Psychological pressure from this forum to "upgrade". Fake news?

[Pete]

Originally Posted by M2M

You're absolutely correct. Your statement is completely against the prevailing ideology on this forum which would have us believe a stock Model A is completely unsafe and unusable.

Not unusable but definitely unsafe per modern safety standards.
Plate glass windows. No seat belts. No turn signals. Inadequate headlights. Inadequate wipers. 88 year old fatigued steel in critical parts.
And the biggest flaw, a product of marginal engineering.

[leo]

Pete, marginal engineering, perish the thought, by who's standards???

[Simonpie]

I think you're getting a false sense from the thread counts. People tend to post questions about modifications, because they can't find the info in the Ford manuals. You don't post asking about your stock tranny. You post asking about your 4 speed or overdrive. You don't post about your stock brake rebuild, you post asking about floaters or hydraulics. With multiple manufacturers of various hop up stuff, you can get several posts asking questions while dozens of people with stock cars just look in the book and carry on without posting.
I'm not saying mods are bad, just that they may not be as common as you think.

[slammin]

Fake news????????? I'm not sure how that over used phrase could describe this or most forums. This forum is a where place people can discuss different ideas and opinions, ask for and receive help, "brag" about accomplishments, and explain how one has overcome a crisis in the hobby and sometimes in their life, share their relevant experiences to benefit other members. Many posts are mixed with humor and occasionally just plain BS. Members get out of the forum what they want. If one is unhappy with the content, they are free to look elsewhere, nobody is forced to stay and be exposed to all this "fake news". If that's the case, I hope they find what they seek.

[California Travieso]

M2M,

I haven't found any psychological pressure from manufacturers on this site. If you want to see that type of pressure, watch the infomercials that pass for regular programming on the the Velocity channel. They all want to put cold air intakes, headers and exhaust systems on the cars.

I also watch Gearz, and Stacy David is hawking parts and products during the whole program.

David Serrano

[zzlegend]

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Fake news????????????????? Where did that come from????????????????
I think the O.P. is on the wrong forum. Or he is trying to get his post count up.
I have never seen any thing on here that relates to what he is saying.

[Hoop]

I was water-boarded by my old Model A club until I confessed to using some old, leftover Rick's cotter pins.

[Corley]

Originally Posted by Hoop

I was water-boarded by my old Model A club until I confessed to using some old, leftover Rick's cotter pins.

HA Ha ha! Now THAT could actually be fake news...

Oh oh, now I'm feeling pressured to reuse old cotter pins!

[M2M]

Originally Posted by Simonpie

I think you're getting a false sense from the thread counts. People tend to post questions about modifications, because they can't find the info in the Ford manuals. You don't post asking about your stock tranny. You post asking about your 4 speed or overdrive. You don't post about your stock brake rebuild, you post asking about floaters or hydraulics. With multiple manufacturers of various hop up stuff, you can get several posts asking questions while dozens of people with stock cars just look in the book and carry on without posting.

Bingo! And thank God you've confirmed I'm not completely delusional. This is part of the psychological pressure I was referring to. A newbie comes to this forum looking to get started in the hobby and is bombarded with post after post about adding an o/d, putting in a F100 steering, 16" rims for radials, hydraulic brakes, etc. etc. etc. If you know little about As and people are shoving such information constantly down your throat, of course it's a psychological pressure to conform to this "Upgrade" ideology. Constant "upgrade" discussions has the effect of suggesting the standard Model A is unusable. As the old saying goes, “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”.


Let me be clear, I'm am not against these types of "upgrades"; I'm very likely to fit at least a hi-comp head and Aries muffler in the future to my car. I think people, especially newbies, should be given the full facts by people with knowledge and experience in the hobby. That doesn't seem to be happening too often.

[M2M]

Originally Posted by California Travieso

M2M,

I haven't found any psychological pressure from manufacturers on this site.

I wasn't seriously suggesting such overt psychological pressure is taking place here.

[M2M]

Originally Posted by zzlegend

Fake news????????????????? Where did that come from???????????????? I think the O.P. is on the wrong forum.

What??? This isn't a discussion forum about main stream media?

[M2M]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

This is EXACTLY what I was discussing in a different thread earlier. Some of the most heated debates have appeared here over the mindset that a modification must be made because they plan to drive their Model-A. It then becomes a battle of justification.

I don't see the point you're you trying to make...

