Building the Model A Ford Body on the Assembly Line 1928 1931
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- Using 10 different archived videos spliced together this video depicts the assembly process that Ford built bodies went through (Briggs, Murray, and Budd shipped completed bodies to Ford).
It starts with the rolling out of the sheet metal, stamping sub rails, rear quarter panels, the rear wall, assembly jig, polishing, pinstriping, and more.
Be sure to look for the very early 1928 Tudor body!
Multiple years, assembly plants, and countries are represented in this video so you're not seeing a single body being produced but rather working with what is available to give a general overview of the process.
A Model A is dedicated to the history of the Model A Ford using historical images and videos as well as modern resources.
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Sources;
Library of Congress Ford Motion Pictures Archives
We reserve the right to moderate comments that we feel fall outside of the scope of the Model A hobby.
#1928 #1929 #1930 #1931 #fordmodela #modelaford #asmr
I feel like if they were to make car's like that again they would sell quite well. I think a lot of people would ditch their high tech car for one of these. I surely would.
100% agree ..I long for a simple car that I can fix everything on it my self .
Im in for one 👍
I definitely would.
I get what your saying, the more time goes on the harder it is for me to fix the cars I own myself. However my dad owns a 1920 Ford, and it can be very crabby at times!
@@DrFrankensteam true but with modern machining alot of tolerance can be tighten up and balanced upon restoration.
I am amazed at the size of the machines they had to make the body parts. WOW!!
This means something to me. I was a sheet metal fabricator for a number of years. I operated 16’ shears, 8’ and 16’ presses and all kinds of leaf brakes, notchers and beading machines and rollers. Pretty much every machine in the shop, of course not presses that big.
Glad it meant something and hopefully brought back good memories! Thanks for watching.
A LOT of those body parts are still around today. Sitting outside and still in better shape than most cars from the 2000’s. Yea the steel was heavier gauge but the actual steel quality was 100x better back then. Now we have garbage thats been recycled 1000 times and is ready to blister and fall apart as soon as it sees moisture.
Yes hauled 27model T body out for lawn art 😊😊
The size of the tooling for 100 years ago is impressive. I’m just trying to image the tooling needed to make those machines , and how did they get them in the building and transport them .
At that time Henry Ford had transformed Ford Motor Company into one the most powerful companies in the world and could afford anything needed for engineering, manpower, raw materials, transportation etc. Ford trucks specifically designed to transport unusually heavy loads and large cranes and lots of manpower got anything needed accomplished. Remember, ten years or so from the time of this film FORD was helping to prove to the world that American manufacturing ability was undefeatable as America's rate of producing ships, planes and other vehicles as well as large and small arms and ammunition was always higher than any other country on the planet.
Build the machine and then the building around the equipment.
I remember studying Ford as a child. He ordered parts from a outside source and in the contract it was written they would be shipped in a wooden box, with holes in certain spots. Everyone thought he was nuts. They didn't know they were also building and shipping the floors.
Genius
Most of those machines were sand castings and iron poured in, the machine work was done by hand mostly, it's amazing what Americans can do when they have pride in their work
I was wondering the same thing! What an Awesome job that was back then, and all took their jobs seriously. These workers were REAL craftsmen, and you see their efforts building these gems at great car shows! Their work stood the test of time, and looks like the '20's and '30's were actually higher tech than compared to tbose "simple" cars. I believe they just knew to keep it simple! USA!!! 🇺🇸👊👍💪
These Gigantic Presses were Assembled ON SITE, and shipped to the factory in pieces. An Amazing Example of this was at Heath Pump Station, Deep in the backwoods of Central Pennsylvania. ENORMOUS 120-foot Long SNOW Cast Iron SIDE Operating 4-cylinder gas propulsion Engines, (built around the first World War), were shipped in pieces. First by train, and then hauled the rest of the way by Raft up the River or by Horse Carts to the Giant Pump Station Site. The flywheel Alone is At Least 15-feet in diameter, and the Gas Company eventually got 6-of them in there, that I Think remained operating into the 1970's. Take A Trip on Fathers Day Weekend to The COOL SPRING POWER MUSEUM Antique Engine Show if you want to see something Truly Amazing. It's located between Punxsutawney and Brookville PA. Along Route 36. You can Find out More about it On-line, and it's a Two-Day outdoor Family Event where they have One of those Gigantic Snow Engines that can operate. Along with NUMEROUS Other Antique HIT & MISS engines that powered this country before Automobiles were even thought of. There's Good Food, Venders and All Kinds of antique mechanical stuff all over the place If you're an Old Car Buff, You'll Really Enjoy That Show.
