Long distance driving/traveling with vintage cars

[J3Studio]

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

Drive the cars. You don't have to go far if you drive frequently, and as you become more confident you can go farther. It sounds like your cars still have multiple issues and that's a significant part of the problem. If it's flooding or overheating or the ignition is failing, then you still have lots of sorting to do. The sorting process is something that most restoration shops skip and many owners don't understand, but I personally find it to be the most rewarding part of owning an old car. Fix one thing and the car gets better. Fix the next thign and it gets better still. Eventually, you have a reliable car that you can trust. But as many people here will say, the sorting process is not easy. There will be temptations along the way to cut corners and say, "Well, good enough." If you want to drive your cars with confidence, "good enough" is never good enough. The car is either right or it is not, and I have learned over the years to trust the original engineers rather than trying to out-think them with modern ideas. There are upgrades that make sense (electric fuel pumps for back-up, stronger batteries, modern spark plugs, etc.) and some that do not (electronic ignitions, different carburetors, "creative" electrical systems). If you put the car back the way it was built, it will get more reliable. As you tune it and get to know the various parts and ensure they are in top condition, your confidence will grow. But it takes time. There's no magic solution. Right now, you sound like my father, who expected these ancient cars with questionable care and maintenance over the years to be reliable right out of the box. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Reliable cars only get that way through many hours of hard work and finicky tuning. It will take some dedication to learn what you have to learn. But it really matters if you want to drive. There really is no substitute.

 

Agreed with everything you say.

 

Folks in the Corvette restoration hobby say I have one of the very few C4 Corvettes that has actually been brought back from the edge. I'm not always sure as to whether they mean that as a compliment or a questioning of my sanity.

 

My "secret" has been never to accept anything as unfixable and never view the car as done. Also, I don't defer mechanical things—they get fixed as soon as possible, while things like upholstery and paint wait. I have an abject fear of letting the car go into any kind of decline.

Edited May 31, 2019 by j3studio (see edit history)

[mrcvs]

Well...

 

I'll admit I'm rather frustrated.  I have 2 antique cars that I have driven maybe 300 miles total for both in the nearly 8 years since I bought the first one.

 

I can't drive them if they don't run.  I remember first getting the Maxwell and running it 20 miles and had a blast.  Then several shorter runs.  Then threw a fan blade.  Fixed that.  Then the awful gas we now have not enabling the carburetor float to work.  Dumping gas...and now I think the points.  Not much fun...probably will run another 10 miles and it will be something else.

 

I kind of am thinking of just selling both and be done with a hobby that's really no fun.  I can't even do that.  Easier to sell a car when it actually works.

 

Believe me, I'd love to say what a fun, rewarding hobby.  I'm to the point where I think it really sucks.  I guess old cars are just unreliable.  Or, how do I make mine reliable?

 

I kind of want to just send them to someone and say take this pile of junk and fix it so it actually works.

[vermontboy]

As Matt said, and others have said, the only way to make a car reliable is to drive it and when something breaks fix it. And pretty soon you will be able to just hop into it and  go anywhere without a second thought. Two things that are a prerequisite - patience and faith. Any older vehicle that hasn't been run in a while needs to be sorted out - if you truly don''t enjoy working on cars you need to own a  car that has been sorted - a car that has been on a lot of tours perhaps.

 

If you do enjoy working on cars than all you need is a little faith. I can think of no greater example than the story of the Zapp family: I posted this awhile back - please excuse the duplication. Lots to read andd view if you use google.

 

11 years and 145,000 miles in a 1928 Graham Paige - having 4 kids along the way. A must read for anyone who is not sure that they should actually drive their old car on anything longer than a day trip !!!!

 

https://stuckattheairport.com/2011/04/06/radical-road-trip-one-familys-11-year-adventure/

[mrcvs]

I want to drive them, and I actually enjoy working on them.  Trouble is, I feel like my cars are lemons.  Need to be worked on all the time, rarely run flawlessly.  Others seem not to have such problematic cars.

