Driving an early 20th Century automobile

[mrcvs]

The thread about long distance driving of early automobiles made me think of this.  Lately, this hasn't been a problem, however, as both antique cars I own are not running.

 

In any event, 35 to 45 mph is maximum comfortable driving speed.  A bit less is more relaxing.  50+ is not possible. 

 

What really takes away from the enjoyment of driving these is the impatience of all one's fellow motorists.  Tailgating, passing in a no passing zone, being given the finger, nearly run off the road, etc.  The rudeness seems to be getting worse!

 

Not to mention no one else realizes early cars have mechanical brakes and can't stop on a dime.

 

☺

[J.H.Boland]

I find that the pictured RH license plate helps some, plus the barrel of my (airsoft) tommy gun visible in the rear window !

[Bloo]

35 minutes ago, mrcvs said:

The thread about long distance driving of early automobiles made me think of this.  Lately, this hasn't been a problem, however, as both antique cars I own are not running.

 

In any event, 35 to 45 mph is maximum comfortable driving speed.  A bit less is more relaxing.  50+ is not possible. 

 

What really takes away from the enjoyment of driving these is the impatience of all one's fellow motorists.  Tailgating, passing in a no passing zone, being given the finger, nearly run off the road, etc.  The rudeness seems to be getting worse!

 

Not to mention no one else realizes early cars have mechanical brakes and can't stop on a dime.

 

☺

 

In my area the inability to go 50 (or better yet 60) is quite limiting. You have to go on the fast roads around here for short jaunts in order to stay on the slow roads.

 

A long time ago I asked in this forum who had driven cross-country, and what are the routes to take in a slower car. A few people gave really good answers for their area, but the thread didn't really get much traction. It wasn't near enough to connect the dots across the lower 48 of the United States.

 

 

[zepher]

Doing 50mph or less can be a challenge in some areas.

My Rickenbacker isn't comfortable above 50mph.

Because of this speed limitation and modern traffic speeds, I rarely take it on the freeway these days.

My Pierce Arrow can happily do 65mph so it's not so much of a challenge on the freeway with modern traffic.

 

[Paul Dobbin]

My wife and I lay out a lot of tours for our local club, doing the layout in a modern car.  A good county map is a must to find shortcuts to avoid highways.  Lots of cutting thru neighborhoods with plenty of turns to notate.  A rule of thumb is that antique cars are cute for 3 seconds, then we are in the way.   Another rule is if you get a line behind you, pull over and let them by.  

We have the oldest cars up front to set the pace, which also aggravates some of our newer tourists too.  Still fun to get them out and find country roads to drive 35-40-MPH on the way to someplace to eat and drink.   I usually put some historical notes in each tour, then give the extra copies to the local historical society to sell at their museum.   Our antique folks can then access them to take their visitors on tours or take the one the missed.  it's worth the effort to see  a bunch of Pre WWII cars in my rear view mirror.

Edited June 1, 2019 by Paul Dobbin (see edit history)

[DB26]

Being in a suburb of Los Angeles, I’m stuck putting around my neighborhood streets and school zones. 

[keiser31]

My cars both have hydraulic brakes, originally, so stopping is not an issue except for the skinny tires.

[Locomobile]

1 hour ago, mrcvs said:

The rudeness seems to be getting worse!

 

That isn't your imagination, it is getting worse. Many of the cities are strapped for cash and cutting back on their traffic patrols and these drivers know it. Seems like most places don't really patrol, they only respond when called. Around here, they drive terrible, blow right through red lights intentionally, tailgating, pulling out in front of people. Kids riding minibikes up and down the sidewalks keeping up with traffic. Just last week a gang of about 20 ATV 4 wheeler's took to the streets of Detroit and riding wheelstands through busy traffic etc. , the police did get that stopped "reportedly". Although they pulled up along side of one and tasered him, the guy on the ATV lost control, crashed and died, the police officer was fired and I think the family is suing the city... I just had one today some lady on her cellphone and she came around the corner and almost ran right in to me. I say it all the time, if I was a cop, I could write at least one ticket every time I go anywhere.

 

I'm getting my 01 Locomobile registered to drive on the street, but it isn't going to be driven around here. Escorted tours and out in the country only.

 

-Ron

[cahartley]

1 hour ago, mrcvs said:

The thread about long distance driving of early automobiles made me think of this.  Lately, this hasn't been a problem, however, as both antique cars I own are not running.

