Success with improvements for touring OK, first off I am in this for all the touring I can get.
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Re: Success with improvements for touring I am glad you are happy with your Model-A experiences. Your comments do pose an interesting thought to me though, ....how is it that Model-A's were capable for touring successfully all these years, and all these miles without a set of tube shocks, an electronic ignition system, and a Mitchell overdrive?
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Your perception! ;) ....but not mine. Tube shocks are a cheaper fix than a properly working original shock, but definitely not better. You can't tune the ride quality on a tube shock. You can on an original shock. Granted the electronic ignition is an improvement over a worn-out original ignition system but with good quality dist. cams back into production, a completely rebuilt distributor (which costs less money) will perform equal to an electronic system, ...until the module on the electronic system fails. When they do, your options are much more limited which generally places some stress on the driver at that point!! :D Since you mentioned you rebuilt your rear end, you could have saved ½ the money by installing a 3.27 gear ratio over the Mitchell overdrive and achieved the same results with performance. With the weight of the Mitchell repositioned due to the 180's footwell, the ride quality would have improved by using the 3.27 too. So you spent more money than you needed to, cluttered up the interior with another shift lever, and decreased the quality of the ride characteristics. I fail to see how that has made the driver's life easier. :D . |
Re: Success with improvements for touring GEEZ! I feel REALLY COLD water frum somewhere????? Maybe my A.C. drain line plugged up again???
Bill W. |
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Why would someone consider them, being easier on the car and easier on the driver? As Brent states, all those mods are not necessary for a good reliable car that can hit 70. They will do the job but all those things are not necessary. |
Re: Success with improvements for touring I like hearing both sides. You're both right.
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Re: Success with improvements for touring tbirdtbird ;
You left out your A/C by Ken Davis . Hard to argue against an A/C especially when living in Texas and it is the Bosses prerequest to going on tours . If mama`s not happy nobodys happy. Glad you are happy with your set up. Diversity in Model A ( from no mods to a lot of mods ) is what makes this hobby interesting . Keep touring and posting . |
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:D Well we could debate this out for months and probably never have a consensus. My only aim is to make sure the "innocent bystanders" do not misunderstand the information we give and mistake it as being 'gospel'. Folks feeling the need to convert to hydraulic brakes over mechanicals is a great example of how misinformation becomes alleged facts. I do want to make a few comments regarding your last comments; Living in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, I know what a 3.27 gear is capable of from repeated first-hand experience. I recently had a couple cars from my shop on the Blue Ridge Parkway tour with 3.27 ratios and their owners reported they pulled the hills remarkably. Therefore we need to be cautious not to lead folks into thinking the 3.27 ratio cannot satisfactorily perform in the mountains. As for the Model-T flywheel, they actually share the same bolt pattern on the flange so it really should have been an easy installation. :p Your comments regarding why own a Model-A are thought provoking. Thank you for that. In my view, there are all kinds of reasons to own a Model-A but since you mentioned you belonging to two clubs (that experienced fatalities), one could assume you are speaking of MARC or MAFCA sanctioned clubs. If this is indeed true, do not these modifications you speak of go directly against the core value of the club's mission statement? My personal position is if someone finds themselves pushing a vehicle past it's designed mechanical limits while in an unsafe or compromising condition, then the entire scenario really needs to be reconsidered. Just this past week, there was a Model T tour out in Utah where there was a fatality of a tour participant. Several on that tour stated they were driving on roads that placed them and their vehicles in jeopardizing situations. Many T owners were apparently trying to drive as fast as they could to avoid being hit by modern cars, ...and many found themselves driving precarious speeds on shoulders of the road in an effort to be safer. One vehicle on the tour drifted off the edge of the road into sand and the driver overcorrected. The result was the spoke wheel collapsed and the vehicle rolled ejecting the passengers. One passenger succumbed to her injuries. The bottom line is I agree with you how there are all kinds of modern modifications that can be done to a Model-A (effectively turning it into a street rod) that will likely make it somewhat safer at interstate-type speeds. The issue is these speed you mention are much greater than what the Model-A was originally designed for and/or expected to be driven in its' day. Making your car drive faster does not necessarily make it safer in my view. So my question is what is wrong with using a trailer to safely transport your Model-A to a geographical area where it can be operated in a safe manner as it was originally intended? . |
Re: Success with improvements for touring On a more serious note, with nothing but sincere respect for the gentlemen replying to "Touring Improvements", this particular discussion could be published in a book for both experienced Model A owners & for newbies who just bought A Model A, to illustrate the differences in restoration opinions that we "all" share.
The comical replies should be left in to add interest. With a few suggestions from "all" Ford - Barners brave enough to offer an opinion, we could throw in a few more likes, dislikes, pet peeves, etc. Some other topics could be: white-wall tires, detergent oil, cut-off switches on positive & negative battery leads, & what ever. This publication could be eloquently presented with humor, & could be both educational & professionally amusing for all Model A owners. |
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You CAN do whatever you want to your car. Our point is that you don't HAVE to to get a; smooth running, great mileage, comfortable, great stopping, etc. Model A. |
Re: Success with improvements for touring Blackwalls, whitewalls, skinny girlfriends, fat girlfriends, it's all a matter of preference. Enjoy whatever you have.
