Why everyone should drive an old car

I'm not sure if this was penned by Jay or one of his staff, but it is good stuff.

Jay Leno's Garage: When you drive an old car, you're paying attention. You're actually driving. You're physically involved in the experience. When you're in a car like my 1913 Mercer, which has two-wheel brakes and 3-in.-wide tires, it's a must. You are driving defensively. You're paying attention to the driving situation around you. The number of people I see "driving" and doing something else at the same time–like reading, talking on the phone, eating, putting on makeup–is unbelievable. And then, crash!, they just hit things. And they've got four-wheel discs with antilock brakes. They've got the ability to stop in a tenth the distance of an older car. Yes, in an older car, you're definitely more physically involved in the act of driving. I always drive for pleasure. I like to drive. Consequently, I pay attention when I do it. When I'm in an older car and someone wants to cut in front of me, I smile and say, go ahead. There isn't that competitive, "You SOB. I'll ram my blah, blah, blah up your blah, blah, blah" thing going on. Besides, people see you driving a collector car and they cut you a lot of slack. It's a bit like the old lady crossing the street. People say, "Oh look, be careful, go ahead dearie …" I contend that a certain number of traffic accidents occur because all cars look alike nowadays. You go down the road and there's just a sea of jelly bean shapes that seem to all blend in. Recently, I was driving my '56 Chrysler Imperial on the freeway, and I passed a guy and he looked over, saw a huge shape he'd not seen before and shooosh!, he looked like he suddenly woke up. He didn't recognize me but he waved anyway. My car just looked odd to him. And rightly so. It had character compared to the look-alikes around us on the road. The Imperial has big whitewall tires and chromed wire wheels. So this enormous land yacht comes cruising by and this guy is just in his own world, tooling along. He sees the Imperial's big fins and the gunsight taillights on the back and, boing!, it got his attention. It registered. That's part of the fun of old cars. People ask, "Aren't you afraid of being hit?" Actually, I think it's the other way around. People are less likely to run into you because they notice you. It's like blowing your horn. They think, what is that big thing? Lookit that! People ask me if I'm afraid my old cars are going to break down when I drive them. I say, "Yeah, they break down all the time." With the kind of job I have, when my car breaks down, that's really the only time I get to relax. Because when it happens I can't do anything. I'm stuck by the side of the freeway, so I might as well take a break. Speaking of freeways, you know what stinks about freeways these days? There's no breakdown lane anymore. What used to be the breakdown lane is now the HOV diamond lane. A guy passed me the other day in a Sunbeam Tiger. I thought, I'll go after him and wave. I used to have one of those. And just as I pull up to him, the whole thing goes wooooff!, up in flames! And he has no fire extinguisher. So he pulls over to the left side of the road and I pull in behind him. Turns out it was just an electrical fire. We disconnected the battery and got it out. But now we're stuck in the fast lane and people are whizzing by. I called the Highway Patrol and they came, but believe me, there's no place you can even break down anymore. And in new cars, once you're broken down, you're broken down. The ability to get a modern car going again is absolutely gone. I always stopped and helped people with car problems in the old days. Six times out of 10, it'd be a loose wire or something simple. And you could get them going. But now, all you can do is call for help. I was on the freeway a few months ago and I saw these five guys stuck with an old car. I pull up and they're all talking in Spanish. So I say, "Are you okay?" And they say, "Si, si," and so I offer my telephone. One guy says, "Gracias," and he dials a number. He talks for a few minutes, then passes the phone to the next guy, who talks awhile, then passes it on. Finally, all five have spoken and I'm thinking okay, what the heck. Finally, I ask for the phone back and go on my way. A month later, I get my phone bill for that call: $98! Turns out they called their mother in El Salvador. I'm thinking they're calling the tow truck and they're calling El Salvador on my cellphone. People talk about road rage a lot these days. I think it's all phoney baloney. There's no such thing as "road rage." It just sounds good on the news. All road rage is, if you put people, if you put mice, if you put any group of mammals in a crowded situation, some sort of rage will occur. One of the people or one of the mice will be the first to break or snap or pop. Take that person out of a car and he's not suddenly a nice, relaxed guy. There's something else going on in that guy's head. That guy is already a possible mental case. That guy is going to react violently in any situation where he's crowded. I mean, he could be waiting in line for a restroom at a baseball game, and there's a hundred people ahead of him, and snaaaaaaaap! Road rage doesn't happen except in traffic. It's just crowding. No one goes down the freeway, pulls up next to someone and starts screaming at them. It just doesn't happen. But road rage has become one of those great hot buttons newscasters always come up with. It's like that unintended acceleration thing. You remember: "Cars that kill! Film at 11." All that stupid stuff. If it happens to you, pay no attention. It'll go away.

