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Re: tell a Model A related story My First A:The Staff Car. I purchased this from a farmer who lives near Deniliquin which is 40 miles to the east of our town, Tocumwal. In New South Wales (NSW). There is one commercial business between the towns. A pub at Blighty. (those Irish are pretty good at stealing our place names aren’t they?). It is the community meeting place for local farmers and others. The pub always has a good and happy atmosphere. They were serving 120 meals each Friday night. Now that’s pretty good for a little farming community. Now it’s patronage has become so small the publican is considering closing. Why? Random Breath Testing. For no good reason it became a target of what is Highway Patrol (I call Highway men). They are the most despicable police in NSW. A police training school is located in Deniliquin and there are cops there with little to do. You know what that leads to don’t you. Well in the town of Deniliquin the locals are sick of them too. So they got even. Cops arrived at a popular hotel one evening for no good reason. When they departed by reversing out there was an awful crunch and scrape. The front axel was detached and laying on the ground just in front of the bumper bar. (a 4 wheel drive thus a straight through axel with a diff in between). Inspection found a chain around the axel and coupled to a power pole infront of where the vehicle was parked. Not surprisingly they could not find a culprit but they did find a hotel full of jubilant drinkers. |
Re: tell a Model A related story Hello Marvin.
yes, it's a problem for all of us. however it seems good news has arrived on the horizon. the injection of steam kills it all. I'm not a medical man but that's what I read in the newspaper. |
Re: tell a Model A related story there's 2 more there now Ben
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Re: tell a Model A related story When I first started driving, my model A’s were not real weather-proof. You didn’t want to hit a big pot-hole or you’d blow a tire, and if that pot-hole was full of water, you got wet. I got so used to drafts that now I feel uncomfortable unless there is a fan blowing overhead. And the rattles, whenever I rode in a modern car back then, it seemed so quiet. My god, you could even have a conversation without raising your voice.
Those days are long gone now, but whenever I drive any of my newer vehicles I’m still amazed at how dry and warm I am when it’s really raining out there. I make a comment to my wife about lucky we are to be so comfortable, and she looks at me like I’m nuts. When I comment about how well the wipers work compared to my old cars, she just shakes her head. I guess you had to experience the drafts, wet floorboards, shitty visibility, and rattles to be able to appreciate how far cars have come. Her first car was a brand new 1964 and 1/2 Mustang convertible, and she lived just outside Detroit. I’ve always wondered what the serial number was on that thing before her older brother wrecked it. It might have been one of the first 100 Mustang convertibles ever made. My first car was a 1931 Ford coupe for $25. Hey, it was only 27 years old at the time, and I thought that car was the neatest car in the world. Only my older friends had cars, and all my friends that were my age couldn’t believe that I had my own car. They didn’t know that I was too young to legally own it. The title was in my folk’s name, and I really didn’t own squat, but every penny that bought and went into that car had come from me and me alone. I can remember the other boys my age coming over to watch me work on it. I taught them a lot about what wrench was for what. I remember the girls I had grown up with coming over to just watch Mike work on his car. Those were very different times, and they made me who I am today. I feel so fortunate to have had parents that realized that a greasy, grimy 13 year old was better than one out getting in trouble. Mike |
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Greggs' Dad |
Re: tell a Model A related story Winnie theblue dog crashes vintage car.
Well I wasboth proud and pleased with my restored 28 A model. It was advertised in theMelbourne newspaper by a local farmer in our area. Had been a paddock basheruntil it wasn’t even any good for that. 2K was the asking price and whilst Icouldn’t immediately put my hands on that money the farmer agreed he would keepit for me until I could come up with it. There was numerous enquiries fromMelbourne which was 200 miles south. I had itwell restored costing twice it’s market value but I was pleased. I had a dog,a blue healer cattle dog by the name of Winnie. Winnie had been my daughtersdog. Given to her as a puppy which outgrew its cuteness when it grew into a propersize hound. It was left with us, her parents, on a temporary permanent basis. I have heard many stories about parentsinheriting dogs from their kids. It’s ourpolicy not to have dogs in the house or car. One exception is the Model A. Winniewould sit on the floor only and never miss an opportunity of going where everit took her. One thisparticular day, with the car running and parked in our yard, with the driversdoor open (it’s always been my policy to close car doors) Winnie was not goingto miss this ride. Up she jumped and squeezed between the seat and the gearstick. The gear stick was pushed forward and almost without a crunch was inreverse. I saw this. The staff car chugging backwards and approaching a 3000gallon fuel tank. Well the expected occurred. Crunch. I hadn’t made it back to thevehicle at that moment and here was the staff car held stationary with wheelsrotating in the dirt. I climbedin. Winnie gave one of those dog smiles to display her pleasure. I gave her apat. How could I be pissed with something she did not intend and had no idea ofmy panic and 7 second 100 yard dash. Fortunately damagewas minimal and the rear bumper bar had saved the day. She continued her chaufferdriven rides and we still loved her. |
Re: tell a Model A related story Keep a check on your PSA number Guys.