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:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D |
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So, if one has ANYTHING non-original that violates the MARC or MAFCA mission statement, should we not be allowed as a member???
My '30 Coupe, Minerva, was highly modified & very dependable & was a pleasure to drive. My '29 Coupe, Vermin is almost completely "bone stock" & will be a new driving experience & will be very dependable also. I can imagine Henry Ford saying, "Well, folks, I've built you a TUFF, DEPENDABLE, car, so go & accessorize it to suit yourselves, we even offer GENUINE FORD ACCESSORIES to help you, jist DON'T buy them "GYP" parts out there"! As for "US" reaching a "CONCENSUS" on this subject, it has my Dog:cool: laughin' uncontrollabley:D & rollin' in the floor!! Bill W. |
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Re: Success with improvements for touring I don't have any of it (except an oil filter and alternator) and I'm happy as a clam.:D
Old school is still cool......... Talkin' about my '31 slant window, not my avatar |
Re: Success with improvements for touring I think some folks are confusing adding all these bolt ons with chop and channel ,etc,etc therefore assuming preservation of the Model A is not taking place . I have a 31 s/w with many many goodies ( set up for touring) which can be removed and the car is as stock as the day it rolled off the assembly line. As tbirdtbird stated if you are into touring you might be interested in my post if not, do not waste your time reading it.
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Re: Success with improvements for touring So where do we find these 3.27 original ring & pinnion sets from ? I have had 56 Model A,s & non had 3.27 rears . Are these a MODERN UP GRADE like the tele shocks etc or did some A,s come out factory with them ?? IF not then this must be a modification too.
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Re: Success with improvements for touring I will say I want my next car to be either a 30 tudor or 30 cabriolet. I want to keep my next one closer to stock, so that I can have the best of both worlds.
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This thread has been "twisted" WAY off-topic but going to back to the first comment, I believe the point was we should consider putting on tube shocks, an electronic ignition, and an overdrive because it is easier on the car & driver if we plan to tour with our Model-As. To play Devil's Advocate with your question, can you walk up to any Model-A and at a glance tell what rear end gear ratio it has installed? |
Re: Success with improvements for touring If I lived in a hot southern state I'd like A/C in my Model A. I don't care about driving faster than 45, but even at 45 I think the engine should be running slower, so I'd like a 3.27 ring and pinion or an overdrive. The overdrive gives more ratios, but in the interest of keeping the car more stock looking, and to save money, I'd probably go with the 3.27 ring and pinion. BTW, Bert's sells them.
I'll keep an open mind, but I'm still trying to figure out how an electronic ignition can make the engine run like it has a counterweighted crankshaft.:confused: Counterweights should help a little with making the engine smoother, but the main thing they do is help keep the crankshaft from wanting to bend away from the centerline, and this will greatly add to the babbit life, or bearings, if you have the inserts. But how does what triggers the coil have any effect on the crankshaft?:confused: In fact, if the points and plugs are good, I don't see how the electronic ignition is of any benefit to improve performance.:confused: |
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The next generation out of Detroit combined vacuum advance with centrifugal, so that when under load (vacuum drops) the advance falls back (less knock under load). Then it advances under light load (high vacuum). Personally, I like to have the advance on the column on my A because I can retard a bit under heavy load and advance all I want under light load. I like the control that gives me. But, yes, it does result in me fiddling with the advance a bit in the mountains (not in flat as a pancake SE Texas). That's OK; it's part of the Model A driving experience. We all restore and drive our Model A's for different reasons. Viva la difference! :D |
Re: Success with improvements for touring Personally I find it interesting to see what people have done and how they find it works. On my car I've tired to keep it as original looking as possible but over the years have had Modern points , Leakless pumps , Thermostats , Brake Floaters , Indicators, Quail Thermometers, Modern Raduis ball attachments, Inertia Starter drives and Teflon inserts in the drag linkages . Over time for me personally I have discovered that these upgrades all have their own issues and are generally not any superior to original parts that are in good condition . The only thing that I now run with are indicators and brake floaters (as a nod to the apalling standard of drivers I share the road with) every thing else is pretty much standard -Karl
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Re: Success with improvements for touring I think we should do what we WANT to do, who wants their car to be EGGZACTLY like Joe Blow's car?? And, if JIM/TX, would sound his "CANNON" we could be on to new things & quit "wasting" hard drive space! LOL (Or did that only apply in school when you wasted scratch paper???)LOL
Bill W. |
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Re: Success with improvements for touring Brent can't help stirring the pot. Henry Ford improved his cars. I did too. Ron W
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Re: Success with improvements for touring Not sure if this is comparable or not, i have done many conversions on point dist early 70's gm's to HEI and it makes a huge difference in performance , idle quality etc. . Of course its a much hotter spark but you also get the exact trigger of the dist pickup.
