Driving Old Cars

[EricTheCarGuy]

Personally, I really like driving old cars. How do you feel?

Topic

[Greg]

Love older cars, both for driving and fixing. Working on a 1963 GMC 3/4 ton right now. So much easier for me to work on than the new stuff. Plus, it looks cool on the road.

[Bill]

I guess for me it depends on the brand of old car it is. Some were like driving a boat in choppy water. Carburetors were sometimes a pain in the butt especially in the very hot and very cold, damp weather. You may find out that the carb on your Fairmont will ice up in the winter until it warms up as I did with mine. Boiling fuel in the carb causing the car to be hard to start when hot was another issue. I always say that fuel injection is the best thing to ever happen to cars.

Most of all I would rather have a the automatic transmissions in the older cars. I like to have some control over shift points. I want it to react when I want it to. Newer, electronic transmissions are slow to react to throttle position and it drives me crazy sometimes. I guess I should grow up and slow down :silly:

[Michele Pensotti]

[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=80240]Personally, I really like driving old cars. How do you feel?
[/quote]

I like old cars, they are….sincere, both when they work, and when they dont 😉
I know it sounds silly, but their simplicity is part of what makes me feel in control, and when I do something I know I don’t have to fight a thousand “intellingent” systems that try to fight my decision.

I understand this comes from my way of thinking about “driving the car”, and that is some very personal and private experience, where I try to “feel the road” through the car and through this feeling I do get a rewarding experience that in turn allows me to react and manage the controls at my disposition to the best extent I can reach.

I also understand that A LOT of people that drive a car do drive it only for…transportation 😆
Going from point A to point B, possibly withouth getting too much tired, withouth any accident, without stress, without consuming too much fuel, and without having to actually think about the path.

And modern cars do this very well, they insulate the drivers from “problems”, and from the bumps in the road, from the noise of the engine and tires, from the effort it takes to turn the steering wheel, from the effort it takes to get a correct temperature in the car, from the hassle of finding the road or looking for a gas station, etc etc…

Well I don’t like this at all, i *want to think* , I drive because I like the trip, for me it’s a rewarding experience and I *need* to feel it “unfiltered”. (like a cigarette 😆 )

In a way modern cars are more digital than you may actually think…in the sense that when they work always is “perfect”, but when something goes wrong then it all goes wrong, like 1 and 0 😉

Old cars are analog, they are literally filled with shades of gray, they start making a noise, and you know it’s the valves, then you feel that smell in the exhaust and you know it’s running rich, and then you pass over a bump and hear a “thump” and know the rear dampers are a little overcooked 😆

But she stills goes B)
She’s only telling you what she’d like 🙂

The simplicity is a road that can lead to something similar to trust, knowing, understanding.
Like an old trusty dog, you know how he is and he knows you, noone’s perfect, but the friendship stays.

And of course if it needs some repair you can count on its simplicity to make it a worthwhile experience. 😉
I’m not saying that ALL old cars are/were easy to work on!!! Some were real bitches, but in the end you know you can fix it, and don’t need to study quantum physics to understand WHY it’s behaving that way 😆

That’s my point on old cars 😉

Live long and prosper (and stay dirty!)

10nico

[David]

Love driving old cars. Loved having my old Fords. My ’62 Falcon had a 170 straight six with a three speed column shift. Because it was so light, the first gear was so low, and the springs were so soft you really felt like you were moving when you matted the gas from a light.

I truly miss the triangle-shaped wing mirrors. Those need to make a comeback pronto.

Also, we’re terribly over-regulated in the US. I would definitely be a buyer for a no frills, no extra, basic, new/old truck. Just start repopping the 1985 Toyota pickup for $5000 and I’ll buy it tomorrow.

Here’s a song I like sharing; http://grooveshark.com/s/Pickup+Truck+Song/36gRbv?src=5

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”wysetech” post=80250]I guess for me it depends on the brand of old car it is. Some were like driving a boat in choppy water. Carburetors were sometimes a pain in the butt especially in the very hot and very cold, damp weather. You may find out that the carb on your Fairmont will ice up in the winter until it warms up as I did with mine. Boiling fuel in the carb causing the car to be hard to start when hot was another issue. I always say that fuel injection is the best thing to ever happen to cars.

Most of all I would rather have a the automatic transmissions in the older cars. I like to have some control over shift points. I want it to react when I want it to. Newer, electronic transmissions are slow to react to throttle position and it drives me crazy sometimes. I guess I should grow up and slow down :silly:[/quote]

Since I have the Element I won’t be driving the Fairmont in the winter unless it’s a nice day. I know what you mean though, older vehicles didn’t come without their faults and fuel injection did make things a lot more reliable. My point in the video was that reliable isn’t always better if you’re into an ‘experience’ rather than just getting where you’re going.

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”10nico” post=80277][quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=80240]Personally, I really like driving old cars. How do you feel?
[/quote]

I like old cars, they are….sincere, both when they work, and when they dont 😉
I know it sounds silly, but their simplicity is part of what makes me feel in control, and when I do something I know I don’t have to fight a thousand “intellingent” systems that try to fight my decision.

