OK, Should I Spend $10 on Antifreeze, or Gamble Thousands on My Engine?

[Tom Wesenberg]

Hard to believe, but I still see people who don't believe in antifreeze.
I guess it's good in a way, because I bought my 28 Phaeton cheap because of an early freeze and cracked head.
Luckily the original numbers matching block wasn't hurt.

[Dennis]

Tom I live in the southwest and I will always use antifreeze to help control rust. I have seen a lot of freeze cracked blocks lately and I assume they came from a different location than local.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I lived in El Paso for 2 1/2 years, and we had snow there a couple times, so I wouldn't trust anywhere against freezing.

[Dennis]

We get frost a few times a year out here but usually never cold enough to freeze water in a car engine. I was in El Paso one winter passing through and it was snowing. I lived in CO for over 30 yrs., so I've seen frozen and broken pipes there.

[BNCHIEF]

I can not understand not using anything to protect an engine especially since the stuff has rust inhibitors.

[Dennis]

I agree with you and where I came from, how I was raised, you ran coolant year around good for what the lowest freezing point it could get or 20 below. And we always ran thermostats. If it overheated, we fixed the problem. That was on modern cars and I can't say what people did with their Model A's when they were running.

[Mitch]

Personally i would use and recommend it for whatever climate i was in. It prevents rust & corrosion plus i never had a foaming issue yet. I think one of the main reasons why we hear about so many of these Model A cooling systems with junk and rust problems, is because of the lack of antifreeze use throughout the history of these cars.

[tbirdtbird]

totally agree

[2manycars]

It's that time of year again. I will soon get out the tester and check all 11 cars to see that they are safe.
A few years ago my neighbor went to florida for a few weeks durring winter, and did not have antifreeze in his cars because the garage was heated. But he ran out of propane while he was gone, and froze two model A motors. One just needed a head, but the other needed a new motor. That is a hard way to learn a lesson. When I way young, I had a yellow coupe that had a cracked block, so it would not hold antifreeze. One cold evening I realized that I had not drained the engine, and when I went out to check, the radiator was frozen, as that is the place that freezes first. I started the engine and ran it until it steamed, and shut it down. I repeated the process several times until the ice was thawed, and drained it. This was a pain, as I could not afford a good battery, ($15) so had to crank the car each time. That was a lesson well learned.

[CarlG]

When I bought my pickup, it was located in the San Diego, CA area. Prior to shipping it, I insisted that the radiator be drained and anti-freeze installed. Of course you see this coming -- the PO said he would, but as it turned out, he didn't. Later said that it wasn't necessary, as it was warm weather. I don't know what would posses a person to think that shipping a car to Alaska in February wouldn't need to be protected from freezing. Fortunately it was only the head that froze (& cracked). And that happened to be one of the original "Police Heads".

[tbirdtbird]

now you've done it, Tom, a topic with as much volatility as oil choices!!!!!

[Dennis]

I don't know what would posses a person to think that shipping a car to Alaska in February wouldn't need to be protected from freezing. Fortunately it was only the head that froze (& cracked).

Carl, how cold does it get in May up there?

[CarlG]

It all depends. Most times it's in the 40's & 50's. Of course there was the May a couple of years ago that we had a trip planned to drive down to Homer. (We do this every May). Well, the day we were scheduled to leave, it commenced snowing. We delayed the start time a couple hours, and took off anyway. I didn't have a heater in my pickup at the time. And Homer is a good 5-hour drive from here. My wife was miserable the whole way down there. The heater that was on the shelf in the garage got installed that very next week.

[Dennis]

Thanks Carl. Before I travel up there I will have my heater installed... And my thermostat.

[dmark1]

Well just wonderful. My induction to Model A ownership. Haven't even had it 24 hrs and I suspect I have a busted engine. I bought the (very sharp) A off of BAT and had BAT shipping bring it down from Oregon. As you know ... record temperatures. Upon receiving in Dallas I have discovered the radiator is a block of ice. It still hasn't thawed yet but if this thread is any indication I suspect I already have a trashed engine from freezing. When I say a block of ice I mean 6 hours into it in a warm hangar and its still frozen. Great.☹

[Jwmckenzie]

… Upon receiving in Dallas I have discovered the radiator is a block of ice. It still hasn't thawed yet but if this thread is any indication I suspect I already have a trashed engine from freezing. When I say a block of ice I mean 6 hours into it in a warm hangar and it’s still frozen. Great.☹

Not a great start, but let’s stay optimistic ‘til it thaws out and see what the real damage (if any) exists.

[dmark1]

Not a great start, but let’s stay optimistic ‘til it thaws out and see what the real damage (if any) exists.

Yeah hopefully I get an early Christmas gift tomorrow .

[JDupuis]

dmark1
Arthritic fingers crossed. Let’s hope for the best.

[Keith True]

I wouldn't get too excited just yet.The radiator has no mass to shield the water,and it will freeze solid first.Six hours is not much time to thaw something out.I've had quite a lot of experience with frozen radiators in trucks,backhoes,bulldozers,tractors,etc.I put a GMC Astro cabover in my garage with a solid radiator.My garage is always heated,and I turned it up to 70 for the night.14 hours later there was still ice in there.It was in chunks by then,so I fired the truck up,closed the winter front up and kept an eye on it while it idled.It was fine.Putting a box fan in front of the radiator overnight will help a lot.

[Mitch]

Well just wonderful. My induction to Model A ownership. Haven't even had it 24 hrs and I suspect I have a busted engine. I bought the (very sharp) A off of BAT and had BAT shipping bring it down from Oregon. As you know ... record temperatures. Upon receiving in Dallas I have discovered the radiator is a block of ice. It still hasn't thawed yet but if this thread is any indication I suspect I already have a trashed engine from freezing. When I say a block of ice I mean 6 hours into it in a warm hangar and its still frozen. Great.☹

Wow, this scenario is really something that many wont even think about. This would be a good addition for our exsisting tech threads about purchasing a Model A. We hope everything works out good with no issues. Sometimes it is just a cracked head. Keep an eye on the oil for intermixing too. Your unfortunate experience will no doubt help other VFF members..Please keep us updated!

https://www.vintagefordforum.com/for...-purchase-an-a

https://www.vintagefordforum.com/for...sed-your-new-a

[TOBKOB]

A couple of years ago someone om the Shelby forum bought a car at one of the major auctions and had it transported and when it arrived it was frozen solid, so make sure someone checks coolant before transport...

TOB

[29Acoupe]

A couple of years ago someone om the Shelby forum bought a car at one of the major auctions and had it transported and when it arrived it was frozen solid, so make sure someone checks coolant before transport...

I sold a 64 Comet to a guy in MN he had it transported on an open truck. Being a SoCal kid I didn't even think about freezing on the trip. It arrived with a broken block but it wasn't a problem because he was going to build a gasser drag car with a 427.

[Jedmundcars]

You fellow VFF’s got me gassed. I just went and checked mine and it’s a balmy 29 here.

[CarlG]

I just bought a car (not Model A) in South Carolina. I impressed on the seller that the coolant had to be protected to at least -40f. (Actually -40f is the same as -40c). I thought I had best make that request (demand) based on my previous experience with my Model A 12 years ago.

[Mitch]

It’s refreshing when an old thread comes back up with new info added. Sometimes I’ll go back and hit one up front. Many others will surely benefit from it.

[Jwmckenzie]

dmark1 did it thaw out? what did you find?