My dad restored about 7 model As while I was growing up. You probably heard me screaming out the names of the parts as you were working. The Model A Ford was originally a 6 volt system with positive ground. As with old tractors, many were converted to 12 volt, negative ground. The starters didn’t need to be changed as they were pretty robust and could handle 12 volt input. You did need to replace the generator with either a 12 volt generator and 12 volt regulator or with a 12 volt alternator and eliminate the regulator. The generator on the truck you are working on is off of another vehicle. When switching from 6v pos ground to 12v neg ground, you had to reverse the wires on the amp meter. You also had to either use a 12v coil or use the original coil with a ballast resistor to lower the voltage. Controls: The ignition switch was simply off and on. The switch in the middle of the steering wheel is headlights. 3 positions; off, low beam, high beam. The levers to either side of the steering wheel; left side is spark advance (connected to that lever on the points plate). It’s position is all the way up while starting, then pulled down to achieve smoothest running once started. On the right is the throttle control. Pulled down a bit while starting, the pushed up to return to the idle position. On the floor: left pedal is the clutch, right pedal is the brake. To the right is a round pedal which is the foot throttle. This is what would be used while actually driving (the hand throttle hooks into the back of the foot throttle under the hood). There is a smaller round pedal above the foot throttle. This is what engages the starter. It’s a manual process, stepping on this presses the contacts together on top of the starter. There is a choke rod under the dash on the passenger side. Hope this is helpful. Good luck. 🥸👀👍✅

Always love the way Mustie uses the camera like we are his apprentices giving us the best angles to approach a task and show us what he's doing.

Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous new year Mustie. Here is to another year of awesome videos and hanging out with you

I restored one of these trucks about 40 years ago. Every single part down to nuts and bolts, even reman short blocks and long blocks are still readily available for Model T's and A's. That is a Model A-1928 to 1931. The AA trucks were heavier duty with duallies. Probably the most enjoyable resto I've ever done.

What a great way to start a new year in the UK - peering over my boys heads as they watched their favourite man at work. Im happy sharing them with ya. Good health for 2023 Mustie.

My eyes were all over that barn.

When you were checking the valves, it brought back a 50 year old memory from my childhood. A neighbor had a 1928 Model A Tudor that he had imported from New Zealand. During the importation process, the car had sat on a dock in Charleston SC for several months and the one of the valves had rusted stuck in the open position. The neighbor had pulled the head off and has soaked the valve stem with penetrating oil to free it. He would turn over the engine by hand and whack the valve closed with a rubber hammer to loosen it up. This was a time consuming process so he enlisted my help. He told me when to hit the valve and started hand cranking the engine over. After a few minutes of me whacking the valve, it loosened up enough to close by itself. He put the head back on and started the engine. To my surprise the engine purred like a kitten! When I got my driver's license years later, he let me drive that car. Being a right-hand drive car (in the United States), driving it was the strangest driving experience of my life. Sitting on the right side of the car, changing gears with my left arm (not to mention the wooden-feeling steering and weak mechanical brakes) was and is the most memorable drive of my life. Thanks for the video and bringing back the memories.

This video is proof that Ford once knew how to put enough spark plug threads into a cylinder head.

Consider flattening the surface where the break is on the distributor shaft, cutting a slot the width of the engagement tab, sticking a piece of steel the proper width and thickness in the slot and then welding it. All you need is a lathe😉

I found this same stuck, non spinning distributor in my 30 Roadster pickup! Prybars, paitents and lube got it out. Found the center shaft stuck in the distributor bushings along with a third old bushing left inside the distributor body that was pushed up covering the manual oiler hole on the distributor. It is rebuilt in my basement waiting to go back on now! New parts are easily attainable to rebuild it with new bushings, requires a 1/2 inch reamer to clearance the new bushings once they are installed.

My Great Granddad blamed his 31 truck for his back problems and a concussion once. Ford could have saved a lot of money buy not putting any suspension on those because they were so stiff. The only way you could get it to flex was load it with twice what the truck weighed itself. They were tough and hard to kill. The last new Ford truck he brought was a 1952 with a V8 ,heater,radio,cigarette lighter and baby blue color. He never drove over 30mph. 🤣

Hello Mustie1, Darren, Happy New Year to you. Can't wait to see the adventures you get into. Another year of great Sundays because Mustie1 brings 'em back to life. Looking forward to a fun 2023!

That old a pickup doesn't look too bad. I hope you can take this one forward to running condition. Thanks for all the interesting content over the years, Mustie, and all the very best for 2023.

It ran when parked. yea sure, it ran as fast as they pushed it into the spot it's sat in for years. I have been watching this channel for years. I'm really looking forward to seeing this project. This will be a cool one. Keep up the good work.

