The Ford Barn

32BBflathead · 05-22-2014, 10:58 AM

I agree with straight pipes, if you can't run at least within 10mph of the speed limit stay off the interstate, especially at night. It's uncourteous to the other drivers as well as dangerous. Your also blocking traffic, even most of the truck drivers run within 10mph of the limit so running slower than that is disrupting them and causing alot of excess traffic. If I want to run slower than that I take a different route. I know when my truck gets finished the closest it'll ever come to the interstate is 2 feet (distance between the road and boards of the trailer it's carried on).
I also like Peter's idea with blinking lights, as you know those are signals rather than markers, the speed limit around here is 75 mostly but the traffic usually runs at least 80, so if I'm driving i see are car with the lights on up ahead running 45mph, I don't know this at the time all I see is a car presumeably running the speed limit, I glance in the mirror, then all of a sudden I'm on top of the car running 35mph slower than me, I've had this happen before. Whereas with the hazards I automatically think this guys running slow so I should move over, it gives a bit of warning.

FL&WVMIKE · 05-23-2014, 10:39 AM

Not too long ago, at night, I came up upon a '37-'38 Ford, with their low, itty-bitty tail lights, and could hardly see them at any distance, at all.
It's not just '37-'38 Fords. All tail lights of that era are too small for the Interstate.
MIKE (mikeburch)

B-O-B · 05-23-2014, 11:05 AM

Scooder you may want to look @ the pictures & ask a few questions. It bent the bumper twisted the lower shock mount (putting it in a bid) that I didn't catch & by the time I got home ( 1,000 miles later) it had ripped the upper shock bracket from the frame.I made a new piece & had it welded in place then to make it look right did the other side. The glass fenders had stress cracks in them necessitating repair & repaint of the complete fender. I also had to have the alignment checked. It could have been worse as it threw the car a bit sideways & I was doing 65 mph. I didn't have time to hit the brakes & that probably kept me rolling over.

VeryTangled · 05-23-2014, 11:36 AM

Hi Everyone, Scary story! Some of our highways are pretty hostile day or night, even AT THE SPEED LIMIT (the flow of traffic is usually 10+ over the limit), and I-95 is a good example of one. The original poster, Fibber McGee is a trucker, and can probably tell stories for quite a while.

Just because you can use a piece of pavement doesn't always mean it's a good idea. If anyone is causing a rolling roadblock, it is only a matter of time until a distracted driver finds them.

One thing my dad taught me was to line the tail light buckets with aluminum foil. It takes only minutes to do, and I don't know of a down side.

I put a feeler on the Model A side to see if anyone knows more about the report.

-VT/JeffH

scooder · 05-23-2014, 11:57 AM

Ok more than a bumper. How's this? If you brung that job to me. Remove, repair,paint both fenders, while they were off. Repair the shock mount area of the frame, and make good. Go over the front end, check for any other problems. Check alignment. Job done. I would be uncomfortable asking for 1/2 that amount. It would probably come in at around 3-4 grand.
Maybe I should move over there and open shop. The price would remain the same. I go on the fact I love doing this stuff, I'm not gonna be a millionaire at my prices, but I sleep very well every night. And I would not be getting wet from the rain over here AGAIN! I hate rain.
Martin.

31Tudor · 05-23-2014, 12:28 PM

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Well actually I have some information on the accident. This was my buddies 31 Roadster that he had just sold to a gentleman who lived in Orlando. We live north of Charlotte, NC. This guy was bound and determined to make it in one day back to Orlando. They came by my house the night before he left on Tuesday morning. I had even mapped him a route to Orlando without having to go on the interstates. He thanked me but I could tell he was not really interested. We both said that would be a really long day, and that we would make it into at least an over nighter.
Well then the accident!! He apparently was hit from behind on I95. Flew upside down, landed on the wheels and then was hit by another car. He was released from the hospital that very next morning with bruises and a few cuts. Amazing that he was not killed! He called my buddy that next morning to let him know what happened. Absolutely shocked that he did not die or would have been in the hospital for months.

scooder · 05-23-2014, 12:52 PM

Good Lord! Happy he's almost unbelievably ok. Shame about the car though. How many miles is that journey? And you mapped out an interstate free journey for him, he must be nuts.
Martin

