[H. L. Chauvin]

FWIW, Just one (1) Daily Driver actual experience:

A. As a teenager & later, I used my unrestored, well used, & extremely well abused Model A 1930 Coupe as a Daily Driver with complete confidence for years.

B. In seeing all the multiple problems reported herein on this Forum, questions kindly answered, and things constantly getting repaired; in thinking back, like with gold at the end of a rainbow, one may look forward to either having a Model A Daily Driver or trying to use their Model A's as often as possible because:

1. Many of the minor unrestored, malfunctioning, & broken minor items can finally be feasibly repaired or replaced a little at a time, as time goes on.

2. The constant use of gas insures that the gas tanks are flushed very often with new gas; hence, one experiences no fuel related problems such as a clogged shut off valve or plugged up dirty carburetor; the glass sediment bowl alone does a great job with a constantly flushed gas tank once the tank is properly cleaned.

3. With the inside of the distributer getting heated up every day or very often by engine heat, in very humid or coastal areas, far less moisture can built-up within; hence, points, condenser, & internal distributer wire connections seldom get corroded whereby the flow of electricity is stopped for long periods like they sometimes do when an engine compartment is left unattended & when condensation sometimes sets in.

4. Also, in very humid or coastal areas, all electrical wire & light connections everywhere else stay cleaner with less condensation & corrosion build-up with daily drivers or Model A's used often. Old radios don't last long when unplugged either & old Model A owners don't last long when they stop dreaming of a better future.

5. Tire pressure is checked often & slow leaks are attended to & repaired whereby one does not have to inflate tires often. Dragging starters causing difficult start-ups are repaired to avoid cranking by hand or push starts.

6. Oil is changed regularly; hence having a secure feeling of always having fresh detergent oil -- I learned at an early age in the 1950's from much older & very responsible professional vintage mechanics that "non-detergent" oil in an engine was as helpful to any vehicle engine with its sludge build-up as excess salt was helpful to a person with high blood pressure. Today "non-detergent" oil may be thought of as recommending a strict bacon fat diet to an individual with high chloresterol.

7. Anything squeaking such as doors, hoods, window regulators usually get oiled to avoid the embarrassment of their sounding like your vehicle is junk & not worth much.

8. Any slight overheating means that one has learned to first flush out one's cooling system & later if required, pour "Spic & Span", "Joy Liquid" or something similar in the radiator to flush out excess grease from the water pump rather than look all over elsewhere for other causes of overheating. Radiators can become flushed out with more constant use just like that of gas tanks.

9. General overall maintenance is strictly adhered to because either missing work with a Daily Driver, or being towed back home very often appears embarrassing while one is clinging to some old, outdated unreliable vehicle.

10. With constant daily driving, or Model A's used often, intermittent failures can be monitored & quickly repaired.

11. While constantly gaining confidence, once a Model A is attended to often, & becomes a daily driver or is driven often, one begins to feel confident that one has a vehicle that does not need (5) wheelbarrows full of spare parts just to visit his brother 25 miles away.

12. Again, FWIW, agree or not agree, just one (1) actual experience as opposed to something read elsewhere & later written about.

Hope this helps to have more faith in Model A's.