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With regard to the FS Ignition system, I have actually been a dealer for them for quite a few years now so I am very 'versed' on how they work. I initially installed them on my banger-powered race cars. I also used to (4 to 5+ years ago) install them on quite a few customer's cars. I did that for a couple of reasons. The main reason was back then, reproduction distributor cams were being manufactured off-shore and the points did not break at true 90° apart creating timing issues. The second reason why I quit was I was experiencing quite a bit of module failures with units I had installed and with folks who had installed their own units. JD & Mel was very helpful with working with me on warrantying them and troubleshooting but the 'pain was not worth the gain' when my customers were having failures while on tour or out driving. Paying a tow bill to get back home and the stress' involved with the downtime slowly created customers asking why are we doing this. Then along comes a US manufactured dist. cam. that is CNC machined with exacting tolerances while simultaneously designed to increase the coil saturation time to increase the coil's spark output. Adding to that was my ability to hone housing bushings instead of reaming them and the quality of shaft fit came up where the distributer could produce a timed spark very near what a 'Hall-effect' triggered system could produce. Later in time we concluded that it was a voltage spike and/or an intermittent ground issue that was the likely culprit of the FS failures. Again, running extra wires to circumvent this, or carrying extra distributors/modules as back-ups for the minute gain just did not seem practical. So for me it begs the question just how hot of a spark is necessary to have a good running engine? My view is for a low-compression engine such as a Model-A (under 7½:1 CR), "lighting off" the fuel mixture is not that hard to do with a stock ignition system, especially with the combustion chamber design and slow RPMs. Maybe I am still "gun-shy", ...or maybe I'm just lazy, but if a set of points will create nearly the same result with less cost and greater reliability, why take the chance? So I guess I will back-up and offer my apologies for stirring the pot. It is your car, and you are the one that it must please. Best wishes to you and I bid you many happy and safe touring miles ahead. (signed; from a former Texan himself) . |
Re: Success with improvements for touring See, Model A'ing & discussions about it, CAN be great fun, without anyone gettin' their undies twisted or foamin' at the mouth. Even with my house A.C. on the fritz, it's been a good day! Bill W.
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Re: Success with improvements for touring I have been on lots of tours here in S. California, and it sure is funny that almost no one with a stock Model A will venture anywhere except on surface streets. Most of these cars are not totally restored, mechanically perfect and never will be, and for some reason, many Model A owners will never achieve that. The cars that do tour do not have all of those mods, but many do have OD, HC head, and cast iron brake drums...which I guess you really don't need either, as long as you can still track down NOS steel drums. Most also have added the second tail light and turn signals, along with seat belts.....again, not real Model A, and those seat belts sure do look unoriginal too, and really aren't necessary if you just drive carefully....
Let's face it, as someone else has already said, you are never going to get these two camps together; both are right in that they can make valid points in each of their viewpoints.....there is no right or wrong, just folks enjoying their cars as they deem best. I think presenting both viewpoints is great and folks can decide for themselves, as most touring folks that I have seen do............ |
Re: Success with improvements for touring I like to hear the experiences, as well. It's a little like religion. As in many things, I straddle both camps. I want to keep my car as stock as possible, but I also want it to be reliable and safe as it can be. I want bright lights and as good a windshield wiper as I can get. I also want to stop as well as I can given stock or nearly stock parts. I will install an aluminum fan. I have a NuEx voltage cutout that I will install. I like the idea of putting in a thermostat, but I won't do anything that I really don't need to do.
I put in halogen and LED bulbs for safety's sake. I want to tour and drive my car regularly, but I don't want to keep up with people on interstates. I have actually driven a short distance on one, but will do so only when I have to. I am a tall guy and I wish the seat went back a little further as the driving experience would be better. Best of all worlds would be to have a pretty bone stock one and another that was tweaked here and there for better performance and safety. I don't have the funds or storage for that. On seat belts, driving carefully will not help you if some knucklehead runs into you, so those are an absolute must for me. This is a great, great forum. I welcome all suggestions, ideas, comments and opinions on topic. This is a wonderful community. Participating is as much fun as owning the car. |
Re: Success with improvements for touring I received some messages so I want to make something clear here. I believe the changes he made worked. I believe his car runs smoother. I beleive he has better pick up.
I wanted to make a point along with Brent's statements that while these expensive things worked, they might not have been necessary as compared to properly restored stock or use of different parts available during the day. As for those that like to say then why did they change it in later cars I ask you what other cars had individual coils with multiple firing of the plugs like today? |
Re: Success with improvements for touring Model T's had multiple coils. Looks like the newer cars are going the other way with the coils on the valve covers for each cylinder.
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Re: Success with improvements for touring I'm not telling what I've got but I sure do like it better now.I do wish I had two A's.That would make me even happier.
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