My Rolling Relic

"Aaron Vick Starnes" (aaronstarnes) 01/02/2014 at 15:08 • Filed to: Ford, flathead, old, rusty, slow

14

15

Someone told me recently that people who drive older cars are heroic. While that is flattering it's just not the case. More like reckless but not in a cool James Dean sort of way but a stupid, blissfully ignorant of how bad a wreck would be sort of way.

Driving my 1949 Ford Tudor is like going on a date with an aging celebrity. Think less Hollywood and more local celeb, like a news anchor that got replaced when her face and chest began to sag. Like the celebrity everyone will recognize it as something special. Like the celebrity it will need to be coddled because it requires special attention and will need to be dealt with gingerly.

In 1949 there was an option of a 95 hp inline six or a 100 hp flat V8 from Ford in their passenger cars. Mine ended up with the 100 hp V8. One hundred ponies is a laughable figure for a V8 today but it scoots the car around with enough pep to make it enjoyable for what. It's 3 speed manual shifted from the column. That was 60-odd years ago and judging by the rust holes that perforate every panel from the door handles down the old girl languished for some time in a field or swamp.

It is an involving driving experience though. There is constant correction at the wheel. The original specifications were 1.5 inches of free play at center. Between the column shift and blinker assembly and pedals there's just about always something going on.

It's rusty. It has drum brakes. It's low on power. The rear end has tall gearing which gets it away from a red light at a respectable pace. If you really want to look like a hooligan you can rev it up and let the clutch go it'll lay down one skinny strip of rubber. That's not really the point of this car though.

The truth about old cars is that they weren't designed to do the sort of things expected from newer automobiles. People have come to expect a level of performance from even the cheapest shit-box that most cars earlier than say 1960 couldn't hope for in stock configuration. If you jump in an old car and expect to drive it the same way you drive your mother's 96 Plymouth Voyager you're going to be a little disappointed. It won't go 200,000 miles on oil changes alone. You can't drive this car at 90mph all day in its stock configuration. Old engines require regular service. But with a little mechanical sympathy you can really enjoy an old car.

My Ford is not fast. It'll do 70 on the interstate but that ancient motor sounds a little too busy for comfort. Plus I've got four ancient drum brakes attached to an ancient one-pot master cylinder. If that isn't petrifying then imagine the non-break away steering column just waiting to skewer the driver in the event of a serious collision. There's also a nice steel unsympathetic dash for your tender body to slam into. Safety is a concern.

I bolted some seatbelts in at the behest of my mom and girlfriend. I also keep it off the interstate because cruising speed is about 60 and in this neck of the woods it just isn't fast enough. I wouldn't want to drive behind it. So I satisfy myself with slithering around town and running errands in it. But cruising this thing can't be beat. Roll all the windows down and glide around town and you'll get the giddy sensation of just being the center of attention at every intersection. I love the gas station talks with strangers and the thumbs up or waves of approval I get from other drivers. It makes people happy to see it. I like the stories everyone seems to have about how their dad owned one back in the day or how one just like it was their first car.

This is the video my friend shot the first day after I put in a new valve train.

But it's also about connecting with a machine. Like any relationship it takes an investment on my part to get what I need from the car. I understand that It's an old slow car. I don't try to drive it like it's not. I never wish it was faster, or held corners better or had creature comforts like air conditioning.

I like driving it for the reason that it is a relic. I like to wonder how close my experience with the car is to the experience of the first owner, that first guy or gal that slid in behind the steering wheel in 1949. Who was it? WWII was still a recent memory, but this automobile was a symbol of hope. Back then the windshield would have been perfectly clear and all the gadgets would have seemed like current technology instead of quaint. I wonder what it was like when it was shiny and new.

I'm no purist, I have changed plenty on my car and will continue to modify as I see fit. I think a concourse restoration would be a bit silly and on this car because there are definitely better persevered cars to start with. Doing something like that here would be a waste of time and money. I love a good hotrod. Snarling V8s and fat rear tires give me goose bumps. I love a little something from every genre but the car I'm most into right now is my old car. I think that's my preferred genre too. Old car. There's something romantic about jumping into something old and gaining an understanding of what previous generations were driving.

I keep a blog going on all my exploits related to this car. I make an entry for each little project. Check out my site to view the evolution of the car from day one. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Thanks!

briannutter1 > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/02/2014 at 16:33

0

Just remember, Hotrodders were the first recyclers.

Aaron Vick Starnes > briannutter1 01/02/2014 at 17:11

2

I recycle the stickers vendors send me to cover my rust holes.

briannutter1 > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/02/2014 at 17:29

1

Yeah, I think the fact that our grandfolks and their parents drove these cars Everyday says a lot more about them then us. I've stated before that it's kind of a test and maybe a bit masochistic, but keeping these things running what sets us (referencing my '76 cherokee) apart from the others.

gmctavish needs more space > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/02/2014 at 17:32

0

Love it, I've always wanted a car like this and just couldn't picture driving it every day. Wound up getting something newer, a 1969 :p It still wasn't quite up to daily duties so she's relegated to second car/project duty, but I still want something actually old, like this. It's awesome to see something like that old Ford is being driven regularly

zratan > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/14/2014 at 00:11

0

nice ride...

prophetofhoon > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/14/2014 at 00:24

0

neat ride

grahamrh808 > gmctavish needs more space 01/14/2014 at 00:44

0

Awesome car.

