The touring season is under way. Show & Shines abound, there are so many it is difficult to choose which one to attend.
The trend today is cars of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Fewer Model A’s are showing up. That is probably due to traffic problems, and older drivers. Most drivers today want to drive 100 to 110 kph. The comfortable speed for a stock Model A is 72kph (45mph). You get run off the road by faster, air conditioned with power steering, cruise controlled vehicles. Not a comfortable feeling!
The A is more suited to back roads with less traffic. These are getting harder to find in order to get to the larger Show & Shines. Often the A’s that do attend are "Hot Rodded" with modern engines and suspensions.
But are they really Model A’s?
Think about why you wanted to restore a car built in 1928 to 1931? A true restoration, good or bad, that puts a Model A on the road brings history to life. From that the younger generation can learn that in the early days of motoring required a lot more knowledge of the automobile. Starting was a lot more complicated as was shifting gears. The driver also required a good working knowledge of how the vehicle functioned. Without this knowledge they could be stranded at the side of the road for hours! There were no cell phones to call AMA.
Happy Motoring and will see you at Pioneer Acres in August. ( 10, 11, and 12th)
Sid Gough - Technical Editor