31Tudor · 05-23-2014, 01:06 PM

It was about 500 miles. In a stock Model A that is a long day. Talk about lucky though, when I think about being upside down in a Roadster, if you land upside down, you are done. So Lucky!

scooder · 05-23-2014, 02:24 PM

5 hunner miles in one day, in a new to you stock Model A down the interstate? Like I said, nuts. Stay on smaller roads, over two days, I think would have made a very pleasant journey.
Martin.

tubman · 05-23-2014, 03:25 PM

At my age, 500 miles in a new Caddy is a long day; I can't believe he tried it in a Model "A". I drive back and for to Florida every year, and the traffic on both 75 and 95 will run you over if you drive the speed limit.

rotorwrench · 05-23-2014, 05:36 PM

I'm glad to hear he survived. I've been near run over on the road so many times that it gave me a good dose of what not to do. I can fix cars more often than not but gave up on trying to fix other people a long time ago. Some things just can't be fixed.

Sid the Maineiac · 05-23-2014, 05:53 PM

Yup, even duct tape won't fix stupid !!

Ted Duke · 05-23-2014, 05:56 PM

I live near I-81 in Virginia. The speed limit is 70MPH. The right lane normally runs 65 to 75 and the left lane 75 to 85, except when someone from Maryland or New Jersey or Tennessean is in a hurry, then they run whatever they can maintain weaving thru traffic. My A Model is still UNDER construction, but I can NOT imagine driving it or an other car that won't maintain 70 on I-81 (or I-95 it's the same) DAY OR NIGHT. I picked up too many from wrecks when I was driving an ambulance.

STAY OFF the interstates, please. It's dangerous enough on any street with the texters and book readers and sleepy ones.

donQ · 05-23-2014, 09:07 PM

I avoid night driving in my model As, but the suggestions regarding LED bike lights that can be attached are the way to go. If the blinking lights are not legal where you are,a unit called Powermax Superdeer has 3 settings, rapid flash, moderate flash and steady beam. It also has a belt clip that allows you to easily slip it over your license plate. I think you can find these most places that sell bikes.
donQ

VeryTangled · 05-23-2014, 09:13 PM

Hi All,

At least the buyer will have a story, if he's brave enough to tell it. Not the first Model A to be destroyed, many with right cause.

I have a colleague who was towing a trailer with her race bike down (south, to us Yankees) I-81 last summer (a two lane interstate with lots of left lane traffic) and a lane-weaver caused a 40+ car pile up! In a thunderstorm! Toasted her new Forrester, the trailer (thankfully not the bike), and a flatbead semi beside them shed a newly restored Airstream into the ditch. The loco fled the scene on foot and was caught later. The insurance was a nightmare. Everybody got drenched.

It is a scary world if you follow the green overhead signs. Fibber McGee will attest.

On the other hand, route 30 can take you from Gettysburg to Tahoe, I hear...

-VT/JeffH

Old Henry · 05-23-2014, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted Duke

STAY OFF the interstates, please. It's dangerous enough on any street with the texters and book readers and sleepy ones.

Sure hope you guys can find an occasional drive away from freeways like this one I took today to Great Basin National Park on the Utah/Nevada border. This picture shows a 13.7 mile long section of the road that I was on for several hours (compressed by telephoto lens). Saw another car about 3 or 4 times an hour.

10.7 miles of that section as straight as an arrow.

Google Earth view of the section shown: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.4...!1m0!3e0?hl=en

scooder · 05-24-2014, 04:14 AM

Why anyone would go on an interstate when you have roads like Henry just posted at your disposal is beyond me.
Martin.

BILL WZOREK · 05-24-2014, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooder

Why anyone would go on an interstate when you have roads like Henry just posted at your disposal is beyond me.
Martin.

People get caught up in a Having to get there before we even leave life style !!!

mhsprecher · 05-24-2014, 06:36 AM

We need to be careful all the time. I believe that statistically, secondary roads are more dangerous than interstates, but if we cannot keep up the speed and stop like the rest out there on the interstates, we should not be out there. I just think that with the brakes we have, our high center of gravity and the limited amount of tire surface on the roadway, we should not be on high speed roads. Maybe early on a Sunday morning when no one else is on the road.

scrapiron · 05-24-2014, 07:29 AM

More foolishness, yesterday on I-81 near the I-77 junction there was also a good looking "A" Roadster being dragged along on what appeared to be a flimsy home built tow dolly/trailer pulled by a small van, at about 55 mph. Created a slow down back up getting around it...