[mrcvs]

Is the author of "Chasing Grandpa" on this forum?  I'd love to discuss this with him.  He drove a 1917 Maxwell a few years ago from New Jersey to California.  I'm lucky if mine can make it 4 miles to Das Auwscht Fecht!

[60FlatTop]

17 hours ago, trimacar said:

Nothing builds confidence in a car like using it, sorting out any issues, and being able to hop in it and drive with little worry. 

 

That's the best plan.

 

My Wife's family lives 90 miles from us. Driving back, one 85 degree summer day, my Wife said "I just realized we get in this 50 year old car and go wherever we want without thinking about it being 50 years old. That was ten years ago.

[TTR]

Thanks again for all replies so far, but more than anything, I was and am hoping to read more about (recent ? ) adventures/experiences of long distance, multi-day/-week/-month leisure/vacation road trips in 60+ year old, preferably pre-war cars. Photos featuring the car in  some beautiful, cool, interesting or unusual moments/places along the route would also be greatly appreciated. 

Here’s couple of examples, although they may not all be from “long distance” trips:

 

Carmel Valley, Aug. '15. Roadside repairing fatigued rear shock mounts:

 

June Lake (at +/- 8000 ft, 9am), Nov. '15. Ready for the 2nd day adventures of a 4-day trip to California Sierras:

 

 

Joshua Tree, New Years Day '16. Returning from a sunrise nature hike

(40+ mile round trip just on that dirt road):

 

CA-2, a.k.a. "A.C.H.", (at 6000 ft., 7am) Xmas morning '16. Just out for a day drive.

El Mirage in the background horizon:

Edited June 1, 2019 by TTR
Added details & pictures (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

1 hour ago, TTR said:

 Photos featuring the car in  some beautiful, cool, interesting or unusual moments/places along the route would also be greatly appreciated. 

 

This is from a year ago, taken in Indiana about 800 miles from my home in North Carolina. The trip to Indiana for the tour was spread over 2 days. We then toured for 3 days. Later this month, I will be driving it to Ohio for this year's 36-38 Buick Club tour.

[JACK M]

I bought this in Tucson. Its been a couple of years now I guess.

I flew in armed with some basic tools and a fuel gauge sender.

Three days at 55 mph home to Oregon.

When I got to Oregon the drivers wiper blade fell off. Thanks to some help at O'Rielys got those replaced.

I put some taller gears in it the very next day and still drive it regularly.

 

Anybody have a better tail gate ??

Edited June 2, 2019 by JACK M (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

There is a lot to be said about the simplicity of older vehicles. 20 years ago my "rough around the edges" MGA was my 8 months a year daily driver. I hid it from the salt each winter.

 Two trips from Vancouver BC to California, one just down to the Monterey Historics and back. The other all over central California and Nevada. The long trip resulted in the failure of a coil. A few $ and a 20 minute hitchhike into the nearest town. The Monterey dash resulted in a blown headgasket. 100 + mph for a few hours out in central California was a bit too much for my trusty MG. We were being paced by a cute girl in a VW Rabbit convertible and didn't want German engineering to triumph over British. But the obvious age difference finally was our undoing.

Pull over and luckily enough the roadside ditch had a trickle of water flowing. We filled up the rad with water, plus a couple of empty containers for insurance. Very slowly limped into the next town and bought a head gasket. I was sure thrilled they had one in stock. Took our chances and limped on to Laguna Seca and set up camp. Only about 40 miles so just doable. 

 The next campsite over had a fellow Canadian racing a MGTD who was kind enough to lend me a torque wrench, the one tool I had not brought with me. A few hours later the job was done and we spent the next 3 days immersed in vintage racing nirvana.

Drive home was trouble free however for safety sake I kept things below 65 MPH.

 

Greg in Canada

[JFranklin]

I put my '36 Chevy together in Santa Monica, California and it's maiden trip after driving around town for about 25 miles to break it in was a trip to Eugene Oregon. I had to replace a fuse on the first fill-up, thinking maybe the gauge was the cause. Had to replace a broken rear brake spring in Lompoc. The guy at the brake shop let me scrounge in the parts pile until I found something that would work OK. Did the first valve re-adjustment in Walnut Creek California and had no more troubles the rest of the way.