The monotony of the repetition of the same task for 8-10 hours! What is truly amazing are all the machines that were built to mass produce these cars. This was the first mass automotive production line, everything was built from scratch!
Just really wonderful to see all that went into building the ‘A’. Thanks for the video.😊
Glad you enjoyed it
I have it a thumbs up. I restore cars and I would like to add something that is not highlighted in these old reels. Not the finders as they are thick steel, but the metal on the body pannels is fairly thin. This metal is nailed to a wooden frame. I'm the reel the complete nailed to gathered side panels were just simply placed into place on the assimbly line. This framing reminded me of the framing for stagecoaches with only a metal skin. As another note, for door alignment you don't adjust the door. The B post, that's the post with the door latch had a bolt in the wooden frame at the bottom. You loosen the bolt and move the frame in or out to line the door. Odd but simple.
I enjoyed your reel very much!
Yea, it was a great vid Jimmy!
@ Jimmy Jimmy. Are You SURE You're Not Talking About The Earlier MODEL-T Having more wood in the body, Instead of this Later Model-A that's in the film? I have a friend with a 1929 Model-A Pickup, and only the bed floor boards were made of wood. Aftermarket specialty Body Producers Used A Lot Of wood on Ford Chassies too.
Great video thank you. Amazing how much labor went into those cars compared to now.
Jay Leno once said "These cars were built back when labor was cheap and technology was expensive. NOW technology is cheap and LABOR is expensive...which is why these cars cost so much to restore!"
@@bobkarafin exactly
Dodge and Ford adopted all steel body construction comparatively early. GM held on until the last wood framed bodies were built in 1936. The fabric insert roofs stayed in production until the mid 30s when large enough presses were built to stamp an entire roof panel.
Was surprised to see the body of the car being bolted together and not riveted
That is some awesome coachbuilding right there! thank you for posting this. Had to be a carpenter and a metal man.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting video. Fascinating to see how Model As were built.
Nice to see how they built these cars back then. My uncle worked for Ford of Canada building cars from around the early 1960's to mid 2000's. Very different from the way they did it in the 1930's.
I agree, this was really cool.
We have a museum up in Angeles Camp California that actually shows how Henry Ford transforms the Horse drawn buggy into a Automobile step by step the parts were available to order direct to the Farm. Adorable video reminded me of that special visit to the Gold Rush town of Angels Camp. We have come so far in such little time I sure wish my Grandparents were still around I would have loved showing them my Flat Phone.
Where is your museum? I live in Amador county.
@@johnbennett1079 Angels Camp but not at the street view down lower by Angels Creek last outbuilding on the left has the whole process from start to finish plus other horse drawn vehicles.
What a huge machines!Henry Ford was a genius!
Wow look at the size of the presses!!!!
I would to see a similar video of a Packard assembly line of 1932. Or even Buick
I love this old footage, only wish I could've been there
@ Geoffrey Mills. You probably might have liked a tour of the place, But HATED Working There. The Constant Noise, Smell of oil and the Continual Repetitive job would make a Drone out of you within a few days. That's Why Henry had a High Turn-over Employee Rate, or had to move workers to different jobs to break up the monotony of the place.
If you would have been there then, you would'nt be here now. Just joking...😂
I owned a Model A Ford back in the 1950s. I was very simple to work on. It had no electric fuel gauge like the modern car. The fuel tank was in front of the vehicle just below the windscreen and a glass fuel gauge was on the dashboard inside the car and was connected to the fuel tank by a tube, and you could see when the tank was nearly empty. The problem with the gauge was it sometimes leaked and the fuel would drip inside the car. A bit dangerous if you were a smoker.
The simplicity yet complication of the Model A gas tank amazes so many people. Mounted high to assist the gravity feed fuel supply. Part of the body. Visible fuel gauge as part of the dash. Was just a unique way of incorporating so many different functions of a car in one spot. Thanks for watching!
The cab panels are bolted together! Darn, I would have thought "spot welded".
Love this and it is done the American way by hand and no robots or anything,
Hand pin striping is a skill...now there a jig that is used to pin stripe on the assembly line.
Isn't it wonderful how machines are taking the place of a man making a living,,, it makes me wonder how many of those machines will be buying new cars this year 🤔
@@geoffreymills9932 Mechanization increases productivity which increases wages relative to the price of finished goods. The standard of living is high in developed countries because of automation.
