Charging the Battery

In scanning text under the battery section of the MODEL A FORD- MECHANICS HANDBOOK I discovered, much to my surprise. that you were supposed to connect the battery cables in reverse of what I had always done on other cars — red to negative etc. I did this after pulling the battery for a charge and then reconnecting – Pretty dumb ! Incidentally, when using a battery charger to charge your battery, do you also hook up the red to the negative post and ground to the plus pole?

Answer:

Remember that the Model A has a positive ground electrical system. Ford was the first automaker to do this and for good reason. Due to gasses from the battery, the positive terminal always has a tendency to collect corrosion and cause poor connection. Ford engineers thought if the applied the positive terminal of the battery to the ground connection (reversing current flow) it would reduce the terminal corrosion and the corrosion that would form would not have as much effect on reduced voltage. …a little bit of trivia. When connecting a battery charger always connect the charger (+) red lead to the Battery (+) side.
— Les Andrews, 1998 Technical Director

Did You Know …

Georgia O’Keeffe and her Model ‘A’ Ford

Did You Know

O'Keeffe's Model ‘A’ Ford became an integral part of her artistic process, serving as both transportation and a mobile studio. It provided her with the means to venture into the desert and capture the es- sence of the Southwest, which became a significant influence on her art. The car's simplicity and reli-ability allowed her to travel to remote locations, enabling her to create her iconic paintings of the New Mexico landscape.

Why Did Ford Only Sell Black Cars

Did You Know

Henry Ford once said something of this nature: "A customer may have a car in any color he desires, so long as it's black." Today, many people have taken this quote to mean that every Model T Ford, the car which undoubtedly made the American automobile affordable and "put America on Wheels," was painted black.

1932 Ford Model 18 V-8

Did You Know

Henry Ford had been experimenting with unusual multi-cylinder engines even before the Model A. He rejected an inline six as being a copycat, seeking something distinctly different to perpetuate the image of Ford as the automobile innovator. A more powerful V-8 for a low-priced car offered that innovation.

Model A Ignition System

Did You Know

Basically, the points fire the coil, the coil fires the plug, the spark at the plug starts the flame and the ignition systems job is done for that cycle. But of course, now for a few more details.

Mary Brooks Picken’s Contribution to Fashion

Did You Know, Fashions

A relatively unknown yet highly influential woman in the Model A era was Mary Brooks Picken. Mary transformed millions of women from clothing vendors to seamstresses capable of improving their lives and making money with their sewing machines. Mary published 96 books on sewing, needlework and textile arts.

One Hundred Years Ago

Did You Know

One hundred years ago, as 1923 ended, Ford had produced 2,011,125 Model T’s that year alone. This is still today the highest figure ever achieved by a single model in a single year. Thanks to these production numbers, Ford was able to sell these cars at a low price. For example, you could buy a Runabout for $260, the equivalent of $4,815 today.

The Morgan Traffic Signal

Did You Know

Garrett Morgan (March 4, 1877–July 27, 1963) was an inventor and businessman from Cleveland who is best known for inventing a device called the Morgan [...]