You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 60sStuff

Actual miles - 9820.

Special order paint, Sherwood Green.

Notice in my first photo, the trim rings have not been installed yet.

Cool rare low mile ‘67.

Looks like this one got a nicer paint job than mine did.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Lee Stewart

Acceleration, braking, steering effort and just the ride itself. As compared to a modern car like a Lincoln or a Caddy.

I can't speak to a large, opulent vehicle like what you had pictured, but I can speak to the everyman's experience of driving an early Ford:

When I was shopping I looked briefly at Model T's. They were pretty inexpensive at the time and I thought it might be a good way to get into the antique car world for not much expenditure.

But - they are pretty archaic. The have a hand throttle and hand brake, and planetary gear set that is foot pedal operated. Also - most of the ones I saw were open cars and I didn't want that.

The Model A Ford (1928-1931, and then the 4 cylinder car was a B Model in 1932) is more conventional in its layout: foot throttle (although a vestigial hand throttle remains on the steering wheel, along side the spark lever), floor mounted three speed transmission, and foot brake (4 wheel mechanical brakes).

In terms of driving impressions: it drives like a modern vehicle - only slower. 45 mph is a sweet spot. It will go 55 (downhill) but nobody is going to be happy about it. Not that you really know for sure, because the mechanical "disc" speedometer is swinging all over the place. Acceleration is fine and there are no problems getting up to speed, although the trans is unsynchronized so I adhered to the mantra of "shift early, and shift often". Braking is fine, probably because the car is so light, but you get one shot: if somebody pulls out in front of you you are done for a little while. Steering, although manual, is easy probably because the wheel is approximately three feet in diameter. There is no ventilation other than rolling the windows down (I installed a roll down rear window in mine, so kicking the windshield out got lots of airflow). Long trips or multiple short trips take a lot out of you so by the end you are usually hot, dusty, and ready for a nap. Lighting for night driving is pretty inadequate; the headlamps provide a nice warm orange glow which presumably allows other drivers to see you but not much else.

You get Huge, HUGE (HUGE!!) old car bang for your buck. I couldn't put gas in it without someone coming over and wanting to visit, telling me about one they had, or how they would ride in the rear window shelf as baby, or how they lost their virginity in the rumble seat, etc. All that while putting in 11 gallons max.

In short - I now totally understand the early hot rod movement. Driving this car was 'fine', but I found myself wanting a little more acceleration, and a little more brakes, and one more gear, and the ability to stay out after dark.

Those factors are what prompted me to sell the car and upgrade the fleet, focusing on Pontiacs, and purchasing the '63 Grand Prix (which does, in fact, drive like a thoroughly modern vehicle).

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 67since67

Here's my version of a '31 Ford. Sent it to a new home two years ago...miss it sometimes.

That is awesome!

I've said before: I wouldn't be able to own one. I'd have to have four or five: one low, one high, with fenders, without fenders, one with a Flathead, etc.

I took a lot of guff from my family for selling mine. I definitely miss it and will likely own another.

If you look closely at this photo you will see a lot of smiling going on.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Speaking of that roll down rear window kit:

Turns out that a roll down rear window was an actual factory option, starting in the second half of the '31 build (Ford did not adhere to what we know as model year breaks. Everything was more of a rolling change).

I thought that sounded cool so I purchased a kit.

This was back before the internet, so the instructions were typewritten and you could tell that they were copies made from copies made from copies. In fact, some of the images were illegible, like pictured below.

I couldn't make heads or tails of the instructions. It was one of the two or three times in my mechanical life where I thought "I'm not sure I can figure this out".

In the end, I figured if somebody else could do it I could do it. I threw the instructions away, laid all the pieces out on the floor like a big 3D jigsaw puzzle and figured it out on my own.

K

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]