Be honest...do you really enjoy this hobby?

Well, true, Paul, I use to fly an Aeronca Champ ( my girls, Elvis fans, called it Aeronca Aeronca Burning Love), but when a pilot is asked ... How much money does it take to own and fly an airplane", the answer is "all of it"!

With cars, the answer is, uhhh, ummm, crap...the same....

I drove a Model A for 16 years after I restored it and every once in a while it would give me fits, and this was a car that everything was gone over. The bid mistake most newbes make is buying a car they no nothing about. All older cars need regular maintenance and periodic adjustments. Model A's are easy to work on and fun to drive but they are not without their inherited quirks. If you want to keep your A , I suggest that you purchase as much literature as you can and learn about your car. Not only how it's built but also how to drive it correctly. I spoke to one A owner who didn't even know that the choke rod is also a mixture adjustment that you adjust upon starting and then regulate after the car warms up. Some don't know that you always start an A with the spark retarded and that all A's do not respond well to full advance and that the advance can be adjusted as you drive to meet certain conditions. Carb problems can be everpresent as well as the mentioned electrical problems. There are some unseen updates that can be done to eliminate some of these problems but you must learn about them. Again,many cars are not restored properly and do not run well. I know many folks that won't even take there cars more than a mile from their home because it's not roadworthy,again mostly from ignorance. I used to take my A on rides of 100 miles or more in a day with no problems. If you don't want to get serious or get your hands dirty once in a while, it's probably best to change hobbies. Knowledge is everything with older cars and with Model a's there is more info out there than you can shake a stick at. But not all problems can be solved by giving a scenario, sometimes you just have to delve into the mechanics headon and by trial and error you can find the solution. Don't be afraid to ask others for help; try contacting the local MAFCA or MARC chapters in your area, those folks are pretty knowlegdeable and eager to share. And yes, I still enjoy the hobby but am saddened about the decline of real antique cars out there now. 20-30 years ago there were plenty,today it's all about fast and furious, hotrods and such. I've always enjoyed the people I've met and helped over the years and even on this forum, and that's the best part of the hobby!

Who's to say they are going to be any less of a problem than the old cars?????:eek:

Promise old cars are cheaper!

Ben

I didn't know B4 hand that I couldn't accomplish all that I have accomplished.

One step at a time, NEVER BOAST, & RARELY REST.

Dale in Indy

Promise old cars are cheaper!

Ben

You got that right!!

Every time I look at one of my cars it makes me smile. If I stop smiling at a particular car I know it's time for it to go.

If you don't enjoy working on the cars, spending inordinate amounts of time and intellect figuring out problems and finding fixes, disassembling and repairing items that take more time and effort than would make any sense in a car you drive every day, then this isn't a hobby. It's a burden.

I spend time and do things on my Triumphs that I wouldn't even consider doing to my daily driver. Somehow turning wrenches doing exactly the same thing on a car I love instead of on a car that'll have to get me to work tomorrow is a completely different activity for me. I'll do it to save money, but it's a burden. The hobby is fun, instead.

If that dichotomy isn't in you, this isn't for you.

Every time I look at one of my cars it makes me smile. If I stop smiling at a particular car I know it's time for it to go.

OMG yes.

A few years ago I purchased 2 OLD tractors and my 1919 Model T Touring.....all of them unseen except for photos and phone calls.

I was very happy with the Model T but the tractors were, shall I say "misrepresented by omission", and I was pretty ticked about both of them.

When I sell I hide NOTHING........unfortunately the two sellers didn't/don't operate that way....... :mad:

Long story short is every time I looked at those tractors in my shed it pissed me off and I decided there is no room in my shed for such things.

They're gone.......GOOD!

Did you bother to go to the Awkscht Fescht there in Macungie and look up the guys in the Lehigh Valley Region of Marc or Mafca, or B & B Model A parts, or Ontelaunee Region of AACA? I know you didn't stop to see me at my stand, L234, like I told you in an earlier thread. I'm wondering if you're really serious about wanting to fix a Model A.

