What's a comfortable model a speed?

[harleynut]

I've had my Phaeton doing 60 but was not comfortable with it......only did it because another car was was tailgating me in the fast lane when my exit was on the left. Mine seems comfortable at 40-45

[daveymc29]

On the freeways here I usually feel fairly safe at 55 to 60. It will cruise faster but then it sounds awfully busy up front and even with the 600 X 16, there just isn't a whole lot of rubber on the asphalt. The cars don't bother me a lot, but trucks may not notice my little roadster is not some hot rod that can outrun them, so I stay well to the right and do 55 as a general rule. I have found on long trips later in the day my speed begins to climb so I generally find a motel for the night.

[TerryH]

That's why myself and many others like installing an overdrive. Here in Southern California, driving occasionally on the freeway is very practical and almost necessary, but I sure do not want to drive slowly there. With a Model A well restored mechanically, with good brakes and shocks, tight steering, and good tires, sixty mph is very comfortable and quiet.

[KenCoupe]

Originally Posted by TerryH

That's why myself and many others like installing an overdrive. Here in Southern California, driving occasionally on the freeway is very practical and almost necessary, but I sure do not want to drive slowly there. With a Model A well restored mechanically, with good brakes and shocks, tight steering, and good tires, sixty mph is very comfortable and quiet.

I agree. I am in Southern California also and sometimes it is almost impossible to get from here to there without getting on the freeway. On our monthly tours, we mostly drive around 45mph. But on the freeway, we will go 55 - 60 mph comfortably. When we drove to the MARC nationals a few years ago, we went a good part of the way on the freeway and were mostly 55 - 58 and occasionally 60. Going slower than that (even in the slow lane) in SoCal is more dangerous than going 55 - 60 mph.

[Dodge]

Mine will easily run 60mph, but I only do it for short distances when I have to be on the freeway. Most of the time on back roads around here I run 45mph and it's very comfortable
It will run all day at that speed and and makes for easy cruising and being able to take in the country side.
I have an overdrive to put in it so to be able to go longer distances on the freeway.

[Patrick L.]

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Your uncle is right, these monsters were built for the roads of the day. 30-40 mph was about it then. The Model A will go faster than that of course as others will say, and, a sales gimmick was to take perspective customers for a test ride and show them that the car would go 60mph on a good road for a short stretch.

Most speedos I find are off by quite a bit. When mine says 50 its actually [gps] going 57 and thats getting pretty 'busy'. 35-45 is nice and comfortable, so thats actually about 40-50. Plus, our cars vary a lot between each one today.

To me the big concern are the brakes, even when they are in best of condition it takes awhile for these critters to come to a halt. I can lock all tires up at 40, but, these skinny tires keep on sliding.

[patnmand]

40-45 works fine for me. The car feels very comfortable and settled at that speed.

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[Kurt in NJ]

In NJ the roads of the day had a speed limit---25 city, 50 country

[Barry B./ Ma.]

I would say 40-45 with standard gearing and 50-55 with Mitchell overdrive. In my case I don't drive over 55 in overdrive because the steering gets spooky with the 2 gear box but would improve with an f-100 conversion and radial tires to lower the center of gravity. I'll stick with what I've got but not go over 55 on a good road remembering you don't want to roll over at that speed!

[pgerhardt]

I just took a long test drive from Danbury to New Milford in my 29 Tudor with original wheels & tires, rebuilt front end with F1 steering box, and new Stipe shocks all around. I learned a number of things:
1. The posted speed limits in CT seem to be perfectly designed for the model A, but nobody else stays anywhere near them.
2. Anyone who could pull out in front of you WILL!! And when you use the horn to let them know they were idiots, they think the Aooga is cute and just wave & smile.
3. Driving a A requires 100% attention and is hard work. I was very tired afterward (but that might just be my age).
4. These things are geared for pulling stumps! I need to bring the RPMs down by getting a Mitchell transmission, overdrive, or both!

[eagle]

My 2010 F150 will run nicely at 100 mph. I drive it speed limit or so only. My A will run 55-60 nicely, I drive it 40-50. Good running and stopping and looking around the country speed.

[Benson]

When an idiot pulls in front of me I usually do not waste the time to blow the horn.

By the time they "get their head out" and "clean the brown stuff off of their contact lenses" ... I am WAY down the road and they will never know who sounded the horn OR even know what they did to cause the situation!

[30ccpickup]

I found I go the same speed as all of the modern cars stuck behind me.

[Barry B./ Ma.]

Originally Posted by pgerhardt

I just took a long test drive from Danbury to New Milford in my 29 Tudor with original wheels & tires, rebuilt front end with F1 steering box, and new Stipe shocks all around. I learned a number of things:
1. The posted speed limits in CT seem to be perfectly designed for the model A, but nobody else stays anywhere near them.
2. Anyone who could pull out in front of you WILL!! And when you use the horn to let them know they were idiots, they think the Aooga is cute and just wave & smile.
3. Driving a A requires 100% attention and is hard work. I was very tired afterward (but that might just be my age).
4. These things are geared for pulling stumps! I need to bring the RPMs down by getting a Mitchell transmission, overdrive, or both!

I would definately get the Mitchell overdrive rear gear splitter as it also has a syncro making shifting easier with the stock transmission. You will love the overdrive, I have one in the coupe running the stock 3:78 gears for 10 years now, keeps the revs. down and still have plenty of power with a 5.5 head.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Per reply no. 26,

"a sales gimmick was to take perspective customers for a test ride and show them that the car would go 60 mph on a good road for a short stretch."

this is no doubt a very "true" statement.