You're Right. Hand Pinstripeing is A Real Skill. Usually done in body shops by unraveling a long strip, and then sticking down one end, while it's Held Straight. And then pressing it it down with tension remaining held on the other end. The guy Sure Couldn't Come to work at Ford with a Hang-over.
The A is a great car for it's simplicity and durability, it had more power and room than the T and became every bit as legendary.
@ William Savage. The Model-A only lasted for 4-Years, when competition In Style Improvements and Horsepower began making it Less Desirable. NO MORE 19-Year runs of the same thing with only minor improvements, like with the Previous Tin Lizzie's. That's when Ford's Flathead V-8 came out in 1932 and the Styling Race with more Rounded Bodies of the 1930's took off.
My dad's first car was a 1928 Model A Ford.
Amazing what they did back then.
I have parts made by these guys. Very amazing
Remember...all of this without CNC...ZERO COMPUTER S...all slide rule and intuitive imagination and HANDS ON SKILL!!!!
Hard for people today to believe what could be accomplished with a pencil and paper! Thanks for watching.
Yes, a car that does 40 mph.
@@donjohnson7899 but wait as seen on TV...THE MOST RELIABLE CAR IN HISTORY!!!
Ford A is a very simple car and ford was very found of innovative ideas back in the day. So much craftsmanship and detailing for a simple car for today's standards. Fun facts over seas the model with the foldable roof was actually cheaper then the full metal body version of the same car. Where I live roadsters and coups where not sold at all only 4 door sedan and the model with the foldable roof.
Closed body cars were more expensive at that time because the car bodies were more complex. The marketing of convertibles (roadsters with framed windows and fixed windshields) as the most expensive model began much later than the Model A.
@@SpockvsMcCoy Closed Bodies were more Expensive than Rag Tops, Obviously because of the more metal involved. Early Auto's were Prized Possessions and were Mostly sheltered in barn or garages, Thus Not Needing A Hard Top. However There WERE Closed Model-A Coups and Sedans on the Ford Roster if you care to investigate their line up more closely.
@@davemckolanis4683 The Model A Roadster and Phaeton were both cheaper than the Tudor and Fordor.
The Addition of your 1920's Music was a Great Addition to the film. But I'm Sure those Workers Weren't As Content Every Day at Their Repetitive Mind Numbing Jobs as the film shows.
I need to
Go back there
And get some panels stamped for my model a
The line for that time machine would be miles long! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for another great video!!
1928 is actually the first year for the Model A.
What those presses and sheet metal parts would be worth today.
This is terrific.
This video was so interesting watching man-power! Watching the men holding pieces in place and the general interaction with other workers told a day to day factory story in those days. In my imagination, I pretended to see some tired worker leaning under that big press to hear what the other guy had to say to him. The big X on the door? Did that mean someone got fired that day and his wife left shortly after? Avoid getting an X at all costs. :)
My father lost half of his right thumb in one of those big presses making parts for J.I.Case company back in the 50s
I would imagine stamping accidents were more frequent and horrific back then.
@@kennethsouthard6042 no safety guards whatsoever. And from what I understand, none were put in place until the mid 80s in a large share of the steel industry.
@@michaelvrooman5681 Not to mention that it looked like those presses were running on their own with no way for them to stop it and the workers had to have their rhythm right or else. They also had to be in synch with the guy on the other side who they could only see for a brief second when the press was up. I'm sure the noise must have been horrendous as well.
@@kennethsouthard6042 a modern turret punch will shake an entire building when you put a 1/4 inch plate in it to be punched into smaller parts. Very loud also
Yup ; I worked at a feed mill ; with two guys working a feed block press . One guy had fingers missing -
Another guy worked at door company where chips off doors . Got his arm -
I would make a tool to grab that stuff to be on safe side - 👍👌
Start the plant back up. Make a few more.
It's a Art form now !! Good Vid 👍
Love the old footage.. I sure wish they would make some reproductions. Would be great to see what they came up with.
They do make these bodies in steel or fiberglass. That is where all the street rods come from.
so awesome.
In those days they were paid $5 a day which was great money. Henry Ford was smart to pay his employees enough to be able to afford what they were building.
Right guy at the right place.😊
Some workers had no hand, eye, or ear protection.
@ SpokvsMcCoy Kirk. Not only that, some employees Didn't HAVE An Eve, Or an Ear or even AN ARM, let alone Protection for them. Ford was Desperate for workers and could find a place For Almost ANYBODY that wanted to work to keep his production lines moving. Watch other Ford films where Conveyor lines are moving heavy parts overhead. Thai if it dropped off, could break your foot or knock you out if it hit your head. Unions Wouldn't put up with THOSE Unsafe Working Conditions. BUT Henry HATED UNIONS and had his own GOON Squads in the factories to keep the lines moving. You couldn't even go to the toilet without being monitored.