I understand this comes from my way of thinking about “driving the car”, and that is some very personal and private experience, where I try to “feel the road” through the car and through this feeling I do get a rewarding experience that in turn allows me to react and manage the controls at my disposition to the best extent I can reach.

I also understand that A LOT of people that drive a car do drive it only for…transportation 😆
Going from point A to point B, possibly withouth getting too much tired, withouth any accident, without stress, without consuming too much fuel, and without having to actually think about the path.

And modern cars do this very well, they insulate the drivers from “problems”, and from the bumps in the road, from the noise of the engine and tires, from the effort it takes to turn the steering wheel, from the effort it takes to get a correct temperature in the car, from the hassle of finding the road or looking for a gas station, etc etc…

Well I don’t like this at all, i *want to think* , I drive because I like the trip, for me it’s a rewarding experience and I *need* to feel it “unfiltered”. (like a cigarette 😆 )

In a way modern cars are more digital than you may actually think…in the sense that when they work always is “perfect”, but when something goes wrong then it all goes wrong, like 1 and 0 😉

Old cars are analog, they are literally filled with shades of gray, they start making a noise, and you know it’s the valves, then you feel that smell in the exhaust and you know it’s running rich, and then you pass over a bump and hear a “thump” and know the rear dampers are a little overcooked 😆

But she stills goes B)
She’s only telling you what she’d like 🙂

The simplicity is a road that can lead to something similar to trust, knowing, understanding.
Like an old trusty dog, you know how he is and he knows you, noone’s perfect, but the friendship stays.

And of course if it needs some repair you can count on its simplicity to make it a worthwhile experience. 😉
I’m not saying that ALL old cars are/were easy to work on!!! Some were real bitches, but in the end you know you can fix it, and don’t need to study quantum physics to understand WHY it’s behaving that way 😆

That’s my point on old cars 😉

Live long and prosper (and stay dirty!)

10nico[/quote]

Well put. I think you summarized the message behind the video perfectly.

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”CRXPilot” post=80288]Love driving old cars. Loved having my old Fords. My ’62 Falcon had a 170 straight six with a three speed column shift. Because it was so light, the first gear was so low, and the springs were so soft you really felt like you were moving when you matted the gas from a light.

I truly miss the triangle-shaped wing mirrors. Those need to make a comeback pronto.

Also, we’re terribly over-regulated in the US. I would definitely be a buyer for a no frills, no extra, basic, new/old truck. Just start repopping the 1985 Toyota pickup for $5000 and I’ll buy it tomorrow.

Here’s a song I like sharing; http://grooveshark.com/s/Pickup+Truck+Song/36gRbv?src=5%5B/quote%5D

It would be nice to buy something that was just basic with no frills. I liked the song, thanks for sharing it.

[Dave]

Everything I own is old so for me I know nothing else, But at work I see new cars and I never get used to all of the fancy stuff on new cars.

[jeep72]

Love old cars I have a 79 Z28 Camaro. The older cars look better to me going down the road. The older cars have soul unlike the newer cars. They are easy to work on and the room when working on the motor wow unlike the new cars you have no room at all.I just love the older cars better.

[rob jefferson]

[quote=”mraw” post=80283]I really love driving my old car, but I always get that “Is she going to make it?” feeling, like you mentioned in the video.[/quote]

me too. i have a 1961 lancer. i drove it today for the first time in a few weeks and i had to go out and charge the battery, then fire it up and let it warm up for a good long time…and when i was finally out on the road i still thought “ok….be good!”.

but really, isn’t that what our parents had to do? wasn’t that the norm? it was always a little bit of a gamble and everybody made it this far ok…..i figure i will be fine.

as for the video, yes….everything about driving an old car is special, and i agree it is a more REAL experience than driving a new car. i totally get that. old cars do just react differently and need more attention. and it feels different because it IS different…the materials in the seat to the thickness of the steering wheel to the weight of the car and how it feels when in you’re in the middle of all of it…..

i am about eric’s age, so there is a nostalgic element to all of this…makes me wonder what a 20 year old kid would feel like driving a car like that? one he has no memories of? i bet it is still special.

[Riley]

My first vehicle just over 10 years ago was my granddad’s old work truck… a red and white, two tone 1988 Chevrolet Silverado 1/2 ton shortbox with the all-American 5.7L smallblock V8 (although not the original engine… the original suffered a crack in the block and had to be replaced, thankfully with a stock 350). I learned to drive and work on cars on this truck and I am so grateful it is still a part of my life.

A few years ago, I was real close to selling it. The oil sending unit was bad in it and was fooling me into thinking there were some severe oil pressure issues. After taking the truck to the shop and confirming it was a $40 sending unit (you can’t get your air pressure checked for that little money anymore), I went in and gave the old truck a coolant flush, transmission flush, brake flush, and a new belt… the truck drives as good as it ever did. It never had the get-up and go you expect even from more modern trucks, but it’ll still go down the highway great. I even went so far as to get it repainted stock colors. Needless to say, I absolutely love this truck and hope to pass it down to my kids one day.

