Just an observation.. no judgement or criticism intended. Reading through the postings here, and most are very informative.... for that I'm grateful to the responders. My observation of the topics is that the great preponderance have to do with problems associated with design alterations and/or non-standard parts. Makes one wonder what this forum would look like if all the issues were related to strictly stock Model A's … maybe Henry did have it right.
Joe B
Joe, while you have definitely struck a nerve with some here, your thread is definitely thought provocative. Sometimes this can be a good thing. To address your comment, I would like to add something that is likely more controversial to some, ...and while I am not trying to stir the proverbial pot, my observations come from participation in this hobby for over 50 years as a hobbyist, -and as a professional in this hobby for over 20 years.
Most Model-As that I find with issues stem from a component being worn past factory specifications. We could pick one of a multitude of components, but I will choose a few to make my point;
1) A Model-A generator restored to factory specification will more than capably provide many years of service to a hobbyist. The Model-A generator is not that difficult to restore to factory specifications however most hobbyists chose to cut corners on rewinding the armature, or installing cheap brushes, or a cheap off-shore manufactured Cut-out when they restored it however they made sure they sprayed the case with shiny Black paint to fool the onlookers into thinking it was completely 'restored'. Every failure has always blamed on the generator being outdated technology and poor quality of parts, so hobbyists began their search for a modern retrofit. They chose a Delco alternator that was poorly retrofitted with a self-exciting regulator that had a constant parasitic current draw, and has become increasingly more difficult to find quality replacement parts for. So is the root problem of this from the deviation of originality, -or the laziness of the Restorer when they cut corners?
2) Brakes are another topic that many modifications have been made that equated to inferior performance. Hydraulic Conversions or "Floater Technology" are buzzwords that for years, hobbyists have exaggerated the truth on to convince their peers that to have safe Model-A brakes, the system must be modified. So is the root problem of these modifications from a poorly engineered system, -or the laziness of the Restorer when they cut corners during the restoration of the brake system components and/or lack of maintenance as Ford prescribed?
3) Speed -a safe cruising speed or lack thereof. One of the stupidest phrases ever to be used in the Model-A hobby goes some thing like "
I wanted to tour with my Model-A so I had to make all of these modifications." as if to imply that Ford originally did not build a Model-A to be driven long distances safely or reliably. We have all heard "I had my engine modified because I wanted to be able to drive 55mph to keep up with traffic!". Or how about, I don't want a 100 point show car as I want to be able to drive and enjoy my Model-A.
I could go on with these analogies but the brutal facts are, it is not the modifications to the Model-A that needs to be done to have a safe & reliable vehicle, ...it is the modification of the Hobbyist's brain and their skewed opinions that needs to be changed first.
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