The Ford Barn

SimplyCosmic · 10-30-2019, 03:56 PM

Vacuum-powered wipers should have "For Entertainment Purposes Only" printed on them.

Synchro909 · 10-30-2019, 04:04 PM

A rainy day - not sure I can remember the last one. Things are so dry here that I'd love to be "entertained" by a vacuum wiper!!

SimplyCosmic · 10-30-2019, 04:16 PM

While I'm sure that a proper restoration would help, for me it's a matter of height. Even at 5'10", my eye-line settles at the top of the window. So the area cleaned by the wiper is too small, too low, and to the right of where I look out.

Fortunately, as many suggest, the straight, vertical windshield works well with RainX.

burner31 · 10-30-2019, 04:23 PM

Had vacuum wipers on my '49 Chevy pick-up back in the early '70's, vacuum wipers sucked back then too.
Electric on my A today.

WHN · 10-30-2019, 05:59 PM

We have a vacuum wiper on our 29. Problem is, it hasn’t been out in the rain in almost 50 years.

Richard in Anaheim CA · 10-30-2019, 07:23 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

We should be so lucky to have a rainy day here in "up in flames" California

Richard in Anaheim CA · 10-30-2019, 07:26 PM

Vacuum wipers work "GREAT" going downhill with your foot off the gas.

If you can't accomplish that full time, Rainex !

panhead_pete · 10-30-2019, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burner31

Had vacuum wipers on my '49 Chevy pick-up back in the early '70's, vacuum wipers sucked back then too.
Electric on my A today.

Hi Burner 31 what electric setup are you using please?

bdtutton · 10-30-2019, 08:03 PM

When my vacuum wipers are working well with a new blade they work OK when I am driving at lower speeds and around town. As long as you have a lot of vacuum they do OK. They start having a lot of problems when you are climbing long uphill grades and there is no vacuum to drive them or when you are driving 45mph plus and the wind lifts the wiper off the windshield. The good news is RainX on the flat windshield does work wonders.

Synchro909 · 10-30-2019, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdtutton

When my vacuum wipers are working well with a new blade they work OK when I am driving at lower speeds and around town. As long as you have a lot of vacuum they do OK. They start having a lot of problems when you are climbing long uphill grades and there is no vacuum to drive them or when you are driving 45mph plus and the wind lifts the wiper off the windshield. The good news is RainX on the flat windshield does work wonders.

Rainex is all I use. The wiper (Hand operated) is only there to satisfy the constabulary. Vac wipers suffer the same problem as cars that relied on a vacuum tank for fuel supply. Henry at least got that part of his design right.

arnhemmer · 10-30-2019, 08:57 PM

I call mine intermittent wipers.

Dodge · 10-30-2019, 09:22 PM

I had a 1949 Ford with them. There is a long grade near us and I remember going up the grade in the rain long before rain-x. You used to let off at the bottom of the grade for a second and let them work, then when you couldn’t see again let off for a second and they’d go nine million miles an hour then start the whole process all over again. What a treat.

Thank god they started using electric wipers more.

TerryO · 10-31-2019, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Rainex is all I use.

+1 Rainex works much better than the wipers.

TerryO

jwilliams81 · 10-31-2019, 08:06 AM

I had my vacuum wiper restored. The unit itself works amazing. It does an ok job of clearing the windshield, but I do use Rain-X still.

Here is a video of the wiper in action on the way to work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oTGqbkZmiA

10-30-2019, 03:56 PM	#1
SimplyCosmic Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 36	Rainy Day Thought Vacuum-powered wipers should have "For Entertainment Purposes Only" printed on them.

10-30-2019, 04:04 PM	#2
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Rainy Day Thought A rainy day - not sure I can remember the last one. Things are so dry here that I'd love to be "entertained" by a vacuum wiper!! __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

10-30-2019, 04:16 PM	#3
SimplyCosmic Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 36	Re: Rainy Day Thought While I'm sure that a proper restoration would help, for me it's a matter of height. Even at 5'10", my eye-line settles at the top of the window. So the area cleaned by the wiper is too small, too low, and to the right of where I look out. Fortunately, as many suggest, the straight, vertical windshield works well with RainX.

10-30-2019, 04:23 PM	#4
burner31 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Shawnee, Ok Posts: 3,471	Re: Rainy Day Thought Had vacuum wipers on my '49 Chevy pick-up back in the early '70's, vacuum wipers sucked back then too. Electric on my A today. __________________ Keith Shawnee OK '31 SW 160-B

10-30-2019, 05:59 PM	#5
WHN Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Connecticut Shoreline Posts: 1,823	Re: Rainy Day Thought We have a vacuum wiper on our 29. Problem is, it hasn’t been out in the rain in almost 50 years.

10-30-2019, 07:23 PM	#6
Richard in Anaheim CA Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Anaheim California Posts: 551	Re: Rainy Day Thought Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) We should be so lucky to have a rainy day here in "up in flames" California

10-30-2019, 07:26 PM	#7
Richard in Anaheim CA Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Anaheim California Posts: 551	Re: Rainy Day Thought Vacuum wipers work "GREAT" going downhill with your foot off the gas. If you can't accomplish that full time, Rainex !

10-30-2019, 08:03 PM	#9
bdtutton Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Southwest Michigan Posts: 113	Re: Rainy Day Thought When my vacuum wipers are working well with a new blade they work OK when I am driving at lower speeds and around town. As long as you have a lot of vacuum they do OK. They start having a lot of problems when you are climbing long uphill grades and there is no vacuum to drive them or when you are driving 45mph plus and the wind lifts the wiper off the windshield. The good news is RainX on the flat windshield does work wonders.

10-30-2019, 08:57 PM	#11
arnhemmer Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: San Jose California Posts: 150	Re: Rainy Day Thought I call mine intermittent wipers.

10-30-2019, 09:22 PM	#12
Dodge Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Sonoma, CA. Posts: 1,495	Re: Rainy Day Thought I had a 1949 Ford with them. There is a long grade near us and I remember going up the grade in the rain long before rain-x. You used to let off at the bottom of the grade for a second and let them work, then when you couldn’t see again let off for a second and they’d go nine million miles an hour then start the whole process all over again. What a treat. Thank god they started using electric wipers more.

10-31-2019, 08:06 AM	#14
jwilliams81 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Cincinnati OH Posts: 418	Re: Rainy Day Thought I had my vacuum wiper restored. The unit itself works amazing. It does an ok job of clearing the windshield, but I do use Rain-X still. Here is a video of the wiper in action on the way to work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oTGqbkZmiA __________________ 1931 Murray Town Sedan. Black body with Apple Green pin stripe. 1923 Model T Touring with electric start. Low radiator Cincinnati, Ohio