The Ford Barn

Karl · 06-12-2011, 11:02 PM

I was speaking to some one on the weekend who runs commercial Peking to Paris trips. I suggested one day it might be fun to do this in my Model A. He was somewhat sceptical if the A would stand up to 9,000 miles of constant rough driving. He did his first trip in a 1970's V4 Saab and apparrently had to weld the suspension back together four times during the trip. He also told me that a group of three Austin (Bantam) sevens completed the same trip. Has an A ever done this trip -I'd be surprised if one or more haven't !

roccaas · 06-12-2011, 11:11 PM

There was an article in Hemmings(?) about the last race. 1950 Ford with minimal work completed the trip on one set of tires.

The Shoebox was chosen because of it's durability and simplicity.

They did put in dual Mallory Ignition.

dave in australia · 06-13-2011, 04:04 AM

A group of Australians and a Dutchman and a Kiwi retraced the original race in original cars. There were some mechanical mishaps, but I would think that if they can do it in 100 year old cars, a young 83 year old should have no problems. Also, compared to a lot of vintage cars, the A is a well built machine. Yes, there has been A's do the trip in the past, there is a long range touring group that plan a few regular tours throughout the year, and they are for older cars.

Cajun · 06-13-2011, 06:54 AM

The World Race 2011 (actually a tour) has a Model A in it. You can follow it's progress at http://www.world-race.net/. It is a speedster.

Mikeinnj · 06-13-2011, 08:02 AM

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I was at Schwalm's Babbitted Bearings in Strasburg, Pa. recently and he showed me a Model A Ford phaeton which had just completed the 2010 Peking to Paris tour.
The conditions are so severe that the body and frame suffered extensive damage, with cracks and pieces of the frame broken off as shown in the photos I took of the car. For more on the race and this car follow the link....http://www.pekingparis2010.com/2011/...o-paris-rally/

06-12-2011, 11:02 PM	#1
Karl Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Manawatu, New Zealand Posts: 1,416	PekingTo Paris I was speaking to some one on the weekend who runs commercial Peking to Paris trips. I suggested one day it might be fun to do this in my Model A. He was somewhat sceptical if the A would stand up to 9,000 miles of constant rough driving. He did his first trip in a 1970's V4 Saab and apparrently had to weld the suspension back together four times during the trip. He also told me that a group of three Austin (Bantam) sevens completed the same trip. Has an A ever done this trip -I'd be surprised if one or more haven't !

06-12-2011, 11:11 PM	#2
roccaas Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 1,300	Re: PekingTo Paris There was an article in Hemmings(?) about the last race. 1950 Ford with minimal work completed the trip on one set of tires. The Shoebox was chosen because of it's durability and simplicity. They did put in dual Mallory Ignition. __________________ 20 years ago we had Johnny Cash, Steve Jobs, and Bob Hope. Now we have no Cash, no Jobs, and no Hope...please don't let Kevin Bacon die!

06-13-2011, 04:04 AM	#3
dave in australia Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,177	Re: PekingTo Paris A group of Australians and a Dutchman and a Kiwi retraced the original race in original cars. There were some mechanical mishaps, but I would think that if they can do it in 100 year old cars, a young 83 year old should have no problems. Also, compared to a lot of vintage cars, the A is a well built machine. Yes, there has been A's do the trip in the past, there is a long range touring group that plan a few regular tours throughout the year, and they are for older cars.

06-13-2011, 06:54 AM	#4
Cajun Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Plano, Texas Posts: 104	Re: PekingTo Paris The World Race 2011 (actually a tour) has a Model A in it. You can follow it's progress at http://www.world-race.net/. It is a speedster.