The Ford Model A as a Daily Driver for a Year

Jonathan Klinger's coworkers thought he was bluffing when he said he wanted to drive a Ford Model A every day for a year -- including winter ... in northern Michigan. But he followed through, and he's been doing it in a project he calls "365 Days of A," documenting his progress on a blog of the same name. RoundAbout host Craig Cole went for a walkaround of the Model A that Jonathan's been driving for nearly a year.

[MustObeyTheRules]

Id have no problem driving that every day, I love seeing them with original engines too. The older engines are the coolest part

[paulgracey]

My Dad's first post-WWII car was a Model A he bought from a farmer who had had it on blocks to use the engine and rear wheel to drive his buzz-saw with a belt. As bought it was a two door, because two of the four doors were missing. It eventually did gain back those other two as we kids were enjoined to sit right up against the one remaining back door at first. The bench seat in front was also missing, with Dad on an upturned apple crate and Mom on an orange crate. Those were made of wood back then. I remember well that un-shock absorbed suspension. Despite my diminutive six year old body, I was bounced high enough to hit my head on that high back seat roof when Dad hit a bump in the road at near top speed.

[midos]

My grandfather's first car was a 1930 Ford Model A which he purchased "brand new" for approximately $700 from a Ford Dealership during that model year. He owned his model A for approximately 10 years according to what my father told me

[sofa]

I drove my 1931 Model A every day from August 2014 until November 2015. We had one brutal winter, and my car sat outside. I spent the first month getting some bugs worked out, after that it was great. I had very few problems in the over 12, 000 miles I have put on it, and it never once left me stranded. I sold my modern car to buy it, and have no regrets. My car is  stock, including the 6 volt system. Started up at 15 below zero with no issues. The manifold heater worked pretty well, although if I were to keep driving one in the winter I would add a hot water heater. Fantastic car, and the club support, at least in my area, is great. Only reason I am not driving it daily now is I do not want to put it through the salt again. But the car was super reliable. Long distances did take a little longer, but not terribly in the scheme of things. Great car. Haggerty would not insure my daily driver LOL.

[briand]

I find myself wanting one more each time I watch these videos. Just something so elegant, simple and pure that harkens back to a simpler time; it's pure Americana.

[troyadamson]

I learned to drive a stick when I was 15 in an Uncle's 1937 Ford. This was back in the 70's. He taught me to double clutch it. He restored antique cars but that was almost to new for him. He preferred them from the teens or earlier. What a beautiful collection he had. I really enjoyed driving that '37 Ford. I will never forget it. He did not update them either. He restored them just like the day they rolled out of the factory.

[ATSF]

I bought a 1927 Ford Model A in 1943 for $10. I remember they did have an electric box heater that was extra. Great memories :-)

[Carstuff]

I know this is an old video, but, I have to give props for driving this car for a year as your primary car!! I am one of those strange people that would love to have one of these as a daily run about!

[michaellong]

I drove my 1931 pu full time from 1985 to 1993 two years in high school four years in college over 300.000 miles I now have 1929 town sedan drive 12.000 plus a year

[postxtito]

I wish things were still that simple, I love the color.

[salemcripple]

I always laugh at people when they say they can't live without "insert modern convenience here". People survived just fine before without it. What's so wrong with doing the same now? I have no problem using antique machines over new crap.

[cameramanbrainiac]

The only car I currently have is a 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger, and it is a beautifully spartan automobile. It has no power steering and sports 9" drum brakes all around, it has no A/C and crank windows. Of course, it is backed up by the venerable and indestructible 225 Slant 6 and Torqueflite transmission. The way I see it, there are just that many fewer points of failure on that car. It is 45 years old and I would be willing to bet that in 45 years from now, it will still be running like new. I don't believe that I could say that about a new car made today.

[robertgiese]

Nice job for a one year project. I enjoyed reading about it. I would like to relate my experience driving my early ‘30 Model A standard coupe as a daily driver for 7 years. I had ‘35 Kelsey Hayes wheels on mine, no shocks, I installed a radio with the antenna on the left rear bumper. I installed a four-bladed fan for extra cooling. I did use a paper air filter on mine and heard all the horror stories about fires but never knew of anyone personally who had a fire. I lived in San Diego at the time and it was a daily right-lane car to and from work, a distance of about 12 miles. I did hit 65 mph once but it seemed the fenders were about to become wings so I never did that but once. I belonged to MARC/MAFCA of San Diego, a dual affiliated club, and attended many Model A events on weekends. Mine was the Washington Blue also, with straw wheels. In all those years it only left me stranded twice, both times due to a bad condenser. So I always carried two of them. I did park it for about two years while I went overseas, but when I came back, it started right up, as I expected it would. I still love them and now I live in Florida where the extreme heat and advanced age makes it impossible for me to own another. Would that I could...

