If you were to sell your A???

[31 Model A]

My mind was a total blank today, I had nothing to think about so I came up with a question, not that it would pertain to me. If you were to put your A up for sale, OR have in the past put an A up for sale, how would/how did you handle a prospective buyer who has never drove a Model A in their lifetime and knows nothing about how to drive a straight shift who wanted to test drive it?

Say outright no?

Changed your mind about selling?

Ask for a $20,000. deposit?

Teach the person first how to stick shift, then teach the person about Model A's? over the next few months/year?

I'm sure I know what most would do, find someone in your club or other clubs but that's not the question at hand.

[SeaSlugs]

I have a modern stick shift blazer I want to sell, very few people can drive stick...im curious what the answers will be. I was thinking about my ad of putting: I'm not going to teach you how to drive stick so bring someone who can in my ad.

[1930-Pickup]

If someone had never driven a non-synchromesh trans before, then I would drive the car with them in it. I'll teach them all about the car after they buy it.

[2manycars]

I did that once, only once. The idiot had no sense of how to drive an old car. In a corner, he pressed the gas pedal to the floor as if he was waiting for it to down shift. I got rid of him and suggested he buy a mustang. Or a chevette.

[Kevin in NJ]

The Model A, properly rebuilt, can be beat to crap and will suffer few ill effects. Keep in mind many people likely bought the A new and had no clue how to drive it. Think about it. How many people today that would stand there like deer in headlights when you mention move spark lever. Well it was just as bad back then.

The instruction manual was written for people who have never driven before. So you can ask the people with read it first. Honestly, I would just put them in the car and show them how to run it. Then put them in the driver's seat and let them.

Remember to do it like the dealers were instructed to show the car. Show the people the car can go 60 MPH. Show them how well the brakes work and do not baby the car.

[holdover]

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I would drive it with them in the passenger seat. They could see how well everything works, and I would not put it at risk of any damage. Once it is bought and paid for then they can do as they see fit. And if they knew how to drive a manual shift i would give a short lesson on the non-syncro 3 speed and be in the passenger seat when they are trying it out.

[Big hammer]

Originally Posted by holdover

I would drive it with them in the passenger seat. They could see how well everything works, and I would not put it at risk of any damage. Once it is bought and paid for then they can do as they see fit. And if they knew how to drive a manual shift i would give a short lesson on the non-syncro 3 speed and be in the passenger seat when they are trying it out.

Thats the answer! You give them a ride!

[Tom Wesenberg]

When I bought my 1950 Studebaker 3 years ago, the owner wouldn't let me drive it. The funny thing is he was terrible with the shift and clutch, so I'm glad he only put a few miles on the car in the 10 years he owned it.

When I sold a car about 25 years ago I rode while the guy drove, and he drove like he was in a stock car race. Never again! They can ride and know how the car feels and operates.

My neighbor let someone test drive the car, but when her husband came out and asked where's the car they came in, the wife said they walked up. A week later the cops found the car 3 states away.

[harleynut]

Funny you should ask that. I just did it. Tire kickers, low ball offers, Craig's List scammers, had it for sale for a good while. Most of the guys that looked at it had no clue what they were looking at let alone how to drive it or even start it. I was actually relieved when they walked away. I found myself talking them out of it. I finally did sell it to a guy that was very knowledgeable about As

[H. L. Chauvin]

Lots depends on the potential driver's intelligence and the driver's ability to adapt to new things at a young, middle, and/or older age.

Some potential buyers, at any age, with one demonstration, will drive a Model A perfectly the first time.

Other potential buyers, at any age, could never pump up a Model A tire and chew gum at the same time.

When a buyer drops by to buy your Model A, just hand him your Model A tire pump and a pack of Wrigley's .................

[ronn]

went through this many years ago, selling a 65 Mustang convertible.

Buyer assured me he knew how to drive stick. Ground the gears on every shift, while I sat in the pass seat.

NEVER AGAIN.

I dont do test drives and if you dont want it then, too bad.............

pretty simple really.

