Making Lemonade out of Lemons

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

An excellent post by Ryan Cochrane, Jalopy Journal owner. Although his focus is hot rods, his idea is certainly applicable to any car group. As soon as possible, weather permitting, I want to organize some type of run for the antiques here in Minnesota.

Ryan’s column:

 

“I came into this week thinking the rest of the world was going to be forced to live like me for a few days and just stay home. As things have progressed and the reality of Covid-19 has set in, it’s starting to look a lot more like people are gonna be grounded for a month or so… if we are lucky. More likely, this thing will leave us isolated for a few months or more.

Last night at the dinner table, Tardel and I were thinking… Man, wouldn’t this be the perfect time for a good old fashion reliability run? Gas is cheap, there’s no traffic, and technically you wouldn’t be breaking any CDC guidelines if you didn’t feature any social stops. I mean, I don’t think it would be socially irresponsible – would it? This isn’t rhetorical – I am honestly curious.

This literally could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to do a traditional hot rod reliability run through downtown Austin, Manhattan, Chicago, LA, Houston, etc… The visuals would be nothing short of spectacular. I dunno man… We could be on to something.

***

Regardless, it looks like we are all down and out for a pretty good spell and I thought it might be cool to have a group brainstorm session of sorts. What do you plan on doing with your hot rod/custom life for the next few months? How are you gonna enjoy this thing of ours while avoiding that other thing? What could we do together without being together?

With isolation comes opportunity… Opportunity that we are likely never to see again in our lifetime (if we are lucky). Why not make an effort to make some lemonade?”

[TTR]

54 minutes ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said:

An excellent post by Ryan Cochrane

 

“I came into this week thinking the rest of the world was going to be forced to live like me for a few days and just stay home. As things have progressed and the reality of Covid-19 has set in, it’s starting to look a lot more like people are gonna be grounded for a month or so… if we are lucky. More likely, this thing will leave us isolated for a few months or more.

Last night at the dinner table, Tardel and I were thinking… Man, wouldn’t this be the perfect time for a good old fashion reliability run? Gas is cheap, there’s no traffic, and technically you wouldn’t be breaking any CDC guidelines if you didn’t feature any social stops. I mean, I don’t think it would be socially irresponsible – would it? This isn’t rhetorical – I am honestly curious.

This literally could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to do a traditional hot rod reliability run through downtown Austin, Manhattan, Chicago, LA, Houston, etc… The visuals would be nothing short of spectacular. I dunno man… We could be on to something.

***

Yaaawwn.

 

[John_S_in_Penna]

1 hour ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said:

... wouldn’t this be the perfect time for a good old-fashion[ed] reliability run?  Gas is cheap, there’s no traffic...

 

I think that is a good idea.

 

I haven't noticed any decrease in traffic.

Of course, if you live in the countryside or

a small town, traffic is never a problem for 

the old cars.

 

 

[1937hd45]

Nothing wrong with proposing something positive and uplifting, Thank you Ryan! I think a lot of us will be looking back and reliving car events we participated in  years ago. Years ago when the cars we have were up and running. Bob 

[John_Mereness]

1 hour ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

I think that is a good idea.

 

I haven't noticed any decrease in traffic.

Of course, if you live in the countryside or

a small town, traffic is never a problem for 

the old cars.

 

 

Jokingly, everyone here in Cincinnati is talking about the Zombie Apocalypse and that traffic is lighter than it has been in 19 years on any day for any reason (it was only lighter during our curfew from rioting in 2001, and previous to that I am told the rioting of 1968)

Edited March 19, 2020 by John_Mereness (see edit history)

[3macboys]

I did get a chuckle yesterday when I was dropping off stuff at the post office.  Bit of a Back to the Future moment - a couple was sitting in their car eating their burgers outside the local A and W - only thing missing was the window tray. 

[Billy Kingsley]

My brother and I have been debating a driving photo tour of Manhattan in the next weekend or two. I've seen some photos of Times Square from this week and it's empty. Problem is that NYC is the #1 hub in the country for the virus and I've got two of the major risk factors. Not sure if I want to risk it, even with not planning to leave the car. Luckily, it's only an hour and a half south of me, so it is something we could do at pretty much any time. Manhattan traffic isn't as bad as I thought it would be, since we started going there in 2019...even the Sunday before Christmas wasn't horrible...about the same as a normal Saturday on Long Island, (or at least the three I've experienced)

[C Carl]

You will be OK if you stay in your car, Billy. But please don't try to balance risk/benefit. Not worth it for ANY elective non-essential behavior. Too much is unknown, and the Cardinal Rule for rare situations like this, is to assume the worst, and act accordingly. Take good care of yourself, my treasured forum friend. You are among the guys I admire the very most here. You guys who have to deal with physical/health problems, while being cheerful valued contributors here and elsewhere.    -   Cadillac Carl 

[Terry Bond]

Time for some manifold cooking too.

Terry

[padgett]

Just watch out for 18 wheelers. The max hours rule for semi drivers has been relaxed.

[wayne sheldon]

Califunny's governor has signed a lock-down at home except for essential services (which leaves a lot of open loopholes?) until further notice. For much of the past week here in our foothills town,  grocery stores are PACKED with customers, and nearly empty shelves. Otherwise the town has been as quiet as I have ever seen it. Even when our loony locals got hit with two feet of snow!  (I just don't understand how so many people can live their whole lives in a place that does get some snow almost every year, and never learn how to walk, let alone drive, in it???  I have seen two inches of snow shut down most of the town!)

[gossp]

17 hours ago, Terry Bond said:

Time for some manifold cooking too.

Terry

Many years ago my father made this the plan for a lunch on a car tour. A couple people did it, most were appalled at the proposition. He and I used to do it all the time.  

[Billy Kingsley]

Thank you Carl...I am really looking forward to this being in the past. I have places to go and photos to take, but a lot of the fun on driving tours is stopping and exploring things found along the way.

[Paul Dobbin]

Here in the Smoky Mountains we'll do a ride in the country as soon as we are allowed out.  Right now going to a local eatery is out of the question, but maybe Tennessee , Georgia or South Carolina will ease up ahead of North Carolina and we can do a muliti state ride with food again.  Then again a ride without dining out is a step forward, we'll take it when we can.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Paul Dobbin (see edit history)

[Robert G. Smits]

For those of you hiding behind the "only the elderly with pre existing conditions are at risk" a mother and her three siblings succumbed to Covid-19  after having a family dinner with an asymptomatic family member who had been exposed.  My ER physician daughter has two friends under 50 on ventilators right now.  I'm NOT driving anything anywhere but it is fun to think about it.