[edinmass]

On 5/31/2019 at 9:26 PM, mrcvs said:

I want to drive them, and I actually enjoy working on them.  Trouble is, I feel like my cars are lemons.  Need to be worked on all the time, rarely run flawlessly.  Others seem not to have such problematic cars.

 

Ok, so I currently have 17 pre war cars that I maintain, from 1915 to 1936 all running, insured, and registered. Some are mine, most are not. Unless I am going to drive more than 250 miles, I carry NO.........Zip.........NADA.......tools or spares. I do carry a wrench for the tires and wheels in the event of a flat......bit I will NEVER change a flat on the side of the road..........EVER! I carry the tool so if in the event of a flat, I can call a rollback and change it out at a garage. Now.........all of the cars but one of the 17 are and would be considered exotic and difficult.......that being said, it is possible to sort a car to the point it is reliable, with no bad habits. It just takes LOTS of time. Most of the cars use optima batteries which is new for me, as I always ran regular lead acid batteries until three years ago. No modern ignition, no 12 volt conversions, we run stock......bone stock. I figure I have from twenty to 100 hours in each car sorting and fixing the smalls......not including things like head gaskets.........popular problem, or bad clutches....also a popular problem. We drive every car at least 75 miles every other month..........which takes more effort than you would think. Now......let it be known that once you have that many early cars sorted and driving, it’s almost a full time effort to keep it all running without issues. I think the most important thing to say is in the event of a failure to proceed(break down).......number one is......it’s part of our hobby. Number two.....it a rod isn’t sticking through the pan or block.......things are not too bad. It took me fifteen years in the hobby before I had a car that I could jump in and not think about breaking down........I remember the feeling very well........and it sucks. I learned it was much more fun to fix everything to the best of my abilities and then I started having a really good time. Last summer we did 1200 miles in ten days on a super exotic 1930 automobile. Had two issues........both from metal fatigue and if I was more familiar with the car it wouldn’t have happened, as the other people on the tour with us all driving the same marque had suffered the same problems in the past. Honestly, who has ever heard of hydraulic brake fittings failing at 90 years of age? Yup......early cars with juice brakes need all new fittings. We were driving an original car.........so to be honest I would have left the factory fitting on it and just carried the new modern replacements as spares. Live and learn, even after forty five years in the hobby. Have fun, drive it more and more. I usually start with a five mile drive, continuing out further and further each time till I am sure it’s bulletproof. Ed

Edited June 2, 2019 by edinmass (see edit history)

[TTR]

I do carry tools and spare parts in my PB, but other than aforementioned shock mount incident few years ago, i haven’t done or needed to do  much roadside repairs/services in nearly 30 years and tens of thousands of miles. 

Twice I’ve had it brought home on a (AAA) flatbed and both incidents were  less than 100 miles away, so neither was worth of trying to repair roadside.

Spares, tools and/or AAA, I never leave home or shop in a vintage car without at least one of them..

[ply33]

5 hours ago, TTR said:

I do carry tools and spare parts in my PB, . . .

 

Out of curiosity, what year/make/etc. is your "PB"?

 

Your profile doesn't show what cars you have nor did a cursory search of your recent posts.

 

Your recent mention of driving Ortega Highway leads me to suspect you are located somewhat near "my neck of the woods". If your "PB" is a '32 Plymouth, I'd be interested in seeing it. Might be interested in seeing it even if it is some other "PB".

[TTR]

1 hour ago, ply33 said:

 

Out of curiosity, what year/make/etc. is your "PB"?

 

Your profile doesn't show what cars you have nor did a cursory search of your recent posts.

 

Your recent mention of driving Ortega Highway leads me to suspect you are located somewhat near "my neck of the woods". If your "PB" is a '32 Plymouth, I'd be interested in seeing it. Might be interested in seeing it even if it is some other "PB".