Nice work finding that non-rotating distributor and then the bolt hold down under the shield, removing the head and distributor shaft removal. Not bad for a guy who never saw this arrangement before! Excellent job.

Is that John Walton’s truck?? Lol

One piece of advice, I recommend replacing the two blade fan with a four blade. Those original two blade fans have a tendency to come apart when running. When they do they go through the hood and or the radiator. The original fans where two pieces pressed together and years of use makes them weak and dangerous. I replaced mine years ago and a friend's in his roadster. Hope this helps

My grandfather; mother's father had a model A Ford pickup truck lived in Eureka Montana his fishing buddy; who was the man that played the second Wagon Master on the TV series Wagon Train; McIntyre also lived in the same town Eureka Montana. Grandpa was a master Carpenter's Master Saw Sharpener. Was one of the Carpenters that helped build Hoover Dam in the back of that model A Ford was a 10 ft boat that grandpa had built. For a number of years he had the loan of that 1949 Lawson 2.9 horsepower outboard that I wrote of when you were getting the same model engine operating in one of your videos. Those two old guys would jump beaver dams in rivers with that boat and that motor. To my knowledge that model A truck was the only vehicle my grandfather ever owned he grew up in Kansas and was one of the original homesteaders in the Great American Land Race of Oklahoma and was a feared gunman in his younger years having shot five men by the time he was 21 years of age. Was the gun slick of the Oklahoma Cattleman's Association, before it became a state. Just outlined a little bit of American history the very few know about.

Paul Shinn has a distributor rebuild on his KZfaq channel .Great job getting it out in one piece!! All the best from Canada

Happy new Year to you all.

Happy New Year friends, first Mustie video of the year!

Good Morning everyone. Happy New Year.

That old copper head gasket is a thing of beauty.

Kinda like the Walton's Truck I would Love to have One! Frame up Restoration of course!

Generator type charging systems can be made to work either way around by flashing the D+ terminal to the side going to positive, meaning if positive earth, you flash D+ with the negative cable, & opposite with negative earth. I have done this to a car I had years ago.

Morning Mustie happy new year to you and your family hope you have a prosperous one thanks for the knowledge and entertainment you’ve given us over the past year

1948 Ford Backing plates = Hydraulic Brakes. I have a gearshift knob from a '28 if you are interested. Floor was originally hardwood. Dash on Pass. side may have a 3" hole for heat if it had a Manifold Heater. This one does not. Aftermarket horn. My first car was a 1928 Model A 2 Door.

They were great old trucks for their time. And I know first handed about the suspension, or lack there of. When I was about 10 (now 73) my brother and I went for a ride with Dad in his old Model “A” truck. We hit a bump in the road and all three of us hit the ceiling of the cab. The immediate aftermath of that, was Dad teaching us boys how to cuss, wow, did he ever cut loose, rare for him. It was nothing that a bottle of “Pop” couldn’t take care of to buy our silence…. Good times back then. It is personally one of my “Remember When” moments.

Happy new year Mustie, thank you so much for all of the education and entertainment!

Happy New Year, Mustie, and hope that you had a great, and well deserved, vacation. These are the kinds of videos I like the best….when you are confronted with something you’ve never worked on before, and we’re allowed to hear your thought process as you work your way through it. Looking forward to more videos on this truck…..

Really enjoy waking up on Sunday to find what mechanical mystery we will engage. Darin I've been watching for years now, strange, it never gets old...thanks a lot man.

And the BEST is yet to come in 2023. Mustie1 thank you for all the time, effort, wrenching and lessons. You are the best entertainment ever. Wishing you, the wife, family and friends the Happiest and more prosperous New Year.🎉🎈🎉

Oh cool it's got the early model Corvette suspension.

Great subject matter this week, Mustie. Really appreciate your channel.

Happy New Year from Germany to all of you & best wishes for 2023🌎🤠

Heck yeah!! I have one of these!! Mine is the model AA that can roll on duallys. Dad converted it to a paddy wagon. I'm starting a restore on it now. So far I got the engine unfrozen, but tons to do.. Thanks a ton for this one Darren!

15:39 I was working on an elevator in downtown Baltimore. Tossed in the cavity underneath the brake coil was a nestle chocolate bar wrapper from the 1940s. I left it there.

I haven’t read thru the comments to see if he has been mentioned, but Paul Shinn is an excellent resource on these Model A’s. He has a KZfaq channel.

Thanks for sharing what you do. Happy 2023.

If you ever try to start it with the crank, dont wrap your thumb around the crank, keep your thumb in line with your fingers. That way, if it backfires, you wont get your thumb broken.