Amen brother!

Gonna take the '58 for a cruise now.

Shawn

"I always drive for pleasure. I like to drive. Consequently, I pay attention when I do it."

I think that's the most important line in that essay. Too many people don't like to drive, and/or don't pay attention.

stuart in mn wrote: "I always drive for pleasure. I like to drive. Consequently, I pay attention when I do it." I think that's the most important line in that essay. Too many people don't like to drive, and/or don't pay attention.

and subsequently they seek to drive cars that remove the driver even more from the act of driving, perpetuating the cycle.

stuart in mn wrote: "I always drive for pleasure. I like to drive. Consequently, I pay attention when I do it." I think that's the most important line in that essay. Too many people don't like to drive, and/or don't pay attention.

Amen to that. If I'm just cruising my Golf, I still honestly love driving. I have bad habits (texting, eating, etc) that I've sworn off when i get back, but I really do just like driving. Something about having the radio on, maybe a window down, just cruising. Makes me pay a lot of attention.

My car isn't that old (a '97 Civic DX) but you do have to pay some attention when driving. There's no power assistance for the steering and there's no ABS. Yet, I like having to put a bit more of myself into the experience....except when parking in close quarters.

Mount this instead of an airbag. People will pay attention then

i would still love to DD a pre 80's car (give or take some years) Insurance would be cheap and no E-Check and pick something common and parts are still there plus youre driving something cool.

some day. someday

CarKid1989 wrote: i would still love to DD a pre 80's car (give or take some years) Insurance would be cheap and no E-Check and pick something common and parts are still there plus youre driving something cool. some day. someday

'72 Celica FTW!

Shawn

I don't drive for pleasure, I drive for blood! I hunt other people's heads. I steal babies. Now that I think about it, maybe I do drive for pleasure, just differently.

Trans_Maro wrote:

CarKid1989 wrote: i would still love to DD a pre 80's car (give or take some years) Insurance would be cheap and no E-Check and pick something common and parts are still there plus youre driving something cool. some day. someday

'72 Celica FTW! Shawn

Yeahhh that would rock!

Everything I have licensed and legal right now has Historic plates. '82 Corolla, '83 Z28, '77 Chevy shortbed, '74 Honda CL200.

The '86 Volvo isn't eligible for historic tags until 2011 (but it's not running yet, either). It'll have them whence it's eligible.

I don't like the "Living Room With A Steering Wheel" syndrome/trend of cars these days. But...there's plenty of old iron left for a guy like me.

Really...there are some folks out there who are just incapable of paying enough attention to driving. We all know them...the one who says "Oh...I can't drive a stick, it's just too distracting" or something to that effect. Carpools and public transportation...that's what these folks need to support.

Clem

There is nothing quite like driving an older car, when you have so much work into them far as up keep you feel a bit more then some thing your still making the monthly payment on. I like my P71, but I cant wait to get the ACVW going again.

honestly, the only "modern convience" I like in cars is ABS. I dare say we have made modern cars too safe, so soft, and too complex.

my 94 saab has a nicer interior and is more high tech than my house. My house does not have heated seats, climate control, power windows, or powered seats

Now that I don't have an older car to drive on a regular basis I find that am driving less. I need to get started on my Spit, it is a much more intimate experience driving an older car.

I wonder if this will have any affect on younger people getting in the car hobby, with newer cars being more isolated?

ClemSparks wrote: Everything I have licensed and legal right now has Historic plates.

