I can speculate that you are well on your way to becoming the Model A frame, suspension, running gear, and engine expert in Europe. It will be a title well earned. Amazing job on the accident repairs, you can be proud of your work.
Glad you weren't hurt, you are a fantastic mechanic you know how to use the tools you have and improvise the ones you don't. Also as far as parts go you are in Germany not the US where parts are easier to get and cheaper. Great job!
Excellent video, 11/10 for determination, tenacity, engineering skill, ingenuity and persistence during this repair and restoration. Stuff happens just an unfortunate accident, glad you are not hurt. thanks cheers Paul
I love the added music of the 1930s. Your channel is already very enjoyable. The period music adds an element of authenticity and fun. Keep up the great content. Warm regards from North Carolina
Sorry for your accident but your repair video was excellent. Well done. You are a very good mechanic and fortunate to have access to a fully equipped machine shop.
@@CarterAutoRestyling Thanks! This means alot coming from you - after all, you're the one that taught me all the dent removal and tinning tips and tricks. Looks like you did well :)
Life is the only teacher that gives you the test first then the lesson. Glad you’re ok and I’m glad to see the model A back on the road. Don’t be so harsh on yourself as long as you keep the lessons learned to heart.
So glad you were not injured. I have seen many Model A accident victims that were severely injured. Amazing work on the repairs. Thanks for documenting your work.
He was severely injured. There are severe injuries other than bleeding wounds and broken bones. A man's inner life can be severely damaged by such an incident. The funny thing is that every dent in the metal that you repair yourself also repairs your inner workings a little bit...
The lesson my Model A taught me: patience, patience in everything. Slow down and I enjoy it. Try to hurry and it’s just misery. Diagnosing problems takes time. Getting parts takes time. Accelerating takes time. Braking takes lots of time, and distance. Even filling the fuel tank takes time, much longer than a modern car. My Mazda CX-5 crossover hatchback is faster, quicker to fix, brakes quicker, everything is quick. So if I’m in a hurry that’s the one I take. Otherwise, patience.
Very, very, very helpful, informative, interesting, and yes, entertaining. Thank you for inspiring and educating, yet again. Making want a model A of my own even more than I already do.
Simply great your video. From an accident, which doesn’t look that big on the first view, you had the courage and patient to solve not only the accident issues , but also all other problems, which appeared „on the way“. And further you could improve older repairs. Of course, you have a lot of tools and machinery as well as some help sometimes, but again patience, experience and creativity has to be appreciated. Simply great!
das tut mir richtig leid der unfall, man hast du viel arbeit danach gehabt. du musst das auto wirlkich lieben und dann wieder so eine perfekte arbeit abgieliefert, mit karosserie arbeiten was kannst du eigentlich nicht. ich bin immer wieder hanmmer begeistert dir bei deiner fantastischen arbeit zuzuschauen... 😲👏👏👏
I'm glad you weren't injured. It's easy to get complacent when driving these cars so often. When I'm driving my Model A Roadster, I have to remind myself to keep a good distance and plan ahead. The more one drives them, the more one can get lulled into a false sense of security. You've done an incredible job on the repairs, though! All the best to you.
I feel I drive safer in my Tudor than a Modern car because I keep more distance, look further ahead and take less risk, I thought that would go for everyone, but apparently not XD I don't see myself getting complacent in a Model A, I'm always aware of how vulnerable I am, more so than in a modern car.
Exactly that false sense of security is what gets you. It was all going so smooth... Until it wasn't. 99 per cent of all accidents could be avoided with a little more forethought.
Glad to hear you was not hurt in the accident but you did a good job of bringing the car back to the road ready state and have rebuilt much of the worned out parts as well so your car can keep going for many more years
Good job. I have been trying to convince other Americans that you can’t hope an “older restoration” will be a runner just with simple ongoing maintenance. They are almost all cosmetic restorations with the same solidified grease and worn out parts you have shown. Every one I have worked on and every part I have had is just the same. I have hammered and tig welded damaged spring perches back to shape when those bushings are worn through. There are well sorted examples but not for cheap prices. One area I’ll disagree about is the idea the spring shackle will allow grease out the inner edge due to faulty design. The path of least resistance is actually the groove across the bushing ID but that is 99% of the time blocked with hard “clay”. They must be removed and cleaned and then one can tell if they are serviceable of not(usually not!). Any original styled zerks with no spring/ball inside are almost assuredly inoperable. Excellent work on the repair and more than most Americans would endure. Your A was always great but additional proof that most of them run on solidified grease that must be corrected before calling a car “restored”. It’s shocking as simple as it is to repair. I was hoping you would take it up to full speed with the fenders off to see how it handled. That’s why so many hot rodders left them off. The fenders tend to be airfoil-shaped and lead to the front end wondering at high speeds. I’ll bet the one thing left for improvement is the shift tower and shift pins. Not much more to do to have a well- sorted car. Great work! An inspiration for sure!
I didn't dare to drive around without fenders for too-long in law-abiding Germany. What I did notice however was that it's a very bad idea to drive around on wet streets - they make your own rain shower! I can very well see how they would turn into an air scoop at higher speeds! Well, my differential is also junk, but I won't be touching that anytime soon.
As much a pain as that was you now have a better front end than before. It won't be long before you have fixed or replaced every mechanical component on the car. Surprising amount of damage compared to the other car but also surprising how fixable everything was. I suppose you'll be looking for better rims though. All very interesting to watch.
Did a good job man real good job never thought about using lead . Can't wait to see what your going to do with the transmission synchronous maybe? Or an overdrive?
The other car probably has a lot of subtle invisible very hard to repair internal deformation, that the plastic bumper hides. The model A damage looked bad because a few stress points broke, but all quite fixable in the end.
@@DavidHinson-t5l Why a synchronous transmission??? That would take all of the fun out of driving a Model A. might as well make it fully electric then.
@@DrTheRich maybe and over drive to help it up the hills you got to remember he drives it in Germany anyway he did a real good job on repairs and a great machinist I like to watch him work
That was a really interesting video! Sorry you Model A got damaged-glad you were not hurt. I was really interested in seeing how everything came apart, especially the front end, and what it took to repair it. Beautiful craftsmanship sir! Well done!