 

In any event, 35 to 45 mph is maximum comfortable driving speed.  A bit less is more relaxing.  50+ is not possible. 

 

What really takes away from the enjoyment of driving these is the impatience of all one's fellow motorists.  Tailgating, passing in a no passing zone, being given the finger, nearly run off the road, etc.  The rudeness seems to be getting worse!

 

Not to mention no one else realizes early cars have mechanical brakes and can't stop on a dime.

 

☺

 

My little village of 500 in central Wisconsin is in a rural area so driving the old cars is barely an issue and having an abundance of back roads will get me anywhere I want to go and avoid mainstream traffic mostly.

The times I have to use a highway (ALL 2 lane around here except for one 4 lane) the only appendage I get is a thumbs up.......

Maybe folks around here are more appreciative simply seeing old cars out and about.

From salt free to salt season I drive one of them nearly every day weather permitting.

[Walt G]

Each year the Franklin Club has it's annual meet ( they call a trek) in central NY State . 30+ years ago I led the tour in my 1931 Franklin from the meet in Cazenovia, NY east along route 20 as we were heading to the Music Museum in Deansboro , NY .  A number of Franklin club members did not have Franklins on the road so drove to the meet in modern cars. Well we had about 25 Franklins going to make the drive and about 10 or 12 modern cars. So off we went heading east on route 20 in the middle of the week in the middle of the day, all in a line doing about 30 mph  ( I was told to take it easy on speed as some cars had  brakes mounted on the driveshaft and were comfortable at 30-40 mph.)   So I kept the speed down to about 30 - 35 mph. Half way there in the rear view mirror I saw a state police car with flashing lights darting up fast going in between the line of cars to get around them. He gets behind me and blips his siren for me to pull over. I had a buddy of mine sitting next to me as he hadn't been to a Franklin meet before and my parents were in the back seat. The police officer comes over to my drivers side window a bit irate and sweating ( it does take place in August but wasn't overly hot that day) and looked at me sternly and as he spoke saw my folks in the back seat . He questioned me about making the traffic go to slow on Rt. 20 with my line of old cars and the modern cars "trying to get by" in between them. Well he then looked back and saw the whole line of cars pulled over - old and modern. He thought I was stopping the modern cars from passing but of course they were part of the group. By then a lot of the drivers of both the old and modern cars were getting out and walking up to my car to see what was wrong. Of course my buddy sitting next to me was recording all this on his super 8 movie camera ( think of the era) Then we hear one of them walking up saying "Geez,  Walt is going to get a ticket or arrested or something ". Well my folks are looking back through the rear window and now there is no line of cars behind trying to drive down the road, they are all pulled over behind me. The police officer started to notice this and now Rt 20 was getting congested by all the people crowding around my Franklin wondering whats going on and wanting to see and hear what was being said. As the policeman was looking around my Dad tapped me on the shoulder and whispered to me " don't be a smart ass and give him a wise ass comment". My friend next to me starts to trying not to laugh, and my mom just stared out the window.  I didn't say anything I just looked at the officer and sort of pointed back in the direction of the pulled over cars and to the people/club members standing there . Well the officer just said  " Uh , drive carefully" I responded " thank you sir" and we then resumed our trip as all the people scrambled to get back into their cars. When we got to the Music Museum several of the members came up to talk to me and I said to all of them " that was a real Laurel & Hardy moment" A few looked at me with a some what puzzled look and said "how is that ?"  I just smiled and quoted what Oliver Hardy always stated " here's another fine mess you've gotten me into". It was a good day and now a fond memory .

[Licespray]

Here in a town of 10k people seem understanding that these cars for the most part aren’t fast.

[Matt Harwood]

The very first thing my father taught me when I was 13 and learning to drive was, "You don't owe the guy behind you anything." Unless he's willing to ram me, he's just going to have to put up with my pace. A few extra moments between now and wherever he's going will make no difference.

