Monday, June 2, 2014

Here's a Ford we didn't mind following at Atchley's

This is a 1930 or '31, assuming it was accurately
restored, because the 1928s and '29s didn't have
stainless steel radiator cowlings or headlight housings
Over the weekend, we had an oil change done at the dealership (and would have been crazy not to; it was just as cheap as the national chain that once forgot to put back the oil cap in our vehicle).
     Anyway, a sweet Model A roadster (costing $385 1928-1931 dollars) was just ahead of us in line.
     Wikipedia informs us that Henry Ford spend 100,000,000 1927 bucks retooling his production lines for the Model A, after selling 15,000,000 Model Ts (some of which were assembled in the TipTop building, on 16th street, now a rabbit's warren of lofty apartments.)
     Model As had such luxurious amenities as electric starters and came in nine body styles and FOUR colors! They went up to 65 mph with their four-cylinder 40 hp engines, but were prone to throwing connecting rods: "...The engines had a long stroke, which made for a lot of centrifugal force, and the bearings were cast from Babbitt metal..."
     We were impressed that Atchley Ford kept oil and air filters in stock for cars that old until we discovered that Model As didn't have oil or air filters.
     Talk about a death trap. Forget about no roll bars or seat belts or a reinforced passenger compartment cage, just look at the gas tank:
     The Model A's fuel tank was located in the cowl, between the engine compartment's fire wall and the dash panel [Yikes! Enough to horrify even a Pinto owner!] It had a visual fuel gauge, and the fuel flowed to the carburetor by gravity. A rear view mirror was optional. In cooler climates, owners could purchase an aftermarket cast iron unit to place over the exhaust manifold to provide heat to the cab. A small door provided adjustment of the amount of hot air entering the cab. Model A was the first car to have safety glass in the windshield.

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