First, I'm so glad you weren't hurt. Vintage cars are already inherently dangerous by nature. There are so many different ways to get seriously hurt, and you managed to avoid all of them somehow despite all the damage to your A. Second... I really do hope that you've earned new respect for your vehicle. Driving my Model A, I've learned that I must act in slow motion. I let the car drive me along instead of pushing it, forcing it down the road. From one craftsman to another, drive your Model A like you use your hand tools. You never, ever force a tool in its work. You instead let the tool do the work for you at its own pace. If you rush the job, you'll eventually have to start over... in other words... you'll eventually find yourself in an accident. This was an excellent video. Thank you so much for sharing it. Again, I'm very glad you weren't hurt. If you would've broken a hand or a rib, it would've taken you that much longer.
32:30 - Your CGI skills are amazing! It really does look absolutely lifelike when you drive without fenders, floorboards, and a front license plate, even though we all know that could never be real.
I'm glad you and your Model A are both safe and ok! Always a treat watching you work on your car and making me envious of all the tools and machines you have access to. Looking forward to many new videos!
If we're honest, this was an accident any one of us could have been involved in. Excellent repair work!👏👏👏 Wunderbar! 😇 But for the collision, when would the other faults have ever been discovered? Many thanks for sharing 👍
OH -- WOW -------- Well I'm glad you weren't going faster ---- or where someone hit you going fast ------ You had enough damage sure ----- but as Paul Shinn always says ------" Drive it like you can fix it " ------- and that's exactly what you did ------ PLUS ------- you got a chance to fix some of those little repairs sitting on the back burner ------- I admire the talent you have ---- clever ideas in repairing items ----- the use of old tools that just aren't around anymore ------ Really ---- ENJOY --- watching you in ACTION ------ with that ------ Get back to doing something ---- the whole world is watching --------------- Glad you are ok ------ You take Care ----- Hope you have a Good Week ------ Rodney
You Sir, are a gifted mechanic and problem solver. I really enjoyed watching this UA-cam presentation. The results of your work are outstanding. Henry Ford would be proud of you.
Persisted through, what a wonderful tale. Delighted to see your return. Wisdom often comes at a price, sometimes a steep one. Fortunately, you emerged unscathed. One of my favorite UA-camrs, the old-time music and hobby machining, got me going from the start. You have taught me many things with my own equipment, and I now listen to old-time music when machining on occasion. It's great for the vibe, especially helps you get through the many hours it takes to get through rather basic tasks on the metal shaper. Keep us updated mate! Your content is valuable!
Yikes! I’m glad nobody was hurt. Crashing one of these old cars is terrifying and something I worry about every time I drive my old Ford. Regardless, masterful work resurrecting your Model A! - Craig
I'm so sorry to hear about your accident, and although in law it may be all your fault there is blame to share with Herr Wende. The resulting repairs are nothing short of fantastic!
The beginning of the video can’t have been easy for you to film. Thank you for being honest and humble. Those are rare traits, now. People are very fond of using that expression, “they don’t make them like they used to. All one has to do is watch old drivers education films to see accidents involving old cars when they were new, and that should make anyone grateful that they don’t make them like they used to. They would literally fling themselves to pieces in an accident. The hood up ahead, one of the doors off to the left, the engine in Farmer Braun’s cow pasture, and enough random car parts to fill a parts counter scattered in between. The scenes could be quite gruesome. I love old cars. I’ve had old cars. But they’re not safe. They never were. That shouldn’t stop us from driving them, though. After all, we’re not savages. 😂
Accidents happen. I'm sure if you were driving a modern, then the front-end repair would cost way more and take a lot more effort to rectify. Great video, really enjoy & appreciate all the clever editing, the "No" to Hot Rod, etc. Fantastic stuff.
Hi, this is rough news to hear. Plenty of metal to protect the passengers though! One piece at a time, and you will be up and running again! Keep up the good work, we're cheering you on from across the pond!
Oh Mensch, das tut mir echt leid für Dich. Egal, ob selber schuld oder Fremdverschulden, es ist einfach Mist - vor allem, weil so viel kaputt gegangen ist. Man kann ja nicht einfach in eine Werkstatt fahren und sagen: Mach mal. Umso mehr Hut ab, dass Du es wieder hinbekommen hast. Daran wären die meisten verzweifelt.
Great to see a car built in Koln, repaired using original tools. Am amazed to see you using a lathe made in Yorkshire that's the same vintage as the car. I think we've met at Ford Werke factory day...! Superb work. I'd rather maintain this than my modern day automobile in Bonn. This one I understand and don't need a playstation to fix it!
@@AstraWerke That’s superb. I remember the Model A was built for a time in Koln and they have a couple in the Ford museum, so assumed it was a German car as it has the stylish coupe body. In England it was known as ‘The Doctor’s Car’!
@@722garage9 They only built a few thousand - most of which found their demise shot to bits at the warfront. I've only seen one german-built A so far, and it is said to be the only surviving Fordor.
Very glad it went as well as it did in the accident. Also very impressed with your resourcefulness and not losing motivation. In the end, the car turned out better than it ever has. You have to break some eggs to make an omelette! Keep up the good work. Love seeing your projects come to life and being improved. Still haven't experienced any accidents with my 1958 Volvo Amazon, and hope I never do. Just did a full brake and suspension rebuild personally, and found multiple "while I'm there" things to sort out. It wasn't terrible to begin with, but now it's fantastic. Built like a steak house, but drives like a bistro. :-)
OMG !! I am so sorry to see that this accident happened. But your recovery was amazing to watch !! A few weeks ago, I was test driving my 32 Ford after I replaced the Clutch. The Throttle linkage broke about 4 houses away. So I towed it back home on a rope and because of the lack of caster, the 32 Ford swung out wide and hit a cast iron mail box post. The post did not survive, but I only twisted the bumper a bit. I still felt nauseous about my minor wreck. And now I need to find a way to untwist my bumper :(
Ouch, that sounds ugly! I got my bumpers straight with the help of a vise and some levering, but I fear a 32 bumper is a bit more complicated. Maybe a local locksmith or body shop can help with a press or other hydraulic straightening equipment
@@AstraWerke I think you are correct. The 32 Bumper is pretty robust. It is a small twist, but I don't think I can fix it manually. It might need a hydraulic press :(
Thanks for listing the music at the end, always enjoy that. I feel your pain but don't feel so bad. I got hit in mine in 2020, I got T boned coming out of a cornfield. 3 more feet I'd be dead. Totaled the car so I had to build a whole new one. I did save some of it. Took me a year. I think you did fine on the sheet metal work. Big learning curve. The shackles on these are not the best design, shitty set-up to begin with. They really should have a zerk fitting at both ends. What I do is take a Dremmel tool and grind them a bit deeper. Also, make sure they are hardened. Some of the repro's are not and they wear right out. Keep in mind the front cross member is 90 degrees to the frame. So your caster is basically achieved by twisting those front shackles, they will always wear wrong. You did a great job over all. Enjoy and be careful. Lot's of dummy's on the road today.