Happy New Year, hope you had a great vacation. Thank you for the last year of awesome insights into keeping machinery alive, and here's to another year of the magic of Mustie 😁

What a wonderful way to start off a New Year. Wishing you and your family a wonderful and prosperous 2023 Darren. These old trucks were masterful in simplicity and I can’t help but wonder; have we really progressed as much as we think with complexity of the modern vehicles. So looking forward to the journey in getting this old Model AA Ford running and driving again. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Everyone!!!

Happy New Year to you and yours !! Started my 2023 right, morning coffee and a great video !! Thanks !!

Another antique saved from the scrapper I'm glad you're taking the time to help these folks get all these vehicles up and running

Happy new Gear,

Happy New Year Darren !!! TBH, I was scared that you'd find the camshaft had seized - which would also have resulted in the distributor not turning. So what you found was not so bad after all. Looking forward to part 2 of this one.

Hi Mustie, compliments of the season hope y’all had a great one. There’s no doubt about it you have a really unique style in presenting. You’re ability to nut out a plan to move forward after road blocks is exceptional which is why I find you very interesting to watch, (an hour easily glides by!). We really appreciate the extra steps involved just to get us a good view. Hope the owner does go forward, if it helps him make up his mind, a gentle reminder that there’s 10’s of thousands of viewers are currently on a cliff hanger at the mo! Cheers

The heat Sheald is an ad on ,the screw in the middle of the distributor sets your static timing, on the front rt. side of the timing cover is a pointer take it out bring no 1 cylinder to TDC stick the pointer back into the hole it screwed out of ,rock engine back and forth while holding the pointer in ,a divit in the cam gear will let the pointer drop in and locate the distributor so that you can align the roter with spark lever all the way up, then tighten screw in the middle of the points cam.

Some used 2 6v batteries to use part of the 6v system on one battery while the starter and alternator used 12v

Happy 2023 everybody Mustie1 and Family. Let 2023 be a good wrench year.

Sometimes they must fascinating view in his videos is the background! What a massive shop with so many cool things, cool projects all in it's place..and it's not half of his stuff or space between the different places. Thanks for sharing Mustie

I look forward to your videos every week, I’ve been able to repair lawn mowers and snow blowers from what I’ve learned from you. Hands down my favorite channel on KZfaq 🤘🤘

Looks like the GramPa Waltons truck

Happy New Year to you Darren (AKA Musti1) and family. As usual, another great video of you wrenching on an old vehicle. I enjoy watching you tinker with old junk and bringing it back to life. It's what I do as well when I have time.

Happy New Year.Great content as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along

Been watching Mustie wrenching for a few years now, admirable the way he approaches these situations.I have learned much by watching . Never seems to lose it when things go arwy.Kudos for major patience,Happy new year,keep it up,

Some people have common sense some people have mechanical sense not to many have both, this man has both plus more. Hope you had a great vacation ! Thanks for the years of entertainment, been a sub since the beginning still waiting for my “wire wheel “ t shirt😂

It sounds more like they parked it and ran

Model A 40's "Juice Brakes" converted to 12V. Model A had NO fuses originally, It also has NO REAR SHOCKS as they were oil filled, lever type "Houdaille' type. after market heater, note the hoses. Battery is normally where the master cylinder is, probably why it was relocacted. Not the usual Zenith carb either, probably a tillotsen. My '29 coupe I have is setup similar.

Most fun mechanics class ever. Thank you Mustie1!

Mustie1, Dont think I’ve ever seen a distributor shaft frozen that bad. Glad you got it out and know you can weld up a new tip. Happy new you!

Great content.Happy New Year.Cant wait to see Walt running again.

Great show governor. It’s a regular old Bobbie dazzler. Thank you.

I hope the own wants you to keep working on it, I'm really enjoying the work on this old gal. Thanks, Mustie and I hope you enjoy the vacation

Happy New Year Mustie , I hope this guy knows how blessed he is to have you inspecting his vehicles. Looking forward to another year of adventures and wrenchin, you are the best buddy , we need to get your subscribers up, Too much great knowledge is slipping past the back yard guys if they miss your channel.

Just started watching this video. I'm hoping you finally pick one out from all those that are just stored there. This one's sweet.

Thank you for sharing. Very much enjoyed.👍

Another masterful display . Very enjoyable . Inspiring . 2023 will start slow and finish big . All the best .

paul shinn has great vids of model a fords; i didn't know i was even interested in these until i found his channel when vice grip garage drove home the model a.

My co worker had one of these A engines. I noticed he had put a updated distributor in it that was the modern mechanical and vacuum advance. He said it was a must do update for a driver.