[JV Puleo]

It has been a long time since my last adventure - driving from Rhode Island to the far end of Long Island for the 70th Anniversary of the Vanderbilt Cup. That was about 120 miles each way on my 1910 REO. With the exception of the bridge over the Thames in New London, I used all back roads and if a line of cars piled up behind me I'd pull over and let them pass. On the way back the driveshaft broke...you'd think that would be a total disaster but broken down in New London in a 1910 car I had so much help from complete strangers that the broken drive shaft delayed me only about 1-1/2 hours. I'd equipped that car with a later, 1920s REO generator, so I could have real tail lights and distributor ignition. A friend had made a air of sealed beam headlights that fit the forks for the gas headlights. When it started to get dark, I just put the electric lights on and plugged them in to the harness we'd concocted. The trip took 3 days - one down, the day of the show and one back. I'd do it again in a heartbeat but even then it took planning and real maps...using a GPS is probably out of the question. I only went on the highway when it was completely unavoidable or traffic was very light, as in late Sunday evening in southern RI.

[John_S_in_Penna]

1 hour ago, cahartley said:

My little village of 500 in central Wisconsin is in a rural area so driving the old cars is barely an issue and having an abundance of back roads will get me anywhere I want to go and avoid mainstream traffic mostly.

The times I have to use a highway (ALL 2 lane around here except for one 4 lane) the only appendage I get is a thumbs up.......

Maybe folks around here are more appreciative simply seeing old cars out and about.

From salt free to salt season I drive one of them nearly every day weather permitting.

 

My situation is almost entirely the same.

Pennsylvania has many, many back roads where one

could drive 25 or 35 m.p.h. --and not impede the few

other vehicles.  The small roads tend to be circuitous

and not very direct, so it pays to map out a network of the

small roads beforehand if you plan to go somewhere.

 

In fact, so light is the traffic in some areas

that I've even stopped the car in the middle of the road

to take a scenic picture:

 

Edited June 1, 2019 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Robert G. Smits]

John, that is why touring in Lancaster County is so much fun

[Guest]

4 hours ago, mrcvs said:

Not to mention no one else realizes early cars have mechanical brakes and can't stop on a dime.

 

3 hours ago, keiser31 said:

My cars both have hydraulic brakes, originally, so stopping is not an issue except for the skinny tires.

Stopping ability has nothing to do with the method of energizing the brakes (mechanical or hydraulic).  The skinny tires and perhaps only two of them is the factor.  The square inches of rubber on the road is your braking.

My only concern on I-5 is downtown Seattle and downtown Portland.  Can't wait to try the new tunnel.  

I find many of the so called back roads are more problem than the interstates.  Lots of stops to get around either Seattle or Portland and many people are driving faster on the secondary roads than they used to.  At least on the interstates I can drive in the truck lane and can easily slip over to the shoulder when a truck wants to pass.

Happy touring to those who do.

[Jim Skelly]

3 hours ago, Locomobile said:

 

That isn't your imagination, it is getting worse. Many of the cities are strapped for cash and cutting back on their traffic patrols and these drivers know it. Seems like most places don't really patrol, they only respond when called. Around here, they drive terrible, blow right through red lights intentionally, tailgating, pulling out in front of people. Kids riding minibikes up and down the sidewalks keeping up with traffic. Just last week a gang of about 20 ATV 4 wheeler's took to the streets of Detroit and riding wheelstands through busy traffic etc. , the police did get that stopped "reportedly". Although they pulled up along side of one and tasered him, the guy on the ATV lost control, crashed and died, the police officer was fired and I think the family is suing the city... I just had one today some lady on her cellphone and she came around the corner and almost ran right in to me. I say it all the time, if I was a cop, I could write at least one ticket every time I go anywhere.

 

I'm getting my 01 Locomobile registered to drive on the street, but it isn't going to be driven around here. Escorted tours and out in the country only.

 

-Ron

Ron,

 

It IS crazy around here.  A few years ago, I left work to go to my folks' house in the Plymouth/Ann Arbor area.  I was going on westbound I-96 in Detroit, just west of Telegraph, and a motorcycle pulls up next to me in the next lane.  He turns his head around looking behind him (while going 70 M.P.H.).  He then pulled a wheelie for several miles, while there was rush hour traffic all around us.  He must had had it up to at least 90, dropped the front wheel once as he came up to real heavy traffic, almost rear-ending a vehicle, then resumed doing a wheelie for several more miles.  He even was switching lanes while doing the wheelies!  I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and I would be skeptical reading this, but it happened.  

[franklinman]

If you really want a traffic challenge try doing the London to Brighton run.  It's only a little over 60 miles from London down to Brighton, but it goes right through all of London traffic for almost the first half, and don't forget there's another 4-500 pre-1904 cars along for the ride too!  I have to say though that it was possibly the most fun I've had with my clothes on!