Yes, ‘32 Plymouth PB Sports Roadster I bought literally  in “basket case” condition, i.e. all apart, no running gear, most of what was left of the body and parts inside a wooden crate on top of the rolling chassis, about 30 years ago.

Built it as a “period correct” early-‘50s Hot Rod soon after and been enjoying it ever since, including today.

For few pictures, see one of my earlier posts on page 2 of this thread.

Thanks for your interest.

 I see your avatar and screen name refers to ‘33 PC(?), Yours I assume ? Care to exchange contact info via PM ?

[ply33]

54 minutes ago, TTR said:

Yes, ‘32 Plymouth PB Sports Roadster I bought literally  in “basket case” condition, i.e. all apart, no running gear, most of what was left of the body and parts inside a wooden crate on top of the rolling chassis, about 30 years ago.

Built it as a “period correct” early-‘50s Hot Rod soon after and been enjoying it ever since, including today.

For few pictures, see one of my earlier posts on page 2 of this thread.

Thanks for your interest.

 I see your avatar and screen name refers to ‘33 PC(?), Yours I assume ? Care to exchange contact info via PM ?

 

It's a '33 PD. It was an update NY rust bucket when I bought it in 1973. Done a little work on it over the years.

 

Feel free to email me. . . One of my email addresses is on each page of my "vanity" website. Just click on my name on the top of any page.

[TTR]

50 minutes ago, ply33 said:

 

It's a '33 PD. It was an update NY rust bucket when I bought it in 1973. Done a little work on it over the years.

 

Feel free to email me. . . One of my email addresses is on each page of my "vanity" website. Just click on my name on the top of any page.

Now that’s a funny coincidence. My PB came also from upstate N.Y., Rochester area if I recall correctly.

I’ll send you an email.

[ply33]

9 hours ago, TTR said:

Now that’s a funny coincidence. My PB came also from upstate N.Y., Rochester area if I recall correctly.

I’ll send you an email.

 

Mine was originally shipped to Lang Motors in Rochester, NY. I purchased it in Rochester from a fellow who claimed he'd bought it from the son of the original owner.

 

Back, a little more on topic for this thread, here are the states I've personally driven the car in or through:

 

 

[TerryB]

On 5/31/2019 at 9:01 PM, mrcvs said:

Well...

 

I'll admit I'm rather frustrated.  I have 2 antique cars that I have driven maybe 300 miles total for both in the nearly 8 years since I bought the first one.

 

I can't drive them if they don't run.  I remember first getting the Maxwell and running it 20 miles and had a blast.  Then several shorter runs.  Then threw a fan blade.  Fixed that.  Then the awful gas we now have not enabling the carburetor float to work.  Dumping gas...and now I think the points.  Not much fun...probably will run another 10 miles and it will be something else.

 

I kind of am thinking of just selling both and be done with a hobby that's really no fun.  I can't even do that.  Easier to sell a car when it actually works.

 

Believe me, I'd love to say what a fun, rewarding hobby.  I'm to the point where I think it really sucks.  I guess old cars are just unreliable.  Or, how do I make mine reliable?

 

I kind of want to just send them to someone and say take this pile of junk and fix it so it actually works.

Ever think of going newer with your cars?  Post war cars especially Ford and Chevrolet have lots of easy to find parts and simple to maintain ignition and fuel systems.  Many spare parts can be purchased at places like NAPA, no need to scour the internet for nearly impossible parts to find to keep the car running and, important to you, a chance to actually drive and enjoy it with a lot less worry. You might want a car like that while you sort out the Maxwell.

 

At one time I had both a 1937 Dodge and a 1964 Plymouth. While I waited for the UPS guy to deliver parts for the 1937, I could drive the 1964 and get parts for it at the local NAPA store, kind of a win-win situation for enjoying the hobby.

