Update by Tom Suddard to the
<i>I'm a 19-year-old kid named Tom, and my great-grandfather sold this very car new at his Ford dealership in 1929. Now I'm using it as my daily driver.</i>
My last update left me with a new ignition system and a dead Model A–not a great position. I suspected the timing gear was the issue, so I bought a new one. Then, I had to put it in.
It was really a two-person job, so I enlisted the help of my girlfriend, Nicole. She’s not only smarter than me and better with delicate processes, she has tiny hands that can pick up dropped bolts and nuts! Pictures can explain the process better than words, so I’ll let them show what we did and I’ll explain what it accomplished.
To make a long story short, the A runs again! I’ve put about 60 miles on it since we finished it up last night, and it purrs along like a car 40 years newer. The cardboard timing gear was definitely my issue, which is why its replacement is actually a kind of fiberglass.
I’m back to taking the A everywhere I go, including the local “Crankin ‘A’s’” Model A club dinner tonight. How much do you think I’ll lower the average age?
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