I have been playing with OLD cars since I was 14 years old. Come January that will be 53 years now. One of the first things that I learned is that it takes patience and perseverance to get things all sorted out on any old car a person has. My paternal grandparents raised me until I was 7 years old. One of the life lessons that they got into my head at a very early age was to learn to use my hands and I would never go hungry in life. Being retired from the skilled metalworking trades I can honestly tell everyone that the lessons that I learned early in life have served me well. Maybe I'm reading a little too much into the start of this thread. It sorta sounds like the fellow is afraid to try anything and get his hands dirty. Hell, that's half the fun - get everything all torn apart on the workbench and watch it go back together. I cannot speak for others, but, taking a mechanical component and finding out what is wrong with it, rebuilding it, putting it back together, and watching it work like new gives me a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction. In the last post here Dave hit it right on the head. If a person doesn't do what they do with a willing hand, then life is going to become an uphill battle all the way to the grave. One of the biggest thrills for me in working with my old Buicks is knowing that these cars were engineered and built without any computers or NC machining equipment. It is a challenge for me to try and figure out how they did things back in those days. For a person to ask others if they really like what they are doing with these old automobiles tells me something about the person asking that question, and I am going to keep my mouth shut about that. That is about all that I have to say about this thread.

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas America

I didn't get that take at ALL from this thread....... :eek:

The poor guy is frustrated all to hell because he loves his car, the darn thing won't run right and he WANTS to fix it HIMSELF........which he is trying to do.......with few, if any, locals around to give him advice or a hand.

I wish I was close enough to give him some hands on pointers.

Did you bother READING the thread or just the TITLE?

I would love to be able to say I can fix ANYTHING, inside and out, and not rely on any help whatsoever. Not quite there yet...LOL!

Hate the price for parts. or no one can find it...

I have had my car (model A Ford) since 1964 and really enjoy driving it. I really like swap meets the best and dislike shows and parades. I like touring by myself down secondary roads. I've never had to have a tow (knock on wood), but did have to do some fixes on the side of the road.

I have been playing with OLD cars since I was 14 years old. Come January that will be 53 years now. One of the first things that I learned is that it takes patience and perseverance to get things all sorted out on any old car a person has. My paternal grandparents raised me until I was 7 years old. One of the life lessons that they got into my head at a very early age was to learn to use my hands and I would never go hungry in life. Being retired from the skilled metalworking trades I can honestly tell everyone that the lessons that I learned early in life have served me well. Maybe I'm reading a little too much into the start of this thread. It sorta sounds like the fellow is afraid to try anything and get his hands dirty. Hell, that's half the fun - get everything all torn apart on the workbench and watch it go back together. I cannot speak for others, but, taking a mechanical component and finding out what is wrong with it, rebuilding it, putting it back together, and watching it work like new gives me a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction. In the last post here Dave hit it right on the head. If a person doesn't do what they do with a willing hand, then life is going to become an uphill battle all the way to the grave. One of the biggest thrills for me in working with my old Buicks is knowing that these cars were engineered and built without any computers or NC machining equipment. It is a challenge for me to try and figure out how they did things back in those days. For a person to ask others if they really like what they are doing with these old automobiles tells me something about the person asking that question, and I am going to keep my mouth shut about that. That is about all that I have to say about this thread.

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas America

Nope, I am willing to get my hands dirty. DON'T MIND THAT AT ALL!!!! I go into slaughterhouses for a living, you think the innards of a car bother me?

Did you bother to go to the Awkscht Fescht there in Macungie and look up the guys in the Lehigh Valley Region of Marc or Mafca, or B & B Model A parts, or Ontelaunee Region of AACA? I know you didn't stop to see me at my stand, L234, like I told you in an earlier thread. I'm wondering if you're really serious about wanting to fix a Model A.

I wanted to go, and VIRTUALLY never get sent anywhere for work. Wouldn't you know, of course, it is the one weekend in over a year that I was away for work purposes, and that was beyond my control. Believe me, I tried to get out of it and could come up with no viable option short of being on sick leave after being hit by a truck.

Been in this old car interest/hobby since I was nine years old. Yes, I REALLY enjoy this hobby.