[1912Staver]

19 hours ago, edinmass said:

 

Ok, so I currently have 17 pre war cars that I maintain, from 1915 to 1936 all running, insured, and registered. Some are mine, most are not. Unless I am going to drive more than 250 miles, I carry NO.........Zip.........NADA.......tools or spares. I do carry a wrench for the tires and wheels in the event of a flat......bit I will NEVER change a flat on the side of the road..........EVER! I carry the tool so if in the event of a flat, I can call a rollback and change it out at a garage. Now.........all of the cars but one of the 17 are and would be considered exotic and difficult.......that being said, it is possible to sort a car to the point it is reliable, with no bad habits. It just takes LOTS of time. Most of the cars use optima batteries which is new for me, as I always ran regular lead acid batteries until three years ago. No modern ignition, no 12 volt conversions, we run stock......bone stock. I figure I have from twenty to 100 hours in each car sorting and fixing the smalls......not including things like head gaskets.........popular problem, or bad clutches....also a popular problem. We drive every car at least 75 miles every other month..........which takes more effort than you would think. Now......let it be known that once you have that many early cars sorted and driving, it’s almost a full time effort to keep it all running without issues. I think the most important thing to say is in the event of a failure to proceed(break down).......number one is......it’s part of our hobby. Number two.....it a rod isn’t sticking through the pan or block.......things are not too bad. It took me fifteen years in the hobby before I had a car that I could jump in and not think about breaking down........I remember the feeling very well........and it sucks. I learned it was much more fun to fix everything to the best of my abilities and then I started having a really good time. Last summer we did 1200 miles in ten days on a super exotic 1930 automobile. Had two issues........both from metal fatigue and if I was more familiar with the car it wouldn’t have happened, as the other people on the tour with us all driving the same marque had suffered the same problems in the past. Honestly, who has ever heard of hydraulic brake fittings failing at 90 years of age? Yup......early cars with juice brakes need all new fittings. We were driving an original car.........so to be honest I would have left the factory fitting on it and just carried the new modern replacements as spares. Live and learn, even after forty five years in the hobby. Have fun, drive it more and more. I usually start with a five mile drive, continuing out further and further each time till I am sure it’s bulletproof. Ed

 

I would feel naked on a longer trip without the most commonly needed tools. My travel toolbox is only about 60 lbs and small enough even for a MGA trunk. But no cell phone and no auto club membership so on the road I am on my own, you know like the old days.

 

Greg in Canada

[edinmass]

19 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

 

I would feel naked on a longer trip without the most commonly needed tools. My travel toolbox is only about 60 lbs and small enough even for a MGA trunk. But no cell phone and no auto club membership so on the road I am on my own, you know like the old days.

 

Greg in Canada

 

 The last time I was in our car and it decided to act up, I was in the boondocks in the UK (Whales) with no cell service, on a dirt road, miles from anything that could be called civilization (We made a very bad wrong turn, and went miles out of our way.). Its amazing what you can fix with an unknown pair of pliers in the bottom of the trunk and womans manicure kit. Necessity IS the mother of invention. I was able to get it started and climb the hill for a few miles before it gave up the ghost. The shop I limped into looked like something from The Bennny Hill Show. (Insert the smell of manure...real bad!) We laugh about it now, but I was crying at the time. Here is a photo I took as I got out of the car to see what happened. Basically the points exploded.........the hardest roadside repair I have ever done. Still have the scars on my hand to prove it. I installed two new sets of points(had spares in the car....just no tools!), did a roadside timing by ear, and off we went........car ran better than it ever had. That was 2500 miles ago..........maybe I should pull the distributor and put it on the Sun Tester?

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by edinmass (see edit history)

[TTR]

2 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

The last time I was in our car and it decided to act up... 

Here is a photo I took as I got out of the car to see what happened. Basically the points exploded.........

 

Wow, must've been big bang if it took out that old building/structure 😜

[mrcvs]

5 hours ago, TerryB said:

Ever think of going newer with your cars? 

Nope, I'm at the point where I think I want out of this AWFUL and most unrewarding hobby.  Not sure why English and math are stressed in high school and not important stuff like getting your car started.

