Feeling old

In reply to Appleseed :

My dad loved padded tops on his Lincoln Town Cars and then he would point out when a car had Vogue tires on it.  

I had a bad industrial accident in 1979, and four surgeries since. The ACL reconstruction I had in 1987 was supposed to last 25 years, and I'm only just to the point where it's causing me significant discomfort most of the time and slowing me down... and making me feel really old. And I now have to consider knee replacement.  I sometimes feel silly because, at my age,  I drive a lowered Spark on 16's, pretty much 10/10 all the time. I love it, but wonder if people are laughing with me, or laughing at me?

I don't even know what I want to be when I grow up.

Appleseed said:

When does this E36 M3 become appealing? It must be, because the people who liked this 35 years ago when I started paying attention to cars are long dead, and yet it's still being glued onto cars today .

Bad taste never goes out of style.

03Panther said:

In reply to bobzilla :

No kids, and several years back, I realized I liked owning a 4 dr, better than 2 dr! Now THATS old!

I hate the long doors! So hard to get out of in tight spaces

I still don't get the 4 door thing. I drive a 2 door Mustang to work every day, just like I did in high school. Only the Mustang I have now has a big video screen in the dash, more horsepower, fewer cylinders and an electric convertible top. The old Mustang had a 351 Windsor, a Lear Jet 8 track and Jensen speakers on the rear deck.

The Porsche has two doors. The Miata has two doors. Even my Ram Pickup truck only has two doors. The Cherokee and the CRV have four doors. It must be an SUV thing.

In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :

Hopefully, you don't get to hurting enough to find out one of the advantages!

Another is the versatility, between carting too much stuff, and having several furry kids. Way more important that actual kids, in my life!

I want another vintage British sports car. I'm in the club. I participate in club events frequently. We fix other members cars. It's fun. We have a big car show coming up in June. However, regarding another car at my age, my heart says yes, yes, yes, but fortunately my brain says no, no, no. I guess I'll be content with my two contemporary Miatas and enjoying other people's numerous misfortunes with their LBCs (and being glad it's not me). I guess that's old age and maturity ... and absolutely no more "gumption."

In reply to Gary :

Now, I've been thinking DD, and age. For a toy, I'm still a vintage 2 dr guy! 

Ohio is now a no front plate state.  You can have anything you want on the front as long as it isn't an incorrect but valid looking license plate.

Saw a customer's car with a front plate that said

LMW

28IF.  

You know what that is, possibly.

I joked at work to the only other person I work with.  "If I said 'hey that's the license plate from the Abbey Road album cover', how many people would reply 'what's an album cover?'"

03Panther said:

In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :

Hopefully, you don't get to hurting enough to find out one of the advantages!

Another is the versatility, between carting too much stuff, and having several furry kids. Way more important that actual kids, in my life!

I can haul two dogs in the Mustang. In fact, nobody but the dogs can fit back there. I was actually thinking of pulling out the back seat and putting in a dog bed.

I used to haul two huskies in my 914. Don't ask how. There is a guy at the dog park who actually pulled the passengers seat out on his Corvette so his Great Dane could ride with him.

I used to walk uphill to school.  Each way.  In the snow.  Barefoot.

I think that two of my huskies could actually pull the Miata. It's an NA.

In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :

My first car was a 1976 Camaro and even being a young lad at the time, the length and weight of the doors were often an issue out here in hilly So Cal.

Roll the clock forward four plus decades and the wider opening angle a shorter door affords along with the reduced weight provides a meaningful benefit.

In terms of a daily, I like to buy new and keep the car for eight to ten years so anything I buy at this point in my life needs to be future proofed for a late 60's RX Reven'.

My driveway has something like a 20 degree angle so I back in as the door angle stops aren't even close to being able to hold position if I park heading forward.

Additionally, I appreciate having the "B" pillar right behind me...you know, in case I wind up going balls out, head-to-head with a super car through the local canyons in my CX-3 and roll it. (smiley faces don't appear to be available right now so please imagine one).  Joking aside, having an extra pillar and having it close is a good thing "think T-Bone".

When I started building my V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint), I was all into making it barely legal, race-prepped, full cage, able to do track days, hill climb, autocross, and drag strip.

Except it took me ten years to build it, and in that time I got old.

By the time it was on the road, I was totally not into any of that, especially climbing over door bars into a phone-booth size car with a footwell the size of a woman's shoe.  It's in Michigan now.

To me, at 6'2", I love my 2 door cars, because I don't have to hike my aging ass out from behind the B pillar.  Tall stuff, like Suv or truck, 4 door is fine.  My V50 kinda pisses me off.

The rock band I play in did a car show gig last year, so we worked up a few car songs, you probably know them all.  We left a couple of them on our regular play list because they're fun.  I recently realized that at a typical gig no more than 5 % of the people have any idea what a 409 is.  Or care.  Or a Rocket 88.  When I sing Hot Rod Lincoln with the original words "Got twelve cylinders and uses 'em all" everybody thinks I'm screwing up the words, not realizing that the car really existed (and still exists), and that it had a Lincoln V12.  Pretty soon nobody will know what Mustang Sally is all about.  I had to explain to our bass player what a Deuce Coupe was.

Haven't heard a good song yet about a Tesla or a Miata - any suggestions, Keith?

SkinnyG (Forum Supporter) said:

When I started building my V8 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Sprint), I was all into making it barely legal, race-prepped, full cage, able to do track days, hill climb, autocross, and drag strip.

Except it took me ten years to build it, and in that time I got old.

By the time it was on the road, I was totally not into any of that, especially climbing over door bars into a phone-booth size car with a footwell the size of a woman's shoe.  It's in Michigan now.

I'm 65 and I kind of want a V8 Firefly with a roll cage. I still miss my Suzuki Swift.

Jim Pettengill said:

...I recently realized that at a typical gig no more than 5 % of the people have any idea what a 409 is.  Or care. 

Weird thing to write a song about, but whatever

For a wood-based project, I converted dimensions to metric b/c I can still mostly read that side of a stainless ruler without turning on more lights.  It's wood so +/- 1mm is close enough anyway.

The Kumho 712 tires on my 67 Camaro are older than one of my employees.

In my defense, they will be discarded as soon as the car is a bit more mobile.

Streetwiseguy said:

The Kumho 712 tires on my 67 Camaro are older than one of my employees.

A little different because I can have coworkers as young as 12 (hockey referee), but the other day I realized that I was reffing with a kid who was younger than all of my equipment except my ref pants, helmet, and skates. This made me realize that I should probably replace my whistle. 

Streetwiseguy said:

The Kumho 712 tires on my 67 Camaro are older than one of my employees.

In my defense, they will be discarded as soon as the car is a bit more mobile.

I have a pair of Snap On gear wrench type things that I got in trade for bike parts. In the late 80s.

I showed them to a co worker and he immediately started inspecting them closely. "I want to see if Moses scribed his initials on them"

I have no idea how old my Matco tool box is, but its serial number is 35.

I still have most of the Craftsman tool set I got when I was 15,  almost 50 years ago

My favorite motorcycle was built for 150lb Italian teenagers.

I don't care. I have a couple Advil when I stop for gas.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :