tell a Model A related story

[DHZIEMAN]

Got on the Forum this morning and was reading about front axle restoration! It brought back a memory from my childhood in the 40's about my dad and his 1929 Model A. Dad liked to drink! He drank a lot and drank more on a Friday when he got paid. On a Saturday morning, with a hangover, he had the front axle out of the car on the ground, and had it wedged up on wood blocks beating it with a sledge hammer and then measuring the results with a straight edge. And mom giving him "what for" while he worked with a hangover and putting the axle back in the car! He left the fenders dented! Amazing the memories. Today on cars this all would be done on a Hunter machine and not with a hangover!

[woofa.express]

I will write some short trivia stories whilst I compile my next on some interesting people.

Freeloaders.
Some time ago I received a chain letter sent to all ag. pilots from some employee of the EPA. His message was in the form of advice on weather in which to apply pesticides and what weather to avoid. I had never heard of this fellow but I knew the EPA of course.
Some of his advise contradicted my practice and I did wonder where he got his information so I wrote and asked him. I also asked if he had been an ag pilot or a farmer. I was careful in my wording and was not discourteous in the slightest. Never got a reply but that did not surprise me.
There are thousands of public servants just looking for something to occupy themselves with and trying to look important. All there to irritate me and others and all payed by me and others.

[woofa.express]

Poor advise yet again.

This story confirms the same problem I experienced in story number 543 on April 19th involving my VW Tiguan with mechanical problems.The Tiggy is the third VW I have owned and numbers one and two were absolutely faultless. This is a story of another dealer and my advice is if you buy a VW avoid dealer workshops.
On this trip away I experience another problem. Deceleration was noisy and abrupt. I took it to a dealer workshop where they tested and advised the automatic gearbox would need replacing or overhauling. Also the timing belt could need replacing. It had been replaced only about 1000 miles prior and I reckon this recommendation was retaliatory for not using genuine VW parts. Anyway I proceeded to my destination which included a long steep decline east of the city of Toowoomba by selecting gear neutral and controlling speed by applying break. At destination, Brisbane, I sourced a transmission specialist who in one minute identified the failure. Simply a wheel bearing in the right hand wheel assembly. A $5,800 job now becomes a relatively cheap job.
So here is the problem. The dealer workshops. Both with the same syndrome. Immaculate floor display with service manager well groomed and dressed immaculately, hair combed, tie,no sign of grease or oil on his hands with business and personal name embroided nicely on his perfectly ironed shirt. They were front counter men who were customer – service mechanic go betweens. I believe this syndrome applies to most brands of motor vehicles where dealer workshops are involved. Where has the old fashioned service gone? Where has the old fashioned skill gone? To computer dependant diagnosis and need and greed for protected agencies I’m afraid. Those skills are also fading from other industries aswell; aviation pilots and medicine or just two of perhaps many. Maybe customers are being over catered for and wanting their hands held more. An independent parts dealer recently told me many customers don’t know what engine they have in their motor car.

[woofa.express]

I have received a most interesting story of the VW. Contrary to popular opinion Mr Porsche was not the inventor of the vehicles systems. I won't publish this because it is not related to Model A. If anyone wants it just email me on [email protected] and I'll return email it to you.
I guess would be named in USA the same as it is here in Australia. Hitler's revenge. gary.

[woofa.express]

Weather at Lahad Datu.

Why Lahad Datu? Because I’m going to tell you something about working there. About the weather.
I spent several months each year working near Lahad Datu. It is 5 degrees north of equator on the island of Borneo. Malaysia has 2 states- Sabah and Sarawak (East Malaysia) located here with principality of Brunei between. The substantial part of Borneo is Indonesian. Weather was typically coastal and tropical. Basically day time air would heat, rise and be replaced by sea air which is cooler and heavier – relatively so. It’s called a sea breeze- an anabatic wind. By night the land would cool and sink and flow out to sea. Thus the wind is a land breeze, a katabatic. Some may know it as onshore or offshore respectively.
When air heats and rises cumulus and cumulonimbus cloud would form- clouds that resemble big cauliflowers. These are thunderstorms of course and big ones too, some rising above 40k feet. They would remain stationary for two maybe three hours until they had rained themselves out. It could be raining on half of the airstrip only and the other half perfectly dry for the duration. Local houses were built without eves and with windows without glass. Never a wet floor. Just no wind except land or sea breeze described above.
Why was this so. It’s called coriolis effect. At the equator, plus or minus 5 degrees there are no cyclones or hurricanes or typhoons which all are the same thing of course. Quite strange to most of us who are accustomed to high winds, sometimes extreme, associated with this weather because we live in higher latitudes.
Coriolis effect. When an skater is performing spins have you noticed that their rpm increases when they pull their arms in. Helicopter rotor rpm increases when the rotor dish cones up with g load. Both examples are because the radius (moment) has decreased. It’s intriguing. Open the link below and a simple explanation is given. Easy to follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIyBpi7B-dE
Lahad Datu is between Tawau and Sandakan (in the north east), both of which are places were the death march occurred. Some 2345 Australian servicemen perished there towards the end of WW2 under the control of the Japanese. The town name is shortened to LaDatu. A grubby town with modern apartments covered with fungus because of rain and high temps and houses built on stilts over water. It smells badly.
The pictures show market place, aerial shot of Lahad Datu, and palm plantations. all internet shots.

[woofa.express]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Country kids and driving.

There was a recent news item. The commissioner of Police commented that no country kids were failing their licence driving test and he wondered why. Was that intended as a joke, a complement or a question relating to the standards of the testing officers?
I remember my driving test. I had to demonstrate I was competent by driving around a block in our big town of about 1,000 people at 15 years old. At that time I must have had maybe a thousand hours driving wheeled and track tractors and many miles on road driving our Austin 40. I took my first job in West Australia and one needed a drivers licence for the specific state in which one lived. A local kid was recently killed in a road accident and had never had a licence so there was a blitz. For 3 or 4 weeks the police station had no fewer than 5 motor cars outside where the owners had driven to get their first issue or a West Australian issue. Some weeks later the local Sunday movie was stopped and a policeman on the PA said drivers had to remove the keys from their motor cars which was almost every patron present in that open air theatre at Derby. The law had now become authoritive. People were just not accustomed to being bossed by cops and there was some resentment.
Years later I took an employee to the police station at Miles in Queensland for a heavy truck licence and when the procedure was completed the policeman turned to me and asked, “Gary of course you have one don’t you? No. “well you have now”.
And I’m not Robinson Crusoe Many of you out there would have had simular experiences. Today, if I had my licence revoked and was required to be retested I’d go to a driving school for instruction first otherwise there is a fair chance I could fail. Now that’s called progress plus employment for otherwise idle public servants.
I taught my kids to drive. I took them to the local airstrip, stepped out of the vehicle and said “go for it”. Thus they were all self taught. They began to drive around the local country roads doing errands for me. They had to stretch their necks to see over the steering wheel.
Now how come country kids didn’t fail their driving tests? Blind Freddy could have informed the police commissioner why.

[woofa.express]

mine is the small one.
will be away for about a week and thus no further stories until I return. gary.

[woofa.express]

Looking for Model A printed fabric.

I attended as a spectator, a custom and classic motor car display at Rainbow Beach, Queensland and with exception most cars were 1950’s onwards. There was not a thing there to interest me except the girls. All dressed in sort of mid 50’s outfits with period matching hair-doos. Most were fat, were show offs and sported multi coloured tattoos which made them resemble road side bill boards. We had alot of fun with them at the pub that evening. Some of the blokes looked like they had just come from their workshop having just completed a grease and oil change. I will write about the show when I get some pictures to complement my story.
I have never been to an A Model meet were so many have dressed in period clothing and that brings me to the point and I am asking for your help please.
I wish to make a shirt and maybe one for Patsy with fabric of Model A prints. Plus a cravat and a neck tie. Not to be worn all at once. No I’m not a fashion icon but nor am I a bad taste dresser although Patsy might dispute that.
I can’t find a supplier of this fabric and my question is, do you readers know one. If so please do share what seems to be an industry secret. With thanks, gary.

[woofa.express]

Following just like Sheep.

I would think many of you either grew up or had contact with farms and farmers who raised and grazed sheep. For those of you who didn’t let me tell you about sheep. One follows the other. There are no leaders or bosses amongst them. When they are mustered they are uncertain of which way to run but if one breaks they all follow and thus the saying “follow like sheep”.
Some people are exactly the same. Well here in Australia they are. Clothing, footwear and hair styles are constantly on the change and the victims are the gullible folk who follow and thus the saying, “they follow like sheep”. This can cost them considerable money. Having spent a few days in town I notice blokes are now in rather close fitting trousers and very pointed shoes. I wonder if the shoes shouldn’t be curled in the front to complete the stupidity of the wearers taste.
But the biggest craze at present is tattoos. Not just small ones on the upper arm of sailors illustrating a sailing ship but whole arms and legs and sometimes face and even the whole body.Some of these blokes appeal to some well dressed attractive girls. Some of the girls are equally as bad as the blokes of course.
If they are lucky enough to grow old I wonder how they will feel when once was the tight canvas becomes wrinkled and sagging? I can see room for a new industry developing, that being tattoo removal. A business opportunity for any of you that feels enterprising.
Ugly, below was sort from the internet but I have some good ones of the girls at Rainbow Beach Rockabilly Custom and Classic meet. The shoes, pointed toes back in fashion, are jester shoes to follow.

[woofa.express]

Yes, I know it’s not Ford but an interesting short piece of history.
Alldays and Onions. Motorcar manufacturer.
What attracted me to research this motor car was it’s curious name. Alldays and Onions. If you have never heard of it you too will probably be amused. There is nothing more I can add so I have copied and pasted some information directly from the internet.
A motorcar magazine has published the following, you may click onto the link here.
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/september-1995/74/alldays-onions

If you don’t here is a brief on the history from Wikipedia and a couple of pictures to complement.
The Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering Co. of Birmingham, was a company founded in1889 by the merger of the long established Onions (formed by John Onions in 1650) and William Allday & Co. (formed by William Allday in 1720) engineering companies. They became known for their engineering and blacksmithing equipment. Like many such companies at the time they turned to bicycle manufacture and sold a range under the Alldays name. They also started making motorcycles in1903 under the Alldays-Matchless name; these had no connection with the London-based Matchless company, and in 1915presumably following representations from them, the name was changed to Allon. Manufacture of these continued until 1927.

[woofa.express]

The Wombat.

It was some time ago a reader asked about the wombat so here it is, albeit late. There are 3 types. 1, the hairy nose northern wombat. 2,the hairy nose southern wombat and .3,the common wombat. I know they rearrange the underneath of your motor car if you drive over them. They are not farmers friends because they cause erosion in water ways where they burrow out their abodes and they mess up fences. Adult creatures weigh between 40 to 70 pounds and their little legs can carry them up to 20 mph. They are marsupials with unique backward facing pouch so as it doesn’t fill with dirt when they dig their burrows. The gestation period is short, only 3 to 4 weeks and like the kangaroo the bubs are called joeys. A mob of wombats is a wisdom of wombats. For generations of young kids a school reading book called the Hairy Nose Wombat has featured in their early school days.
They are herbivores and their poop is cubed.

[woofa.express]

A new Handle for Gary.

Walget is a town in north west NSW where the industries are cropping, mainly winter cereal and summer cotton plus sheep breeding and grazing. The town is made up of about half aboriginals and half whites. A very considerable amount of welfare and government money is injected here. It has been called the most socially disadvantaged town in Australia. Drunkenness, drug addiction and crime is rife and racial tension is high. It is not Australia’s most picturesque postcard location and I feel a little uncomfortable divulging this.
I’ve done quite a bit of cotton spraying in this broad area.Water is drawn from the Namoi and Barwon rivers when available and pumped into on farm storages for irrigation when required . In addition cotton is grown dry and the growers depend on summer rain which is of course, unreliable.
Now lets go back 60 years when I was a kid at primary school. I had two front teeth broken when I was playing some sort of boys game and collided with Michael Vanstone. I carried this condition until my late 20’s when our local dentist, Bud Ford capped them with gold. Gold is malleable thus it was the medium used. About 40 years later the adhesive failed and I lost one. So down to the local dentist who replaced it with a white cap which looked much better. So I had him replace the second.
It was during the time when I sported gold caps that I was sent to Walget to spray cotton for farmers who I had never known before. It was here that I acquired a nick name. “Gary Glitter”. There is no resemblance to the other fellow from who the name originated. Nor the clothing. Besides he has been to jail and I haven't. I post pictures of the two garys for you to make your judgement. Fortunately no one outside Walget farmers knows of that nick name until this story is read.

[woofa.express]

What a contrast.

Some years ago I attended a Model A National Meeting held at Glenelg near Adelaide S.A. The presentation dinner was an eye opener to me. The appetites of these attendees was enormous. More and more had to be prepared for their gargantuan hunger. Sweets too. I had never seen anything like it until I went on a cruise liner and watched Americans who didn’t eat off plates, they ate off platters. Now what was surprising was the large selection of good wine in the centre of the table that was hardly touched. They seemed to be eaters but not drinkers.
I’ve been to many ag operator meetings and found my buddies didn’t have big appetites at all. But boy did they have raging thirsts. The ability to clean up liquor like there’s no tomorrow. What a contrast.

[woofa.express]

My currant avatar is my Roadster in accompaniment with a De Havilland Tiger Moth.

The aeroplane currently used in my Avatar is a De Havilland Tiger Moth. Developed in 1930 and produced in 1932. 9000 manufactured. The big demand came from the military of allied nations, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Used as a primary trainer. Construction was of wood and fabric. Compare this to comparable American manufactured aeroplanes of the era which used more aluminium, were bigger and had more powerful engines. England did not have the wealth or resources of America plus America was young, enthusiastic, energetic and enterprising. The engine is an inverted 4 cylinder and air cooled. For those readers who want some tech info see specs below.
The aeroplane does not have a starter thus it is necessary to start by pulling the propeller through. When I have taught young ones to fly I insisted they start the aeroplane with the propeller. This horrifies many but I see it as safe if the throttle is set for low rpm and wheels are chocked. But I have strayed off track with that commentary haven’t I.
Every engine I have cranked rotates clockwise. Every engine with the exception of American aeroplane engines. I don’t know why they were built contrary to world practise, maybe some reader might inform me. The Tiger Moth cranks clockwise and pilots who fly aeroplanes with American engines will find this odd. One exception and I speak of that in a moment. Aeroplanes fitted with American engines yaw to the left and require right pedal under power and that’s mainly on takeoff. There is only one American engine that I know of that turns clockwise (viewed from front) and that is the Garret. That means the Garret and English powered aeroplanes yaw right and need left pedal on takeoff. A very weird feeling when one has been being flying American engines for a lifetime.Now back to the Tiger Moth. It’s a bit like my preference for American machinery including motor cars which is much simpler in design and operations. This is not found in the Tiger Moth or other English manufactured machinery including motor cars. I see the price of a Tiger Moth on the Australian market starts at 75K AUD with the most expensive being 110K AUD. I won’t buy one because I prefer to sit inside a cabin and not out in the wind. Besides motor cars have now consumed most of my money.

Tiger Moth Specs.
Twoseater trainer first built in 1932
Wingspan 29 feet.
Length24 feet.
Height9 feet.
Emptyweight 1,200 pound.
Grossweight 1825 pound.
Engineis de Havilland Gypsy Major, 130hp.
Maxspeed 139 knots
Cruisingspeed 75 knots.
Climbrate 800 foot/minute
Range300 miles (I don’t know if that is nautical or statute)
Ceiling18,000 feet.

[katy]

I remember hearing that Tiger Moths were infamous for ground looping on take-off if the pilot wasn't careful enough.

[woofa.express]

Originally Posted by katy

I remember hearing that Tiger Moths were infamous for ground looping on take-off if the pilot wasn't careful enough.

Hi Katy. I have known of many pilots who have ground looped tail wheel aeroplanes. Because the centre of gravity is aft of the main wheels and if care is not taken the centre of gravity overtakes the main wheels and a ground loop is initiated. Frequently the main gear spreads then one leg fails and most often followed by a prop strike.
It seems to be considered that pilots who fly tail wheel aeroplanes are ace so many pilots without great experience or skill but with big egos buy them. They enjoy favourable comments heaped on them at the bowser and at the bar.
Tail wheel aeroplanes are more versatile than nose wheel aeroplanes for a skilled pilot. It is also considered they are better on rough ground but the tail wheel is small and it is my opinion a nose wheel aeroplane is better because it is a bigger wheel. Tail wheels make 2 or 3 knots extra airspeed because the small tail wheel creates less drag then the larger nose wheel.

[Jemelton#]

This is a photo of a crop duster flying over my home while dusting a soybean field next to me. How often were you presented with the challenge of nearby houses in your daily activity's?

[woofa.express]

The Tiger Moth. I spoke about tail wheels on aeroplanes however the Tiger Moth has a tail skid.

[woofa.express]

Hi Jemelton. the answer to your question is coming. The aeroplane in your picture is an Airtractor. I can identify it by the high aspect wing and tail plane. The manufacturer paints them yellow with blue trim. This one appears to be white with red trim thus I would assume it has been repainted to comply with fire fighting requirements. It may double as a fire fighter in fire season and an ag plane out of fire season. Or a past owner could have been a fire bombing contractor.
The picture is of an Airtractor from the internet. This one is a sprayer with booms and pump removed. But note the high aspect wing, ie long wings and a short chord, ie distance of wing from leading edge to trailing edge.

[woofa.express]

even a better shot. Gary spraying cotton. Note the high aspect ratio of wings. high aspect is a more efficient wing.