Great people, great scenery, unforgettable memories (I still can't forget being handed a glass of wine by a bystander, while driving our 1904 Cadillac through a roundabout, and right in front of a police officer at that!). We've never been treated better at any old car event.  It's not a cheap proposition, the exchange rate was $2.06 to the pound the year we went, but it's worth every penny if you ever get the chance to go.

[oldcarfudd]

I just bought a London-to-Brighton-eligible car that has done the run three times.  I'm too committed to go this year, but it's on my list for next year.  I'll be 84 then, so I'd better not wait too much longer!

[Locomobile]

15 minutes ago, Jim Skelly said:

Ron,

 

It IS crazy around here.  A few years ago, I left work to go to my folks' house in the Plymouth/Ann Arbor area.  I was going on westbound I-96 in Detroit, just west of Telegraph, and a motorcycle pulls up next to me in the next lane.  He turns his head around looking behind him (while going 70 M.P.H.).  He then pulled a wheelie for several miles, while there was rush hour traffic all around us.  He must had had it up to at least 90, dropped the front wheel once as he came up to real heavy traffic, almost rear-ending a vehicle, then resumed doing a wheelie for several more miles.  He even was switching lanes while doing the wheelies!  I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and I would be skeptical reading this, but it happened.  

 

Future Darwin award recipient right there. Oh I believe every word of it. It's real entertaining living around here.

 

I see all kinds of weird stuff on the road. One time I was driving back from Kentucky, and I was way down in Ohio, I came up behind this car down around Dayton with a Michigan plate and no lights on and it was pitch dark. So I pulled up alongside him and flashed my lights he just ignored me. So I figured he must be having vehicle trouble so I got in front of him and stayed there for like two hours, we;re traveling and he stayed right behind me. We get to Woodhaven just south of Detroit, he flips his lights on and blows past me ??? I never have figured that one out. Car trouble? Drunk? Stupid?

 

-Ron

[Locomobile]

18 minutes ago, oldcarfudd said:

I just bought a London-to-Brighton-eligible car that has done the run three times.  I'm too committed to go this year, but it's on my list for next year.  I'll be 84 then, so I'd better not wait too much longer!

 

Good for you, I hope you get to go, I would absolutely love to do that run. 

 

38 minutes ago, franklinman said:

If you really want a traffic challenge try doing the London to Brighton run.  It's only a little over 60 miles from London down to Brighton, but it goes right through all of London traffic for almost the first half, and don't forget there's another 4-500 pre-1904 cars along for the ride too!  I have to say though that it was possibly the most fun I've had with my clothes on!

Great people, great scenery, unforgettable memories (I still can't forget being handed a glass of wine by a bystander, while driving our 1904 Cadillac through a roundabout, and right in front of a police officer at that!). We've never been treated better at any old car event.  It's not a cheap proposition, the exchange rate was $2.06 to the pound the year we went, but it's worth every penny if you ever get the chance to go.

 

As ,mentioned above, I would love to do that tour. Assuming you're from the US, What are the logistics with doing that from the US? How did you ship your car and how much did it cost?

 

-Ron

[mrcvs]

47 minutes ago, oldcarfudd said:

I just bought a London-to-Brighton-eligible car that has done the run three times.  I'm too committed to go this year, but it's on my list for next year.  I'll be 84 then, so I'd better not wait too much longer!

What did you get?

[Jim Skelly]

2 hours ago, Locomobile said:

 

Future Darwin award recipient right there. Oh I believe every word of it. It's real entertaining living around here.

 

I see all kinds of weird stuff on the road. One time I was driving back from Kentucky, and I was way down in Ohio, I came up behind this car down around Dayton with a Michigan plate and no lights on and it was pitch dark. So I pulled up alongside him and flashed my lights he just ignored me. So I figured he must be having vehicle trouble so I got in front of him and stayed there for like two hours, we;re traveling and he stayed right behind me. We get to Woodhaven just south of Detroit, he flips his lights on and blows past me ??? I never have figured that one out. Car trouble? Drunk? Stupid?

 

-Ron

Yup, a Darwin award winner for sure.  I've seen many vehicles driving at night with no lights on and wonder if they are that clueless or treat it as a challenge.  It used to be that if you flashed your lights, the driver would realize that they needed to turn their lights on.  I used to wonder how many had just held up a liquor store, but there are just too many of them! 

