The Ford Barn

Lona · 09-01-2015, 09:37 AM

My parts car in 1956 was an A running roadster with no top or hood or trunk. It had two transmissions mounted in line which I would think was fairly common in the farm community to provide extra pulling power for their home made loggers.

Also had a friend traveling across country (not an A) and threw a rod through the side of the engine. He replaced the rod and used a flattened oil can and perma-tex to plug the hole and drove it home. Don't know if he screwed the tin to the block or not.

Glen

BILL WILLIAMSON · 09-01-2015, 01:02 PM

Not really a farmer fix, but Chief described a PILE DRIVER, built by the W.P.A. It was a rear end, mounted on an "AA" flatbed, run by the P.T.O, brakes operated by hand levers, reels mounted to the drums & cables up to a tower, with a HEAVY driving weight.
In the '50's, I saw similar designed rigs, used to stack HAY, using LETHAL looking BIG PRONGED FORKS. It was AMAZING to see the operator in ACTION!!! He could throw hay bales atop a HUMONGEOUS TALL STACK! Wish I had pics.
Bill W.

JAKEFORD · 09-01-2015, 03:42 PM

Most of these are very ingenious and to me display the determination of the people involved. They never gave up.

katy · 09-03-2015, 10:40 AM

The oil return tube on our '31 CCPU has a piece of hose over part of it. I suspect that some previous owner had a short tube and needed a long one, so just cut it in half and extended it w/a piece of heater hose and a couple of clamps.
Now I just need to find a proper tube for it. Of course my spare is a short one.

Willie Krash · 09-03-2015, 11:31 AM

Done right !

Charlville · 09-04-2015, 08:21 AM

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My Sport Coupe has a hydraulic brake conversion done by a previous owner, here's the master cylinder fitting which is a bit farmerish

Terry, NJ · 09-04-2018, 08:31 AM

Sorry, I'm not seeing it The Banjo fitting is stock for that master cylinder and the mounting on the firewall looks like a pretty clean job. The guy probably didn't have access to another transmission mounted pedal and used the hanging style in place of it. Stock? no way! But it seems like a very professional installation.
Terry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlville

My Sport Coupe has a hydraulic brake conversion done by a previous owner, here's the master cylinder fitting which is a bit farmerish

TK in LA · 08-17-2016, 12:33 PM

What are these? I think OJ concentrate cans. Now used as grease caps. Also a carb float for a gas float.

DJ S · 09-03-2015, 12:46 PM

My newly acquired Tudor had tons of farmer fixes that drove me up a wall. One of them was an old manifold heater that had fallen apart numerous time in multiple spots. The previous owner used pieces of sheet metal and screws to hold it together

.

There is also the crude do-it-yourself interior that was thrown together in the early '70s.

Oh yeah, and all the body filler that is basically holding the body together!

crock · 09-03-2015, 01:34 PM

These are 2014 farmer fix's ( did not want to spend the money for horn rod and wire harness ) alum. Plate holds headlight switch, turn signal flasher and indicating lights , as well as a 12v recpt. For gps. Horn works with a button mounted to the steering wheel with a wire run up the steering column.

dpson · 09-03-2015, 01:28 PM

Perhaps this is an urban legend, but I recall hearing a story about a guy who bought a model A that ran, but ran poorly. He found there was no compression in one of the cylinders. When he pulled the head, much to his surprise, the piston and connecting rod had been removed and a round wooden post driven into the cylinder.

True or not I don't know, but it sounds plausible back in the days of "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

captndan · 08-17-2016, 04:57 PM

I don't know if a farmer did this or not. But I did see a Pierce Arrow with a carved wooden piston and a tin can lid on top nailed on. Honest!

Hoogah · 09-03-2018, 06:02 AM

Radius ball socket bolts made with a welder and angle grinder, extracted from my Phaeton on the weekend, with their replacements.

09-01-2015, 09:37 AM	#1
Lona Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Gloucester, Va Posts: 513	Re: Farmer fixes My parts car in 1956 was an A running roadster with no top or hood or trunk. It had two transmissions mounted in line which I would think was fairly common in the farm community to provide extra pulling power for their home made loggers. Also had a friend traveling across country (not an A) and threw a rod through the side of the engine. He replaced the rod and used a flattened oil can and perma-tex to plug the hole and drove it home. Don't know if he screwed the tin to the block or not. Glen __________________ '31 Model A Deluxe Roadster '35 Packard Convertible Sedan '88 Pontiac Fiero GT '36 Auburn Boattail Speedster replica

09-01-2015, 01:02 PM	#2
BILL WILLIAMSON Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: FRESNO, CA Posts: 12,560	Re: Farmer fixes Not really a farmer fix, but Chief described a PILE DRIVER, built by the W.P.A. It was a rear end, mounted on an "AA" flatbed, run by the P.T.O, brakes operated by hand levers, reels mounted to the drums & cables up to a tower, with a HEAVY driving weight. In the '50's, I saw similar designed rigs, used to stack HAY, using LETHAL looking BIG PRONGED FORKS. It was AMAZING to see the operator in ACTION!!! He could throw hay bales atop a HUMONGEOUS TALL STACK! Wish I had pics. Bill W. __________________ "THE ASSISTANT GURU OF STUFF"

09-01-2015, 03:42 PM	#3
JAKEFORD Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Eastern Pennsylvania Posts: 154	Re: Farmer fixes Most of these are very ingenious and to me display the determination of the people involved. They never gave up.

09-03-2015, 10:40 AM	#4
katy Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Red Deer, Alberta Posts: 6,077	Re: Farmer fixes The oil return tube on our '31 CCPU has a piece of hose over part of it. I suspect that some previous owner had a short tube and needed a long one, so just cut it in half and extended it w/a piece of heater hose and a couple of clamps. Now I just need to find a proper tube for it. Of course my spare is a short one. __________________ If you don't hear a rumor by 10 AM, start one!. Got my education out behind the barn!

09-03-2015, 12:46 PM	#9
DJ S Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Feeding Hills, MA Posts: 599	Re: Farmer fixes My newly acquired Tudor had tons of farmer fixes that drove me up a wall. One of them was an old manifold heater that had fallen apart numerous time in multiple spots. The previous owner used pieces of sheet metal and screws to hold it together . There is also the crude do-it-yourself interior that was thrown together in the early '70s. Oh yeah, and all the body filler that is basically holding the body together!

09-03-2015, 01:28 PM	#11
dpson Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Montpelier, VT Posts: 223	Re: Farmer fixes Perhaps this is an urban legend, but I recall hearing a story about a guy who bought a model A that ran, but ran poorly. He found there was no compression in one of the cylinders. When he pulled the head, much to his surprise, the piston and connecting rod had been removed and a round wooden post driven into the cylinder. True or not I don't know, but it sounds plausible back in the days of "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

08-17-2016, 04:57 PM	#12
captndan Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Tennessee Posts: 714	Re: Farmer fixes I don't know if a farmer did this or not. But I did see a Pierce Arrow with a carved wooden piston and a tin can lid on top nailed on. Honest!