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Old 09-09-2020, 07:26 PM   #1
rfitzpatrick
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Default Ford verse Chevrolet

Why are the Model A survival rates greater that the Chevrolet's of the same era ? And it's not due to the people/clubs I know either, as I only know of
one Chev to the four A's I've owned.
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Old 09-09-2020, 07:28 PM   #2
jimalabam
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

The use of very much interior wood framing...
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Old 09-09-2020, 07:33 PM   #3
mhsprecher
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

One reason that I have read is that the GM bodies had more wood in them, so they rotted away. I don't think that explains it all, though. Model As seem to have a significant amount of wood in them, too.

In my own subjective reasoning, it is that they were much better cars in their design and construction and overall reliability. Someone more knowledgeable than me may have some better information, but I will stick to my reasoning for now.

Occasionally I will see a 28 Chev. 29's seem the most numerous in my experience, but there don't seem to be a lot of them out there.
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Old 09-09-2020, 11:04 PM   #4
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

In my circles it's been attributed to the body design using wood in key structural areas. Namely the door posts. When they set in a barn or the field the wood gets loose, if they bounce down the road, the wood gets loose. The two most common complaints I've heard about Chevy's of that vintage are, my door won't shut, followed by, my door fell off.

Another factor, from my experience anyway, is parts availability. Model A parts seem to be much more affordable and readily available. And that makes the "old car" experience much more fun, especially for someone new to the old car hobby.

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Old 09-09-2020, 11:19 PM   #5
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

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The two most common complaints I've heard about Chevy's of that vintage are, my door won't shut, followed by, my door fell off.

First problem solved!!
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Old 09-10-2020, 07:38 AM   #6
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

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I have a pertinent question. Model A's were pretty much the same for the four years they were built. Was Chevrolet the same or did they make yearly changes? Maybe this would account for some of the longevity.
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Old 09-10-2020, 07:56 AM   #7
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

Chevrolet made some changes. I think it was 29 they started offering a 6 cylinder in the cars, and Chevrolet actually out sold Ford for a number of years. I don't think Ford regained leadership in new sales until 32 when the V8 came out.

Our beloved little Model A's were in fact an attempt to recover sales, mostly lost to Chevrolet, customers wanted power, brakes, and comfort offered by others, namely Chevrolet, that the Model T's just didn't provide.

Disclosure: this is speculation recalled from a somewhat foggy memory. Feel free to fact check.

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Old 09-10-2020, 08:38 AM   #8
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

Chevrolet cars cost more than Ford and was more complicated .
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Old 09-10-2020, 08:50 AM   #9
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

Two things; A)the physical survival of the cars, Namely, not so much wood in the bodies. The use of Vanadium still helped to retard rust (though not completely) damage. So the cars and their parts were actually there!
B) The model A was a pretty well designed and built automobile that could take a fair amount of punishment. Knowing what I know, I would have suggested a few changes, such as making the bell housing one piece instead of two, trans Bolts on outside ears instead of inside the bell housing. A different water pump design. Slightly more attention paid to aerodynamics. Tilting the windshield, ( as was done in some of the 1931 models). But Henry was only building a car to last ten years, not a statement for the ages. I think he did a pretty job! One thing that was a major help over Chevrolet was in gas mileage.
A ford model A could be tuned to get in the area of 20MPG and this helped get us through the was when Chevies were being scrapped by the thousands.
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Old 09-10-2020, 08:57 AM   #10
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

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Originally Posted by mhsprecher View Post
One reason that I have read is that the GM bodies had more wood in them, so they rotted away. I don't think that explains it all, though. Model As seem to have a significant amount of wood in them, too.

In my own subjective reasoning, it is that they were much better cars in their design and construction and overall reliability. Someone more knowledgeable than me may have some better information, but I will stick to my reasoning for now.

Occasionally I will see a 28 Chev. 29's seem the most numerous in my experience, but there don't seem to be a lot of them out there.
29 Chevies were known as "Axle breakers" We had one in our family and it was disliked because of this.
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Old 09-10-2020, 09:15 AM   #11
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

I have a 1931 Chevrolet in my collection and it is a far classier looking car than my Model A’s. It is rare you see one at a car show so when one appears it attracts lots of attention.
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Old 09-10-2020, 09:35 AM   #12
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

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Chevrolet made some changes. I think it was 29 they started offering a 6 cylinder in the cars, and Chevrolet actually out sold Ford for a number of years. I don't think Ford regained leadership in new sales until 32 when the V8 came out.

Our beloved little Model A's were in fact an attempt to recover sales, mostly lost to Chevrolet, customers wanted power, brakes, and comfort offered by others, namely Chevrolet, that the Model T's just didn't provide.
Several things to comment on. Ford outsold Chevrolet in 1929 (his biggest year) and in 1930. In 1931 Chevrolet outsold Ford nearly 3 to 1, and it would be several years after before Ford would regain the sales lead.

Something that folks need to understand. The Chevrolet was a much better automobile than the Model-A. The '29 Chevrolet engine was 15% more horsepower than Ford's A, -the color selection was better, and the trim levels were more plush. Ford realized this in 1930, -hence the reason for the DeLuxe models to be introduced.

One other HUGE factor in Ford's success was his distribution. Ford had something like 4x the amount of dealers as Chevrolet during the Model-A era. Ford set up Agencies in rural areas where Chevrolets were not. People had learned about not being able to get parts for their implements and automobiles locally and conveniently.

