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Old 03-17-2020, 09:19 AM   #21
rotorwrench
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

Hick's account at the Henry Ford is a very interesting read. He even admits that he ruffled feathers. He ruffled Lawrence Sheldrick's feathers too so his accounts are available as well. It was in his nature. He was involved more with the airplane stuff in the part of the company that was manufacturing the Ford Tri-Motor airplanes and Henry got stung by Bill Stout, the original fellow that ran that division before Ford bought it. After the airplanes were becoming obsolete, they shut the whole thing down and Hicks was part of that.

This would be Harold Hicks' account:
https://cdm15889.contentdm.oclc.org/...r/title/ad/asc

He went back to Ford Motor Co. later in his career.

Larry Sheldrick:
https://cdm15889.contentdm.oclc.org/.../15482/rec/151

Last edited by rotorwrench; 03-17-2020 at 09:46 AM.
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Old 03-18-2020, 12:35 AM   #22
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

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Originally Posted by Conaway2 View Post
Years ago, I remember reading somewhere that the engineer who designed the A engine did so in a remarkably short time, and when a prototype Model A with the new engine was taken on a test drive in 1927, it outran every other vehicle on the road. I cannot remember where I found this, or who the engine designer was....can anyone help me with this information ?

Thanks - Jim
Hmm, there were plenty of faster cars than a Model A (prototype or not) in 1927. Lincoln at 70 MPH, Packard at 100, a LaSalle averaged 95 MPH for 9 3/4 hours, Chrysler at 70, Pierce Arrow at 75, and Duesenberg at 100. In 1912 a Stutz Bearcat went 81 MPH.
65 was rated top speed for a Model A so that prototype was not the fastest thing on the road! (Unless it was a road filled with Model T's!)
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Old 03-18-2020, 07:30 AM   #23
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

For its time the model a was quick,not fast..that famous quote from Harold Hicks also said "from 5 to 25 miles per hour the car could skin the pants off anything on the road". Failure to develop a competitive engine led to the cars early demise, taken as a snapshot of model a production vs development cost the car lost money.The basic A platform stayed in production till 1948 so ford recouped some of their investment.
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Old 03-18-2020, 08:53 AM   #24
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

Ford was tooling up for the future in 1927. They had really just brought the Rouge plant on line for automobile production in the model A period. From all accounts, the sales of nearly a million vehicles a year didn't lose money as much as it was repurposed back into the company in preparation for the V8 period. They made a lot more than if they had kept manufacturing the model T for certain. Henry wanted something radical for the model A period but the technology just wasn't quite there yet. He got it in 1932 even though sales were marginal at the height of the depression. Ford certainly wasn't worried about how fast his cars would go. He was more concerned with keeping the price where most folks could afford to buy a new car.
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Old 03-18-2020, 02:59 PM   #25
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

I took my A to the drag strip years back,ran against a 51 merc.I was way out in front of him up to 25mph.My speed at the clock was 52mph at 25seconds,they were quick off the line!
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Old 03-18-2020, 04:33 PM   #26
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

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The account I heard about the test drive was not that the Model A was the fastest thing on the road in 1927 - only that they either outran or passed every car they sawduringthe test drive.

How did GM and Chrysler cars compare to the Model A by then end of 1931 ??

Thanks - Jim
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Old 03-18-2020, 06:13 PM   #27
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

A bit more expensive for similar models. Both manufacturers had cars to compete with Ford but 1931 was a tough year. Sales were down all over the board. Chevrolets OHV 6-cylinder gave competition enough starting in 1928 that they finally outsold Ford in 1931 but not by a lot. Plymouth division still had a 4-cylinder in their low price range but it was # 3 in sales at the time. When the V8 came out in 1932, Ford was back on top.
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Old 03-21-2020, 11:16 PM   #28
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

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How did GM and Chrysler cars compare to the Model A by then end of 1931 ??