[Terry, NJ]

I own 3 mod. A s, all 1930s, 2 coupes and a Town sedan. They were bought for various prices, generally reflective of their condition and my acquired knowledge. The Town Sedan was junk, I should have left it there. It wasn't all bad, It was an almost complete car that I dragged home after paying $1500 in 2010, it's just, ...well...You know! Too friggin much work! I won't bore you with details of the two coupes, It suffices to say I've I've replaced almost everything behind the engine, I just got done with the rear end in one. The Other I replaced everything behind the radiator. All three cars got new steering boxes (A truly Fun job!) Two of the cars got new engines. All of the cars have mod. B carbs with bored out manifolds. all have either H.C. or ground down heads. Two of them have lightened flywheels. The rear I just rebuilt, has a 3.54 rear ratio. Do they fly? No, but they can do a true 60MPH. When I was flying, a friend used to say about underpowered airplanes (Taylor Cubs, Bathtub Aroncas, etc) "that they have enough power to get you in to trouble, but not enough to get you out!" Most of them were in the 40 - 60 HP range too. With today's traffic and our penchant for moralistically stating that those who can't keep up with 70-80 MPH traffic that we should be banned from the roads as though it was someone's job to do that! I just want to keep up.
Terry

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by M2M

..I don't get why people are spending large amounts of $ to complicate the car.

There are two reasons,
1) They just want to. And that's fine!
2) Misinformation. This one is harder and has caused many people to be banned from the site.

Over the many years since the Model A was a common daily driver, it has become engrained in a lot of people that changes have to be made to have a reliable car. This is simply not true!

[Oakhurst]

Originally Posted by M2M

You're absolutely correct. Your statement is completely against the prevailing ideology on this forum which would have us believe a stock Model A is completely unsafe and unusable.

I disagree about the "prevailing ideology." I just finished reading another post on the flathead forum about mechanical brakes on early fords, and how much better they are when adjusted properly compared to many hydraulic conversions.

[CarlG]

I just had my brakes re-done. Mostly I get asked: "did you go hydraulic"? No I reply. I sent my brakes to Randy Gross to have the original mechanical brakes done correctly. I also have radial tires. But they are 19" radials, thus preserving the original look to the car.

No, my rig is not 100% original. But it does retain the original look and feel.

[Growley bear]

Originally Posted by updraught

The Model A is an off road vehicle.

It has large wheels, high clearance, hand throttle, low reving huge flywheel engine, runs on low grade fuel, easy to fix in the middle of nowhere, narrow tyres cut thru mud and snow.

Why would you want to change anything?

I concur; a comparison of the roads today/90 years ago, the Model A really is an off road car. An point that I have found over the years is that shiny aluminum plate on the running board that we refer to as a step plate. Originally was intended as a mud scraper used before entering the car. Why change anything?

[Growley bear]

Originally Posted by Terry, NJ

I own 3 mod. A s, all 1930s, 2 coupes and a Town sedan. They were bought for various prices, generally reflective of their condition and my acquired knowledge. The Town Sedan was junk, I should have left it there. It wasn't all bad, It was an almost complete car that I dragged home after paying $1500 in 2010, it's just, ...well...You know! Too friggin much work! I won't bore you with details of the two coupes, It suffices to say I've I've replaced almost everything behind the engine, I just got done with the rear end in one. The Other I replaced everything behind the radiator. All three cars got new steering boxes (A truly Fun job!) Two of the cars got new engines. All of the cars have mod. B carbs with bored out manifolds. all have either H.C. or ground down heads. Two of them have lightened flywheels. The rear I just rebuilt, has a 3.54 rear ratio. Do they fly? No, but they can do a true 60MPH. When I was flying, a friend used to say about underpowered airplanes (Taylor Cubs, Bathtub Aroncas, etc) "that they have enough power to get you in to trouble, but not enough to get you out!" Most of them were in the 40 - 60 HP range too. With today's traffic and our penchant for moralistically stating that those who can't keep up with 70-80 MPH traffic that we should be banned from the roads as though it was someone's job to do that! I just want to keep up.
Terry

Well said.

[Growley bear]

As with many hobbies, there are many people/companies manufacturing/selling bells and whistles. You need this You need that. This is better That is better. Just what is Better??
I fell into that a few years ago, with the ignition game. Modern points/upper plate--Electronic ignition. My Model A likes the forged one piece upper plate the best. I had to try though. Something for every one.
In some of these hobbies a person has to decide where they want to be and stick with it. Otherwise you are so busy trying to keep up with something newer and better that the actual hobby is not the main focus. Model A's vs R/C aircraft.

[denis4x4]

This thread is a waste of time.