yes, males have a prostate. Females don't. Isn't the modern term quite silly. Including girls as guys? |
Re: tell a Model A related story My father most always took me to work with him when I was old enough to clean parts and tools etc. One day I overheard him tell a customer about something happening at a Ford Shop where he worked before WWll.
He just happened to be working on a Model A when he noticed a very unkempt man nosing around the shop. The Bum was looking and watching everyone and everything but touched nothing and talked to no one. When my father noticed the guy seemed to have moved on he asked the shop foreman about the guy and the foreman said, "nobody important, just Henry Ford". |
Re: tell a Model A related story In 1958 I was driving my almost new Corvette when a Model A pickup passed, going in the opposite direction. I chased him down and bought it for the outrageous price of $150, about half-again what most A's were going for but it was pretty straight and I wanted an A pickup. It was almost stock, 16" steel wheels, '30 rad shell and sealed beam headlights. Turned out to be an early, late '31. No solid top but all the rest of the late-'31 stuff. I ran it for a few months until 2nd gear lost a tooth, then put in a 2-port Riley, B trans with Zephyr gears. It has since had a 4-port Cook, a Cyclone flathead and now a 4-port Riley on a late '31 block, and a Colombia diff. The body is still stock and will remain that way. I now have a speedster and a Vicky, but my favorite driver is still the wide-bed. It will cruise all day at 65-70 MPH, and get 20+ MPG. Like other Model A's, it gets looks from people all the time, so there are other stories too, and I enjoy reading about them.
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Re: tell a Model A related story Today my wife mustered up her friends and a few fellas and we drove 55km, (about 35miles) north to the town of Jerilderie.
The town isfamous for a bank robbery by Australia’s most notorious highway gang. A family by the name of Kelly. A bit like the English gang of Robin Hood. Well the Kelly gang held up the entire town for 3 days until someone could find the bank manager to open the bank safe. They took two and a half thousand pounds which I am told is the equivalent of 4 million today. They burned the deeds to loans so as the bank had no security on money they lent to farmers. Unfortunately for the farmers the bank had duplicates stored in Melbourne, about 250 miles south.They got away with this and many other robberies for a long time but eventually they were betrayed. Today the nation has conflicting opinions on the “Kelly Gang”. Many believe the police tormented them, others believe they were just cold blooded police killers. Another historical fact is Australia’s most famous soldier grew up there. John Monash. Bought precision to the WW1 battle field in Europe. Considered the best allied general. The Queen’shat maker or what was once called a milliner was born in Jerilderie. Frederic Fox. And an author by the name of Ruth Ham is a Jerilderie girl. She wrote a book which turned into a delightful and funny movie by the name of “the dressmaker”. A late resident by the name of Michael Hastings lived there. According to records acquired by British “Thames TV” Michael was the legitimate king of England. It was claimed by British that the legitimacy of the blood line had been busted unless a previous Queen (named and I don’t remember who) had an 11 months gestation period whilst the king was at war. Well Michael reckoned it was difficult enough being a Pom in Australia let alone a titled one. He had no desire to challengethe British Royals. The population is, according to a 2016 census is 1029. Well back to our day in Jerilderie. We had a tour around the old “Westpac” bank, house and gardens. Tea and scones. The house was packed with memorabilia. Packed and interesting. Includes the safe, which the Kelly’s had waited 3 days to get open.The hosts, Roy and Beth are great hosts. Beth plays the piano like a true entertainer. Roy was a dance teacher and taught many well know Australian dancers. Roy had been a collector all his life. He had about 20 antique cars. He believes about twenty. Mostly late 20’s. Included 2 Model A’s. All stored in old turkey sheds. Well one day a bloke turned up and asked to buy either one or the lot. He was greeted by Roy’s mum who was more than 80 yo. Well Roy’s mum said she would like to get theplace cleaned up and told them to take the lot. Roy doesn’t know who they were or where the cars ended up. Mum wasn’t paid a cent. One, an Overlander, onceRoy’s dad’s car had taken Roy 4 years to pay off an interim owner. The receiver of the cars was never heard of again and I would consider him a thief. Roy said he never reprimanded his mother. “She was over 80 so what was the point.” |