05-22-2014, 10:58 AM	#21
32BBflathead Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Deberry, Tx Posts: 24	Re: Be careful I agree with straight pipes, if you can't run at least within 10mph of the speed limit stay off the interstate, especially at night. It's uncourteous to the other drivers as well as dangerous. Your also blocking traffic, even most of the truck drivers run within 10mph of the limit so running slower than that is disrupting them and causing alot of excess traffic. If I want to run slower than that I take a different route. I know when my truck gets finished the closest it'll ever come to the interstate is 2 feet (distance between the road and boards of the trailer it's carried on). I also like Peter's idea with blinking lights, as you know those are signals rather than markers, the speed limit around here is 75 mostly but the traffic usually runs at least 80, so if I'm driving i see are car with the lights on up ahead running 45mph, I don't know this at the time all I see is a car presumeably running the speed limit, I glance in the mirror, then all of a sudden I'm on top of the car running 35mph slower than me, I've had this happen before. Whereas with the hazards I automatically think this guys running slow so I should move over, it gives a bit of warning.

05-23-2014, 10:39 AM	#22
FL&WVMIKE Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Daytona Beach, Fl & Spencer, W. Va, Posts: 4,442	Re: Be careful Not too long ago, at night, I came up upon a '37-'38 Ford, with their low, itty-bitty tail lights, and could hardly see them at any distance, at all. It's not just '37-'38 Fords. All tail lights of that era are too small for the Interstate. MIKE (mikeburch)

05-23-2014, 11:36 AM	#24
VeryTangled Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC Posts: 3,387	Re: Be careful Hi Everyone, Scary story! Some of our highways are pretty hostile day or night, even AT THE SPEED LIMIT (the flow of traffic is usually 10+ over the limit), and I-95 is a good example of one. The original poster, Fibber McGee is a trucker, and can probably tell stories for quite a while. Just because you can use a piece of pavement doesn't always mean it's a good idea. If anyone is causing a rolling roadblock, it is only a matter of time until a distracted driver finds them. One thing my dad taught me was to line the tail light buckets with aluminum foil. It takes only minutes to do, and I don't know of a down side. I put a feeler on the Model A side to see if anyone knows more about the report. -VT/JeffH

05-23-2014, 11:57 AM	#25
scooder Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,593	Re: Be careful Ok more than a bumper. How's this? If you brung that job to me. Remove, repair,paint both fenders, while they were off. Repair the shock mount area of the frame, and make good. Go over the front end, check for any other problems. Check alignment. Job done. I would be uncomfortable asking for 1/2 that amount. It would probably come in at around 3-4 grand. Maybe I should move over there and open shop. The price would remain the same. I go on the fact I love doing this stuff, I'm not gonna be a millionaire at my prices, but I sleep very well every night. And I would not be getting wet from the rain over here AGAIN! I hate rain. Martin.

05-23-2014, 12:28 PM	#26
31Tudor Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 611	Re: Be careful Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Well actually I have some information on the accident. This was my buddies 31 Roadster that he had just sold to a gentleman who lived in Orlando. We live north of Charlotte, NC. This guy was bound and determined to make it in one day back to Orlando. They came by my house the night before he left on Tuesday morning. I had even mapped him a route to Orlando without having to go on the interstates. He thanked me but I could tell he was not really interested. We both said that would be a really long day, and that we would make it into at least an over nighter. Well then the accident!! He apparently was hit from behind on I95. Flew upside down, landed on the wheels and then was hit by another car. He was released from the hospital that very next morning with bruises and a few cuts. Amazing that he was not killed! He called my buddy that next morning to let him know what happened. Absolutely shocked that he did not die or would have been in the hospital for months.