In the great state of Illinois, if you get Antique vehicle plates you can only drive it to and from car shows. And presumably to get repaired.

same here in NJ

Most all my driving is in my '96 Mazda B-3000. (Ranger) No AC because I don't care. 5 speed, it does have ABS. But, basically, very plain Jane. Suits me fine. Since I work out of my house, not much driving except for delivery to freight forwarders in Miami. THAT is a thrill. Every bad habit you can imagine can be seen on that run. I have no concern about my truck, it is well maintained and in good shape. My concern is oblivious semi drivers and Sugar Momma Big Bucks in her Lexus, putting on her makeup while chatting with her girlfreinds about their cheating husbands, etc. There is WAY too much going on for them to be doing that. The worst was a semi driver that decided it would be better to hit me than the line of stopped traffic in his lane. I will never forget that moment of sheer terror as I saw his rear bogey headed for me in my side window. Glad my brakes were good. And nobody was tailgating me.

integraguy wrote: My car isn't that old (a '97 Civic DX) but you do have to pay some attention when driving. There's no power assistance for the steering and there's no ABS. Yet, I like having to put a bit more of myself into the experience....except when parking in close quarters.

Hey I have the same experience.

My girlfriend was a TERRIBLE driver.

Then she learned to drive stick. She has to pay attention now. I am no longer scared to ride in the passenger seat.

I got in a BMW 750iL yesterday. It had so many geegaws, iDrive, a key that does nothing and a starter button that I never could figure out how to get the odometer reading. I hated the car instantly and didn't even drive it.

The polar opposite is my Mini. Completely engaging to drive and does everything Jay alludes to as far as getting people's attention. My favorite phrase about the car is that it has 'everything you need and nothing you don't'. 4 seats, 4 tires, a steering wheel and an engine. Seriously, what more does a car really need to do it's job? I believe if everyone drove Minis the world would be a better, happier place. The stupid driving would be cut down significantly because we'd all be terrified of hitting a Rubbermaid trash can and dying.

ddavidv wrote: I got in a BMW 750iL yesterday. It had so many geegaws, iDrive, a key that does nothing and a starter button that I never could figure out how to get the odometer reading. I hated the car instantly and didn't even drive it. The polar opposite is my Mini. Completely engaging to drive and does everything Jay alludes to as far as getting people's attention. My favorite phrase about the car is that it has 'everything you need and nothing you don't'. 4 seats, 4 tires, a steering wheel and an engine. Seriously, what more does a car really need to do it's job? I believe if everyone drove Minis the world would be a better, happier place. The stupid driving would be cut down significantly because we'd all be terrified of hitting a Rubbermaid trash can and dying.

I feel the same way when I drive my dad's 5 series, too much stuff to be entertaining. i-drive is totally useless in my opinion anyway, but other cars have similar over-techness.

Interestingly, I had to do a trip for work yesterday and took our new F-150. It's as bad as the 5 series for sheer aggravation. It listed for close to $40k all decked out, but it didn't cost nearly that much in real dollars these days. But I much prefer to drive the Miata, and can't wait to get the 240Z back running and through it's restoration.

And for some reason these days I've been wanting a '64 or '65 Riviera. Never wanted one before, very strange....

mtn wrote:

ClemSparks wrote: Everything I have licensed and legal right now has Historic plates.

In the great state of Illinois, if you get Antique vehicle plates you can only drive it to and from car shows. And presumably to get repaired.

Here is MO it's the same EXCEPT that you can drive it "Up to 1,000 miles per year for personal use." I have to keep a log book of "personal use miles" in the car at all times. I've got a system for that.

Most law enforcement officers in the area have no idea about historic tags (nor do they quite understand why a rusty, beat up '82 Corolla is sporting them). I get pulled over occasionally, but that is only because I don't have a renewal sticker (they are permenant...no annual sticker). The cops are looking for the sticker. If they pull me over because I don't have a sticker, then they don't know about historic tags and don't ask to see the logbook. If they know about the log book, I've got it and am currently on my way to "a repair facility."

Clem

In reply to ClemSparks:

We have "vintage plates" that work ina similar way. No logbook though.

You must be "in a parade, in a car club function, for inspection or for maintenance"

Good thing I'm the mechanic, these old cars need a lot of maintenance.

Shawn

In reply to ddavidv:

Man when you get used to iDrive after a few months it is a godsend. Especially the phone book and cell phone interface. I swear I can dial in my sleep with that thing. Never take my eyes off the road and not very distracting.