Did You Know Question
One Hundred Years Ago: September 1926
In 1926, Ford Motor Company made labor-history headlines with its five-day, 40-hour work week while facing growing competition and beginning work on what would become the Ford Model A.
A Weekend at the Beach
From Padre Island and Mustang Island to the sands of Galveston, driving directly onto the beach was part of the adventure during the Model A era. Take a look back at a time when hard-packed Texas beaches served as both recreation areas and roadways.
A Key to Your Travels
Discover a few surprising facts about Model A Ford keys, from shared ignition and door locks to Yale & Towne and Briggs & Stratton key blanks. You may even find that another Model A owner’s key fits your car.
One Hundred Years Ago: August 1926
August 1926 found Ford balancing tradition with change. As the company expanded the 40-hour workweek and continued refining the Model T, growing market pressure made it increasingly clear that a modern replacement was on the way.
One Hundred Years Ago: July 1926
100 years ago, Ford Motor Company stood at a crossroads. From growing competition and early planning for the Model A to Edsel Ford’s support of aviation and rooftop air-marking, July 1926 offered clear signs that major change was on the horizon.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1929 Ford Model ‘A’ Cabriolet
Franklin D. Roosevelt, born into a wealthy family, could afford the best luxury automobiles. But it was a part of his "everyman" appeal that, when at home, he drove humble cars like this 1929 Ford Model A. Many of his cars were equipped with special controls that allowed the partially paralyzed Roosevelt to oper-ate the foot pedals with his hands.
Questions & Answers
Could you please direct me to a resource where I can find detailed instructions on how to adjust and focus the headlights or headlamps on my Model A?
I'm interested in rewiring a Model A Sparton Horn from 6 volts to 12 volts. Could you please provide guidance on the wire size and the number of turns required for this conversion?
The car starts easily and spins over fast, but I suspect the wiring is still set up for a 6-volt system. Can you convert to a 12-volt system without changing the wiring? If so, do the bulbs need to be 12-volt as well? I'm not confident with electrical work.
We own a 1930 Sport Coupe and a 1931 Pickup. Recently, the Coupe developed an issue with discharging when the ignition was off due to a hung cutout, which we replaced. However, we encountered a short circuit problem that caused the wiring harness to melt down from the starter to the ignition switch and amp gauge, almost resulting in a fire.
It seems like the leads on the Ammeter might be reversed, or they could have been switched at the terminal box posts. Fortunately, it's a simple solution. Remove the instrument panel and reverse the leads on the back side of the ammeter.
Yes, this could be one of the issues causing a car to shimmy. A loose ball in the front wishbone can be one of the causes of front shimmy. The front-end caster (5 degrees) is dependent on the exact position of the front radius ball. Make sure you have all the correct pieces to mount the radius ball to the bottom of the fly-wheel housing.
It's been a couple of years since this information was in the newsletter, and we have quite a few new members. If they go to [...]
If you have an alternator installed, and getting a current drain through the alternator, it indicates there is a bad diode in the alternator. If you have a generator with a cutout installed, the cutout relay may be bad and not opening, allowing the battery to drain through the generator.
My car has the drum tail light with the cast bracket attached to the rear body subframe, as it's a 1928 model. I'm looking for information about the dimensions and locations of the three holes on the right-hand side to mount the new RH bracket (Bratton's #19340).
