Regular use of the older cars

Sir,

I am in complete agreement with your correspondent Don Yorke (Vintage Postbag, July). By all means keep those wonderful old cars on the road—they are a symbol of respect to their designers of yesteryear.

Don Yorke’s experience with his 1928 Model ‘A’ Ford is of special interest to me; he does not mention whether it is the 14.9 h.p. or 24 h.p. model. The latter was also fitted to Ford’s commercial vehicles and performed remarkably well pulling heavy loads over great heights, the engine was adapted for many industrial uses and would run on paraffin if using a vaporiser.

T. C. Harrison in the early 30s had many successes with the Model ‘A’ in such events as Reliability Trials, Road Races, and Hill Climbing, fitted with closed bodies as supplied to the public.

I cannot reconcile the experience Mr. Yorke had with his four-bladed engine cooling fan as Ford fitted a two-bladed model in those days; the fan spindle acted as a means of driving the water impeller vane which was housed in a casting attached to the cylinder head, a neat easily-adjusted gland sufficed to keep the water in its proper place, and the thermo-syphon action took care of the simple, but highly efficient, cooling system.

There is no reason why Mr. Yorke should be running around with “tatty” paintwork as those Fords at that time had Bonderised metal bodies, wings etc., which were heattreated during their steel rolling process, so giving the marvellous lustre we admired on what was then known as “The New Ford”. Halcyon days indeed!

Chester W. R. CHAPMAN