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Old 11-13-2012, 11:15 AM   #1
M2M
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Default 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.


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Old 11-13-2012, 11:32 AM   #2
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Default 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.
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Old 11-13-2012, 11:39 AM   #3
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Default 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!
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Old 11-13-2012, 11:40 AM   #4
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Default Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?

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Originally Posted by M2M View Post
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.

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
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Old 11-13-2012, 11:53 AM   #5
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Default 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.
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Old 11-13-2012, 11:58 AM   #6
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Default Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?

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Les Andrews Vol 1 and Service Bulletins 28 - 31.

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Old 11-13-2012, 12:09 PM   #7
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Default Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?

i have recomendations on my site
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Old 11-13-2012, 12:26 PM   #8
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Default Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?

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. . . I’m interested to learn the differences and changes from one year to another with photos. Also photos of each body style.
Well, so far a bunch of good suggestions relating to maintenance, repair, and specific nit-picky details.

To address your original request- Two good books full of color pictures helping you learn to identify years and body models & numbers at a glance are:

(go to Amazon to look inside)

The Legendary Model A. Ford by Peter Winnewisser
2nd Edition ALL COLOR ISBN 0-89689-231-X



Original Ford Model A by Jim Schlid
ISBN 0-7603-1252-4
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Old 11-13-2012, 12:32 PM   #9
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Default 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,
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Old 11-13-2012, 12:34 PM   #10
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Default 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.
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Old 11-13-2012, 12:48 PM   #11
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Default Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?

Restoration Guidelines and Judging Standards will be an excellent help in getting the correct parts, Les Andrews Vol 1 and Service Bulletins 28 - 31 will help you install them correctly and maintain the car!!
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Old 11-13-2012, 12:50 PM   #12
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Default 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.
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Old 11-13-2012, 01:02 PM   #13
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Default Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?

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Originally Posted by Kevin in NJ View Post
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.

...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.
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.

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Old 11-13-2012, 04:59 PM   #14
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Default 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.
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Old 11-13-2012, 06:57 PM   #15
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Default 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.

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Old 11-13-2012, 07:13 PM   #16
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Default 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.
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Old 11-13-2012, 09:37 PM   #17
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Default 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.
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Old 11-13-2012, 10:21 PM   #18
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Default Re: What are the best two Model A books for newbie?

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Originally Posted by M2M View Post
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.

"The Ford Model A as Henry Built it" by DeAngelis, Francis and Henry is the best book I've seen for identification of models and is completely original photos with far fewer errors than other books. A copy of the original Service Bulletins (not the mini yellow hardcover version) and Judging Standards will provide the best info next. The rest depends on how mechanically inclined/technical or timid you are when it comes to jumping in. If it helps to have instructions like "disconnect the battery, remove these three bolts, etc., then some of the how to books mentioned will be useful.
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Old 11-14-2012, 08:39 AM   #19
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Default 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.
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Old 11-14-2012, 11:38 AM   #20
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Default 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.
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