Attempting To Daily a 1930 Ford Model A

althebass

RMS Regular
Messages
294
Location
Bangor, N. Ireland
Drives
Model A Ford
Hi!

I've been on the lookout for a new daily recently. Duties to include a 6 mile each way daily commute and picking the kids up on the way home.
I had thought of a wee Audi A2 as something cheap, cheerful and a bit different.
I was open minded though and spurred on by my boss I started looking at vintage stuff. (I work in a workshop specialising in prewar servicing and restoration.)
I viewed a few Austin 7s and was initially keen, a saloon would seat 4 and do the job for getting to work but I've always fancied a Model A, having lurked on various hot rod forums for years.
They are much more like a proper car, much as I like the wee Austins.
I had wrongly assumed they were all LHD and out of my price range so hadn't really considered one but got a nice surprise when a customer in work offered me a 1930 5 window coupe (complete with rumble seat) for £low teens k.
It was made in Manchester, RHD and was sold new in Belfast. However, the deal didn't quite come together in the end so I hit the classifieds hard, my mind set on a Model A.

I found this on Car&Classic, also made in Manchester and RHD:

IMG_1290.jpg

It had been for sale for a while. Having been messed about and with a house move looming the seller had reduced the price and was keen to do a deal.
I chatted with the owner, him knowing several friends/customers of ours here through Austin 7s and vintage car clubs.
Mechanically the car has been more or less completely overhauled in recent years, including engine and gearbox rebuild, axles, shocks and brakes rebuilt too.
"Not show shiny but really solid and useable" said the seller "hasn't been welded where they all go, chassis not cracked" and he said that he would be happy to press it into daily use. I took him at his word, made him an offer and we settled on a deal.

In my experience since starting working at this stuff this year the people are very honest, genuinely nice people. Most are quite mad but they are all incredibly enthusiastic about the cars and love younger people getting involved. They all know each other too so I did a few checks and wired the seller the full amount.
Whoop whoop! I own a vintage car!
Oop oops! How will I get it home from Ripley, Derbyshire?!

No point messing about if I'm going to daily this thing is there!
Booked flights for me and sprog 1 to East Midlands Airport for Saturday morning and booked the night boat home from Liverpool Saturday night.

Time for an adventure! Maybe I've been watching too much Roadkill but I had absolutely no doubt that we would probably be fine!
Insured and breakdown covered we set off armed with fruit and so many many layers. (No heater in a Model A!)

Got a photo of Kirkistown from the plane!

IMG_1314.jpg


Looks like Monet took it :laughing:

East Midlands is beside Donnington Park Circuit and we could hear bikes practicing whilst waiting for our taxi.
About 35 mins later we were greeted with this!

IMG_1315.jpg


A very nice man called Steve and our transport home!
The car seemed at least as good as described and started easily from cold.
Sh*t's getting real now!
This car isn't really suitable for motorways. It'll cruise happily all day, over dirt roads, at 50 but really whilst 60/65 is doable it's not really fair on the car.
Most cars this age have small bore size engines with a really long stroke, and therefore piston speed even though they only rev to 3kish.
Steve gave us an old map and outlined our route. Virtual handshake and we're away!
F*ck! :joy:

IMG_1326.jpg


Centre throttle and a 3 speed crash box with no synchro. At least I'll be able to drive it by the time we cover the 120 miles or so to the boat. Ish.
Drove round the corner to fill it up and compose ourselves.
We were excited I promise!

IMG_1317.jpg


The dash/scuttle IS the fuel tank, filled in the middle just in front of the screen 8o|
That means you don't need a fuel pump, it just gravity feeds to a wee updraft carb!
The fuel gauge is just a float you can see through a wee bit of glass in the dash and when its high tide you can see the fuel sloshing about :joy:

We used the route marked on the map to find the next town, then looked it up on google maps.
Drove there with no hassles, surprisingly and stopped for chips and to check out our new ride!

IMG_1320.jpg


IMG_1321.jpg


IMG_1322.jpg


IMG_1323.jpg


IMG_1324.jpg


The car is very original and virtually rust free. No holes and no filler, just good solid metal. Unbelievable at 90 years old.
Result!

Apart from that f*cking up my plans to chop it into something like this :p:

IMG_1298.JPG


IMG_1300.JPG


It's really too good for that so I'll drive as is and probably fit a flat head v8, overdrive and leave the bonnet sides off.

Following Steve's route we hopped from town to town under Manchester and over 'Snake Pass' with no drama.