[donalfredisaac]

I learned to drive in one of these cars back in 1958 but my father sold it a year later        because I abused it. Up to this date I  miss it. Nowadays  they  are quite expensive here in Mexico,   but if I had one that´s all I would  l drive. Instead, I still own a VW beetle. which is also  lots of fun to drive. I find modern cars boring to drive. Yours is beatiful, I like the color too. If I were you I wouldn´t ever  sell it.

[OldCrowsClassicCars]

I hate modern cars so much that I drive a 63' Rambler daily, forever! It was my first car, and has never let me down. I've never owned a modern car, and don't intend to. I thought I was the only one that did that sorta thing, but hey, it''s great to know someone else does it too.Parts are cheap, extremely reliable and easy to replace if necessary.

Long live the REAL cars!!!

[lclaughton]

With the addition of seat belts makes this a very safe car.   The belts will hold the driver and passenger in the cab where it will hold up in a roll over.  This gentleman has made wise decisions and why not he is an expert in the Insurance industry.  Great video and will be tuning in on some every day driving and be following his blog.  .My wife and I are now 40 year members of the Model A Ford Club of American and what a great organization it is and why is that?   Its the people who own and drive the Model A Ford!!!!.  We have 5 Model As in our family including a couple of roadsters...What fun they are!!!.  

[darkmagician]

It's great to see how cars have evolved by generation:

1900s: Model T - we no longer have to bring our horses everywhere
1940s: Model A - we can now go fast enough that we can move out to the country and commute
1970s: Tbird - lets go as fast as possible, who cares about gas or safety
2000s: Fusion - lets use as little fuel as possible, be extra careful
2030s: Corporate - lets not even bother driving anymore, the car can do it

[Cammi_Rosalie]

My car is not that old by any means, but it's "old" if you ask the kids.. It's a 1984 Pontiac Fiero (and yes, it has had the recall work! No fires.. which by the way, were in about 1% of only the 84's, and most of them due to car being driven too hard) Anyway, it has no power -steering, Manual 4-speed, crank windows, no power seats, no AC (it's equipped, but the Freon leaked out) and the well-known and reliable "Iron Duke" 151 ci (2.5 l) 4-banger. It was my DD for 4 years, problem-free, (until some asshat poured sand and water into the fuel tank while I was at a party one night. But a drop of the tank and a good cleaning out fixed that.) and still WOULD be my DD, but I need a starter, battery, and a set of nearly impossible to find, therefore expensive as hell, 215-60R-14 tires. I love my "old" car and don't really want anything else newer. But that all said, I would LOVE to have an old 30's Car. Maybe an Oakland/Pontiac.

[jeremyray]

Nothing more fun than this hobby! Love my Model-A!

[robertgiese]

As the former owner of a 1930 Ford Model A standard coupe with rumble seat, who drove it as my work car every day for seven years, I feel qualified to speak about at least one electrical problem. I got stranded once and called a friend, Bill was already an antique then, (he drove them when they were brand new, ) even then. I described the problem, he said it sounded like a bad condenser and that he would bring me a new one. He brought two because, as he said, they’re just not very reliable. So we installed the new one, it started up right away and I was never left stranded by a bad condenser again because I took his advice and always kept a spare. During my period of ownership I was also a member and officer of the MARC/MAFCA, the only dual-affiliated Model A Club in America (back then, not sure about now), San Diego chapter. When I had a chance to pass this on to our technical director, who was, OBTW, a mechanical engineer, he agreed with my friend Bill and said that he would make sure that all the members of the club were aware of this, if they weren’t already. Now at age 72, (I caught up with my antique friend cuz he’s waiting on me), I’d love to have another Model A (Victoria body) but I’ve read and heard too much bad press about model A’s and the death rate of passengers involved in accidents. I’m skeert! So now I’m content to toodle around in my 2004 Cadillac XLR. Best wishes to all you antique automobile owners.