[oldcarfudd]

1904 Curved Dash Oldsmobile. It's done the run three times with the prior owner and has VCC certification.  I've had it 6 weeks and run it about 150 miles.  It needed a new coil (the old one died on the BBC tour) and batteries and a bit of tweaking, but it chugs along quite contentedly at about 23 mph with plenty left for the many hills around here.  I drove it 37 miles yesterday to a Cars and Coffee, to the amusement of the Corvette, Jaguar and Ferrari owners, and then to an ice cream place.  Tiller steering sure is quick!

[TTR]

38 minutes ago, oldcarfudd said:

1904 Curved Dash Oldsmobile. It's done the run three times with the prior owner and has VCC certification.  I've had it 6 weeks and run it about 150 miles.  It needed a new coil (the old one died on the BBC tour) and batteries and a bit of tweaking, but it chugs along quite contentedly at about 23 mph with plenty left for the many hills around here.  I drove it 37 miles yesterday to a Cars and Coffee, to the amusement of the Corvette, Jaguar and Ferrari owners, and then to an ice cream place.  Tiller steering sure is quick!

My man !

Those distances and speeds sure sound very respectable, especially when considering car being a recent acquisition.

Would I be right to assume you’ve had previous experiences with pre-teen cars and perhaps even with this particular one.

While I’ve done some minor repairs on a 1902 Autocar and 1906 Holsman, I’ve yet to experience a drive or ride in anything that old, unless a late-19th century horse drawn carriage can be counted. 😉

 

Wife and I are just getting ready to spend this morning driving my Roadster to start getting her acclimated for our pending 3000+ mile vacation trip in few weeks.

[vintchry]

I know this is going to upset some people, but the scenario by Walt G is what is going to get us kicked off the highway. Tours should have written instructions, everyone participating should get them and people should be allowed to leave on their own and not have to follow anyone. If one and 2 cylinder car tours can do this why do others have a problem, especially with cell phones and GPS available? Have a trouble truck follow at a distance or later time. If someone has a mechanical failure, not everyone needs to pull off. A thumbs up for OK or repairable allows people to go on, a thumbs down indicates a trouble truck is needed. A little courtesy on our part will help. We may have a privilage to be on the road but it is becoming increasingly a possibility of legislation off the road. In the state of MD already it is regulated that if your car cannot exceed the posted speed limit by 5mph than it should not be on that road. Rob

[oldcarfudd]

I've been quite active in HCCA touring for several years.  I have a 1907 one-lung Cadillac (soon to be for sale); a 1914 Model T Ford; a 1912 Model 35 Buick (the entry-level Buick that year); and a 1911 10-horsepower Stanley steam car.  My only prior exposure to CDOs was 50 years ago, when a wonderful Minnesota collector named Norm Nielsen let me drive his.  I drive pre-1916 cars about 5,000 miles a year.

 

I mentioned going to a Cars and Coffee.  The one around here started out meeting at a French bakery, now long outgrown, and has always been called Cars and Croissants.  It's mostly modern expensive exotics.  I was asked to join because "we like anything interesting, and your cars are interesting".  I've told some of the guys that I'm sorry for them.  They spend tens of thousands - sometimes hundreds of thousands - of dollars for cars with performance they can't possibly use unless they go to a race track.  They can go from 0 to lose-your-license on almost any road in North America in 6 seconds or less.  I, on the other hand, use all of the performance my cars offer, every time I go out on the road.  The car and I have to work together and understand each other, or we don't get there.  Or back.

 

I don't have the mechanical smarts to do a progressive tour, where you might find your car at the side of the road and your trailer 700 miles behind you.  If I ever drive an early car across the country, it will be a well-sorted Model T, where most repairs are easy and infrequent and most parts are available in a day or two.  The guys I envy are the ones who make very long trips in Brand X brass-era cars, knowing they might have to do blacksmith repairs in a pinch.  And, of course, those guys' cars are so well fettled that repairs are seldom necessary.  But hub tours - going somewhere in the morning, coming back to the trailer for the night, and then going somewhere else the next day - are lots of fun.  And the HCCA all over North America, AACA Snappers in the east, the Model T clubs and the steam car guys have many tours like this for brass cars every year.