It has become an absolutely relaxing and escaping experience to drive. It’s a step back in time… thinking that this truck was the top of the line GM truck that was rolling off the assembly lines when I was an infant… a time when you were fortunate to have A/C, a cassette player, and power windows. This truck became a part of my life when I was in Kindergarten and remember the many trips to Lowes and Wal-Mart when I was younger. I hope to share these experiences with my kids one day and hope to hold onto this as a memory of my Granddad for years to come.

[Rereonehundred]

For a “mechanical ride” it’s hard to beat my old 1966 VW Beetle. All those air cooled fins radiating, not only heat, but sound. No power steering to numb road feel and no boost on the brakes. Mechanical fuel gauge.

But, I’m not sure I’d drive it these days in modern traffic with half-witted motorists out there. The old V-Dub had a steel dash, harpoon steering column, no seat belts, no head rests, the gas tank in your lap, no dual-diagonal braking, 6 volt dim lights, a windshield 6 inches from your face, four puny drum brakes, a tendency to roll over and over steer, and blown all over the road by gentle cross winds.

Fortunately, after 110 000 miles and 20 years of driving the Beetle, my worst incident was backing into a bush.

I’ll keep my 6 air-bag, multi crumple zone Coupe.

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”twentyshots” post=80323][quote=”mraw” post=80283]I really love driving my old car, but I always get that “Is she going to make it?” feeling, like you mentioned in the video.[/quote]

me too. i have a 1961 lancer. i drove it today for the first time in a few weeks and i had to go out and charge the battery, then fire it up and let it warm up for a good long time…and when i was finally out on the road i still thought “ok….be good!”.

but really, isn’t that what our parents had to do? wasn’t that the norm? it was always a little bit of a gamble and everybody made it this far ok…..i figure i will be fine.

as for the video, yes….everything about driving an old car is special, and i agree it is a more REAL experience than driving a new car. i totally get that. old cars do just react differently and need more attention. and it feels different because it IS different…the materials in the seat to the thickness of the steering wheel to the weight of the car and how it feels when in you’re in the middle of all of it…..

i am about eric’s age, so there is a nostalgic element to all of this…makes me wonder what a 20 year old kid would feel like driving a car like that? one he has no memories of? i bet it is still special.

I love the pic. Thanks for posting it.

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”rileyd87″ post=80335]My first vehicle just over 10 years ago was my granddad’s old work truck… a red and white, two tone 1988 Chevrolet Silverado 1/2 ton shortbox with the all-American 5.7L smallblock V8 (although not the original engine… the original suffered a crack in the block and had to be replaced, thankfully with a stock 350). I learned to drive and work on cars on this truck and I am so grateful it is still a part of my life.

A few years ago, I was real close to selling it. The oil sending unit was bad in it and was fooling me into thinking there were some severe oil pressure issues. After taking the truck to the shop and confirming it was a $40 sending unit (you can’t get your air pressure checked for that little money anymore), I went in and gave the old truck a coolant flush, transmission flush, brake flush, and a new belt… the truck drives as good as it ever did. It never had the get-up and go you expect even from more modern trucks, but it’ll still go down the highway great. I even went so far as to get it repainted stock colors. Needless to say, I absolutely love this truck and hope to pass it down to my kids one day.

It has become an absolutely relaxing and escaping experience to drive. It’s a step back in time… thinking that this truck was the top of the line GM truck that was rolling off the assembly lines when I was an infant… a time when you were fortunate to have A/C, a cassette player, and power windows. This truck became a part of my life when I was in Kindergarten and remember the many trips to Lowes and Wal-Mart when I was younger. I hope to share these experiences with my kids one day and hope to hold onto this as a memory of my Granddad for years to come.[/quote]

Apparently I was graduating high school when you were an infant. 🙂

That said, to me an 88 isn’t old. I suppose that’s because it was made in my lifetime. I’m finding after posting this video that there are a lot of different opinions of what ‘old’ is. I think that’s cool and it poses an interesting point. I wonder what it will be like when the ‘kids’ of today grow up and talk about that old 2013 Cobalt or Hyundai that their parents drove when they were little. Really puts it in perspective.

[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”Rereonehundred” post=80369]For a “mechanical ride” it’s hard to beat my old 1966 VW Beetle. All those air cooled fins radiating, not only heat, but sound. No power steering to numb road feel and no boost on the brakes. Mechanical fuel gauge.

But, I’m not sure I’d drive it these days in modern traffic with half-witted motorists out there. The old V-Dub had a steel dash, harpoon steering column, no seat belts, no head rests, the gas tank in your lap, no dual-diagonal braking, 6 volt dim lights, a windshield 6 inches from your face, four puny drum brakes, a tendency to roll over and over steer, and blown all over the road by gentle cross winds.

Fortunately, after 110 000 miles and 20 years of driving the Beetle, my worst incident was backing into a bush.

I’ll keep my 6 air-bag, multi crumple zone Coupe.[/quote]

I love those old Beatles. Old cars aren’t the greatest some days. Not the safest either as you’ve pointed out. But it’s the feeling you get when you drive them that makes the appeal for me. It’s like being in a time machine.

Thanks for your input.

[Author]

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