Chevrolet came out with the 6 cyl OHV engine and synchromesh transmission in 2nd and high in 1929. . They improved the brakes in 1930 which resulted in a car that had more power, with a much smoother engine, easier shifting, better chassis, better ride and comfort and overall a much more comfortable and refined car that was capable of easily cruising at 55-60 MPH.


Chevrolet began to outsell Ford and that is one reason Henry came out with the V-8 engine in '32. He did not want to just upgrade to a 6 cyl, he wanted something better. Actually, all thru the '30's, Chevrolet continued to refine their car and even with the 6 cyl engine, Chevrolets were very good affordable cars.


In 1932, when Henry shut down all production and the dealers could not get new cars to sell, a lot of them switched over to Chevrolet. Back in the 1950's when I was in collage in Missouri, I had a small Model A shop. In the summer, we would go out in the country and visit the Ford dealers in the small towns, looking for Model A Parts. We also would check the Chevrolet Dealers and if they had been there a long time and often up in their attics, we would find old Model T and Model A parts. I do not think you can do that today.


Chris W.

Last edited by CWPASADENA; 03-21-2020 at 11:18 PM. Reason: clarification
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Old 03-22-2020, 10:40 AM   #29
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

Chevrolet cars were infamous for their wood construction. This is why you don't see all that many early Chevrolet cars in this day and age. A lot of them didn't survive the scrap drives of WWII.
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Old 03-22-2020, 11:06 AM   #30
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

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Originally Posted by Synchro909 View Post
5 mm X .75 is an oddball thread. Standard M5 is 0.8mm pitch and metric fine doesn't go that small but a 5mm fine has been created after market with a 0.5mm pitch.
Gotta wonder how they came to settle on a 5 X 0.75 thread. Also gotta wonder where you'd buy a tap or die that size.
Snyder's has the 5mmm x .75 tap https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/S...rd?word=a-9574
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Old 03-22-2020, 11:51 AM   #31
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

The torquey long stroke Model A Ford engine certainly gave it a feeling of low speed acceleration some of the more refined 6 cylinder cars didn't have.....IMHO.

Plus, I like the style of the 1928-1940 Fords more than comparable cars of the day. Duesenbergs, etc were a different story

I was a lil kid riding in my dad's 1941 Ford convertible back in the day, but still like the earlier cars style better.
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Old 03-22-2020, 01:02 PM   #32
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

Ford spent in excess of 150 million developing the A in 1927,equal to 2.1 billion today..the A turned a profit in one of its 4 years,1929..from 1929 to 1946 Ford Motor Company did not turn profit (war work was done at cost plus one dollar).Any other company would have went under,it was the model T profits that kept them afloat..Folks wonder why Ford was happy with the T and wanted to continue making them? he made so much money he could afford to,If he built T's till he went broke he probably could have lasted decades..
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Old 03-22-2020, 06:02 PM   #33
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Default Re: Who designed the Model A engine ?

Ford Motor company adapted as necessary to stay alive in the 30s. It was basically still a private company so stockholders couldn't do a take over like they had when Ford was first getting started. Not only was the depression holding things back but unions were slowly moving into the subcontractors and trying to move into Ford Motor Company even though pay at Ford was better than most other auto companies. Ford managed to cover his debts pretty well. A lot of auto companies went bust in the depression. GM had to close down and consolidate divisions as well. Walter P was just getting out of debt from the purchase of Dodge Motor Co. It's a wonder than any of them survived but the big 3 and a few others managed to just squeak through.

Ford didn't want to experience the same thing that happened during World War I production just before the US got into World War II. He was accused of profiteering and he made sure they couldn't do it again. The government put up a lot of the money to get war materials into production at all the auto plants that were converting over. Uncle Sam paid for most of the B-24 plant at Willow Run but Ford did own the property. Henry was not in good shape due to the strokes he had in 1938 and later so Mrs Ford made him put his grandson Henry Ford II in as president. If they hadn't done that, the government would have assigned new leadership and take over. Those were serious times. I don't think any company made much of a profit.
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