[oldcarfudd]

vintchry, right on!  When I got back into playing with cars after a 24-year layoff (don't ask!) I started with a Model A roadster.  Model As are wonderful cars, and you can go anywhere with one, even on an Interstate if you're careful.  And I did.  But I joined the two local Model A clubs, and found they only toured in a snake.  Nose to tail, like circus elephants.  Boring and dangerous, in my opinion.  I sold the Model A, got a brass car, and have never looked back.  But, once in a while, I miss the Model A!

[franklinman]

12 hours ago, Locomobile said:

 

Good for you, I hope you get to go, I would absolutely love to do that run. 

 

 

As ,mentioned above, I would love to do that tour. Assuming you're from the US, What are the logistics with doing that from the US? How did you ship your car and how much did it cost?

 

-Ron

Hi Ron, Yes, we're from the good ol' USA. The logistics for participating in the London to Brighton are a bit more involved than a simple tour here at home, but altogether not that terrible.  The expense is certainly greater.  We shipped our car in a container to a friend in Scotland and flew over a week ahead to allow us time to give it a final go over and do some test driving (after doing extensive mechanical maintenance here before we shipped it). We then trailered the car down to London.  There's a good bit to arrange but again it's not all that bad.  If you'd like to discuss the process in greater detail, shoot me a PM with a phone number and I'd be glad to talk to you about it.  Good luck, Bob

[franklinman]

12 hours ago, Locomobile said:

 

Good for you, I hope you get to go, I would absolutely love to do that run. 

 

 

As ,mentioned above, I would love to do that tour. Assuming you're from the US, What are the logistics with doing that from the US? How did you ship your car and how much did it cost?

 

-Ron

Hi Ron, Yes, we're from the good ol' USA. The logistics for participating in the London to Brighton are a bit more involved than a simple tour here at home, but altogether not that terrible.  The expense is certainly greater.  We shipped our car in a container to a friend in Scotland and flew over a week ahead to allow us time to give it a final go over and do some test driving (after doing extensive mechanical maintenance here before we shipped it). We then trailered the car down to London.  There's a good bit to arrange but again it's not all that bad.  If you'd like to discuss the process in greater detail, shoot me a PM with a phone number and I'd be glad to talk to you about it.  Good luck, Bob

[franklinman]

12 hours ago, Locomobile said:

 

Good for you, I hope you get to go, I would absolutely love to do that run. 

 

 

As ,mentioned above, I would love to do that tour. Assuming you're from the US, What are the logistics with doing that from the US? How did you ship your car and how much did it cost?

 

-Ron

Hi Ron, Yes, we're from the good ol' USA. The logistics for participating in the London to Brighton are a bit more involved than a simple tour here at home, but altogether not that terrible.  The expense is certainly greater.  We shipped our car in a container to a friend in Scotland and flew over a week ahead to allow us time to give it a final go over and do some test driving (after doing extensive mechanical maintenance here before we shipped it). We then trailered the car down to London.  There's a good bit to arrange but again it's not all that bad.  If you'd like to discuss the process in greater detail, shoot me a PM with a phone number and I'd be glad to talk to you about it.  Good luck, Bob

[Doug Novak]

When I travel to unknown areas in any of my cars new or old the first thing I do is program my GPS to avoid High Ways, Tole Roads and Dirt Roads, if possible. This puts me on the Back Roads and if I don't like a road I'll deviate to other roads headed in the general direction I need to be going to. The GPS will automatically adjust the route. Love back roads and plain travel  time per what the GPS says it will take.

 

Also when traveling, even in my new car I'm in no hurry usually but will do the posted speed. When some one comes up tailgating my bumper I turn my emergency FLASHERS on to back them off, and if that isn't enough to get them off my bumper I'll hang my arm and hand out indicating to them to slow down. If all else fails I'll just pull off the road and let them fly.

 

Makes for an enjoyable and relaxed trip.    

[60FlatTop]

My stuff is capable of high speeds and, even when I drive 60 to 65, it seems like other drivers think "Oh! There's an old car. I HAVE to get past it".  I hear those little 1.5 liter engines scream past and smell the exhaust like hair burning. That has to hurt their car.

 

I do have a habit of looking all around me to be aware of potential dangers. If I get someone riding my bumper it looks like a potential accident to me. If there is potential for an accident I figure I can minimize any damage by reducing the speed it might happen at. Yes, I slow down a little more. I am conscious that I am taking irretrievable seconds from their life and sometimes think it agitates them. Makes me smile like that actor from The Wishmaster movies.