I almost got T-boned in my Model A (sounds weird, almost as if the Model T came to take revenge on mine haha) I was driving at night on a 50kph road, and from the opposite side there was a car coming with about 70 or 80, and they crossed my lane centimeters in front of my car to take the sideroad. They honked their horn loudly as if I was at fault, yet just drove on without stopping. The only reason I wasn't full hit on the side was because in front of me a car stopped briefly in the middle of the road to let out a passenger. (which was also not allowed there)
We have all made mistakes, it is a human condition I fear, big of you to admit this on UA-cam, that takes some doing, well done. Well done on the repairs, modern cars have crumple zones, the old cars have mass and the absorption of the impact is therefore spread out much further - it kept you safe, which is important. A repair job well done. Austin 7 front axles can be modified with a bow to make the front end lower - a job I would pass over to a blacksmith as they have the facilities & I don't, I did find jacking the car up with the jack located mid-span of the front axle did cause it to deflect unduly, I don't do that now, so it you have the strength and the means of securing the part, undoing the bend to straighten is all perfectly good and your video clip of the Ford Motor Co. twisting the front axle is amazing! I too struggle with the tyres, and I have seen how they do it in the period factory films, I suspect that the rubber composition is softer than now and with everything new they fit together better. Also, if that is your job, day in day out, practice makes perfect and if you didn't do it, you wouldn't get paid - so an incentive! Greetings from England!
Thanks for posting this journey repairing your damage from the wreck...Glad you were not hurt in the wreck, and I admire you for your patience and attention to detail as you rebuilt (and improved) your car. Always looking forward to your next Model A adventure!
Gute Arbeit! Viele Inhaber hätten den Wagen nach dem Unfall verkauft. Du hast ihn gerettet und sogar zu einem besseren Zustand als der vor dem Unfall gebracht. Mein Kompliment!
Another enjoyable video, even if it wasn't enjoyable having to film it. Glad you wasn't hurt in the crash. I own a 1932 Morris Minor Two-Seater which is usually very reliable. I took it on a 1000 mile tour up to the Highlands of Scotland three weeks ago, from my home in the English Midlands, but failed to get back on the journey home after the dynamo stopped charging. I was less than 70 miles from home after a week driving to and around Scotland. The charging issue has thankfully been sorted. A spring on one of the brushes had lost it's strength so the brush wasn't sitting against the commutator. That's all done and working now, but the car has developed a new issue. It won't run smoothly above around 1500RPM. Fingers crossed it'll be fixed by Saturday. I'm hoping to pootle over to Presteigne, Wales, for the VSCC Welsh Trial (spectating, not competing).
One of the joys of model A's is that almost every part is still available .The Bent axles were not unusual back in the old days, and therre were tools called Jim Crows which were like a giant G clamp .It aided with the wheel alignment. The Steel used was Ford Invention, Chrome vanadium steel.
Although the quality of reproduction parts is sometimes debatable compared to the original. Also ford used "vanadium steel" not "chrome vanadium steel." Those are two different alloys with different properties. The later is mostly used for wrenches nowadays. reproduction parts use modern steel, little less in quality sadly.
I am so sorry that this happened. In Canada, the driver trying to make the U-turn would have been charged with an illegal move. A front end collision, even a low(ish) one, will always be a major issue but even more so in an older car without the impact absorbing mechanisms that are in modern cars. Sadly, the best defensive driving advice I ever got was to assume everyone else is an idiot (which applies more often than not in my part of the world!) The only good part is that you have the skills and patience (and access to German profanity) to undo the damage. I'm glad you took advantage of the Model A being "hors de combat" to do some extra maintenance. The fenders came out nice! It was so nice to see the little car put-putting down the road.
@@hansosl I just checked and the rule in Alberta (the province I live in) allows for U-turns under specific circumstances: "Is it Ever Legal to Do a U-Turn in Alberta? Here's what Alberta Transportation has to say about it: Do not do a U-turn unless you can do it safely. U-turns are not permitted: at an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal (traffic lights) unless permitted by a traffic control device." So, since the accident happened at a controlled intersection, it probably would have resulted in a ticket for the guy making the U-turn. I would agree that the fact that the driver making the U-turn stopped abruptly in the middle of his maneuver pretty much guaranteed an accident, even if the following car didn't have brake technology from the 1930s. The sad thing is how much damage a low-speed collision did to the Model A. Scheiße! indeed!
Hi im glad your ok, i hate to see old cars get into a crash. but what a great job to bring her back on the road. good thing you have acceess to the shop and the older guy to help. Brendan
I think so. I knew I had to do something about those driving "habits", but now it's embedded in my brain what happens when I don't. I've been using less of the throttle and more of the brakes now.
Thanks for a very informative and entertaining video. Although my 1955 Chevrolet is not as primitive as a Model A, it is nothing like driving a modern car, which is why I no longer let others drive it; they almost hit parked cars twice, LOL
You are quite lucky! There was a family that was out driving a 1928 Duesenburg that was hit by a large Super Duty pickup. They were all killed and the old car destroyed. Anyone who doesn't believe old cars are made of tissue paper compared to new ones should watch the 50th anniiversary video of the US IIHS where they offset crash a 2009 Chevrolet into a 1959 Chevrolet. The old "Heavy Chevy" (which actually wieghs 900 lbs less than the new) is utterly destroyed.