Re: tell a Model A related story In 1966 I was a student at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. We had to go to Palm Springs for a Journalism Conference. Since a 1930 Model A Coupe was the only car I owned, my girl friend and I drove it the 125 or so miles over to Palm Springs. She was all dressed up in a nice dress and panty hose and high heels. However, it was a warm day and the Model A was running a bit warm climbing from the coast to Riverside and then over the top of the hill. The panty hose became intolerable and she decided that they had to come off! We were running just a little bit late and did not want to stop and in those days there were not too many places to stop. She just pulled up her dress into her lap and then wiggled and wiggled and half stood up in order to get the panty hose to come off. I'm sure they were pretty sweaty in cab of that Model A chugging up the hill with the GAV cranked open and the spark advance almost to the bottom, up just enough to stop the spark knock. Well, there were no panties under the panty hose and it was all that I could do to keep the car on the road...we still know each other and we still laugh about that trip once in a while...We were only 19 at the time, and it was a long time ago...but I can still see every detail...Ernie
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Re: tell a Model A related story Woof!
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Re: tell a Model A related story I'm sure most of you read this before, but if you missed it, enjoy
My Very First Model A  David K. Mc Arthur, Danville, California I was a young firefighter in Oakland, California. At that time we were called Firemen and we were just that, men that fought fires. Anyway, over the fence from the firehouse I could see what appeared to be some old car with four doors and no top of any sort. One day I saw movement in that yard and ran out and got the attention of some guy that was taking his trash to his burn barrel. The gentleman came to the fence and we discussed the car to the point I knew I had to have it and he knew I would bring him $25 come payday. Like all Model A’s for sale, then as now, “it had run when they parked it, with a new rebuild on the engine.” Though it had been a Fordor sedan it had now been made into a rough Phaeton by his brother who owned a good hacksaw. What I saw was what I would get. Come payday we exchanged $25 for a piece of paper that said I could have the car and that all paperwork had been lost. He was an Oakland cop so I trusted that he hadn’t personally stolen it. The deal was wrapped up. I would pull the car out of there when I could find someone fool enough to help me. Finding that fool didn’t take long. My oldest brother, Perry, had a 1955 Ford truck and a piece of strong parachute cord, some type of nylon line that was very long. He and I went to the house. We and a few friends of the cop pushed the car out to the street and tied the two vehicles together with the parachute cord, leaving plenty of room between them for emergencies; though we all knew nothing could possible go wrong. My brother leaped in his truck and I into the Model A. Immediately he was in motion. I sat there and watched as he drove a good hundred feet and probably more with the cord getting tighter and tighter, yet I hadn’t moved. Then suddenly I was under way. Boy, was I underway. Went from zero to the hundred feet in two seconds as my brother made sure to outrun me. I thought we had discussed going easy at first until we knew I had some brakes and steering that worked. I guess Perry missed that part of the conversation. When we got to the first intersection, he slowed down and I couldn’t so he made a sharp right onto Piedmont Avenue and yanked me around that corner, as once more he outran me, By now I knew that there were very little if an brakes and that it had very stiff steering. Though I was a young bull, I had the devil of a time turning the steering wheel. The next major intersection was a breeze, Perry drove through the yellow light a good hundred feet in front of me and made his left turn onto Mac Arthur Blvd, a four lane major thoroughfare through Oakland. Of course, I was now approaching a red light at half the speed of sound, screaming at cars to stay where they were. They did because they saw a white thread across their path and then I came through with half flat tires squealing as I attempted the turn to follow my brother. The nylon grew back to its normal size as I now began to approach his rear bumper. He drove faster and I began to see a bit of distance between us. He then had to stop for the signal at Fruitvale Avenue. I had no such trouble, running into the back of him and knocking him about half way up to Lincoln Avenue. That is a very long block. We next had to cross 35th Avenue, High Street and eventually make the turn on 73rd