For those who really experienced the many old narrow gravel roads left over from the 1920's and 1930's in the majority of the rural areas of our States, there were only (3) tire tracks on a vintage gravel road, i.e., [A] was the one on the right, (passenger side); [B] was the one on the left, (driver's side); and [C], (same as [B] for oncoming cars), was in the center of the gravel road, & was shared by two cars going in opposite directions.

Every time a driver met an oncoming car, he would have to veer to the right; hence crossing two parallel continuous mounds of very loose gravel ....... at 55 or 60 in a Model A would mean losing control and taking an unintended trip in a farmer's pasture or enduring a very high risk for losing control and a head on collision.

Far more windshields were replaced back then as well as side glasses for those who did not slow down when meeting an oncoming car on gravel roads.

[Dick So. Cal.]

I don't know exactly what my speed is, but I am comfortable at 1850 RPM. The engine smooths out at that RPM and with a Mitchell OD, I am probably doing in the high 40s speed. I have a Tiny-Tach and it is a nice accessory to have. Engine is stock in the 68B.
Dick

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

Per reply no. 26,

"a sales gimmick was to take perspective customers for a test ride and show them that the car would go 60 mph on a good road for a short stretch."

this is no doubt a very "true" statement.

For those who really experienced the many old narrow gravel roads left over from the 1920's and 1930's in the majority of the rural areas of our States, there were only (3) tire tracks on a vintage gravel road, i.e., [A] was the one on the right, (passenger side); [B] was the one on the left, (driver's side); and [C], (same as [B] for oncoming cars), was in the center of the gravel road, & was shared by two cars going in opposite directions.

Every time a driver met an oncoming car, he would have to veer to the right; hence crossing two parallel continuous mounds of very loose gravel ....... at 55 or 60 in a Model A would mean losing control and taking an unintended trip in a farmer's pasture or enduring a very high risk for losing control and a head on collision.

Far more windshields were replaced back then as well as side glasses for those who did not slow down when meeting an oncoming car on gravel roads.

gravel roads around here today typically only have 2 tracks, usually divides to 3 when going over a lump but most of it is flat as a pancake farm land so you can see the oncoming car 2 miles away....

And yes even in a modern car with wide tires it just kinda floats sideways on the gravel and behaves like jello...

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by 30ccpickup

I found I go the same speed as all of the modern cars stuck behind me.

I see what you did there must be miles of not seeing a soul in front of you :P

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by pgerhardt

I just took a long test drive from Danbury to New Milford in my 29 Tudor with original wheels & tires, rebuilt front end with F1 steering box, and new Stipe shocks all around. I learned a number of things:
1. The posted speed limits in CT seem to be perfectly designed for the model A, but nobody else stays anywhere near them.
2. Anyone who could pull out in front of you WILL!! And when you use the horn to let them know they were idiots, they think the Aooga is cute and just wave & smile.
3. Driving a A requires 100% attention and is hard work. I was very tired afterward (but that might just be my age).
4. These things are geared for pulling stumps! I need to bring the RPMs down by getting a Mitchell transmission, overdrive, or both!

That also applies to modern cars. For the past 4 years I haven't even turned my radio on in my modern car, because there is nothing worth listening to. But an added plus is that I feel even more aware of driving and more aware of other drivers, as none of my attention is taken away by listening to garbage on the radio. There are just too many drivers doing stupid things for me to be distracted by anything.

[Kevin in NJ]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

Per reply no. 26,

"a sales gimmick was to take perspective customers for a test ride and show them that the car would go 60 mph on a good road for a short stretch."

this is no doubt a very "true" statement.

For those who really experienced the many old narrow gravel roads left over from the 1920's and 1930's in the majority of the rural areas of our States, there were only (3) tire tracks on a vintage gravel road, i.e., [A] was the one on the right, (passenger side); [B] was the one on the left, (driver's side); and [C], (same as [B] for oncoming cars), was in the center of the gravel road, & was shared by two cars going in opposite directions.

Every time a driver met an oncoming car, he would have to veer to the right; hence crossing two parallel continuous mounds of very loose gravel ....... at 55 or 60 in a Model A would mean losing control and taking an unintended trip in a farmer's pasture or enduring a very high risk for losing control and a head on collision.

Far more windshields were replaced back then as well as side glasses for those who did not slow down when meeting an oncoming car on gravel roads.

First off, I have talked to many guys who run 60 MPH quite often and for long periods of time. There was a common thread, they all knew about the Ford prints and did their best to restore parts to factory specs. More then one tried all the speed gimmicks and interestingly their main car is fairly stock with a lot of NOS parts. Done right the original car is just bullet proof, get in and drive day in and day out.

Based on my experiences and many others 60 MPH for an extended time is what the can can do and not fall apart.

As for the roads in the day, I do not disagree with what you say. Unfortunately, the many stories about how the cars were actually driven back in the day say otherwise. Of course there were a lot of accidents in the day too. There are many written stories, in period papers, about people taking all kinds of trips and posting all kinds of records. There was even one about a guy driving cross country backwards. Oil companies were pulling events to show off how much you could beat the car up and not wear the engine.

I do not know why so many people keep insisting the car can not do the 60 MPH. It can and it will. Keep in mind that does not mean you have to drive that fast. I just know if your car can not do it then it is not restored fully.