05-23-2014, 12:52 PM	#27
scooder Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,593	Re: Be careful Good Lord! Happy he's almost unbelievably ok. Shame about the car though. How many miles is that journey? And you mapped out an interstate free journey for him, he must be nuts. Martin

05-23-2014, 01:06 PM	#28
31Tudor Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 611	Re: Be careful It was about 500 miles. In a stock Model A that is a long day. Talk about lucky though, when I think about being upside down in a Roadster, if you land upside down, you are done. So Lucky!

05-23-2014, 02:24 PM	#29
scooder Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,593	Re: Be careful 5 hunner miles in one day, in a new to you stock Model A down the interstate? Like I said, nuts. Stay on smaller roads, over two days, I think would have made a very pleasant journey. Martin.

05-23-2014, 03:25 PM	#30
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 10,304	Re: Be careful At my age, 500 miles in a new Caddy is a long day; I can't believe he tried it in a Model "A". I drive back and for to Florida every year, and the traffic on both 75 and 95 will run you over if you drive the speed limit.

05-23-2014, 05:36 PM	#31
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,425	Re: Be careful I'm glad to hear he survived. I've been near run over on the road so many times that it gave me a good dose of what not to do. I can fix cars more often than not but gave up on trying to fix other people a long time ago. Some things just can't be fixed.

05-23-2014, 05:53 PM	#32
Sid the Maineiac Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norridgewock,Maine Posts: 657	Re: Be careful Yup, even duct tape won't fix stupid !!

05-23-2014, 05:56 PM	#33
Ted Duke Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fairfield, Virginia Posts: 615	Re: Be careful I live near I-81 in Virginia. The speed limit is 70MPH. The right lane normally runs 65 to 75 and the left lane 75 to 85, except when someone from Maryland or New Jersey or Tennessean is in a hurry, then they run whatever they can maintain weaving thru traffic. My A Model is still UNDER construction, but I can NOT imagine driving it or an other car that won't maintain 70 on I-81 (or I-95 it's the same) DAY OR NIGHT. I picked up too many from wrecks when I was driving an ambulance. STAY OFF the interstates, please. It's dangerous enough on any street with the texters and book readers and sleepy ones.

05-23-2014, 09:07 PM	#34
donQ Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 146	Re: Be careful I avoid night driving in my model As, but the suggestions regarding LED bike lights that can be attached are the way to go. If the blinking lights are not legal where you are,a unit called Powermax Superdeer has 3 settings, rapid flash, moderate flash and steady beam. It also has a belt clip that allows you to easily slip it over your license plate. I think you can find these most places that sell bikes. donQ

05-23-2014, 09:13 PM	#35
VeryTangled Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC Posts: 3,387	Re: Be careful Hi All, At least the buyer will have a story, if he's brave enough to tell it. Not the first Model A to be destroyed, many with right cause. I have a colleague who was towing a trailer with her race bike down (south, to us Yankees) I-81 last summer (a two lane interstate with lots of left lane traffic) and a lane-weaver caused a 40+ car pile up! In a thunderstorm! Toasted her new Forrester, the trailer (thankfully not the bike), and a flatbead semi beside them shed a newly restored Airstream into the ditch. The loco fled the scene on foot and was caught later. The insurance was a nightmare. Everybody got drenched. It is a scary world if you follow the green overhead signs. Fibber McGee will attest. On the other hand, route 30 can take you from Gettysburg to Tahoe, I hear... -VT/JeffH

05-24-2014, 04:14 AM	#37
scooder Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,593	Re: Be careful Why anyone would go on an interstate when you have roads like Henry just posted at your disposal is beyond me. Martin.

05-24-2014, 06:36 AM	#39
mhsprecher Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Takoma Park, MD Posts: 2,817	Re: Be careful We need to be careful all the time. I believe that statistically, secondary roads are more dangerous than interstates, but if we cannot keep up the speed and stop like the rest out there on the interstates, we should not be out there. I just think that with the brakes we have, our high center of gravity and the limited amount of tire surface on the roadway, we should not be on high speed roads. Maybe early on a Sunday morning when no one else is on the road.

05-24-2014, 07:29 AM	#40
scrapiron Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Independence, VA Posts: 423	Re: Be careful More foolishness, yesterday on I-81 near the I-77 junction there was also a good looking "A" Roadster being dragged along on what appeared to be a flimsy home built tow dolly/trailer pulled by a small van, at about 55 mph. Created a slow down back up getting around it...