There are many great things about this hobby. One of the many great personal rewards comes from learning how to fix your own cars and make them run reliably so you can take off on a 5 or 500 mile drive with as much confidence as one can have in such a vehicle. Another particularly rewarding aspect of the hobby comes at a later date when you are able to help another new hobbyist diagnose and fix their problems so they can enjoy the hobby as well.

I enjoy the hobby quite a bit. But all those frustrations do go along with the old cars. I deal constantly with them. I inherited a good size collection from my dad. I have had the rear end out of my 1910 Overland 5 times working on it to get the transaxle and clutch right. The nice thing is you can walk away from them and they don't go anywhere. Its nice to take a break and collect your thoughts and when you get back to it have a fresh look at things. Years ago my Dad bought a 1914 Buick and could never get it to run correctly. He spent several years on different solutions. He never gave up. We took the car on a reliability run in Michigan one summer and spent most of the week working on the car. We even had the late Harold Sharron's help and even he couldn't figure out the issue. Finally one day we found hairline cracks in the distributor cam was causing the points to short out intermittently. He had a new one made and never had any more issues with the ignition. I learned a lot from that issue with the car. The satisfaction of figuring out the issue and being able to pass on the information we found renewed my interest in the hobby. Please don't give up on your model A. There is lots of help available.

I am inclined to think that a curiosity about mechanical things is something some people are born with. I grew up in the 1960's in a household where my father was reasonably handy but a mechanic on the family car only out of necessity. I learned quite a bit from him but from a very early age felt a need to go a step further. Any household mechanical item within my reach was dismantled, unless someone caught me and saved it from me[ I am talking about when I was 5,6,7 years old}. All old abandoned cars were investigated for anything that could be further explored. Old lawn mowers pulled apart, and by the time I was 12 or so I could even put them back into running condition. And so on through bicycles ,cars, motorcycles, and finally a career as a Marine Engineer. {think very big diesels, gearboxe's, pumps, genset's etc}

My Son has grown up in a household that would have been heaven for me, tools, shop equiptment , old cars, sports cars, a big Brass era basketcase, etc. But he has only ever had a passing interest in any of it. I have certainly tried to encourage him but realize that if the interest dose not come from within then it probably can not be "encouraged" to develop. I would like to hear the opinion of others on this.

Greg in Canada

My dad's advise; If you know how to fix or do something never pay someone to do it.

My brother-in-law's advise (sixteen years older than me-was dating my sister when I was born) If someone put that thing together, then you should be able to take it apart and fix it and put it back together.

BTW Greg in Canada, My nephew doesn't have it in his DNA to do what his father has taught me.

I am going through a period with my 52 Plymouth where every time I drive it, something goes wrong. Very frustrating. So I drive my 80 Volare more, it never fails me or is anything but reliable. Maybe you might do something as I have. A newer"old" car to have fun with and when you calm down(as I often need to do)and then working on the older one is not so aggravating because you can still have fun and take the time to enjoy working on the one that is giving you trouble without the pressure of wanting it to work all the time. Here we have a fairly short car season and I hate to be becalmed when the driving time is right.

Saturday here in Indy at a show, approx. 400 high end cars one fellow with a trailer queen had his trailer built with large side windows that opened up. So he never took his Mustang out of the trailer, everyone was scratching their heads, I thought what a joke.

He must worry himself to death, what a way to allow others the enjoyment of his car.

Dale in Indy

I wanted to go, and VIRTUALLY never get sent anywhere for work. Wouldn't you know, of course, it is the one weekend in over a year that I was away for work purposes, and that was beyond my control. Believe me, I tried to get out of it and could come up with no viable option short of being on sick leave after being hit by a truck.

OK I take back what I said, but you still should be able to contact Lehigh Valley A club or Ontelaunee AACA and somebody will surely help straighten you out.

A newer"old" car to have fun with and when you calm down(as I often need to do)and then working on the older one is not so aggravating because you can still have fun and take the time to enjoy working on the one that is giving you trouble without the pressure of wanting it to work all the time. Here we have a fairly short car season and I hate to be becalmed when the driving time is right.