@@davemckolanis4683 Which is why the UAW was created in the first place. But to Henry's credit he did hire Black men in his factories when other automakers did not.
@@SpockvsMcCoy Ford Hired ANYBODY, Just so he could keep his Assembly Line Moving. Because His Worker turnover Rate Was So high doing the Same Repetitive Assembly Line Work Every Day. Regardless if they were able to even speak English or not. He Even Had "Melting Pot" Schools to AMERICANISE Employees, and had people Checking up in them at their homes to make sure they won't be Drinking, so they could keep coming to work regularly. As for hiring Black Folks, They got the WORST, Hardest and Heaviest Jobs in the Foundry. Where the Hot Molten Engine Blocks were poured and cast. They were ALL Dirty Jobs no matter Where you worked in his Assembly plants. People Today Don't Know What A "Hard Day's Work" Actually Means.
Very cool!!!!!!!! 👍👍👍
Not a lot of gloves, steel toes, or hard hats......
Man OSHA would’ve gone nuts
Keep in mind folks. All of the early Ford vehicles could last forever. It was the needs of the customer that made vehicles change, more cab room, more power, travel further etc etc. It’s sad now America has become a wasteful society. Nothing is built to last anymore.
Back in these days you could fix anything on a car with a rebuild kit. Everything had grease fittings. Everything was serviceable with basic tools. Yes they leaked a lot of fluids. But they got you where you needed to go and the owners had enough mechanical knowledge to get the cars fixed up if there was an issue on the side of the road. Back in these days you had a tool kit, jack and an owners manual that told you how to fix and maintain as well as all the fluid types used. I’m 28 owned 23 classics before 1950 and had the fortunate experience to own a model Tt and 3 model a cars and by far the best built cars and most reliable in the scope of todays junk.
Safety wasn't a issue back then
i work for Ford for 25 year, not a fairy tail for surre
I understand the drive shaft for the Model A ford was copied from a Rolls-Royce drive shaft.
I owned a Model A Ford and the drive shaft was totally enclosed and connected to the gearbox by a large ball joint.
Thanks for commenting! We haven't heard about the Rolls Royce connection. But yes the Model A's driveshaft is enclosed in a torque tube and connects to the transmission via a u-joint.
@@AModelA I did some research on the Model A Ford tail shaft and the result was - There is no evidence to suggest that Henry Ford’s Model A had parts copied from Rolls Royce.
Imagine being the guy who needs to put your hands underneath a (probably) couple thousand pound weight that's constantly going back down in order to grab a sheet of metal...
People often ask me if my 1933 coupe had a sun roof (the top is upholstered). I have never heard the reason for soft tops on these old bodies but I assume it is because pressing the body steel made the roof area too thin and weak. Is there another reason? Thanks!
In late 1931 Budd Mfg Co started producing an all steel pickup cab for Ford. This included a stamped steel top and all future Ford trucks had the full steel top. There's a variety of reasons told over the years about why the tops were cloth. Some say it was because of the press, some say it was a fear of making a car too hot under the sun, others say it was too loud with rain. The truth probably involves a little of all those tidbits.
Thanks for watching!
@@AModelA Thanks for the quick reply! I hadn't thought about the sun or rain noise.
“… Ford in Flivver…” (Brave New World)
Wish someone would build WW-2 style jeep. I would buy one.
I would buy a WW Willys Jeep also!
No wonder some of the assembly was automated. The workers fell asleep from boredom.
I’d die doing this monotonous job all day.
I'd commit suicide after 2 hours.
Lot of hand work....
*Let the Sunshine In*
$ 5.00 a day labor…
Nice for their time…if you have a wreck you don’t have much of a chance
usaban la menor madera posible
eso era positivo 👍A
Estas carrocerías todavía usaban mucha madera; especialmente los modelos fordor. Pero usaban mucha menos madera que otros autos de la época como Chevy.
I guess back then they had to have the straw-bosses leading the videos.
Build the same car today with an electric motor and sell 10 million of them 🤔😋👍
Henry turns in his grave now with ford ecoboost!
Monotonous boring repetitive mindless jobs...
And yet hundreds of thousands of people moved to Detroit to do it for Ford and all the other car makers out there. It truly was a different era. Thanks for watching!
Hey look It's an entire generation that would not make it in today's clown world!