Today’s Automobile:
Just some background:
Did you look forward to
your driver’s license? In my youth for
boys that was the big dream, @ 16 in NC meant you could get your license. I was jealous of my cousin Bobby; in South
Carolina they issued license at 14. Back
then they could even drive a scooter on the roads without a license. (Yeah and they could buy and shoot
firecrackers too!)
I remember when
Shirley got her license, I was then about 14. Once she was driving in Valdese
and a little too fast on a crooked road, she slipped off and knocked dad’s gas
tank loose. Not that it stopped the car, but it was hanging down.
She pulled into a local
service station and I remember the owner giving her a hard time of how big a
job it was and he was gonna have to call the Reverand (our dad) to see if he
could pay the bill, etc. While he was talking the assistant fixed the problem
and he didn’t charge a thing. Ain’t it wonderful how some things WERE?
In my area when a
boy had a car he was expected to keep it running. Minor maintenance plugs,
timing, tire changes etc were just normal for most boys.
The Dodge had fins too!
From a very young age 9 or 10 I looked forward to the new models to see what changes they made. About every 2-3 years the manufacturers would make major styling changes. I remember the first curved windshields ’54-55 and the era of the BIG FINS.
White wall
tires were big and someone invented the curb feelers for the right hand side to
keep from scrubbing the white wall tires on the curbing.
Remember 'port=a-walls' for those who could not afford whitewalls?
My love for cars hasn’t
dwindled much, but I don’t like it that I just can’t seem to ‘fix’ one anymore.
BUT THEN THE TRUTH: They don’t need the attention they once required. Even oil changes are few and far between now.
Many of us drive cars with over 100 to 200,000 miles on the odometer and they still
don’t ‘use’ oil. Up to the 1960s if a car reached 100K miles w/o major engine
work, it was a miracle.
Did you get your driver’s
license early?
Nite
Shipslog
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4 comments:
Cars are getting harder and harder to fix with all the new computers.
My 2000 Honda CRV has 200K miles on it and while it has had a couple of problems it looks good and runs.
I got my license at 15 in GA. My dad got transferred to Chicago and I had to give it up and retake the test at 16!
No, I had to wait -- both to turn 16 and pass Drivers Ed. I strongly suspect the only reason I passed (without having to parallel park!) was because he was one of my mom's coworkers.
Gosh, how my Tom's going to enjoy this post. I even had the gall to argue with him once b/c he said my car didn't need a yearly tune-up.
MY two older brothers were driving pick-ups and tractors at age 12+. They segued into the family car with no problem. I was the farm girl who technically drive a car, had a license, and that was about it. Brothers.
I took drivers ed as a high school senior.
It was free.
4 students to a car.
Plus classroom stuff.
Instructor gave us 2 girls an A-
He gave the 2 guys an A.
You could tell it wasn’t their first rodeo.
I can live with that.
I passed test first try at 17 years old.
I got my first car after I graduated that year.
1971 Plymouth Duster.
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