OLD CARS
Years ago
old cars were easy to spot. Every car
maker changed their designs each year.
There were only a few manufacturers, so every kid over age seven could
identify any car by make, model and year.
If a car was old, you knew it was old and you knew exactly how old it
was.
“Damn, look at that ’49 Ford
coup…still running. Man if I had that
baby I would chop it, nose it, lower it, and add some duel exhausts.”
You could
also tell old cars because they burned oil like there was no tomorrow. From miles away you could spot (or smell) an
old car.
Old cars
used to rust after about three years. If
you did not wash it, and wax it every week or two the old paint jobs would not
hold up and old cars would rust away.
Apparently paint jobs today are far superior. I had a red jeep for fifteen years. I washed it by leaving it out in the rain,
and never waxed it. When I turned it in
there was not a spot of rust on it. When
is the last time you heard the term “rust bucket?”
Some old
cars used to have vinyl roofs. These
were really sharp looking for about two years.
After two years, even if you Armor-Alled regularly these tops turned to
dust and underneath the rust came shinning through.
You used to
be able to hear an old car from miles away.
It has been years since I’ve heard a car sputter or backfire.
What
happened to old cars? I think
competition from abroad has forced manufacturers to improve their paint finish
and technology has improved efficiency and dependability of engines. Government regulations with respect to
emissions and safety have undoubtedly taken “old cars” off the road and helped
the development of better longer lasting cars.
Maybe it is good that government does sometimes force improvements down
our throats.
I’m not
complaining, merely observing. I know
there are plenty of old cars on the road, but they are just not as “old” as old
cars used to be.
Great post, and you're right. Old cars were redesigned every year, and the fall unveilling of new styles was an event. Today cars are "refreshed" every other year or so, which usually means little more than relocating the license plate holder or adding a little color to the alloy wheel hubs.
ReplyDeleteWe never had the rust problems you had up north, mainly because we didn't salt our roads in winter. I was talking to my mechanic recently and he said the frequency of car repairs is MUCH LOWER than it used to be, but the cost is MUCH HIGHER than it used to be. Bottom line...he's thriving.
Sometimes I think we've outsmarted ourselves.
S
My husband has two cars -- both over 20 years old -- Volvo estates (station wagons)and not a bit of rust. One of the cars has been off the road for quite a few years, but it's the first car he ever bought new and he is very sentimental about it. Next week he is taking it to a man who can make it road worthy again -- or so he hopes!
ReplyDeleteclash for clunkers put them all in landfills.
ReplyDeleteMy brother had a Ford from the '40s. I haven't seen one of those on the road for a long time. I do like seeing a '57 Chevy or a "54 Crown Victoria on the road from time to time.
ReplyDeletei'm thinking they couldn't pass inspections and were not road-worthy any longer.
ReplyDeleteVery true, I've often thought about this (as someone who loves the big old sedans that don't exist anymore). I think at some point about 30 years ago, suddenly car-making got all high-tech and plastic moulding, better paint and better technology all round replaced the old steel and vinyl, so that cars that are "old" now (say 10-15 years old) don't even look that old.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand my car is now coming up to 11 years old and while it still looks pretty good, all the electrics are starting to wear out. I KNEW there was a catch to electric windows (apart from the obvious danger of dying in a flood because you can't open the windows).
Sigh.....my fist car was a used 1936 Ford coupe. I loved that car.
ReplyDeleteMy heart still leaps up when I see a restored old car on the streets.....they had and still have Class.
Why can't they build new cars that look like the old cars???? I'd buy one. Don't pay any attention to me. Everyone knows I am crazy....
Our son adores old cars and spends much of his time fixing them and flipping them. He claims that everything on old cars is repairable while new cars are all computerized and are too hard to work on. Maybe all of the old cars are now in car shows.
ReplyDeleteWhat to do with older cars, from one of my old posts:
ReplyDeleteTODAY I AM A CAR
My husband is not impressed with new cars. He kept this car for a long time. He is diligent about maintenance. When its 13th birthday was approaching, we thought it would be fun to throw a party. Since we are Jewish, we thought a bar, I mean car, mitzvah would be appropriate. (Note to members of other tribes: When a Jewish boy becomes 13 he is eligible to become a member of the Temple & to be regarded as an adult. That’s why he says, “Today I am a man.”) We had it all planned. Since, at that time, many dealerships were failing it would have been no problem to rent an empty showroom for the night & park the freshly washed & waxed car in it. I would make it a prayer shawl (size xxxxxxxxxxlarge) & a yarmulke (skullcap). We would read passages from the owner’s manual. Unfortunately, this never came to pass because some people in our family thought some of the prospective guests who were Orthodox Jews might feel we were insulting them. I still think it was a great idea!!
Yea, they all look like they came off a bubble machine. Even the Kube.
ReplyDeleteThere aren't any old cars around here either, but that's because they put in some new rules which made it harder to get a roadworthy so all those old cars just started to disappear. Such a shame.
ReplyDeleteIt's not THAT old, but my husband's 1980 Olds Toronado looks like an ancient artifact.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Cars are hiding do South. I see old cars all the time here in Western North Carolina. Model Ts and newer.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of old cars around here in Cheyenne, Wyo. I'm driving one of them if you ever want to come and see it!
ReplyDeleteYour vivid descriptions evoke images of chrome-trimmed classics cruising down open roads, each with its own story to tell. It's fascinating how even the smallest details, like the satisfying clunk of a door closing or the distinct smell of worn leather seats, can transport us back in time. As someone who appreciates the craftsmanship and character of vintage vehicles, I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. And for those of us still enchanted by the allure of these beauties, there's always the thrill of hunting for treasures like used car doors in Sydney , each with the potential to breathe new life into our beloved classics
ReplyDelete