1930s cars are not made of tissue paper, all the steel individually is stronger than steel in modern cars. The problem is the design, lots of individual stress points that fail in a crash. While modern unibodies disperse that stress over the whole frame despite having weaker materials. And please for the love of God, can people stop bringing up the IIHS video here, it's not at all representative of 1930s cars, totally different structural design.
I got pretty lucky. In a straight-on collision, I would have probably suffered quite some substantial damage myself, but since I more or less pit-maneuvered the other guy, I was decelerated comparatively gradually. Hit a lamp post dead on at 25 and you're done, no questions asked.
If you're going to be doing metal work, you need the cold war motors approved log. (If you know Kyle over at Carter, you have to know Scott over a CWMD.)
Good job on the repairs and upgrades. I’m the third owner of my “28 Durant M2”. My Dad and I did the restoration. Driving with mechanical brakes and narrow tires is scary as hell. Have you heard of nylatron, tougher than teflon. ✌️
I am completely confused by the timeline of the accident - repair - video. Of course I do get confused quite easily. And editing video of repair spanning this much time must have been fun too.
I was fixing many things at the same time but since I didn't want to jump between subjects all the time, I decided to warp the timeframe instead and treat one topic at a time.
I think the other car was less severely damaged because it hit at a more glancing blow, and your tire absorbed a lot of the energy that got released back into your own suspension parts. Also the bumper of the modern car has a lot of surface area to disperse the deformation, while the forces in the A all concentrated on a couple choke points, because your wheel is virtually unprotected from collision, unlike modern cars. The breaking of the bumper bracket is probably because it's 90 years old. should normally bend a lot before breaking. That the frame is still straight, does say something about the sturdiness of it. The modern car might have a lot of invisible deformation in the substructure that would be a lot harder to repair than all the open, simple and easily accessible parts of your model A
No. Modern cars, while they do have "crumple zones" are built of better material and with stronger designs. You can find on UA-cam the US IIHS 50'th anniversary video where they crash a 2009 Chevrolet into a 1959 Chevrolet. The 2009 car is damaged, but the 1959 car is utterly destroyed.
@@dennisp.2147 "Better" can mean anything you want. Too vague of a term. Modern cars use weaker, thinner materials, but the shape and layers is what make them disperse the energy more evenly. Think about what energy dispersal means. both cars get the same amount of energy imparted on them, but the modern car shares that energy over many parts and area loads of small deformations. It looks less damaged overall, but to fix it you need to basically replace that whole section, not jus bend it back on the vice. On the model A all forces are concentrated on small stress points, like the bumper holder, the leafspring holder and the flywheel housing. Those pieces might be 5 times stronger than comparable parts on the modern car, but they got 50 times the force concentrated on them. Making them snap. The crash test you mention is irrelevant, because the 1959 car has a totally different structural design than a Model A, and both cars are irreparably totaled in the crash. So are useless in an argument about who got worse off damage wise. That test was about seeing how much the passenger compartment got disformed, not about how bad the bumper looked afterwards, or how easy to repair.
Well, the impact force went straight through the bumper, shoved the wheel into the fender, bent the axle and cracked the transmission bell. On my "opponent" the force didn't even get through to the wheels because it was absorbed beforehand. Sure, he's had an expensive fix ahead of himself, too, but his car drove, mine was far from it in many respects. Regarding passenger protection, I'd probably rather be in that Touran of his and have a bit more to pay in repairs ;)
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I can speculate that you are well on your way to becoming the Model A frame, suspension, running gear, and engine expert in Europe. It will be a title well earned.
Amazing job on the accident repairs, you can be proud of your work.
Awonderfull repair. Now you know the joy of owning a vintage car. I enjoy my 1935 chevrolet every day as you do your Ford. 😊
Wanna swap cars? :))
Gute Besserung dem "A"-uto. Hauptsache alle gesund.
Oh no.... it was such a pain to see that video from the collision... Thanks God you had no injures. Greetings from Poland
Hut ab das du das Auto wieder so gut hinbekommen hast 😊👍👍
Ein anderer hätte sich geärgert und es als Unfallauto weiterverkauft.
Respekt 👍
Glad you weren't hurt, you are a fantastic mechanic you know how to use the tools you have and improvise the ones you don't.
Also as far as parts go you are in Germany not the US where parts are easier to get and cheaper. Great job!
Very resourceful, and very skilled! I'm impressed. I owned Model As for 40 years but I could never have done those repairs.
Well, I wanted to see more model-A videos, but not like this. I admire your humility. That shows character. I'm glad no one was hurt.
...wie Du voller Herzschmerz vom Unfall berichtest... ich fühle es so arg!
Excellent video, 11/10 for determination, tenacity, engineering skill, ingenuity and persistence during this repair and restoration. Stuff happens just an unfortunate accident, glad you are not hurt. thanks cheers Paul
I love the added music of the 1930s. Your channel is already very enjoyable. The period music adds an element of authenticity and fun. Keep up the great content. Warm regards from North Carolina
Having an accident in my model a is an absolute nightmare of mine! You did a great job. Just glad you didn't get hurt
Sorry for your accident but your repair video was excellent. Well done. You are a very good mechanic and fortunate to have access to a fully equipped machine shop.
You did an excellent job on all the repairs! It's nice to see pre-war cars getting driven and enjoyed.
@@CarterAutoRestyling Thanks! This means alot coming from you - after all, you're the one that taught me all the dent removal and tinning tips and tricks. Looks like you did well :)
Life is the only teacher that gives you the test first then the lesson. Glad you’re ok and I’m glad to see the model A back on the road. Don’t be so harsh on yourself as long as you keep the lessons learned to heart.
So glad you were not injured. I have seen many Model A accident victims that were severely injured.
Amazing work on the repairs. Thanks for documenting your work.
He was severely injured. There are severe injuries other than bleeding wounds and broken bones. A man's inner life can be severely damaged by such an incident. The funny thing is that every dent in the metal that you repair yourself also repairs your inner workings a little bit...
@@relgeiz2 A lesson in humility is an ''injury'' more people could do with these days..
More luck than sense ;)
The lesson my Model A taught me: patience, patience in everything. Slow down and I enjoy it. Try to hurry and it’s just misery. Diagnosing problems takes time. Getting parts takes time. Accelerating takes time. Braking takes lots of time, and distance. Even filling the fuel tank takes time, much longer than a modern car. My Mazda CX-5 crossover hatchback is faster, quicker to fix, brakes quicker, everything is quick. So if I’m in a hurry that’s the one I take. Otherwise, patience.
