Yard sale "A" project

Brad1929 said:
OK. Thanks, that helps clarify the situation. So, now I have to decide where to go from here. Thanks to everyone for all the info and comments so far. You guys know your stuff and most of you(;)ha!) seem very helpful. Model A's are awesome and the Ford Barn forum is too ! :)
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I was wrong!!! Don Turley is correct in post # 38. The rear fenders are indeed sedan fenders . After reading Dons post, I looked close at the third pic and saw the skirt . Sorry , I hope my post didn't cause any problem . Insert smiley face .
 
Purdy Swoft said:
I was wrong!!! Don Turley is correct in post # 38. The rear fenders are indeed sedan fenders . After reading Dons post, I looked close at the third pic and saw the skirt . Sorry , I hope my post didn't cause any problem . Insert smiley face .
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No problem. So, the rear fenders I have are most likely original to this car...or at least they fit a 4 door sedan...is that correct ? I think I test fitted one of them to the rear body panel by holding it in place and it seemed OK...but I could try that again to be sure. Are the 2 and 4 door sedan fenders all interchangeable ?
 
Look at all these negative comments.
I've fixed worse, and reputedly have no skill or brains.
If you think you can fix it, you might just be right.

Nay sayers gonna say nay.
 


Join Date: Apr 2011
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Re: Yard sale "A" project
Look at all these negative comments.
I've fixed worse, and reputedly have no skill or brains.
If you think you can fix it, you might just be right.

Nay sayers gonna say nay.
__________________

everything is "restorable" in life, even a marriage.

But some things just arent worth it.
pennywise and pound foollish come to mind?
 
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dumb person said:
Look at all these negative comments.
I've fixed worse, and reputedly have no skill or brains.
If you think you can fix it, you might just be right.

Nay sayers gonna say nay.
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I like your positive attitude.

I guess we all are at different skill levels when it comes to restoring a car. Some of us may have more tools,more free time,more money, a better shop and more experience. Some of us may enjoy the building process and others may prefer to spend more time driving and enjoying a car. It would be a boring world if we were all the same.
A lot more could be said about the "ethics" of the "hobby', but one thing I've noticed over time is that Model A guys tend to be good guys.:)
 
Brad, I started with one not much better. I had to replace 90% of the wood, and yes. I will be "Upside down" in it when it's done. You can see most of the work I did in my album "My A" I tried to put the pictures in such way that it would be helpful to someone else doing one of these.
The Wood! The wood is probably the most daunting of the steps, stages, and or assemblies that are involved, But it's not insurmountable! I did buy my top wood and the sills. Pretty much the rest of it, I made. If you should try this (And I would suggest that you do, if possible) You must duplicate the sizes and curves exactly! And there is hardly a square angle on any of it.
The seats! The seats are basically a simple wooden frame with a spring on it. The seat spring (F) is relatively easy to make from a mattress spring with some modification and welding. That brings me to another necessity, You're going to need a small MIG (wire feed) or TIG welding machine. The thing you'll need the most is the ability to hang in there. Some of it will go quickly and you'll be happy, some of it won't. You will have learned a lot by the time you're done!
Terry
 
Brad, There's an old saying in the tool & die business. Given enough time and enough money, anything is possible. Good luck, what ever your decision. FYI Brent in 10-Uh-C posted pictures elsewhere of a novice's attempt to assemble a wood "kit" for a Fordor.
 
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Terry said:
Brad, I started with one not much better. I had to replace 90% of the wood, and yes. I will be "Upside down" in it when it's done. You can see most of the work I did in my album "My A" I tried to put the pictures in such way that it would be helpful to someone else doing one of these.
The Wood! The wood is probably the most daunting of the steps, stages, and or assemblies that are involved, But it's not insurmountable! I did buy my top wood and the sills. Pretty much the rest of it, I made. If you should try this (And I would suggest that you do, if possible) You must duplicate the sizes and curves exactly! And there is hardly a square angle on any of it.
The seats! The seats are basically a simple wooden frame with a spring on it. The seat spring (F) is relatively easy to make from a mattress spring with some modification and welding. That brings me to another necessity, You're going to need a small MIG (wire feed) or TIG welding machine. The thing you'll need the most is the ability to hang in there. Some of it will go quickly and you'll be happy, some of it won't. You will have learned a lot by the time you're done!
Terry
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Terry, I've had some of your pics on my computer for quite a while now. I like the one with you sitting in the car when it was red primer, blue paint and a little rust. I look forward to seeing pics of it when it's done.
Yes, the wood is a daunting task because of the the lack of pieces in my car and apparently no plans readily available.
As for the MIG welder...I have 5 of them... and two TIG welders, plasma cutter etc. Metal is easy...curved wood is harder. I do home remodeling, so most wood I work with is straight dimensional lumber.
Hanging in there...that can be a problem because I'm not retired yet. Thanks for the advice and inspiration.:)
 
