he bought had been delivered to his barn! Bill W.
 
don't worry bout it buster and dont let billy joe:D break em. its actually a good question with some good responses...and a lot more intelligent and meaningful than the joke thread that is history
 
We need new folks in the Model A club . If they want to join and know zero about cars and Model A we need to help them as much as possible.
 
I have not belonged to a car club in seven years. Best thing I ever did was drop my membership in both clubs I belonged to. Seems that Saturday coffee was about all you could count on them for. Still have good friends in each club, but I don't feel obligated to show up and drink coffee every other Saturday. One short tour a year with each was about all most of them could do. Very few informative meeting on how to do ths or that. Basicly pay your dues and drink coffee was about all the membership amounted to.

BTW, I was not saying that the mechanicly challanged should not own A's, was only saying some of them should leave the fixing to other people. Fortunately most know when they are in over their head. Rod
 
I agree with Marc. Most young people haven't had the opportunity to work on cars because face it, none of us can work on modern cars. Our Model A's being a simple machine is the perfect place to learn maintenance and repair. One of my grandsons works with me most every time I tear into my car, and he's gotten a pretty good understanding about the "care and feeding" of a Model A.
 
stewwolfe said:
I agree with Marc. Most young people haven't had the opportunity to work on cars because face it, none of us can work on modern cars. Our Model A's being a simple machine is the perfect place to learn maintenance and repair. One of my grandsons works with me most every time I tear into my car, and he's gotten a pretty good understanding about the "care and feeding" of a Model A.
Click to expand...

I would say I disagree to an extent. You CAN work on modern cars you just have to have the motivation and drive to do it. I converted my 98 F150 from manual windows and door locks to FACTORY power windows, door locks and factory alarm. I had to pull the entire dash and splice dozens of circuits into the main harness, and into the factory connectors and locations to do it. I added the wires into the factory splice locations and used all the correct connectors pulled from a donor vehicle at a local scrap yard. While I was at it I replaced the heater core (a $50 dollar part and a nearly $900 labor charge if done at a dealer) since I had the dash out already and the vehicle was 10 years old at the time. I had a factory service DVD and a stack of printed wire diagrams an inch thick but it can be done. I'm not a mechanic by trade but I grew up wrenching on the farm and I've got the right attitude to just dive in and learn. I also rebuilt the whole front end on my modern pickup and leased the tools I didn't have.

Sure cars are more computerized, complicated, and compact and sometimes jobs take much more specialized tools like a crazy long bent ratchet to get at that 8mm bolt wedged in the end of a long tunnel but working on modern stuff is far from impossible or impractical. Usually its more of a time vs. money aspect. If I have the money (sometimes I don't) I might prefer to pay someone to do a timing belt on my honda and have my weekend to do other things than spend a saturday and / or sunday swearing at it learning as I go like how to pull the alternator and starter through the wheel well to access the timing belt. (yes thats how you accomplish this, its that tight).
 
When i look at at things i "repaired" years ago when i lived on $5 a week i wonder how much better they could have been if i had some storebought tools & actual things to repair with, things that are not old cans and dried up widow putty found in someones trash. Some of those "repairs" were so classically bad.
 
Okay, I stand corrected, you can work on a modern car. That said, they are much more complicated then a Model A. Still I think that the Model A is a super training platform for someone who wants to learn how to fix and maintain it. Most repairs can be accomplished with basic hand tools and a manual.
 
Rowdy said:
BTW, I was not saying that the mechanicly challanged should not own A's, was only saying some of them should leave the fixing to other people. Fortunately most know when they are in over their head. Rod
Click to expand...


I fall into the mechanically challenged group. Being an electrical engineer and electronics engineer (P.E.) working in the broadcast field, I can build a radio or TV broadcast station from the ground-up (done it many times). I can build audio and transmitting equipment from scratch, and troubleshoot electronic devices to the component level. Yet, I need real hands-on help doing automotive mechanical things.

Obviously, I'm not a total idiot (most of the time), yet when something happens to my car, the mechanically gifted (even people here on FB) tend to belittle me and those like me for it. Honestly, it's very off-putting.

To make matters worse, there aren't many places that can really work on a Model A, and do it right. Example- The supposed "expert" classic auto restoration and repair shop in the next county over failed to put the cotter pins in after doing an alignment on my Model A and nearly caused me to wreck and die. Out of fear for my family's lives, I had to figure out how to "fix" that and do an alignment on the car. Some guys here on FB were trying so hard to be helpful, and I tried following the advice closely, however I still don't think the car's alignment is really right. However, the electrical system is totally redone and in MUCH better than new condition.

Having a mid triple-digit IQ doesn't make up for a real lack of mechanical aptitude. You guys here are very mechanically inclined, and it comes naturally to you, and that's GREAT! When people like me come along, don't assume we're either lazy or stupid, we simply don't have your natural gift.

You can't imagine how difficult it is for me to remain calm when "normal people" cannot figure out something electronic. So, I can imagine how difficult it is for some of you guys to try and help people like me with mechanical stuff.
 
All the "experts" didn't start out that way. Someone helped them or they learned by trial and error. So and so has re-built 100 distributors so let him do it for you. Maybe so, but remember even he started with his first one.
 
I agree, but some people are not teachable due to lack of patience or just not able to grasp basic practices. I have ran onto afew of them, so I know they are out there. Rod
 
stewwolfe said:
Okay, I stand corrected, you can work on a modern car. That said, they are much more complicated then a Model A. Still I think that the Model A is a super training platform for someone who wants to learn how to fix and maintain it. Most repairs can be accomplished with basic hand tools and a manual.
Click to expand...

Agreed. ;) Also Model A's (to me anyway) are a joy to work on. Parts are easy to access and it just "makes sense" in how things work, when they are worn, and how they come apart and go back together. While modern vehicles can be worked on by many people provided the ambition (or necessity, financial or otherwise) it takes more head scratching and can be an agrivating process. You don't need a universal jointed socket and a handful of extensions to do anything on a model A. :D An extension comes in handy with the generator and starter bolts, and a good ratchet and some extensions might make work a little faster in other areas but certainly not a necessity. I love the fact that you can practically do anything with an SAE wrench and slotted screwdriver.
 
Hope the Dog:cool: and I NEVER make anyone feel STUPID for not having mechanical talents to repair/diagnose problems! Just tryin' to help when we can. I, personally, have learned FAR more from this site than I have contributed!:) It is sometimes difficult when we have only the typewritten media to use. If we could talk & use our "hand" language, it would be easier/quicker. Bill W. & Dog:cool:
 
Just thought of something: When we "of a certain age" were first [picking up a wrench, Model A's were just old cars, a dime a dozen and parts were everywhere. So what if we stripped some threads or burned out a rod or two? Or made some other bone-headed move? We probably fixed it for $5 or less and went on the next "lesson"! Really not much different than the guys described in the opening post.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top