Very, very, very helpful, informative, interesting, and yes, entertaining. Thank you for inspiring and educating, yet again. Making want a model A of my own even more than I already do.
Well done! I drive my 1921 Model T to work anytime the weather is nice. I hope nothing like that happens to me.
I agree with most of these comments. I had both fun and respect for the work and effort you and your helper put in on this. Thanks for sharing!
Simply great your video. From an accident, which doesn’t look that big on the first view, you had the courage and patient to solve not only the accident issues , but also all other problems, which appeared „on the way“. And further you could improve older repairs. Of course, you have a lot of tools and machinery as well as some help sometimes, but again patience, experience and creativity has to be appreciated.
Simply great!
Thank you for sharing the embarrassing bit to go with all your (frankly terrific) accomplishments. A risk free life is boring.
I love your choice of background music. Sorry to hear of your collision.
Congratulations on getting your A back on the road. It always amazes me how the axles can be straightened via a press. Great work as always!
I was sceptical, too - but after that corkscrewed axle video from Ford, I had no more worries xD
das tut mir richtig leid der unfall, man hast du viel arbeit danach gehabt. du musst das auto wirlkich lieben und dann wieder so eine perfekte arbeit abgieliefert, mit karosserie arbeiten was kannst du eigentlich nicht. ich bin immer wieder hanmmer begeistert dir bei deiner fantastischen arbeit zuzuschauen... 😲👏👏👏
I'm glad you weren't injured. It's easy to get complacent when driving these cars so often. When I'm driving my Model A Roadster, I have to remind myself to keep a good distance and plan ahead. The more one drives them, the more one can get lulled into a false sense of security.
You've done an incredible job on the repairs, though! All the best to you.
I feel I drive safer in my Tudor than a Modern car because I keep more distance, look further ahead and take less risk, I thought that would go for everyone, but apparently not XD
I don't see myself getting complacent in a Model A, I'm always aware of how vulnerable I am, more so than in a modern car.
Exactly that false sense of security is what gets you. It was all going so smooth... Until it wasn't.
99 per cent of all accidents could be avoided with a little more forethought.
Glad to hear you was not hurt in the accident but you did a good job of bringing the car back to the road ready state and have rebuilt much of the worned out parts as well so your car can keep going for many more years
Kyle at Carter Auto styling is the fellow I was going to recommend to you. Glad you have found him.
Good job. I have been trying to convince other Americans that you can’t hope an “older restoration” will be a runner just with simple ongoing maintenance. They are almost all cosmetic restorations with the same solidified grease and worn out parts you have shown. Every one I have worked on and every part I have had is just the same. I have hammered and tig welded damaged spring perches back to shape when those bushings are worn through. There are well sorted examples but not for cheap prices.
One area I’ll disagree about is the idea the spring shackle will allow grease out the inner edge due to faulty design. The path of least resistance is actually the groove across the bushing ID but that is 99% of the time blocked with hard “clay”. They must be removed and cleaned and then one can tell if they are serviceable of not(usually not!). Any original styled zerks with no spring/ball inside are almost assuredly inoperable.
Excellent work on the repair and more than most Americans would endure. Your A was always great but additional proof that most of them run on solidified grease that must be corrected before calling a car “restored”. It’s shocking as simple as it is to repair.
I was hoping you would take it up to full speed with the fenders off to see how it handled. That’s why so many hot rodders left them off. The fenders tend to be airfoil-shaped and lead to the front end wondering at high speeds.
I’ll bet the one thing left for improvement is the shift tower and shift pins. Not much more to do to have a well- sorted car. Great work! An inspiration for sure!
I didn't dare to drive around without fenders for too-long in law-abiding Germany. What I did notice however was that it's a very bad idea to drive around on wet streets - they make your own rain shower!
I can very well see how they would turn into an air scoop at higher speeds!
Well, my differential is also junk, but I won't be touching that anytime soon.
As much a pain as that was you now have a better front end than before. It won't be long before you have fixed or replaced every mechanical component on the car. Surprising amount of damage compared to the other car but also surprising how fixable everything was. I suppose you'll be looking for better rims though. All very interesting to watch.
Did a good job man real good job never thought about using lead . Can't wait to see what your going to do with the transmission synchronous maybe? Or an overdrive?
The other car probably has a lot of subtle invisible very hard to repair internal deformation, that the plastic bumper hides.
The model A damage looked bad because a few stress points broke, but all quite fixable in the end.
@@DavidHinson-t5l Why a synchronous transmission??? That would take all of the fun out of driving a Model A. might as well make it fully electric then.
@@DrTheRich maybe and over drive to help it up the hills you got to remember he drives it in Germany anyway he did a real good job on repairs and a great machinist I like to watch him work
Yep, now all that can go wrong is the radiator, differential, U-joint, rear axles and shock absorbers. Narrows it down quite alot ;P
That was a really interesting video! Sorry you Model A got damaged-glad you were not hurt. I was really interested in seeing how everything came apart, especially the front end, and what it took to repair it. Beautiful craftsmanship sir! Well done!
First, I'm so glad you weren't hurt. Vintage cars are already inherently dangerous by nature. There are so many different ways to get seriously hurt, and you managed to avoid all of them somehow despite all the damage to your A.
Second... I really do hope that you've earned new respect for your vehicle. Driving my Model A, I've learned that I must act in slow motion. I let the car drive me along instead of pushing it, forcing it down the road.
From one craftsman to another, drive your Model A like you use your hand tools. You never, ever force a tool in its work. You instead let the tool do the work for you at its own pace. If you rush the job, you'll eventually have to start over... in other words... you'll eventually find yourself in an accident.
This was an excellent video. Thank you so much for sharing it. Again, I'm very glad you weren't hurt. If you would've broken a hand or a rib, it would've taken you that much longer.
I don't see what's inherently dangerous about old cars.
32:30 - Your CGI skills are amazing! It really does look absolutely lifelike when you drive without fenders, floorboards, and a front license plate, even though we all know that could never be real.
