Memorable Automobiles from The Past:
For today:
I smiled once reading Rick’s blog down in Bama. He mentioned
cranking his truck. I KNEW me meant starting the truck. Have you used that term? It comes from a time when there were cars
that you cranked by hand. The Hand crank fit into the engine just under the
radiator. I am so old there were still a
few cars and tractors that started with a hand crank, when I was a kid.
Starting cars was a ‘normal’ problem up into the 50s. In the early
days of cars folks would park on a hill or any incline so they could let their
car roll off and start it by ‘dropping the clutch and let the momentum of the
car turn the engine to start it. This was usually done with the car in 2nd
gear.
Soooo yesterday I was thinking about that and wondered what the
folks in the flat lands did to start a car with a dead battery. I know there
were times around here when no hill was readily available that a car was pushed
by several men and boys to get it started, by dropping the clutch with the car
in gear.
Now keep in mind a car had to have a manual (or straight)
transmission to roll or push start.
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And then back a long time ago Daddy told me of stopping at a
farm house (during the depression) and chopping fire wood or paying 50 cents
for a place to sleep in the barn and breakfast. He said people appreciated the
50 cents more because money was hard to come by.
Then came Tom Bodett, who said, “------- we’ll keep the light on
for you!” He was advertising Motel 6, where they had a room for $6. I shudder
when I hear people talking about paying $125+ for a place to sleep for the
night.
NiteShipslog
PS:Pushing a car, of course if you had a buddy with a car and the bumpers matched he could push you to start
That automatic
spellcheck can get you. This one just Changed Bodett’s name to Bidet.
Yeah here I am about
old people again…. Sorry. ;-)
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6 comments:
You may remember from visiting our family in Missouri, we had an old station-wagon that I piled nine kids in (and still had room for Mother, the last one to get in the car)! It didn't have a had crank - but our old Case tractor did. It was always parked at the top of the hill near the silo. When it was contrary, we hit the clutch and let her role down until it started purring! Oh gosh, reading your blog take me down those old country trails!!! All the fun..."A PIG sit on a chair???"
And, YES. I have no idea where some of the stuff that I put in a "safe place" is. But I resolve in 2022 to have one spot for safekeeping and only one. Perhaps a large cardboard box marked "safe place" is the answer. And, to label EVERYTHING! WHEN we got "Christmas" down from the loft up high in the wooden shed, not a single box had felt tip marker noting what was in it. Never again, however, I got started early with Christmas surprises and that's cool.
Love and hugs to you two, your boys and their girls and all of the Grands! Be safe on the highways and byways...Love, Love,Love the sweet Darnells, Glenda
It is so fascinating reading about them days on your Blog. Thank you so much, Jack. What a treasure of memories.
God bless.
Yes, I'm always putting things in a safe place. So safe no one's ever going to find it. I never had to crank a car but the term was often used when talking about starting a car. We have it so easy now, just turn the key or push a button. Spell check often gets to me too. It is almost impossible for me to spell saute without it changing it.
I'm not familiar with 'cranking' a car ... but sure appreciate (and accomplish) those who knew!
Yep, I sure remember Motel 6's ad slogan. Gosh, that $ wouldn't likely even pay the room's hot water bill today. I don't recall what I paid (ca. 1972) when I stayed there, but it was surprisingly clean. That's funny about Tom Bodette (Bidet).
I never had to crank a car but I do feel good when I can get the wood splitter started! I couldn't find my candles I bought last year for my windows at Christmas. I looked everywhere. I finally found them in the place I had looked probably 3 times before. I just didn't dig deep enough! Glad I found them! I thought about paying to sleep in the barn. Reminded me of a couple that had to sleep in a barn and their baby had to sleep in the manger! Imagine that.
It is outrageous with the costs of some hotels/motels for a single night's stay and most of the time one is not in the room but only a few hours. Yet we continue to pay for the privilege of the convenience of staying where we want to when we want to!
betty
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