IMG_1328.jpg


Got to the boat a few hours early and just chilled out.
Few swals in the cabin and not a bad sleep and we were home. Risked a bit of M2 off the boat but it was early enough on Sunday morning and quiet.

IMG_1335.jpg


That could have gone a f*ck of a lot worse!

Immediate plans are better headlights (horrific nightmare) and losing the orange indicators. I'll give it a wire brush and some POR-15 underneath, waxoil to death and coat the top coat/patina in something like ACF to stop it getting worse. Other than that just drive away at it!

Reason for needing a new daily?
The M3 is being stood down and caged for the track.

Ali
 
Last edited:

FM155

RMS Regular
Messages
8,653
Drives
Alfa 155
Fan bloody tastic! The last picture couldn't be more chalk and cheese. :joy: These old things will go forever as long as the maintenance is kept on top of. My dad bought a Singer van just before WWII in 1939 and because of the war and the lack of new cars afterwards, he kept it until 1949 and did 100,000 miles in that time. He also sold it for more than he paid for it because of the scarcity of new cars at the time. Always fancied something like this although the thought of it is probably better than the reality. No heater.. :cold_sweat:
 

Mark_C

RMS Regular
Messages
10,440
Brilliant. My grandfather daily'd an Alvis from 1950-something until 1989 driving from where he lived near the argory to his pharmacy shop in Dungannon and it never missed a beat.

Chassis of it is still sitting at their house
 

Coog

Admin
Messages
47,514
Drives
GTI
Does it have a cabin heater?
Electric start?
Does it take unleaded or does the fuel need mixed with additive?
Presumably theres a dozen grease nipples to top up every couple of weeks, is there anything else needs regular doing?
Can you get parts and tyres easily enough?
 

FM155

RMS Regular
Messages
8,653
Drives
Alfa 155
I take it you've seen the Model A BDA that Juha Kankkunen had built for him after he retired from the wrc? It had a 'vintage' mode where the map was able to make it sound like a bag of spanners and then go like the clappers when you wanted to.
 

althebass

RMS Regular
OP
A
Messages
294
Location
Bangor, N. Ireland
Drives
Model A Ford
I take it you've seen the Model A BDA that Juha Kankkunen had built for him after he retired from the wrc? It had a 'vintage' mode where the map was able to make it sound like a bag of spanners and then go like the clappers when you wanted to.

I forgot about that!
Saw it years ago when I was building a BDG for a Crosslé formula 2 car.
Thanks! Will check it out later
 

FM155

RMS Regular
Messages
8,653
Drives
Alfa 155
Aye there was a build video for it too somewhere.
On a side note, I'm sure you didn't bother the average speed cameras on the snake pass lol. I used to go that way from Derby the odd time heading to cairnryan for a bit of difference. I'd love to do a proper road trip using only old single carriageway roads in something old.
 

althebass

RMS Regular
OP
A
Messages
294
Location
Bangor, N. Ireland
Drives
Model A Ford
Does it have a cabin heater? NO
Electric start? YES, AND CRANKY HANDLE BUT IF THE SPARK ADVANCE LEVER ON THE STEERING COLUMN ISN’T ALL THE WAY RETARDED IT CAN KICK BACK AND COST A THUMB! NOT GOING TO TRY THAT UNTIL I GET A TIMING LIGHT ON IT...
Does it take unleaded or does the fuel need mixed with additive? THE ENGINE WAS DESIGNED BEFORE THEY PUT LEAD IN FUEL SO IT’S OK WITHOUT - I’LL PROBABLY RUN SOME OF THE MILLERS ADDITIVE THE ODD TIME.
Presumably theres a dozen grease nipples to top up every couple of weeks, is there anything else needs regular doing? GREASING ALL SUSPENSION JOINTS AND BRAKE CLEVI EVERY 300 MILES OR SO, PLUS SOME OTHER STUFF YOU WOULDN’T THINK OF LIKE OILING THE DISTRIBUTOR WEIGHTS AND HORN ETC.

Can you get parts and tyres easily enough? TYRES NO PROBLEM, PARTS ARE READILY AVAILABLE DUE TO THEIR POPULARITY IN USA BUT QUALITY CAN BE SUSPECT.
 

cauld1

RMS Regular
Messages
5,325
Drives
BMW E34
Fantasic to see, and to think theres people that think (incorrectly) a 10 year old car is too old to use regularly never mind 90 year old!

My dad navigates on some historic events in a friends Talbot 105, ive never been really interested in anything vintage, but after having a nose around it theres something so cool about vintage cars.
 
Top