Gotta say I'm envious of the machine shop you got sitting around.
I'm glad you and your Model A are both safe and ok! Always a treat watching you work on your car and making me envious of all the tools and machines you have access to. Looking forward to many new videos!
Great video! Thanks for detailing the resurrection. And for the shoutout to Carter's Auto Restyling! 👍
Very nice job on the repairs.
If we're honest, this was an accident any one of us could have been involved in. Excellent repair work!👏👏👏 Wunderbar! 😇 But for the collision, when would the other faults have ever been discovered? Many thanks for sharing 👍
OH -- WOW -------- Well I'm glad you weren't going faster ---- or where someone hit you going fast ------ You had enough damage sure ----- but as Paul Shinn always says ------" Drive it like you can fix it " ------- and that's exactly what you did ------ PLUS ------- you got a chance to fix some of those little repairs sitting on the back burner ------- I admire the talent you have ---- clever ideas in repairing items ----- the use of old tools that just aren't around anymore ------ Really ---- ENJOY --- watching you in ACTION ------ with that ------ Get back to doing something ---- the whole world is watching --------------- Glad you are ok ------ You take Care ----- Hope you have a Good Week ------ Rodney
Klasse, dass nenne ich Handwerk. Alles repariert und kaum was neu gekauft, ganz toll gemacht 👍🏼.
what an amazing job you did bring it back from the damage!! great video as well. it's wonderful to have you back driving it.
You Sir, are a gifted mechanic and problem solver. I really enjoyed watching this UA-cam presentation. The results of your work are outstanding. Henry Ford would be proud of you.
Persisted through, what a wonderful tale. Delighted to see your return. Wisdom often comes at a price, sometimes a steep one. Fortunately, you emerged unscathed. One of my favorite UA-camrs, the old-time music and hobby machining, got me going from the start. You have taught me many things with my own equipment, and I now listen to old-time music when machining on occasion. It's great for the vibe, especially helps you get through the many hours it takes to get through rather basic tasks on the metal shaper. Keep us updated mate! Your content is valuable!
Yikes! I’m glad nobody was hurt. Crashing one of these old cars is terrifying and something I worry about every time I drive my old Ford. Regardless, masterful work resurrecting your Model A!
- Craig
I'm so sorry to hear about your accident, and although in law it may be all your fault there is blame to share with Herr Wende. The resulting repairs are nothing short of fantastic!
The beginning of the video can’t have been easy for you to film. Thank you for being honest and humble. Those are rare traits, now.
People are very fond of using that expression, “they don’t make them like they used to. All one has to do is watch old drivers education films to see accidents involving old cars when they were new, and that should make anyone grateful that they don’t make them like they used to. They would literally fling themselves to pieces in an accident. The hood up ahead, one of the doors off to the left, the engine in Farmer Braun’s cow pasture, and enough random car parts to fill a parts counter scattered in between. The scenes could be quite gruesome.
I love old cars. I’ve had old cars. But they’re not safe. They never were. That shouldn’t stop us from driving them, though. After all, we’re not savages. 😂
yes i think alot of people got kiled in old cars back when they where new
Tinning! I have never seen it done. Awesome video.
Determination is the word here; Great job, and sorry about the accident, and happy you are ok to continue enjoying your Model A Ford.😄
Great work on the video and rebounding from the bender. Enjoyable watching your handy work getting it driving.
you done a very nice job on that car .much better than most collision repair facility do.
From USA - Love your car she's beautiful. I bet Model A's are rare over there!
Prewar cars in itself are pretty rare over here, but in the prewar community, the A is a very common sight.
Accidents happen. I'm sure if you were driving a modern, then the front-end repair would cost way more and take a lot more effort to rectify. Great video, really enjoy & appreciate all the clever editing, the "No" to Hot Rod, etc. Fantastic stuff.
I much enjoyed your journey and I learned more than ever 🙏🏻👍🏻
Glückwunsch, dass Sie aus der Not eine Tugend gemacht haben. (I'm told this is the German for 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade')
Impressed with your skills and tenacity - a job well done!
Ouch Adrian! Glad you were not hurt. Oops! You are so resourceful.
Hi, this is rough news to hear. Plenty of metal to protect the passengers though! One piece at a time, and you will be up and running again! Keep up the good work, we're cheering you on from across the pond!
Oh Mensch, das tut mir echt leid für Dich. Egal, ob selber schuld oder Fremdverschulden, es ist einfach Mist - vor allem, weil so viel kaputt gegangen ist. Man kann ja nicht einfach in eine Werkstatt fahren und sagen: Mach mal. Umso mehr Hut ab, dass Du es wieder hinbekommen hast. Daran wären die meisten verzweifelt.
Great to see a car built in Koln, repaired using original tools. Am amazed to see you using a lathe made in Yorkshire that's the same vintage as the car. I think we've met at Ford Werke factory day...! Superb work. I'd rather maintain this than my modern day automobile in Bonn. This one I understand and don't need a playstation to fix it!
My car was imported from San Francisco, so it was most likely built in the US. If this was a german built car, it'd be one of a kind.
@@AstraWerke That’s superb. I remember the Model A was built for a time in Koln and they have a couple in the Ford museum, so assumed it was a German car as it has the stylish coupe body. In England it was known as ‘The Doctor’s Car’!
@@722garage9 They only built a few thousand - most of which found their demise shot to bits at the warfront.
I've only seen one german-built A so far, and it is said to be the only surviving Fordor.
I’m glad this video came out. I was in a bad mood after watching it. I’m happy again. What a great video and your car looks amazing by the way.
Very glad it went as well as it did in the accident. Also very impressed with your resourcefulness and not losing motivation. In the end, the car turned out better than it ever has. You have to break some eggs to make an omelette! Keep up the good work. Love seeing your projects come to life and being improved.
Still haven't experienced any accidents with my 1958 Volvo Amazon, and hope I never do. Just did a full brake and suspension rebuild personally, and found multiple "while I'm there" things to sort out. It wasn't terrible to begin with, but now it's fantastic. Built like a steak house, but drives like a bistro. :-)
Looks great. You do a lot more yourself than most owners, and you do it well.