Good call buying something from the late 60s I'd say...

4 years ago I bought a '47 Ford coupe in the hopes of making it a usable daily driver. I quickly found out that even with a small block v8 and fresh brakes, the thing was just too antiquated for reasonable modern daily use, even if it did look bad-fucking-ass cruising around town. I straight traded the car for a '67 Mustang with a 289 and found it a much more useable, daily-driveable car, even with the stock suspension and brake setup.

tapzz > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/14/2014 at 09:32

0

I never wish it was faster, or held corners better or had creature comforts like air conditioning.

Amen, brother.

Especially with old cars like your beautiful '49 Ford, people just don't seem to be able to accept them for what they are: a machine that functioned perfectly fine in stock form, over half a century ago. Why try to change them into something they were never intended to be?

Anyway, rant over. If you're into the shoebox and the context of its time, I trust you've seen the Life magazine photo reportage of its launch, and " The Human Bridge ", the documentary Ford made about its genesis?

Aaron Vick Starnes > tapzz 01/14/2014 at 14:20

0

Hey thanks for the read. Also thanks for the info on those old photos. I'll make sure to watch Human Bridge. Unless it turns out to be anything like Human Centipede.

BrianMadigan > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/14/2014 at 16:15

1

A dual master upgrade is something I would do. Before I really got into the engine and drivetrain, I sorted out the brakes (mostly) finding that the leaky 1-pot master was most of the problem. I put in a new 2 pot made for drums all around, and got 4 new drums and hardware, wheel bearings etc. The old Timken bearings looked like they were original. Still no power brakes, but the feel is much improved, and the thing tends to stop in a straight line now. The other safety/handling item was the rag joint. I pulled the worn one and re-aligned the column with the box to reduce the amount of offset to the rag joint, then installed a modern polyurethane joint with new hardware. The steering feels like it should, a little play, but no rubbing or popping out of place. And the column and turn signal switches are properly located now, so the turn signal cancels itself, and the play in the steering column bearings is gone. I used to have to push the steering wheel in forcefully to prevent the shaft from jumping out of the rag joint safety pins. Last year the 3 finger clutch started acting wonky and I didn't want to bang up the gear box any more, so I put a real modern Centerforce clutch, new throwout bearing and a new flywheel in. The clutch feel is perfect now, no chatter or heavy pedal, and the gearbox likes not being partially engaged all the time. It's now taken apart to clean up the frame and patch all the panels, de-rust everything and coat everything with molasses, but I'm going to give up on painting it once I get it primed and just put it back together to drive. I never get tired of driving old cars.

tapzz > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/14/2014 at 17:01

0

No probs.

Not many 1949 movies are likely to be quite that gruesome (WW2 documentaries excepted), but -be warned- it will make you want to buy a shoebox Ford. Not a problem for you, but it might be for me. Also be warned that the video on archive.org is not complete- if you look hard on youtube, you might some further bits and bobs.

Aaron Vick Starnes > BrianMadigan 01/15/2014 at 14:07

0

Brian, whaddya drive? The dual pot upgrade is definitely in the cards for me.

BrianMadigan > Aaron Vick Starnes 01/15/2014 at 15:03

0

Mine's a 66 F100. Not quite as classic or cool, but the technology is nearly the same with the exclusion of over head valves. It has a later 390 FE from a Mercury and a 3-speed 3.03 trans with a floor shifter. The rear end is like a 2.18, so it goes.

It's sad now because I'm in the middle of re-building the radiator support out of tubes. I could have just bought a new sheet metal one, but the one that was there looked like the 2nd replacement, and didn't hold up too well. Tubes should be better. I think.

Aaron Vick Starnes > BrianMadigan 01/15/2014 at 15:12

0

VERY cool. I like the looks of the old ford p/u bodies especially the unibody ones. I dig your BAM (big ass mirror). It sucks to lay them up for a long time but that core support is going to rad when it's done. Keep on truckin'

FRANKENFORD > BrianMadigan 01/15/2014 at 15:32

0

Great article on old cars (even better that it's about a 49 FORD I have a 4door custom). I think that's what happens to a lot of people when they get in older cars or end up getting older cars the Tech and comfort shock alone turns many away. I do wish I had the time and money to make it more bulletproof but in due time. Keep up the work little by little and drive it just drive!! There is something truly sublime listening to the engine and road compliment the creaks and howls of the body and wind as you navigate down the blacktop!!! I will keep up with your blog to see where this goes good luck!!!