What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Can someone suggest which two books are a must for a Model A newbie? I’m interested to learn the differences and changes from one year to another with photos. Also photos of each body style.

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Model A Ford Mechanic's Handbook - Volume 1 - A Complete Guide For Service & Maintenance

and this:

Model A Ford Mechanic's Handbook - Volume 2 - A Complete Guide For Installation & Assembly


Both of Les Andrews. Available at Macs or any other Parts Supplier.


I like this very much:


How To Restore Your Model A - Volumes 1-8



There are tips and tricks from really Model A enthusiasts. I love this sequel.
Greetings Barney

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

To the Les Andrews books, I would add the Judging Standards and the Service Bulletins. You can't have too many books!

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

I too would probably include the Model A Restoration Guidelines & Judging Standards to that list. The Service Bulletins are another valuable resource.


On a sidenote, I received an e-mail from Les Pearson saying he has a new book out called The Complete Model-A Ford Restoration Manual and wanted to know if I wanted to advertise in it. Here is a link to the book: http://youtu.be/BYagIIGuYl8

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

"The Ford Model A as Henry Built it" by DeAngelis, Francis and Henry, is a good book for facts, figures, photos and changes through production. Well researched. Very informative about how the A was built and changed over time.

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Les Andrews Vol 1 and Service Bulletins 28 - 31.

Dick

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

i have recomendations on my site

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Since you are in Australia, you may want to look at Les Pearsons booklet too - http://www.modelabook.sumpy.com/

I assume you had RHD Canadian assembled cars, as we did here in NZ.

Otherwise, the book above "original Ford Model A" is LOADED with pictures and vast details of changes. Those are the only two I have so far, but need to get some technical books,

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

HENRY'S LADY...shows images of all body styles and changes thru 1928-1931 production years.

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

There are no 2 books, there is a pile of books that you need and you also need to understand they all have errors. Check before proceeding on any repair work.

The Legendary Model A book is great for getting a perspective on how the cars were driven when new. The service letters are interesting as they point out the dealers were to show the customer that the cars run 60 MPH comfortably even the crappy roads of the day (and yes people ran the fast).

The book Fordlandia is interesting as there is a section where they talk about Fords manufacturing efforts and how there were delays in Model A start up as they needed to build machines capable of doing super high precision work.

There is also a book called 'Know Your Model A Ford' (it is incorporated in another book that I can not recall the title) that was a fact book for the salesmen. It has a discussion of the precision used in the manufacture of the A. A little biased, but full of facts none the less.

The KRW catalog reprints are interesting as they contain tid bits on how some of the tools were to be used. Often the instructions for the tools of this era were partially put in the sales.

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Kevin is absolutely correct regarding errors in the books, especially the "how-to" ones.

My copy of "Know Your Model A Ford" is not within another book but rather is a small hard-bound volume. It's by Murray Fahnestock and was reprinted in 1958 by Post Motor Books. I found mine on eBay. Great book.

Joe

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

For me its Les Andrews Vol 1 and the Judging standards. Volume 1 is a good start but as you get more experience you may well do things different (perhaps easier) to the way Les does (eg Ignition Timing).

I've never brought the second volume as I believe it covers a lot of non original modifications and I like to keep pretty close to original. However for those who wish to modify their cars it looks like it would be a good book. I have also found Les's book on trouble shooting the model A quite helpful and have consulted it more times than I would like.

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Don't forget the original Model-A Ford owner's manual. The one that came with the car when it was new.

Bob-A

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Kevin,

It's worth noting you're referring to the Fordlandia book by Keith Grandin not the Fordlandia book by Eduardo Sigligua. The latter is a short novel based on operations at the Fordlandia compound. An interesting read but very loosely based on history.

I would go with having a set of Service Bulletins and "Model A as Henry built it". I won't go into the Les Andrews books as I've said enough about that already. Suffice it to say I don't have any Andrews books in my 2000+ volume Ford library.

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Luke thanks for listing the correct book. I was unaware of the second book. I was surprised and impressed with the details on the Model A changeover that were described in the book.

From the service manual stand point the Les Andrews books are nice for the basic line drawings and some of the walk through of tear down and assembly. I have run across some poor or just wrong info. Sadly this wrong info has propagated to other places. The other shop manual has some Ford prints which can be helpful. I think the critical issue lacking in the 'shop manual' is poor or none existent descriptions of how to check for wear.

Which brings me to a Fork in this Thread......

If you plan on working on the A then you need to have some quality precision measuring devices and understand how to use them. You have to be able to reliably measure to .001" or better for both inside and outside measurements. Some of the techniques people use to decide if a part is too 'loose' can have you throw away a NOS part that is properly machined. The Les Andrews method to check if gears are tight enough on the spline shaft would have me not use parts that barely had .001 of wear when measured.

Oh, and YES there are NOS Ford parts out there that are not right. These typically are post A production replacement parts. I have this habit of checking all the parts anymore, even the NOS.

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

All the books referenced above (errors and all) are a great place to start but for fine points and esoteria(?) I would recommend a web site called "Ford Barn". I browse it daily and never cease to be amazed.

Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?
 

I couldn't stop at two, but certainly agree with Marco about those being the best two and the first two I'd buy.