I just don't trust a workshop to do things by the standards I have xD
OMG !! I am so sorry to see that this accident happened. But your recovery was amazing to watch !! A few weeks ago, I was test driving my 32 Ford after I replaced the Clutch. The Throttle linkage broke about 4 houses away. So I towed it back home on a rope and because of the lack of caster, the 32 Ford swung out wide and hit a cast iron mail box post. The post did not survive, but I only twisted the bumper a bit. I still felt nauseous about my minor wreck. And now I need to find a way to untwist my bumper :(
Ouch, that sounds ugly! I got my bumpers straight with the help of a vise and some levering, but I fear a 32 bumper is a bit more complicated.
Maybe a local locksmith or body shop can help with a press or other hydraulic straightening equipment
@@AstraWerke I think you are correct. The 32 Bumper is pretty robust. It is a small twist, but I don't think I can fix it manually. It might need a hydraulic press :(
Thanks for listing the music at the end, always enjoy that. I feel your pain but don't feel so bad. I got hit in mine in 2020, I got T boned coming out of a cornfield. 3 more feet I'd be dead. Totaled the car so I had to build a whole new one. I did save some of it. Took me a year. I think you did fine on the sheet metal work. Big learning curve. The shackles on these are not the best design, shitty set-up to begin with. They really should have a zerk fitting at both ends. What I do is take a Dremmel tool and grind them a bit deeper. Also, make sure they are hardened. Some of the repro's are not and they wear right out. Keep in mind the front cross member is 90 degrees to the frame. So your caster is basically achieved by twisting those front shackles, they will always wear wrong. You did a great job over all. Enjoy and be careful. Lot's of dummy's on the road today.
I almost got T-boned in my Model A (sounds weird, almost as if the Model T came to take revenge on mine haha)
I was driving at night on a 50kph road, and from the opposite side there was a car coming with about 70 or 80, and they crossed my lane centimeters in front of my car to take the sideroad. They honked their horn loudly as if I was at fault, yet just drove on without stopping.
The only reason I wasn't full hit on the side was because in front of me a car stopped briefly in the middle of the road to let out a passenger. (which was also not allowed there)
@@DrTheRich I love my old car,but you have to be so careful, especially at night. Sounds like you got mighty lucky. Be well and be careful.
Wow, glad you're OK! Many accidents can be prevented, but some things you're just not in control of.
We have all made mistakes, it is a human condition I fear, big of you to admit this on UA-cam, that takes some doing, well done.
Well done on the repairs, modern cars have crumple zones, the old cars have mass and the absorption of the impact is therefore spread out much further - it kept you safe, which is important.
A repair job well done. Austin 7 front axles can be modified with a bow to make the front end lower - a job I would pass over to a blacksmith as they have the facilities & I don't, I did find jacking the car up with the jack located mid-span of the front axle did cause it to deflect unduly, I don't do that now, so it you have the strength and the means of securing the part, undoing the bend to straighten is all perfectly good and your video clip of the Ford Motor Co. twisting the front axle is amazing!
I too struggle with the tyres, and I have seen how they do it in the period factory films, I suspect that the rubber composition is softer than now and with everything new they fit together better. Also, if that is your job, day in day out, practice makes perfect and if you didn't do it, you wouldn't get paid - so an incentive!
Greetings from England!
Well said!
Maybe, they also preheated the tyres to make them more malleable
Glad you got it back together! You really find out how good the previous workmanship was when you have to repair it.
Thanks for persevering through. It can get to be frustrating working on cars sometimes, but the results are stunning! Keep the Classics Alive!
Thanks for posting this journey repairing your damage from the wreck...Glad you were not hurt in the wreck, and I admire you for your patience and attention to detail as you rebuilt (and improved) your car. Always looking forward to your next Model A adventure!
Wow that was wild footage
This, and you, are absolutely marvelous!
Gute Arbeit! Viele Inhaber hätten den Wagen nach dem Unfall verkauft. Du hast ihn gerettet und sogar zu einem besseren Zustand als der vor dem Unfall gebracht. Mein Kompliment!
Another enjoyable video, even if it wasn't enjoyable having to film it. Glad you wasn't hurt in the crash. I own a 1932 Morris Minor Two-Seater which is usually very reliable. I took it on a 1000 mile tour up to the Highlands of Scotland three weeks ago, from my home in the English Midlands, but failed to get back on the journey home after the dynamo stopped charging. I was less than 70 miles from home after a week driving to and around Scotland. The charging issue has thankfully been sorted. A spring on one of the brushes had lost it's strength so the brush wasn't sitting against the commutator. That's all done and working now, but the car has developed a new issue. It won't run smoothly above around 1500RPM. Fingers crossed it'll be fixed by Saturday. I'm hoping to pootle over to Presteigne, Wales, for the VSCC Welsh Trial (spectating, not competing).
One of the joys of model A's is that almost every part is still available .The Bent axles were not unusual back in the old days, and therre were tools called Jim Crows which were like a giant G clamp .It aided with the wheel alignment. The Steel used was Ford Invention, Chrome vanadium steel.
Although the quality of reproduction parts is sometimes debatable compared to the original.
Also ford used "vanadium steel" not "chrome vanadium steel." Those are two different alloys with different properties. The later is mostly used for wrenches nowadays.
reproduction parts use modern steel, little less in quality sadly.
Excellent video,so interesting. It might have been a pain to have to repair it but I expect you learned a lot. Well done you 👍
I am so sorry that this happened. In Canada, the driver trying to make the U-turn would have been charged with an illegal move.
A front end collision, even a low(ish) one, will always be a major issue but even more so in an older car without the impact absorbing mechanisms that are in modern cars.
Sadly, the best defensive driving advice I ever got was to assume everyone else is an idiot (which applies more often than not in my part of the world!)
The only good part is that you have the skills and patience (and access to German profanity) to undo the damage.
I'm glad you took advantage of the Model A being "hors de combat" to do some extra maintenance.
The fenders came out nice! It was so nice to see the little car put-putting down the road.
Here in germany its allowed to U turn unless there is a sign with a crossed U....
@@hansosl I just checked and the rule in Alberta (the province I live in) allows for U-turns under specific circumstances:
"Is it Ever Legal to Do a U-Turn in Alberta?
Here's what Alberta Transportation has to say about it: Do not do a U-turn unless you can do it safely. U-turns are not permitted: at an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal (traffic lights) unless permitted by a traffic control device."
