Looking for commiseration
 

With this post I guess I am looking for a little commiseration.

Little Willie, our 1929 Special Coupe joined us here in New York from Spokane in April this year. It was exciting to consider the possibilities of having fun with him. The car has been in our family since 1957 and I inherited it from my Dad.

The car is in good condition body-wise and appeared to be in decent enough condition mechanically. However, as we started to enjoy Little Willie, all kinds of mechanical issues started to pop up. For the most part we have a handle on the problems, but they sure are annoying. And I imagine that this is what would be expected from a 92-year old car. And I know that there are cars in much worse shape.

Here is a list of known problems discovered so far:

1. dirty carburetor and dirty gas tank - cleaned carbs and added fuel line filter

2. leaking manifold (exhaust manifold drooping at cylinder 4) - Replaced manifolds and gasket

3. old coolant - had to flush out system and replaced tubes

4. failing generator - had generator rebuilt and it was put on the shelf. Then replaced with alternator and bought a high capacity redtop Optima battery

5. pop-out ignition switch issues - had it rebuilt. It had a problem popping out and had an intermittent short in the cable.

6. weak horn - cleaned horn electrical parts and added a relay

7. worn out timing gear - replaced

8. changed to modern zerks

9. leaking rear main - need to fix

10. possible blown head gasket - need to fix

11. loose steering - need to to fix

I am also positive that there will be a lot more issues that we will have to deal with.

My question is, even if these issues are dealt with and new ones pop up, will we ever be able to fully enjoy it. Or will be it be the case of enjoying the car between fixing the problems.

Let me assure you that the car is well-loved and is an important part of our family legacy. I remember it being used as a family car when I was young. I drove it in high school, dated my wife in it, and even got a speeding ticket in it almost 50 years ago. So it is part of our family.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

I hate to say it but we’ve all been there.

Don’t feel overwhelmed. Unless your planning on sending you car out for a complete restoration, just make a list of the most concerning things that need to be corrected.

Brakes, front end, cooling, tires, wiring, fuel system, engine. One thing at a time. Do each job the right way so they will not need to be done again. As you check off your “to do list”things will get better. Over a period of time, maybe years, your cars condition will keep improving. There never done.

Remember. It’s 92 years old. It most likely will never be perfect.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

what WHN says......... make a list yearly, do a few things at a time and get ahead of the curve.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

See, it could be worse - imagine if you’d had to buy it.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

Welcome to the club of A'ers and fiddle d dees.

It all goes with the territory.

Nothing that can't be fixed.

I'm on my 5th go around with my rear main leak..........:(
Funny thing is, it doesn't frustrate me.........it should but it doesn't!
The engine thinks it's suppose to come out every 10 miles or so!

Every time I go under the car I find something I can fix to make it better.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

Not bad, really. As others have said, one thing at a time. Join a club and get new friends to help and provide advice.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

The problem of course is that you called the car "HIM" !!! She is a GIRL and like all girls responds to love and affection which I can see you have bestowed upon her anyway . Make amends and go out to the garage and give HER a big kiss and things will brighten up ,trust me !!! When you fix things they generally stay fixed and they are really very reliable just use good parts and stay away from offshore ampmeters !!!

John in warm partly sunny Suffolk County England .

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

The good news is Model A’s can be returned to proper running condition over time, and then they are quite enjoyable and reliable, needing just routine maintenance, with occasional larger issues. Stick with it to get to that place!

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

I kept log on mine....200 hours $8,000 in parts (including all new chrome) and now it has not given me one minute of trouble in 4,000 miles including a round trip from Central NJ to Gettysburg. You should plan on ALL new brakes too, all new. In other words don't lose faith.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

My car was in excellent shape when I bought it but still needed a lot of misc. work. I just finished rebuilding the steering box and while I was at it added grease fitting to the pedals. The list goes on. However, and here is the key, working on the car is enjoyable to me.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

Let me assure you that a lot of thought went into naming the car. It was the first Model A I remember my dad owning. I think he may have had one earlier but it was before I was born. Anyway my dad was a big man and he went by Willie, so we named it after him. Also I understand that Henry Ford called the Special Coupe handsome. There is a Special Coupe that Henry drove to work and it would not be hard to imagine that body style 49a could have been Henry's favorite. So we decided to make an exception to the rule of calling automobile's HER or SHE.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

Willie could be short for Willamena.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

Call it a labor of love, keeps you on your toes. A darn site better than watching TV.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

Being "politically correct" I think they and them are the correct terms.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

If you had used the word sympathy in the title instead of commiseration you’d have picked up many more readers. Many members were raised in an era that big words were not used!

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

She is a handsome woman.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

OR like I who had to look up the definition of "commiseration"!

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

Don't be discouraged, I bought minefour years ago and for the first 6 months sat there and wrung my hands "what am I going to do"
Don't make the car your frustration, make it a challenge in your Dads name to get it running to your standards and enjoy.
I now have 20,000 miles on it, and after not restoring it it but maintaining and fixing what has to be done, it has turned out to be a very reliable car. Don't over think it, join a Model A Club and seek out knowledgeable people from the club to help you with the items needing attention. When the guys come over to help, don't be cheap. offer them lunch a gift certificate from the tool store or Star Bucks'.

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

Yeah, I hear you
Working on old cars can kind of be like drinking from a spittoon sometimes...
I had three engines in my Cabriolet in one week and then the LF brake fell apart on the test drive...but I didn't die and the last engine runs real respectable
In my mind 'full enjoyment' includes the knowledge and personal pride you obtain fixing all those (what you now view as) pain in the ass problems.
Rest assured that it is and will remain a process of continued discovery and maintenance.
It also depends on your personal expectations.
I find enjoyment working on the old iron and the connection it gives me to the past. In your case, it is a special connection. If I were you I'd set a stool the garage for the old man to hang out with you when you work on it!
My old man gave me a slide rule....
Good luck on your journey

Re: Looking for commiseration
 

I’m with you. It’s your car, call it whatever makes sense to you.

Naming a car a female name is just an unwritten rule, like in Baseball that is made to be broken.

In my case, they are just a piece of metal, so I’ve never named a car and probably never will. I just drive and enjoy them. I do develop an attachment and hate to sell them or trade them in. It’s my wife who reminds me It time to move on.

David Serrano