speed parts on the banger

C

crotex

Junior Member
I was looking in the Snyder's catolog and saw all the different things that I could buy for my A engine. The list of things I would really like to add to my STOCK engine is the finned aluminum high compression head, wither the 2 or 3 finned aluminum downdraft carb intake with carbs., The finned aluminum timing cover, finned aluminum side plate, modern style distributor cab and wires, and dual exhaust or a header. If I did these things how much power could my enging be making then and what would a good cruising speed be then? also what else there to do?
What are the best upgrades and which have the most effect??
 
crotex said:
What are the best upgrades and which have the most effect??
Click to expand...

Drop in a small block V8, dropped axle, juice brakes, od ******.....

Seriously, the first thing you need to decide is what do you want from your Model A?

Do you want an 80 year old car that has all the charm and grace that the lady had back in its day, do you want a daily driver that will go and stop like a modern car, or maybe a racer for vintage style racing?

There is ALOT of room in there.

This site was designed by it's owner to lean way over to the restoration side and his site HAMB is designed for the modified side.

I say this because once you decide what you want to do with your car/engine you may get more answers from one site than the other.

So what do you want to do?
 
Ross/Kzoo said:
You're asking these questions about more power and speed. What upgrades are going to use to stop it?
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Ross, I am going to comment on something you said, --NOT in criticism, but more as an observation I recently made. Two weeks ago my wife & I were down in Florida on a Winter Tour with our 1916 Model T making a 40 mile drive back to the hotel after spending the day out in horse country. I was leading the group I was in (about 5 cars) and we were running along at about 40 mph on a lightly-trafficed 4-lane divided highway when I saw two brass-era Model T Touring cars come by us running about 50 mph. They gracefully pulled back into our lane as their passengers waved at us, and I watched them for a few moments as they slowly disappeared out of sight. I too thought to myself the same thing about them having 2-wheel brakes and how are they going to stop, but as they came to the next town, they did the same thing that I did and drove prudently to the car's capabilities while in heavier traffic. My point is, just because we have a stronger "horse" under the hood of our Model A doesn't necessarily mean we must use it in all driving situations. I am of the opinion that correctly rebuilt mechanical brakes, ...along with other correctly restored original components (steering, suspension, etc.) can capably control a Model A being driven at speeds of 60-65 mph under prudent operating conditions.

Crotex, to comment on your question(s), in all true honesty your Model A if rebuilt (restored) to factory standards should be able to run for extended periods at 60 mph. If it won't do that now, IMHO you need to make appropriate corrections so it will. And, adding 'bling' such as finned covers or modern distributor caps and wires will not allow it to run any faster. I must agree with Mike that if you are wanting to build a hot rod, these questions have been answered many times over on H.A.M.B. and by searching for Banger over there will allow you to read extensively about what you can do and which present the most value.

.


(BTW, when I spoke with one of the owners of the Model T that passed us, he commented that it had a Model A crank fitted inside the T block, a high compression head, larger carburetor and a 3:1 rear end gear ratio. He told me that it liked to cruise between 50-55 mph which when he was out on the open roads with light traffic, which he did with frequency. I might also add that upon opening the hood, the appearance of his engine would fool 95% of most folks into thinking it was a totally stock Model T engine!)

.
 
Mitch beat me to it, "don't you need it to run first"?

Of the things you listed, NONE will add to the durability of the engine, and only two will add a little horsepower. As Brent said, the rest is "bling".

How come no one offers a hood scoop for the Model A? :eek::D:D
 
The finned covers are needed for stability at speeds over 80 ---if only Bill Stipe made finned covers for his shocks---
 
Like many have already said your not going to get anything from the "bling" or finned accessories except for the finned high comp head. If you want power go out and order a 3/4 race cam, high comp head, weber down draft carb, header/dual exhaust, and centrifical advance electronic ignition, high speed rear end, AND get your brakes working perfectly before you do all this. All these mods will cost probably around 2500-3000 if you do the work yourself. Speed (or hp) isnt cheap when it comes to these old model a's. I too like seeing what little mods i can make to see what gives it more power, but i also respect the people who restore these cars to original/finepoint.
 