Happy New Year! Thanks for all the great videos! 👍👍

29.56 .. I think I heard the Heartbeat of a Motor for the first time💓👀👀👀

Good mornin everyone

The size of the battery cable end hole that goes on the battery can help in determining positive of negative ground

Happy New Year to you and Mrs Mustie1! Thanks for some fantastic shop time!

I am not sure but that model + year had the gas tank under the cowel in front of the windsheild ( the gas gas cap is visable ) it had a float with rod sticking up so you could see your gas level. It held about 5 gal of gas , no fuel pump, gravity feed to carb going up steep hill carb would run dry, so had to BACK up the hill to get gas to carb!!

This is amazingly interesting! To think that this was the infancy of automotive design, Ford really had an innovative design ability. That part that snapped in the distributor shaft almost seems like it was done on purpose so that it would be a weakness so that the full strength of the twist doesn’t destroy significant portions of the engine.

I'm 74 now and my first car was a 1931 Model A Sport Coupe. It cost me $35.00. Fords are a beast in to themselves as you will discover. It's nice to see that this Model A has been mostly saved. Now it's time to ditch the modern gee-gaws and correctly restore this nice '31 Ford. I believe the Plymouth had a Zenith carb from a Model A. This one appears to be a Tillotson replacement carb. The air filter is an "Air-Maze" period accessory. Just check the numbers on the headlamps or other light bulbs for voltage. Example 1157 is 12 volt tail lamp and 1154 is 6 volt... etc. Really good you're looking for Model A parts and not some for the Plymouth. Most anything is easy to find these days. Pay attention to the "Timing Plug" in the timing gear cover. You'll be using it to set your distributor cam with. What fun I wish I was there.

A great start to 2023! Happy new year Mustie from Norwich 🇬🇧

Cool Truck! Old trick to remove the head was to feed some rope down the two middle spark plug holes and turn the motor over by hand. The pistons will lift the head level and straight up. Say no to pry bars :)

Don't know how familiar you are with Model A engines but they have a simple timing system, one of the bolts in the front cover has a long dowel on the end that goes into a hole in the timing gear once that happens turn the distributor to fire #1 cylinder, I read this many years ago in a magazine article about them, also Ford adopted hydraulic brakes starting with '39 model year so sometime in its life its been changed over, the Walton's truck was a '28 or '29 Model AA truck,it featured a cab commonly known as a "phone booth"

Thanks Mustie1, Hope you had a good vacation. Central California watching

Happy New Year! Thanks for making Sunday morning such a great time!!!

Mind your language! "That's a big a$$ hole!" Haha!

Happy New Year, Mustie and family-and to all of the viewers, as well! My friend and I fixed up a 1930 Model A coupe in the summer of 1974. We purchased fiberglass fenders, tires, and a bunch of other parts from J.C.Whitney-we put it all together, painted it black, with red wheels, and did some brake and engine work-we enjoyed it for a while, and sold it-hopefully it is being enjoyed today somewhere around Cleveland!

Like an over-60 prostate. LOL. Thanks for how hard you work to make sure we can see what you're seeing. Happy new year and God bless.

Gives me the 'Brother, where are thou' feel'. Looks like something from that movie.

You've probably got it up and running, but Paul Shinn helped Derek from Vice Grip Garage work on his Model A Fords. Maybe he's someone you can reach out to for some parts or guidance.

Afternoon mate

thank you and have a good one and happy new year

Love your videos your the first I search when I struggle fixing my treasures lol Thanks for all your content

“I don’t want to damage the rings” then proceeded to crank the crap out of it. “I don’t want to jam something in there” when he’s pulling the head. Then jams in a pry bar. 😂 I’ve learned a lot from you Mustie. Among those things I’ve learned that we make the same assessments and then disregard the safest route. Yup

Found a couple distributors on eBay. Around $55-60 shipped. Not too bad. I think that bushing is supposed to be oiled as a maintenance item.

Happy new year to you and your family, may it be a bright and prosperous one!

This has been fun. I own a Model A and it has been fun watching you figure it out. Always good content as usual.

Hey Mustie hope you had a good vacation and happy new year! Since this was filmed before Christmas I guess you've already made a descision on parts? I wouldnt even bother trying to weld that shaft, heat distortion, fragility etc.. you can get a new one for $10 or even stainless steel one for under $20.. most likely have somewhere more local that has parts but CW Moss in CA will have a shaft for sure.

Come rain or snow or holidays, a Mustie1 video is always on time. Happy New Year to you, your family and friends, and everyone in here 🎆🚒

You'', Sir, Are the Best of the Best of the BEST, you're AWESOME!!!

Happy news years to you and your family !! love all your vids !! 2023 YAAAA!!!!

Happy new year! Starting off the year right with the first vid being a mustie1 vid.