Restoring the Model A - 2024

A month after getting the car to Santa Fe, I began working on it. I changed the oil and coolant in the car. I had no idea when the oil was last changed, but judging by how sludgy it was I doubt it’d been changed in the last 25 years.

I also re-discovered that the radiator had a minor coolant leak when filled to Ford specifications. After changing the fluids and putting a 6v battery on the car, I could get the engine to turn over but it would not start.

I spent the next two days troubleshooting the fuel and electrical systems. Fuel had no issues, everything up to the engine seemed fine. Electrically, the primary high tension wire for driving the spark to the distributor cap was damaged. A rat had chewed threw the insulation, but not the wire itself. I cut the damaged part out and fashioned a repaired wire, and then cleaned the contacts for the distributor caps to the spark plugs. I still wasn’t getting the engine to start, and decided to re-time the engine.

Remembering how much trouble Dad always had with starting the car, I don’t believe the timing had been touched in over 60 years. After re-timing the engine to align with the spark distribution system, the car immediately started on the first turn of the engine. SUCCESS!

Realizing that in order to do any refurbishing, I'd need to clean the car, I spent the next couple of months doing my best to remove as much caked on grease, dirt, oil, and other substances that had accumulated over the last 95 years. I had also discovered that the carburetor was consistently leaking gas, especially when trying to start, and decided a deep clean and rebuild was necessary.

However, money was tight and the things I needed to do were going to cost too much. I needed to replace the radiator, the tires, and I had also discovered that the exhaust manifold was leaking. Other smaller things needed replacement as well, such as where the battery is strapped into place underneath the floorboard. It was completely rotted out, and at risk of completely failing. By the time I had calculated how much I'd need to repair the car, I was well over $3,000. It simply wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

In March of 2025, a good friend of mine let me store the vehicle in their warehouse. I moved the car out of my storage unit and saved some money for a time while I rebuilt the carburetor. I had to move the car again in July of 2025, and it wouldn't be until September 2025 that I could continue working on the car.