Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

I've always enjoyed driving older cars in snow or storms...It makes it a little more adventurous.

Took the '29 out after the last accumulation of snow and had a blast. We're in a semi-rural area and its a perfect car to run over to the shop to get some things done after work. Little salt on the roads but it will wash off.

Aside from some drafts around the pedals its not too cold either.

I'd drive it in the rain too but the wipers aren't working yet :)

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Yes.............I've driven over Stevens Pass coming back from an event in Leavenworth. A's do great in the snow. Doing donuts in the skiing parking lot at the top was the most fun.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

The roadster doesn't like the cold.....

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

In my experience the wipers don't work even if they do work. Rain X is your friend

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Dad drove his grandfather's '50 Chevy well into the 1980's before "upgraded" to a '54. One of my earliest memories was piling into the car and wrapping up in quilts to drive over to visit family. That year the ice was so bad the car was frozen to the curb.

My wife has a minivan with heated seats and DVD players that sits in a warm garage. We try to show the kids that all these comforts are just "extras" and not essentials...

Speaking of extras, does anyone still run a manifold heater (with or without a fan?) or a hot water heater?

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Doing donuts in the skiing parking lot at the top was the most fun.



living precariously Foxfire!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

We drive our Model A Fords in all weather, and year round. Rain storms, snow, and flooded streets, it has seen it all. It is a must that the wife has her hot air manifold heater working. We have had our '29 Tudor for 50 years now and we only have two payments left to make. :)

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

I'm trying to get my clutch and trans in here before Christmas so I can drive around in the snow with my wreath hanging off the front!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Our early '29 Tudor was confy in the winter, but or Roadster is brutal forget it!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Picture speaks for itself

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Is it the roadster, or the roadster driver??

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

When I had my roadster back in the 60's I drove it in the snow as it was the only thing that would go without chains! Long before everything was front wheel drive and good gripper tires.
It would go right along even in deep snow! But you are correct, very drafty and I had no heater in it; feet froze even over the muffler!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

We don't get snow but the drafts you guys are talking about are VERY uncomfortable during the warmer months. Heat directly off the exhaust comes in around the pedals and straight up the driver's leg. Lousy design! As for driving in the rain, a couple of years ago while travelling in company with 4 other Model As, we drove about 300 miles in teeming rain and more miles as it eased. No wipers - just Rain-X.
Every time there is heavy rain, the news outlets show idiots driving into water and getting stranded. The 'ol Model A would sail right through without a second's hesitation. How deep would the water have to be to stop a Model A? I think it would have to be a couple of feet.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Up to just below the carb I would guess. And keep the fan out of the water! A ignitions are not water resistant!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Newly built AV8 build hit the road here in Wisconsin in the snow and freezing temps! Neighbors thought me to be crazy! My buddy Al just crouched down behind the windshield to get out of the wind! Car is fender less so it means lots to clean up but good fun.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

That's what I thought too. In water up to the bottom of the carb, the ignition is still well and truely dry. I suspect that with the sheetmetal trays fitted and the car moving, it would keep going in water even deeper.
We can't use the type of air cleaner you guy do so I bring a tube from the carb, between the choke/GAV rod and the steerring column, then up to an air filter mounted on the radiator stays. Now how deep can I go???? Top of the oil filler? Maybe an extension on that too?;)

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

I would go for a spin in the snow - if I didn't live in NYC.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

After living in the north and driving in the salt there is no way I would drive one of my old cars in the salt. It will get in seams and place that you will not be able to wash it out. But it will come out when it rust its way out. Back in the 50ts the cars would rust out in 4to 6 years. I think the new ones do much better.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

When I had my first Model, in 1964, used to drive it up to
the local mountains here in S. California, after a recent snowfall.
I was able to find a set of light duty truck chains that fit it well,
and it would go right through quite a bit of snow. Those tall skinnny
tires work really well.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

"4 to 6 years"? You must have lived in a dry climate! In southern Minnesota some cars, especially mid to late '50's Chrysler products, would have holes rusted through on the rocker panels and headlight eyebrows after one year! Oftentimes left side rocker panels were worse than the right side due to salt spray blasting the left side from oncoming traffic (mostly 2 lane roads).