Thanks! I'm flattered! Really, it is flattering when some one says you're an inspiration! Ohhh Kay, 5 MIGs huh? You're halfway there, MIG ? TIG , it's your preference. The curved and angled cuts/surfaces are not hard when you know that they were intentional. I have my 'Road side saw" which I have done some pretty damn good work on. When I found along the side of the road it did not have a Rip fence so I had to improvise. Getting it parallel to the blade is the most difficult thing do and must set it up with a a vernier and a chunk of lead known by it's technical term as a "wonker". Now and then I've had to shim parts as I shaped them in the saw. I have some of the wooden parts which I would be happy to give to someone for patterns. I saved what I could. It's better when you take your own trees (Ash) because you can get the grain patterns out of areas where branches come off the trunk and the grain follows the curve around the bend. I'm thinking of the two curved "struts" (?) that are part of the body wood that form the rounded corners at the rear. You can't get them out of cut planks! There's more I want to say but I'd be here the rest of the day. I just wanted to give you some thing to think about!
Good Luck and if I can help you, let me know!
Terry
 
That's my Town Sedan, 1930, Briggs. I was originally Kewaunee and Elkpoint green. Some one spray canned it blue. When I got it ($1500) it was rusty on those areas so I "stabilized" it by retarding the rust development with Rustoleum. Since then, I've taken it to bare metal, Pickling it with Phosphoric acid, priming it with PPG primer, and finishing it with PPG. Enjoy the pics! It's been painted last year, The hood is done just not installed yet. I've had the car moving under it's own power so it's getting there!
Terry





Brad1929 said:
Terry, I've had some of your pics on my computer for quite a while now. I like the one with you sitting in the car when it was red primer, blue paint and a little rust. I look forward to seeing pics of it when it's done..:)
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dumb person said:
Look at all these negative comments.
I've fixed worse, and reputedly have no skill or brains.
If you think you can fix it, you might just be right.

Nay sayers gonna say nay.
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I really don't think that anybody meant any harm. Its really Brads choice . The straight windshield fordor and town sedans are among the most difficult and expensive models to restore . On the other hand most of my model A's were built from junk pile cars that most others wouldn't want . I got them cheap and could take my time while spending a little along as I progressed .
 
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Purdy, my T.S. was a "Junkpile" car and if truth be told, I really didn't know what I was getting into. I was that it was my 2nd or 3rd restoration and I had more experience under my belt when I started. I was even advised to make a "Rat Rod" out of it, some thing I'd hate to do. Looking at the pictures, you can't really see how bad it was. When I got the cowl sandblasted, the paint was filling in the rust holes, but they look solid in the pictures. I felt that I had to replace all four fenders, the rear valance/apron, The windshield frame and the "sun screen". The F, RH door bottom, three patches on the cowl, the gutters, all the glass and most of the wood, and assorted little welding jobs here and there. As I said, I wish this were my third or fourth restoration instead of my first.
Terry
 
It sounds like you got a lot of good hands on experience with that one . Apparently you had a lot more talent than most for a first restoration . The wood work alone is enough to scare off most. I had an August 1930 Briggs town sedan back in 1963 . The fact that I ruined it still haunts me till this day . I was just a kid at the time .
 
When I was 15 Y.O., I was facing a year flat on my back due to my severe scoliosis. To lessen the impact, my folks let me buy a 1917 30/06 Enfield rifle. I disparately wanted a big bore rifle and this was cheap way to get one, I got it and proceeded to phuk it up by filing off the ears on the receiver. But I fitted a stock off the end of the bed they set up for me, and it looked pretty good and it was a good shooter. But today? I rather have it in stock condition. I kick myself for ever changing it. It seemed like a good idea at the time!
As for my first restoration, I had done a couple tractors but there's a big difference between restoring a tractor and a car. And I had done a little body (bondo) work, but not much.
Terry


Purdy Swoft said:
It sounds like you got a lot of good hands on experience with that one . Apparently you had a lot more talent than most for a first restoration . The wood work alone is enough to scare off most. I had an August 1930 Briggs town sedan back in 1963 . The fact that I ruined it still haunts me till this day . I was just a kid at the time .
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I grew up on a farm with several brothers and sisters. One day I came home and my older brother and a friend of his had two tractors chained to a 40's Ford convertible. One around each side at the door area. They proceeded to make instant junk out of a car they later came to regret. We had a late 50's Plymouth two door station wagon in the grove. A neighbor and I decided to get it running. While pulling it to get it started we discovered a Skunk in the headliner. We drove about three miles to a gravel pit and stood on the roof with an ax and proceeded to chop a hole in the roof. The Skunk escaped as we were chasing it around the gravel pit. Oh to be young again.
 
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