 

Writing stuff like that after church on Sunday morning.........

[vermontboy]

1 hour ago, vintchry said:

 In the state of MD already it is regulated that if your car cannot exceed the posted speed limit by 5mph than it should not be on that road. Rob

 

Interesting - in the State of NY bicycles are considered to be vehicles and have as much right to use the roadway as an automobile. Smart riders don't abuse that right but some get downright nasty and seem to relish impeding traffic anyway they can.....really frustrating when you are driving on a two lane 55 mph road and come up on a bike (or group of riders) doing maybe 15 mph with oncoming traffic considerations.......

[John_Mereness]

18 hours ago, DB26 said:

Being in a suburb of Los Angeles, I’m stuck putting around my neighborhood streets and school zones. 

Friends swear that is the beauty of having an early car - LA is most suited to them. 

[Locomobile]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

Yes, I slow down a little more. I am conscious that I am taking irretrievable seconds from their life and sometimes think it agitates them.

 

As the great Red Green once stated about someone cutting him off on the expressway "Apparently, three seconds of that guys time is worth more than the rest of my life"

[JACK M]

A bit off topic but a true story.

This happened a couple of weeks ago.

A group of 'Tuners'  blocked hwy 84 east of Portland, its 4 or 5 lanes out there.

They blocked the freeway so that they could use the empty hwy for drifting.

Not sure how long it lasted but there was some news footage from a nearby home camera system.

Talk about cahonies.

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, JACK M said:

A group of 'Tuners'  blocked hwy 84 east of Portland, its 4 or 5 lanes out there.

 

Something made me take a Google satellite search of that area. Was the news story about the tuners or why they built a four or five lane highway?

[TTR]

We just got back from our little (+/-100 mile) “acclimation run” (for wife) and as always, it was more fun than barrel full of monkeys. What made it even better (for acclimation) was the weather conditions simulating what we’re expecting in Pacific Northwest, i.e. cloudy, drizzly with couple of brief showers and at times, wet roads. Great way to spend a morning in a 87 year old open car. 

 

Responding to some earlier comments. Some mentioned C & C and larger group tours, I don’t have interest to participate them in my cars and unless I’m invited as a judge or presenting another car on behalf of a client and wish to have a “front row” parking for mine, I rarely attend or register them to any car shows.

It’s not that I completely disapprove gatherings or shows, per se. I just personally enjoy and prefer spending my (limited) “vintage car”-time outside of working on them (full-time) for others, driving mine as much as possible while I still can. Besides, in past 40+ years, I’ve spent plenty of (enough ?) time attending variety of car events, large and small, and seen just about all kinds cars already.

 

I can understand anxieties & frustrations some may encounter with when driving very early (i.e. slower) cars among modern traffic.

Fortunately my PB with its “modernized” (65-70 year old) powertrain is more than capable of keeping up with (& often surpass) demands of current day traffic, but I still prefer driving it on back & side roads with less chances to encounter rather poor driving habits and skills so common these days.

Just few weeks ago, while “exercising” the Roadster on the SoCals (in)famous “Ortega Highway”, I found myself being intensely followed by some late model M-B Sports Sedan. After a while, when I came upon a secure way to let him pass by pulling over to a turn out, instead of passing, it too pulled over, indicating (to me) it wasn’t trying to get pass me. So, without wondering about it further, I quickly just got back on the road and continued my twisty road “exercises”, only to notice the same M-B following again, but now wih little more distance between us.

Well, few miles later, I came upon a larger overlook parking area, decided to pull out and noticed the M-B doing same. Turned out the driver was a younger man in his late-20s or early-30s who just wanted to come and shake my hand for driving skills and pleasure I had exhibited in front of him with such a cool and (to him) unusual looking car. He said he drives that road back-&-forth to work almost daily and claimed rarely seeing drivers in modern cars handling it to same level as I just had done.

Edited June 3, 2019 by TTR (see edit history)

[JACK M]

It was about the tuners blocking and taking over the freeway.

When approaching Portland from the east (at mile number 17) I think there is a defined place where you know you are at least close to city limits.

Lots of people live and work out there, maybe 10 to 15 miles out it gets pretty wide.

There is a split at MP 9,  either continue on 84 or go north or south on 205 its bottle neck from there lots of times as one gets closer in.

I do every thing that I can to avoid going into the city but when I have to I take the rush hours into account and use many long cuts.