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

What drive in the snow??? Surely not...

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

I drove my 1929 Coupe in Haines, Alaska, for several years. No problem in the snow! Cracking the windshield open an inch or two kept frost off the inside of the windshield. Of course, good winter clothing was a must!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

George, I am totally in agreement with you.

I just finished a restoration on a '31 S/W Town Sedan that was driven once on salted Minnesota roads and then parked for 8 years without washing it. The entire bottom of the car was deeply rust pitted...nothing through but what a mess.
I rebuilt all the running gear and engine late last fall and drove it until the first snow. I then took it all apart and sandblasted everything and then painted it. That one drive on salted roads cost me the better part of $5K and what's worse than the money is the loss of body and chassis life of the car.

No way will I drive any of my cars when the salt is active on the roads. No way! Please don't do it.

Okay...I am now finished with my rant!

Stormy weather...Rain...Lot's of times!
Good Day!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Back in the 60s I drove my 30 coupe year round, except when the roads were icy. That was when I was young and lived in Huntington New York. Without a heater it was cold at times, even with a blanket and my young wife sitting next to me. I now live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA in a rural area. My 4 A's, '29 Coupe, '29 CCPU, 31 AA and '31 Tudor are fair weather vehicles. During the winter the roads are well salted and I don't want that splashing up and causing rust. If it is clear and dry with rain having washed off the salt and the roads dry I'll drive them even in cold weather But oh the memories of the '60 in the snow are wonderful!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

The last time we had snow in my area was about 1987 and it only stuck on the ground for a couple of hours. So I don't drive my Model A in the snow. We only get rain occasionally (although it rained yesterday and today :)). So, again, I don't drive the Model A in the rain. Luckily we have lots of sunny days all year round so I can drive almost any time I want.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

After doing all this work, NO WAY

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

I have a manifold waffle heater. works great.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

I put 50 miles on the Tudor today. Picked up the grandkids from school. It was 20F out and not to chilly in the car. Last Christmas we took the other Tudor out with Christmas lights on it. It has a manifold heater, but the 20 below temps that night made the heater not very helpful. Windows stayed clear until we ran by Starbucks for hot chocolate. Windshield fogged up quickly and I had to keep the drivers side window partly open to see out the windshield. It was such a fun time we will be doing it again this year with the new Tudor.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Rain bothers me. I don't like the idea of it getting into the door seams or the cowl. Anyone ever see a cowl rust? Lol. Salt is the real deal killer. My 2000 Ford Explorer that I bought new is all rusted from close to 20 winters. I'm sure my A would fare no better.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

How often do you wash your car? Every time you do, it gets wet, just like in the rain.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

I find that the Model "A" drives well in fresh snow, but not good once the snow is trampled and slick.

I drove through a deep puddle in Virginia Beach once, and water was streaming out of the hood louvers. The running boards were under water. The Coupe kept on running!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Drive in snow? I live for the snow!!

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Only wash it a couple of times per year and I don't stream the hose on it. Light mist and I stay away from the windows.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

No A, but I have driven my T huckster in some very heavy rain (and I do mean heavy) and also snow.

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Looks like great fun! Do you have front skis for the really deep stuff?

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

I do have skis for it but they don't do much good unless the snow is very hard or packed. I usually take the skis to the shows and just tuck them under the front end. Thanks for note.


MNFATS

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

A couple questions: Do you know the history of this car? Did it start out as a mailman's car? Will it run on top of snowbanks after a typical Minnesota blizzard, or do you need solid footing?

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

Model T, not A but the principle is the same:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9CgOhj0HP0

Re: Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?
 

That's why I only wipe down my car, never wash it, and try to never get caught in the rain.


Salt on the roads is an absolute that the car gets parked until at least two heavy rains have washed ALL the salt off the roads. This really limits driving in MN, but it sure helps to save the cars.

Do you drive your A in the snow or stormy weather?