So, since the accident happened at a controlled intersection, it probably would have resulted in a ticket for the guy making the U-turn. I would agree that the fact that the driver making the U-turn stopped abruptly in the middle of his maneuver pretty much guaranteed an accident, even if the following car didn't have brake technology from the 1930s. The sad thing is how much damage a low-speed collision did to the Model A. Scheiße! indeed!
The U-turn wasn't forbidden at this point. I've visited the site a few times and it's quite common for people to turn around there.
Had I known...
Chin up my friend. Good work.
Love the video, can’t wait to get my A back on the road
Wow - very awesome video. And amazing work by yourself.
I love your videos. I sold my A two years ago and plan to get another.
Outstanding work!
Hi im glad your ok, i hate to see old cars get into a crash. but what a great job to bring her back on the road. good thing you have acceess to the shop and the older guy to help.
Brendan
Great video showing the repairs, I really hope you've learned from this accident and take more care while driving this piece of history.
I think so. I knew I had to do something about those driving "habits", but now it's embedded in my brain what happens when I don't.
I've been using less of the throttle and more of the brakes now.
Oh Boy! A transmission video! Can't Wait. 🙂
;)
We all get erasers on our pencils - it's called human. Nice job!
Thanks for a very informative and entertaining video. Although my 1955 Chevrolet is not as primitive as a Model A, it is nothing like driving a modern car, which is why I no longer let others drive it; they almost hit parked cars twice, LOL
Jeez, I wouldn't want to be onboard with them even in a modern car xD
@@AstraWerke 😆
Beautiful work and beautiful car well done 👍🏼
Damn bro it's ok you'll fix it🔥🔥🔥🔥
Very nice job on the repair, maybe even a little to good for a driver. Enjoy it .
Excellent job Well Done !! I wonder how many bearing surfaces need attention on my Model A ??
Oh my friend, I sincerely feel for you.
You are quite lucky! There was a family that was out driving a 1928 Duesenburg that was hit by a large Super Duty pickup. They were all killed and the old car destroyed. Anyone who doesn't believe old cars are made of tissue paper compared to new ones should watch the 50th anniiversary video of the US IIHS where they offset crash a 2009 Chevrolet into a 1959 Chevrolet. The old "Heavy Chevy" (which actually wieghs 900 lbs less than the new) is utterly destroyed.
1930s cars are not made of tissue paper, all the steel individually is stronger than steel in modern cars. The problem is the design, lots of individual stress points that fail in a crash. While modern unibodies disperse that stress over the whole frame despite having weaker materials.
And please for the love of God, can people stop bringing up the IIHS video here, it's not at all representative of 1930s cars, totally different structural design.
I got pretty lucky. In a straight-on collision, I would have probably suffered quite some substantial damage myself, but since I more or less pit-maneuvered the other guy, I was decelerated comparatively gradually. Hit a lamp post dead on at 25 and you're done, no questions asked.
Muy bueno!,muy buen trabajo! No estaba enterado del accidente,por suerte se pudo reparar fácil, saludos desde Argentina
I think you do outstanding work.
If you're going to be doing metal work, you need the cold war motors approved log. (If you know Kyle over at Carter, you have to know Scott over a CWMD.)
That guy is just something else. Makes a full patch panel for some 1950s style bomber with a mallet and a piece of wood.
Good job on the repairs and upgrades. I’m the third owner of my “28 Durant M2”. My Dad and I did the restoration. Driving with mechanical brakes and narrow tires is scary as hell. Have you heard of nylatron, tougher than teflon. ✌️
21:30 - Where there's grease, there's Paul. 😂
Much Matsch matschen. 🙃
I am completely confused by the timeline of the accident - repair - video. Of course I do get confused quite easily. And editing video of repair spanning this much time must have been fun too.
I was fixing many things at the same time but since I didn't want to jump between subjects all the time, I decided to warp the timeframe instead and treat one topic at a time.
Sorry to hear. But not much can keep you down. Great Video
you did a great repair!
I think the other car was less severely damaged because it hit at a more glancing blow, and your tire absorbed a lot of the energy that got released back into your own suspension parts.
Also the bumper of the modern car has a lot of surface area to disperse the deformation, while the forces in the A all concentrated on a couple choke points, because your wheel is virtually unprotected from collision, unlike modern cars.
The breaking of the bumper bracket is probably because it's 90 years old. should normally bend a lot before breaking.
That the frame is still straight, does say something about the sturdiness of it. The modern car might have a lot of invisible deformation in the substructure that would be a lot harder to repair than all the open, simple and easily accessible parts of your model A
No. Modern cars, while they do have "crumple zones" are built of better material and with stronger designs. You can find on UA-cam the US IIHS 50'th anniversary video where they crash a 2009 Chevrolet into a 1959 Chevrolet. The 2009 car is damaged, but the 1959 car is utterly destroyed.
@@dennisp.2147 "Better" can mean anything you want. Too vague of a term. Modern cars use weaker, thinner materials, but the shape and layers is what make them disperse the energy more evenly.
Think about what energy dispersal means. both cars get the same amount of energy imparted on them, but the modern car shares that energy over many parts and area loads of small deformations. It looks less damaged overall, but to fix it you need to basically replace that whole section, not jus bend it back on the vice.
On the model A all forces are concentrated on small stress points, like the bumper holder, the leafspring holder and the flywheel housing. Those pieces might be 5 times stronger than comparable parts on the modern car, but they got 50 times the force concentrated on them. Making them snap.
The crash test you mention is irrelevant, because the 1959 car has a totally different structural design than a Model A, and both cars are irreparably totaled in the crash. So are useless in an argument about who got worse off damage wise. That test was about seeing how much the passenger compartment got disformed, not about how bad the bumper looked afterwards, or how easy to repair.
Well, the impact force went straight through the bumper, shoved the wheel into the fender, bent the axle and cracked the transmission bell.
On my "opponent" the force didn't even get through to the wheels because it was absorbed beforehand.
Sure, he's had an expensive fix ahead of himself, too, but his car drove, mine was far from it in many respects.
Regarding passenger protection, I'd probably rather be in that Touran of his and have a bit more to pay in repairs ;)