Isn't there a law about a 2 car minimum?.......

one fellow with a trailer queen had his trailer built with large side windows that opened up. So he never took his Mustang out of the trailer, everyone was scratching their heads, I thought what a joke.

He must worry himself to death, what a way to allow others the enjoyment of his car.

Dale in Indy

I don't give owners like that the satisfaction of looking at their stuff......I ignore them and walk by while looking at something else.

OK I take back what I said, but you still should be able to contact Lehigh Valley A club or Ontelaunee AACA and somebody will surely help straighten you out.

I went to that show in 2013 and enjoyed it immensely! That was before I owned the Model A and the Maxwell had no problems, either! Talked to a man who has a 1919 Buick who said he drove it to Maine and back on its own power, including a small stretch of I-91! Was greatly impressed.

The wife was not. She enjoyed her French Fries, and not much else!

I've restored an oddball make with almost no assistance because of no club or centralized parts base. It was tough trying to find parts for a 60's Russian army truck in the US, even got told not to attempt it once by an "expert". The truck turned out great but frustrating at times too.

As for the hobby, I used to enjoy it more before lots of folks thought they had something worth big bucks no matter how bad the bottom 12" of the car was rotted out. Seems to be mostly about $$$$ these days but every now and then I meet someone or see a kindness and my faith is restored a tad! Moved into a new city and met a guy just down the road who has a barn full WWI era cars, supernice guy... things are lookin' up!

Seems to be mostly about $$$$ these days but every now and then I meet someone or see a kindness and my faith is restored a tad!

There is the "hobbyist", and then there is the "$nobbyist", lol!

It can be frustrating. Ne'er a month goes by that I swear that I'm getting out. Example I have a gorgeous 50 Cadillac, that is very reliable. But there always it a "hole to be plugged in the dike". One of my favorites that living in Arizona, I rarely turn on the defroster. Naturally, when I do the motor fails to turn. All you old caddy guys know what I feel when you need to lay on your back & look up at the levers and caldron of "spaghetti" under the dash. Of course I checked for power in the motor first, only to not realize that the alligator clip for my tester had fallen off, and therefore showed no power to the motor.... But, why is there power at the small switch under the dash? After an hour of work, I realized what I did, and figured that the defroster motor just needed to be run because a film covered the brushes and commutator surface. With a removal of the motor(easy) and a little push off it went The cars are only incidental to the folks we meet in the hobby. Be patient, I will bet that the longer you own your car the more comfortable you will become with it. Pick up a copy of Les Andrews book on the Model A Ford. I bet you my have a dirty carb, but it may have gotten gummed up because of a dirty gas tank feeding small debris into the carb. The fan belt could be a victim of the wrong belt ( get the correct one at Brattons or Snyders or another Model A supplier), or too much tension. Join MARC or MAFCA and a local chapter. There is always some one that has had the same issue and once you have knowledge on procedures to identify trouble, life becomes easier and less frustrating. BTW, loosen the gas cap, then drive the car. As are gravity fed and the gas caps like most pre 60s cars, must be vented. If the vent hole is clogged air can't be displaced and the fuel flow will stop. Think of a Coke bottle turned upside down...gluk gluk. Now, put a small hole in the bottom of the bottle. The liquid flows smoothly.

Hardly a week goes by when I'm not under the hood of a car tinkering to get it running or repaired for a customer or something that has a deadline, and I often say to the guy standing next to me, "Remind me why I do this again?" Sometimes it's tough to see the forest for the trees.

I'll admit to having a short fuse sometimes simply because I don't have a lot of spare time anymore. The master cylinder on my wife's 1966 Mustang failed a few weeks ago and it turned into a major hassle. Whomever worked on the car in the past hacked it up so badly that it took me hours to just get back to 0, never mind fully functional. For some reason, they thought a Corvette master cylinder was the right choice, and then added a proporioning valve and a bunch of extra plumbing. So I tore it all out and installed a manual master cylinder like the car is supposed to have. Then I borrow a brake line flaring tool from the local auto parts store and spend an afternoon making non-functional double flares. Eventually I give up, push all the crap into the garage and walk away saying awful things under my breath. At that moment, if you'd offered me $100 for the Mustang, I would have taken it. Eventually I learned that the flaring tool was defective and buying a new one for myself allowed me to finish the job in an hour. I don't know if that made me more or less angry, to be honest.