Check out my thread on the Winfield Head. Consider the Weber carb set up.... I also have a thread on performance carb options.

You will definitely want a leak-less water pump and modern 't-bolt' hose clamps.... chack my thread on those too ;)
 
I won a finned aluminum timing cover at a show. I haven't installed it yet. It looks nice, but I was wondering how long it would stay clean.
 
Just wanted to add my 2 cents for the original poster. I bought my model A already partially done in the prewar hot rod "banger" style, and I intend to finish it that way. It's a very cool trend, in my opinion. The cars are kept relatively stock and harkens back to a time when ingenuity, not money, was the major investment in hot rod cars.

That said, I found out in a hurry that this is primarily a traditional restoration site, but an invaluable resource since people like us are doing a lot of restoration work along with tinkering on the engine. When I want hop-up info, I visit the previously suggested HAMB forum. They have banger threads going all the time. You have several years of reading to catch up on. Great stuff!
 
Boy where to start,

If you put a 6:5 compression head on it you'll gain the most for your money. Add a castiron header and you get a little more, When you put the downdraft on it, you might as well put the more modern ignition on it. All these things make them run much better for a cruising car. However don't stop there as a V8 gearbox and 3:54 rear end will also add much to the enjoyment of your A. Now I know I have said this amongst many purists opinions, so some flak may come this way. Not that I don't appreciate a finely restored model A in its purest form. But I think your question is more geared to have a little fun with the Banger and enjoy your car more for your style. There's nothing wrong with any of it just make it for you. But they are right about driving it first, you need a place to start from and there's no better than stock.


Good luck,

Tim

PS-fins really are for Fish, go sleeper it's always more fun
 
rmak said:
Just wanted to add my 2 cents for the original poster. I bought my model A already partially done in the prewar hot rod "banger" style, and I intend to finish it that way. It's a very cool trend, in my opinion. The cars are kept relatively stock and harkens back to a time when ingenuity, not money, was the major investment in hot rod cars.

That said, I found out in a hurry that this is primarily a traditional restoration site, but an invaluable resource since people like us are doing a lot of restoration work along with tinkering on the engine. When I want hop-up info, I visit the previously suggested HAMB forum. They have banger threads going all the time. You have several years of reading to catch up on. Great stuff!
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Nice commentary. I do have a question for you. You mention that Pre War Banger-style hot rod is a cool trend, however are you of the opinion this style that we see built is actually being authentically replicated today? Was it actually "pre-war" or "post-war" too?

I have looked for pictures to document the exact look that many claim was, as you put it, the trend yet I am not seeing them "pre-war" (--either here or on HAMB). Do you have any that you can share that would substantiate this date or time?
 
crotex said:
I was looking in the Snyder's catolog and saw all the different things that I could buy for my A engine. The list of things I would really like to add to my STOCK engine is the finned aluminum high compression head, wither the 2 or 3 finned aluminum downdraft carb intake with carbs., The finned aluminum timing cover, finned aluminum side plate, modern style distributor cab and wires, and dual exhaust or a header. If I did these things how much power could my enging be making then and what would a good cruising speed be then? also what else there to do?
What are the best upgrades and which have the most effect??
Click to expand...

What you want to do is good, but you need bigger intake valves, a nice cam from Bill Stipe or Jim Brierley, Some port work. Then if you want to run it hard a lot, you should go with a counter weighted crank, light flyweel. How much power depends on a lot of things. As a guess I would say 60 or a little more, if you do the valves and cam. If you just want a nice running engine with more power, go with a Ford 6 carb from a Flathead along with a 6-1 head. For me I do not care for the weber carb, each to there own.
 
pre-war shots
 

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