 

I did the right thing and listed the Model A for sale.  Last time I ran it it ran fine.  Then the battery wouldn't hold a charge.  Wasted $100 today on a battery (which should be selling for $35) and put it in.  Fresh gas, gas line open, key on, oil is full, as is radiator (not that those get the car going) 700 CCA and it turns over but makes ZERO attempt to fire.

 

If all you old timers have no one to sell your cars to and there's no one to actually buy them...you have no one to blame but yourselves.  I hate to lay blame, and ultimately it's myself, but not sure how younger folks can even be interested at all.

 

I had a great interest in this at one time.  It's gone!

 

ZERO interest in dealing with the LAST thing that went wrong and you fix that and still it doesn't work.

[1912Staver]

I will be the first to say; on this thread at least, that old anything's are not for everybody. It takes a certain mind set and at times a very great deal of patience to co-exist happily with old things. And for many increasingly difficult to meet , the ability to pay quite substantial hobby related bills.

 A number of times , when people I know have asked me about first time old thing ownership I have suggested they buy something new or at least newer. Because I know from first hand observation and experience interacting with then ,they are people lacking the inner quality's required for old thing ownership.  It is no good to spend lots of time and money on a pastime that you are unsuited to.

 There are many pastimes out there, old cars need a certain approach.  And a fair budget. If you lack the ability and temperament to do it your self then you need an even larger budget to employ a very capable person to do it all for you.

 Although I have been up to my eyeballs in this hobby; in one form or another for 40 + years, there are times I even question my sanity in persisting against all the moving goalposts. And I am a person who likes nothing more than solving old car hobby problems. Making technical drawings, machining and fabricating parts, chasing down missing parts, researching ancient techniques and documents, in short the works. But the last 20 years have been a series of ever higher cost hurdles, a separate issue to the machines themselves. But one I am very poorly able to tackle.

Many frustrations and an ever shrinking pool of people with all the necessary resources. 

 

Greg in Canada

 

 

Edited June 3, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[TerryB]

Before my accident I was moving to old motorcycles and scooters. Prices are lower, takes up less space, and has the same grin factor when it’s running and same frustration when it’s not.  In spite of being paralyzed I still kept two of them and my son brought home a third.  His 1977 moped was up and running in two day of effort, not prefect, but he was able to ride it around the block.  All for less than $500.

 

I just spent 5+ hours on a 30 yr old HO train locomotive, something I can still work on in spite of my limited mobility.  Now it runs too!  Same grin factor on that accomplishment.  

 

Dont give up, there are all kinds of ways to enjoy a mechanical based hobby.

Edited June 3, 2019 by TerryB (see edit history)

[mrcvs]

19 minutes ago, 1912Staver said:

And increasingly difficult to meet , the ability to pay quite substantial hobby related bills.

From other posts, I had addressed this indirectly, in my search for a better property in which to pursue my hobby.

 

Trouble is, if you want a decent income, you have to live in suburbia.  I had visions of living somewhere with lots of garage space, or, better yet, a farm with land and barn space.  Trouble is, in suburbia, that's rare and expensive.  Only places I could find needed much work, and are prohibitive based on my salary given the repairs that are necessary.

[1912Staver]

I took that route, the house rebuild has consumed years of my free time and a fair chunk for materials. Unfortunately just an acre with no barn. Anything big enough to have a barn / machine shed around here is million'ssss. Being an old farm house; the bulk of the land still belongs to the family my land once belonged to, it was built by farmers not carpenters. No foundation along one wall, just a big partially rotted beam. Lots of fun putting a foundation underneath that wall and making it all structurally sound. The way this house was built amazes me it made it to about 80 years old and didn't cave in. It's good now but an uphill job to be sure.