Avenue to Bancroft. Each time I knocked his poor truck through the intersection and each time the Good Lord was kind to us both. He didn’t die of whiplash and I wasn’t skewered like a roast by the steering column of the Model A. We got to my brother-in-law’s Texaco Service Station and had our last collision of the day. As Perry stopped beside the station, I passed him and hit a concrete barrier behind the building. Other than my brothers back bumper and fenders there appeared to be no lasting damage. We pulled and pushed, kicked and pried and shortly his truck looked good enough for who it was for and the Model A was probably in better shape than when we started because now all the wheels turned and the steering had lightened up as some of the grease finally worked its way over the steering gears. The car sat there for a couple of months and eventually it disappeared and I didn’t even ask where it went for years. Then I asked the brother in law and he said he thought I came and got it. So it really had just disappeared. Probably best for all involved, except the poor fool that stole it. May-June 2017 • The Restorer |
Re: tell a Model A related story My Grand Father came to Detroit from Bay City Michigan in order to support his family. He had a little grocery store but it was just keeping the doors open and not making enough to live. There were ads in all the papers about Ford's Five Dollar Day! He came to work at the River Rouge Plant. He was put in the casting department. He said it was very hard , hot, dirty and very loud in that part of the shop. In the afternoon one day he was hard at work when someone came up from behind and lightly squeezed his arm. He looked up and it was Henry Ford !! Since it was so loud they couldnt speak and be heard , Henry just gave him the thumbs up and off he wandered
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Re: tell a Model A related story 2 Attachment(s)
My story begins before I was born. My father bought this 1930 Ford Tudor new; it was the first car he ever owned. I was brought home from the hospital in this car. The photo shows me in front of the car with my wooden pram on top; I’m 3 or 4 years old.
In December 1938 I cried when he traded the Ford in for this new Plymouth RoadKing because I thought he would not haul my boat on top of it. However, he did haul the boat on top of his brand new car. It is hard to see but that is my mother in the driver’s seat. Robert |
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good one Robert. |
Re: tell a Model A related story In ’73 and ’74I was spreading fertilizer across farmland in the New England region of NewSouth Wales. On this particular day I landed and taxied up to one big pile ofsuper phosphate.
Along drovethe farmer. He was to give me instructions on where to spread this, applicationrates and any special instructions or requests. Nothing unusual about that. Butwhat was unusual was his ute (pickup to Americans). An A Model. Even as a kid Ialways loved A Models. The only difference now was the fact I was a big kid. WellI was more interested in his motor car than details of his job. Then along camefarmers son. In a Model A. This took my attention until a third son arrived toin a Model A. Just howmany of these things do you have I asked. 10 was his reply. How come I asked. He went onto say that each clearing sale that had one listed they attended and bought. Aboutten pound each. They thought that one day they would be valuable. They showedme a Victorian in almost perfect order. Would they sell it to me. No, sorry. Well I was disappointed.But also pleased with him. He had them all garaged. Out of the weather. I havecome across so many old cars and tractors in the weather where the owners won’tsell and won’t put under cover. Whilst writingthis now I have decided I might track down that family and communicate withthem. I have 3 A’s. My wife insists that is why we have no money. |
Re: tell a Model A related story I may have told this before but here goes.
When I was in high school my friend Steve drove a Model A Closed Cab Pickup to school. His family had a small orange orchard on their property. It was on the side of a hill and the only truck that could go up and down the steep hill to bring down the fruit was the Model A. We had first period gym and the guys would stand outside the gym before class. One day Steve drove by in his Model A with a broom, that they used to clean the bed, stucking up in bed by the cab. Back in the day, the big thing was to put duel pipes on your car. When he came over, one of the wise guys said "hey Steve, when are you going to get duel broom!" All the guys erupted in laughter. The next day, Steve drove by with duel brooms stuck in the bed. For the rest of the year, his nick name was "duel brooms." David Serrano |
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