Old cars are a trial by fire. They will test your financial, physical, and mental fortitude. They will try to break your spirit. They will best you as often as you solve a problem. And either you deal with it or you get out. My father could no longer deal with it and got out, selling all his cars at a huge loss just to be rid of them. But now? His life is peaceful. Sometimes I envy that...

So to make a long story longer, it comes with the territory. You WILL get fed up, you WILL lose your temper, and no car will ever be as good as you want it to be. And you either manage or get out before you go nuts.

.............. His life is peaceful. Sometimes I envy that...

So to make a long story longer, it comes with the territory. You WILL get fed up, you WILL lose your temper, and no car will ever be as good as you want it to be. And you either manage or get out before you go nuts.

Or, if feasible, you hire a mechanic to keep it all running. I feel the same way about my business. After over 40 years of it, my temper now flares, patience is very short, and I think of selling every day. I envy your father Matt!

Old cars are a trial by fire. They will test your financial, physical, and mental fortitude. They will try to break your spirit. They will best you as often as you solve a problem. And either you deal with it or you get out. My father could no longer deal with it and got out, selling all his cars at a huge loss just to be rid of them. But now? His life is peaceful. Sometimes I envy that...

Your car must take on human form. Hardly the fault of a inanimate object to try and break your spirit.

Hardly a week goes by when I'm not under the hood of a car tinkering to get it running or repaired for a customer or something that has a deadline, and I often say to the guy standing next to me, "Remind me why I do this again?" Sometimes it's tough to see the forest for the trees.

I'll admit to having a short fuse sometimes simply because I don't have a lot of spare time anymore. The master cylinder on my wife's 1966 Mustang failed a few weeks ago and it turned into a major hassle. Whomever worked on the car in the past hacked it up so badly that it took me hours to just get back to 0, never mind fully functional. For some reason, they thought a Corvette master cylinder was the right choice, and then added a proporioning valve and a bunch of extra plumbing. So I tore it all out and installed a manual master cylinder like the car is supposed to have. Then I borrow a brake line flaring tool from the local auto parts store and spend an afternoon making non-functional double flares. Eventually I give up, push all the crap into the garage and walk away saying awful things under my breath. At that moment, if you'd offered me $100 for the Mustang, I would have taken it. Eventually I learned that the flaring tool was defective and buying a new one for myself allowed me to finish the job in an hour. I don't know if that made me more or less angry, to be honest.

Old cars are a trial by fire. They will test your financial, physical, and mental fortitude. They will try to break your spirit. They will best you as often as you solve a problem. And either you deal with it or you get out. My father could no longer deal with it and got out, selling all his cars at a huge loss just to be rid of them. But now? His life is peaceful. Sometimes I envy that...

So to make a long story longer, it comes with the territory. You WILL get fed up, you WILL lose your temper, and no car will ever be as good as you want it to be. And you either manage or get out before you go nuts.

Matt, I always enjoy reading your posts! You brought up a good point about the frustrations brought on by previous owners. In the end the satisfaction of doing it right is always rewarding. I enjoy my old cars even though sometimes I feel as you. Without working on them I'd be bored. BTW, have you been working on your '41 Buick project? I remember reading your stories in the Buick Bugle. Great writing..............!

My dad's advise; If you know how to fix or do something never pay someone to do it.

My brother-in-law's advise (sixteen years older than me-was dating my sister when I was born) If someone put that thing together, then you should be able to take it apart and fix it and put it back together.

BTW Greg in Canada, My nephew doesn't have it in his DNA to do what his father has taught me.

My dads advice was 'never try to beat a guy at his own trade' This is why I do not do body or upholstery work. (or construction work as I cant even drive a nail) Along the same lines, he was NOT mechanical and the only time I asked him as a teenager to help me with something he had to go find gloves. I have never seen him with dirty hands. Everything I have learned was trial and error. Dad says I take after his late brother. I never met him, he was an ace before he got shot down.