 

 

Greg in Canada

[broker-len]

mrcvs--------------------I feel the same way             the older I get the better the condition of my cars the worse the traffic. the more time and money I put into them and afraid of damage from flat bed or accident  or just get stranded        I follow Jay"s garage                he drives is cars also    but when he has issues on the road,  and he has admitted it has happened,,,,,, he calls his garage and one of his people shows up with his own flatbed             you can fix and tune but if it is original                 IT IS STILL AN OLD CAR 

[Matt Harwood]

mrcvs, I feel your pain. There have been more than a few posts of my own here on this forum where I wonder why I even do this at all. I vent my anger to my friends and have a virtual temper tantrum. Then I calm down and try again. Sometimes things get better. Sometimes they don't, and I get angry and frustrated again. I have done serious damage to cars in the heat of anger and then I've had to fix them. Ultimately, however, I derive more enjoyment than frustration from this hobby.

 

But yes, sometimes it makes sense to give up. I don't think there's any shame in that. Perhaps you can sell the cars, and I hope that works, but I have recently discovered that there's a great deal of satisfaction in crushing a car that has made you particularly angry. Yep, crushed. If you can afford it and your fortitude is sufficiently iron-clad, it is quite cathartic. I felt better the moment I heard the sound of the metal and glass giving up and I feel great today. And yes, I did tell the remains, "F*ck you!"

 

Sometimes the fight isn't worth having. Maybe that's where you are. It's OK.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[mrcvs]

No, I never damage anything, even when I am angry.  I grew up lower middle class and there wasn't much left over once all the bills were paid.  Everything is precious.

 

I was under the impression that early cars are simple and easy to fix.  Doesn't seem to be the case!  I have no problem fixing something that's worn or needs replacing--replace part A with part A--but it seems that repairs are not always straightforward and any repairs are not easy nor necessarily the solution.

 

I seem to have a lot of rotten luck with old cars.  Short spells of actually functioning with long idle spells.  Again, not having one of them on my property means it is difficult to fix plus I have to pay to store it.  What do 1930 Model A Fordors go for these days?

 

I feel like a failure but there never seems to be light at the end of the tunnel.

[zepher]

Old cars are mostly simple in design and are not difficult to repair.

But, you cannot use the same mindset one would use to diagnose and repair a modern car.

Learning the quirks and particular pitfalls of your particular vehicle is imperative.

Have you joined a local Model A Club and consulted the members about your issues?
Pretty much all of the members that have owned that particular car for any length of time have been where you are now and can provide some great advice and lessons learned the hard way.

And I'm sure more than one of those members would be happy to drop by your place and take a look at your car.  Us old car people love looking at old cars, no matter what condition they are in.

Sharing knowledge is imperative in this hobby.  If every one of us had to reinvent the wheel every time something went sideways there would be very few people enjoying antique cars of any stripe.

And a large number of those with intimate knowledge of these cars is rapidly aging, so knowledge transfer is critical as is getting the next generation interested in the hobby.

I am sorry to hear that you are at your wit's end with your cars.

If you truly have given up then selling them is the best option.

But again, find a club that specializes in your cars and offer them to sale there first.

Hopefully you find something else that sparks your interest and can be less frustrating for you.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[JFranklin]

My model A has been one of the most reliable cars I have ever owned. It has only once left me stranded on the side of the road due to a bad ground that burnt out the headlight bulbs in the dark and my fault was not carrying any spares. Daylight came and off I went! I have owned and driven it every year since I could drive, about 1966.

Edited June 4, 2019 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[mrcvs]

Yes this was a club project.  The club members are wonderful!

 

The car ran when I got it.  I ran it 20 miles.  Then wouldn't run.  Much diagnosing by Club members resulted in a replaced & rebuilt engine.  I paid for all parts.  I had it out for a parade and it ran well.  Then the next day it left me stranded.  I relied on Club members again and we determined the coil was defective although new.  It was replaced.

 

I know the battery was dead, and I can figure that out.  I will run fuel through the line soon and see if it's blocked.  I'm not going to rely on the club to bail me out.  It's embarrassing and I've been able to provide nothing in return.

 

This could have been a rewarding hobby.  Maybe if I had better circumstances.  I mean, sitting idle is the worst, I don't have space at home, relying on space and ability to even get out of someone else's barn is no fun, plus getting there and finding you don't have what you need...