[31 Model A]

Consensus is pretty much what I thought it would be. I had never driven an A before I drove Sarah but I grew up on stick shifts, double clutch some, so my transition wasn't completely ignorant. After three years, I've got the choke, throttle and spark advance down pretty good, double clutch about 90% but I've grown very protective and my attitude selling her would be very hard towards some potential buyers. My attitude has always been, I'll sell anything except my dog, the dog is gone now and I feel the same way about Sarah that I had for my dog.

[Mitch//pa]

An opposite scenario::;;

I went to look at an A for a friend to purchase. First we got into the car and the owner took us for a ride up the road. He beat the shit out of it, wound it out and ground every gear, thought he was in a nascar or something, swerving right and left to show us how tight he thought it was. . He pulled over and then i drove it back, the clutch chattered horribly, and overall the car was a beat up bucket of crap. The seller kept telling me to push it.
He had a duscenberg and a cord in his garage that he was working on.
Some thing's you never forget

[mshmodela]

I never drove an A until I backed it out of my garage about 2 weeks after it was delivery to me.... I would if I were to sell I would be to take the shopper for a ride and show them how to shift and then let them try it -- they would have to have years of at least shifting sync manual tranisssions.

[V4F]

my answer is : not for sale until I die

[Bob Bidonde]

The major problem with the unknowing buyer are:

Unlike a modern car one cannot just hop into a Model "A" and drive away. Routine inspections and maintenance are a must for Model "A" owners.;

The pretty paint job, but poor mechanical condition. Many buyers get hooked on the looks and suffer the consequences of a horrible performing Model "A;"

First time buyer who buys a basket case or Model "A" needing a total restoration because the price was relatively low. Big mistake! They need to buy a reasonably good running car first;

Lack of understanding / experience with mechanics and tools.

[2935ford]

kinda two sides to this answer.

no, you don't need someone to do bad things to your A but.........
maybe if you send them on their way due to lack of experience......maybe you just took a potential "next" Model A'r out of the picture. Not good. We need more not less for the hobby to survive.

for me, it doesn't take long to size up a potential buyer if you ask the right questions.
that done phase 2 explain how these cars operate.......their replies will further help size up where they are with this type of vehicle.
pass these and then I would take them for a ride.
then on a secluded street (which we have plenty of) let them drive it.
sure they may grind a gear or two, who hasen't.
their real interest and desire for the car will show through.

I would never buy a vehicle without being able to drive it........

[todd3131]

My son bought a mini Cooper a few weeks ago his experience with clutches has been limited to my model a and he isn't the best at it. I test drove the car for him a determined it was a good car and he bought it and then he had to learn to drive it which took a few days. When it comes to a model a if the buyer can't drive a clutch how is he going to know if there is anything wrong or even right about the car, I won't let them drive if unless I know they are qualified or have someone who is qualified, ironically now that I think about it most of the ones I have sold were never test driven and the last one we bought in December a 37 ford four door convertible we didn't test either.

[chl]

my first experience with a clutch was on the farm with a john deere A, six speeds and a hand clutch. Back then just about any kid (boy or girl) could drive a tractor, driving a standard shift car was a snap. People today have trouble with a lawn mower that's not automatic. Even the hot rodders seem to prefer automatic trannys anymore. People that are able or want to drive a standard are getting scarce.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Common sense of our wonderful parents? Where has it gone?

In 1959, about 58 years ago, my mother, (born 1906), who very rarely drove our only 1955 Chrysler, (automatic transmission), back then, asked me to borrow my original 1930 Model A for an 8 mile one way drive.

In wanting to see what she would do first, I stood on the running board and I saw where she first opened the gas cut-off valve, retarded the spark, made sure car was in neutral, turned the switch on, pulled out the choke, turned the GAV 3/4 turn left, depressed the starter switch on the floor, let off the choke, and after starting, turned GAV CW, then shifted from first thru third with no grinding of gears.

I asked her where did she learn this. She said she had a friend who loaned her her Model A about 30 years ago.

While preparing food, she never used a measuring cup to measure ingredients either.

No doubt, most of us on this Forum had parents and ancestors with lots of common sense.