Hot Rods First time Model A owner questions

I purchased a 1929 Model A that's been in my family for 54 years and was wondering the first things I should check out because it's 100% stock and is has not ran in 35 years.
Any help or info would be great!
It's been in a closed barn for years and it's in great shape and nothing seams to be seazed up so far.

 

I'm gonna keep it stock for how ever long the engine lasts but mainly was just wondering where I should start on it because of how long it's sat for.
I'm obviously going through the fuel system first and then put a bore scope in each cylinder to see what's going on it there.

 

Boy,what a score.Brakes,fluids,carefully get it running.

 

Check the brakes, grease everything that can be greased, dump the transmission and rear end and refill them with fresh fluid. Change the oil and the gas.

That'll keep you busy for a day or two.

 

If you are planning on keeping it a Henry made it,some of the best advice I could offer is ask this question over on the Ford Barn,that's where you will find many experienced restorers that can help. HRP

 

X2 to the FordBarn!

http://www.fordbarn.com/

 

Even before the bore scope put some Marvel Mystery Oil down each hole just to get some Lube around all the rings. I'd also roll it outside and purge the heck out of the water jacket with top and bottom hose removed just to keep any brown stuff from gathering in the Rad. Way Kool score.
The Wizzard

 

Screw that.. Build a nice hot rod chassis, clean up the body and place it on the new chassis and go hot rodding.. Oh, and good purchase of a nice solid sedan...

 

Yeah I use Marvel mystery oil and all of my other vehicles and have for years and I was going to dump some of that in each cylinder and turn it over with the handcrank for a few weeks to start off with.
Definitely take the entire fuel system apart clean it out and blow all the lines out with air clean the tank have it resealed and rebuild the carburetor before I do anything.

 

I'm pretty excited about getting the car! It's in Michigan right now and I will be going up next month to get it. I've never owned a car this old the last one I had was a 1951 Chevy 3100.

 

First thing I'd do is wash it.... then enjoy it.

 

The car was built in Windsor Ontario but it does not have much rust on it at all though it's been all of its life in Canada and then Michigan just some surface rust here and there.after I get it running I'm going to take all five wheels off and replace the tires and tubes and media blast the spoke wheels and then either have them powder coated black or just spray bomb them.

 

They are all in about the same shape as this.

 

The doors are really tight, they don't droop, hinges are good and the only thing I've seen broke so far is the passenger side window crank. But Mac's sells a regulator repair kit so hopefully I can find the original crank in the car somewhere.

 

Put juice brakes on it and a T-5 and then drive the hell out of it.

 

looks like you got yourself a nice Tudor, with your rear tail light being a drum and the parking brake being in front of the shifter that's a late '28 early '29. Have fun with this one!!

 

Yeah i was told it was built in '28 but it was originally registered as a '29.

 

As I said, I'm just going to clean it up for now and get it running hopefully for the Daytona Turkey Run in November and have a blast driving it for now. Then go piece by piece on it cleaning and restoring the original parts then maybe years down the road go more for a traditional custom look.
Right now all i think about (All day every day!!) is getting here and working on it!
Degrease under the bonnets and un-cake the dirt and 50 year old mud from the axle and front beam, rebuild the carb, new original spark plugs, flush radiator, replace all fluids, grease EVERYTHING, take the stupid steering wheel cover off... (see picture) replace tubes/tires, clean the wheels up and paint them, and then i might try and tackle the seats my self..

 

I'll start a new thread on here with a ton more pictures when I finally get to work on it of course .

 

Sounds to me like your on the right track. Glad to see times come around to where a car don't need to be a 10 be be admired and be a ton of Fun.
The Wizzard

 

you're a lucky guy!

 

pull the side cover and make sure the valves are all moving. they stick sometimes. i'd rebuild the carb too. most of the time if the motor spins it'll run.

 

Plenty of good advise here, fordbarn too. If you don't pull the side cover pull the distributor and fill the engine oil through that hole when you change it the first time. The cam & main bearings are gravity lubed through holes in the valve chamber. Filling through the dist hole insures oil is going to them.

 

Yes, media blast and powder coat those wheels. Cleaning, scraping and de-gunking everything is the least enjoyable task, but it gives you the best - and soonest - emotional payback second only to getting it running and taking that first drive. How I envy your adventure!

 

Claimed benefits Marvel Mystery Oil.
Marketing literature makes claims about lubricating qualities, cleaning and friction reduction capabilities. However, little robust evidence exists documenting these purported benefits. The product has previously been marketed for use in all kinds of engines, including aircraft engines. However, it has been implicated in one aircraft crash where an engine suffered catastrophic damage during take-off after Mystery Oil had been used as a fuel additive. The engine damage found was attributed to detonation, which would be consistent with the octane reducing effects of Mystery oil
Composition
The product is composed of 74 percent mineral oil, 25 percent stoddard solvent, and 1 percent lard.[1]

o-Dichlorobenzene (1,2-Dichlorobenzene (ortho-dichlorobenzene))0 – 5% , Fine White Mineral Oil 70 – 100% , Mineral Spirits 20 – 30%

 

The carb doesn't look original. Post some close up pictures and ask for an exact identification before you order parts. As others have noted, fordbarn.com is a better site for the original stuff.

Charlie Stephens

 

pull distributor and fill engine w oil fom there so it will have oil everywhere before you crank it.

 

That's a nice start on a sweet little car. You might even just rebuild and hop up the banger on that one while keeping the visual rest of it close to stock except for juice brakes. That said the Model A clubbers around me run all over hell with mechanical brakes in their cars including a parade a weekend in the summer time.