 

Believe it or not, I would love to have something really early, like a 1904 curved dash Oldsmobile, and as much fun it would be, I know my limitations.

 

Where did y'all get good at working on cars?  It seems a skill that's hard to get.  I am self taught and that's not working out too well for me.

 

What amazes me is that how simple early cars are supposed to be, they still have lots of parts, and how did early inventors understand all it takes to put together a car and make it run.  Things like coils and magnetos, carburetors, distributors, condensers, etc.  Not simply a controlled rate of fluid flow, a reaction creating energy, and power, and not much else.

[1912Staver]

The first car engine I dismantled on my own was in about 1970 , 12 years old. It was a junk engine given to me by a neighbor who knew I was handy with bicycles.  I helped my father previous to that. First engine I bought { $5.00}  not running and took apart , reassembled and made running was a Briggs and Stratton horizontal shaft off an old rototiller for my minibike at about 13 years old. Been learning steadily ever since.

 

Greg in Canada 

Edited June 4, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

Steam engines were quite advanced by the time explosion engines got a toe hold in the market. Engineering in general was a very capable science at the introduction of practical automobiles.

 

Greg

Edited June 4, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Old cars are simple.......I don’t think so. Playing the guitar is simple........I can’t even get a single note out of one. They are different skill sets. I have no musical abilities, I can’t play an instrument or carry a tune, and a I have terrible pitch. I can fix any car, from any era, no matter how difficult........but it’s been a lifetime of experience and ambition to get to where I am now with my skill set. Fact is, cars require two things that are hard to come by. Time and money. Give me both and I can have any car running and driving perfectly. Limit me to either one or the other, and the car is a royal pain in the ass. Old cars are NOT easy.......for 99 percent of the population. They can be a joy, or a torture device. The people who make their living in the hobby have seen it time and time again. Most people come in and out of the hobby within seven years. Few, stay for a lifetime. Some cars are much more challenging to own than others. If you can hold the line, and work out all the problems, you will eventually have a good car. Most people quit long before the car is fixed and sorted correctly. Ed

[zepher]

Not sure about your local Model A guys, but the members in the Pierce Arrow Society would bend over backwards to help you sort your car and make it enjoyable.

And when you've learned a ton going through everything to get your car sorted, you can then begin to offer help to newbies as they come along.

That is how you end up 'giving back' to the Club and the community.

 

Early engineers were amazing thinkers but they had their share of failures when trying to get these old car to be reliable.

It certainly didn't happen overnight.

 

[1912Staver]

I think the biggest hurdle in the early days was to make a car that was cheap enough for private owners to buy, but durable enough to be useful. Pre 1910 or so the cost vs practical article tightrope was precarious to say the least.

 The machine itself was simple  compared to others on the market, steamships, pumping engines, mine equipment , mill equipment and many other devices. The big challenge was building a complex machine cheap enough for it to be a mass consumer item. And not just a narrow focus article for company or very wealthy individual ownership.

Prior to the automobile the most complicated machine in mass ownership was the bicycle. Cars were a huge step up in scale to ownership by any other than the very wealthy.

 

Greg in Canada 

Edited June 4, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[JFranklin]

If you want an antique automobile to be fun and reliable for travel it is important to get all the literature pertinent to the car you are wanting, be it Model A or curved dash Oldsmobile. Find the owners manual and a few service books and get to understand the car before tearing into or modifying it. If you follow the instructions you will have a reliable enjoyable car. Is there a reason you can't have your car near home?

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[mrcvs]

6 hours ago, edinmass said:

...cars require two things that are hard to come by. Time and money.

Yep.  That's the major problem.  Perhaps if I was retired it would be a different matter.  But the big problem is if I want to find this hobby enjoyable, I would have the time to get things running properly, figure out how to diagnose and fix, and run regularly, so that sitting for 2 years does not create other problems, such as sediment.

 

OR

 

Pay someone to make the car reliable once and affordably.  On my income and with other expenses, I can't afford to pay someone every time I have a problem.