The final thing is it was a different clientele of the two manufacturers. Car owners from the teens and early 20s were used to vehicles without windows or fixed roofs. In other words they froze during the winter and got wet when it rained. By the Model-A era, if Buyers could afford it, they bought closed cars because they were tired of the cold and wet weather when driving. Even with that said, Ford still sold many Roadsters, Phaetons, and Biz Coupes (-draft canvas tops) because they were inexpensive. Chevrolet sold very few Roadsters & Touring cars during the Model-A era. Their Coaches were their big sellers because they were a better value over a Ford IF you had a local dealership to service you, and if you could afford it. Very possible that Chevrolet could have dominated Ford in all years had there been Chevy dealerships in each of the small rural towns. Frugality of the typical Model-A owner is what preserved most Model-As. That, ...and the rural ownership that kept them away from urban areas where 'scrap-drives' were more prevalent.
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Old 09-10-2020, 09:52 AM   #13
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

I am wondering if in addition to the above mentioned items, Ford had the reputation of building a sturdy, well supplied (parts), going to be there car. Whereas Chevy was promoting things changing every year or so, so they did not put the emphasis on the long lasting quality. Then the country ran smack into the depression, which tilted people towards Ford's reputation of long lasting reliability.


It was also a corporation vs. Henry's ego. A company doesn't care about quality that much as long as you buy it and keep coming back (i.e. built in obsolescence). Ego cares what you think about its product.


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Old 09-10-2020, 10:18 AM   #14
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

Big Three engines of 1928 and 1931. A story I have often heard from from folks who lived through the Great Depression is that a replacement fuel pump cost about $15 in the late 1930s, but one could buy a running Model "A" for that money. The Chevrolet and Plymouth had fuel pumps. Note that the horsepower monster was the Plymouth.

I raced my 1931 Model "A" Coupe against a 1932 Chevy Master Coupe on a highway from about 30 MPH up to 60 MPH and it was tie.
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Old 09-10-2020, 10:44 AM   #15
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

Hi Guys,
I have one of each. I can’t really compare them, as the Ford is a roadster pickup and the Chevy is a 29’ six cylinder Phaeton.
Ford built 5 million Model A cars in 4 years and must have built enough spare parts to keep them on the roads.
Where the Chevies of the 30s were changed every 2 yrs. eg, 27/28 were very much the same, 29/30 etc and the numbers built much less than Ford, therefore less parts to be kept in stock.
And then the killer, I believe that when you traded a Chevy on a new one, the old one would be destroyed. By selling more new ones, less parts required to be kept in stock and in the end less used parts in junk yards.
I am not sure if the previous paragraph is true, but could very well be.
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Old 09-10-2020, 11:13 AM   #16
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

One of my Dad’s first jobs was running a service station in partnership with his older brother. The owner was a “Ford man”. Dad said the reason he preferred Fords was Henry’s extensive use of roller bearings. He said a Ford would be in service 30% longer than other vehicles because of this. I know Chevy hung on to ball bearings on their truck spindles into late 60’s and the the ‘30 AA has taper rollers that will way out last ball bearings there.
Also note: one of Ford’s sales pitches in model A era was comparing prices of their competitors replacement parts with theirs.
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Old 09-10-2020, 11:22 AM   #17
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

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Originally Posted by 1930artdeco View Post
I am wondering if in addition to the above mentioned items, Ford had the reputation of building a sturdy, well supplied (parts), going to be there car. Whereas Chevy was promoting things changing every year or so, so they did not put the emphasis on the long lasting quality. Then the country ran smack into the depression, which tilted people towards Ford's reputation of long lasting reliability.
Mike, while the Great Depression was definitely felt, 75% of the citizens in this country still had jobs during that economy. Chevrolet outsold Ford during the worst years of that depression, so I am not sure that most buyers were tilted towards Ford. I think it had more to do with the echelon of the Buyer at that time whether they chose a Ford or Chevy.
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Old 09-10-2020, 12:13 PM   #18
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

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Big Three engines of 1928 and 1931. A story I have often heard from from folks who lived through the Great Depression is that a replacement fuel pump cost about $15 in the late 1930s, but one could buy a running Model "A" for that money. The Chevrolet and Plymouth had fuel pumps. Note that the horsepower monster was the Plymouth.

I raced my 1931 Model "A" Coupe against a 1932 Chevy Master Coupe on a highway from about 30 MPH up to 60 MPH and it was tie.
Maybe the cost was lower but so did all Fords from 32 on, re fuel pump.
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Old 09-10-2020, 12:15 PM   #19
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

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Originally Posted by Floats View Post
Hi Guys,
I have one of each. I can’t really compare them, as the Ford is a roadster pickup and the Chevy is a 29’ six cylinder Phaeton.
Ford built 5 million Model A cars in 4 years and must have built enough spare parts to keep them on the roads.
Where the Chevies of the 30s were changed every 2 yrs. eg, 27/28 were very much the same, 29/30 etc and the numbers built much less than Ford, therefore less parts to be kept in stock.
And then the killer, I believe that when you traded a Chevy on a new one, the old one would be destroyed. By selling more new ones, less parts required to be kept in stock and in the end less used parts in junk yards.
I am not sure if the previous paragraph is true, but could very well be.
I am pretty sure that Ford did the same thing, re the scrapping of trade in's.
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Old 09-10-2020, 12:49 PM   #20
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Default Re: Ford verse Chevrolet

I have a 1931 Chevrolet in my collection and it is a far classier looking car than my Model A’s. It is rare you see one at a car show so when one appears it attracts lots of attention.

agreed.

have 6 A's in various states and one 31 chevy roadster. The chevy is a superior car, but the wood framing killed it. very hard to find parts for the chevy, but I much prefer it. As Brent said, it was a good bit more expensive as well.
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