Does your car take good care of you?

[Matt Harwood]

And by "take good care of you" I don't mean kept you from getting killed in an accident, but rather doing something that ultimately prevented a greater problem.

 

I'm not one to anthropomorphize my cars--I don't name them or call them "she" or anything like that. Wait, scratch that, I do believe that they like to screw me over when I need them most, so maybe I do anthropomorphize them after all because I foolishly believe they respond to threats and violence. Whatever. My point is, on several occasions, I've had an old car do something to save my bacon rather than fry it and I find that extraordinary.

 

For example, on my drive to the Buick National Meet in Allentown, PA a few years ago, my 1941 Limited suffered a flat tire. We had a brand new tire and tube installed by Universal Tire in Hershey and made the meet without any problem. On the drive home, everything was going smoothly. It was warm, but not too warm, and the car was cruising happily at 60 MPH on the highway with no issues. Then a small stutter in the engine. Nothing big, nothing that made it stop running, but a little stumble that made me think maybe I should get off at the next exit and check things out. The moment we pulled into a gas station, that brand new tire let go. PSSSSSSHHHHHH!

 

 

It never hiccuped like that before or since. Coincidence? I honestly don't know...

 

More recently, Melanie and I were on a day tour with our newly acquired Porsche 356. The carburetors seemed a little grumpy and it was popping and backfiring more than it should, but it made the drive without incident. Not wanting to dive into a pair of complicated Solex carburetors with which I am completely unfamiliar, I took it to a local Porsche specialist (Steinel's here in Twinsburg, OH) who has serviced the car for decades. The just called me and said that they are completely amazed that I was able to drive it at all because the shift linkage had come apart inside the tunnel and the carburetors were in terrible shape. "How'd you even drive it here?" Andy asked. Well, we drove it almost 100 miles without incident other than a little backfiring on the overrun. We were even running down the highway at 70 MPH for a good portion of the return trip.

 

 

Melanie said, "Boy that little car really took good care of us!" which is what inspired this post. Even though it's been in my family for nearly 30 years, I don't really know the car and never spent any time with it, so I'm just now getting to know it. Was it trying to make a good impression? Is it in that cheerful little car's nature to take care of its occupants? I don't rightly know. But once again, it seemingly did something extraordinary to keep us from having a bad day.

 

Anyone else have experiences like this?

 

 

Edited May 9 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[Angelfish]

Growing up we had a 1979 Audi 5000.  In 20+ years of ownership it blew the head gasket 3 times (aluminum head, iron block), every time in the driveway.   First time it went we just rolled in from a 3000 mile road trip, it started blowing steam about a block from home.  Never left us stranded.

[Paul Dobbin]

None of my cars, except the 41 Ford have ever been vindictive.   I don't name them, but I do look after their needs and they

react in kind.    The 41 Ford was a problem both times that I owned it.    Because it was ugly and not likeable enough to be

restored, at least by me.  (That was in the 1970's)   It apparently had never been garage kept, and I didn't garage it either.   

It had an ailment that it shared with other Early Ford V8's, a weak ignition condenser & coil.   It would run perfectly while

parked and crap out when driving and getting hot.

I sold it, then bought it back 9 years later for half price.   A few ignitions later, I sold it again.   It never liked me!

Tommy's now in his mid 50's

Edited May 9 by Paul Dobbin
added picture (see edit history)

[ABear]

1 hour ago, Matt Harwood said:

And by "take good care of you" I don't mean kept you from getting killed in an accident, but rather doing something that ultimately prevented a greater problem.

Well our car tends to get rather stubborn and cranky at times, sometimes it just does a sit down strike and refuses to run. It has been well loved, well used and worn out, and handed down from my Great Grand Dad to my Grand Dad to my Dad and to me..

 

At times is is a curse, at times it can be a fun blessing, but just when you think you have finally won the battle of wills with it, it finds another way to spoil your fun with another unannounced sit down strike at the wrong time.

 

Often after unloading it from the trailer at a car cruise, driving it from the trailer to a nice spot a buddy has saved just for our cranky car it stages yet another temper tantrum and leaves us at a dead stop and refuses to start again no matter how many nice words of encouragement I give it to coax it back into running again..

 

Thankfully, at car cruises we have met a lot of nice car enthusiasts that never complained, made fun of us but have taken on the challenge to push us to our saved spot my buddy set aside for us.. Not many people can say that they now wear 100+ yr old grease which just doesn't come off in one wash of Dawn dish detergent alone.. But it keeps this up and pretty soon everyone in my county will have the "mark" of this stubborn beast to be proud of helping with..

 

Once settled into its reserved spot, I talk to anyone who takes an interest in our car, but all that time in the back of my mine sits that angst of resentment and irritation that yet another cruise has managed to spoil my mood and thinking to myself that getting it back to the trailer for yet another "Winch-O-Shame" (wonder if I can trademark that phrase?) moment most likely will be required.. But as we pack up to go, the stubborn mule of a vehicle now comes to life and we drive it not only back to the trailer but right onto the trailer as a final insult for the days events..

 

For your viewing pleasure, you can view one of it's temper tantrums that happened in my garage..

 

HERE

 

You can go to our website HERE for more info, links to our videos, facebook and Instagram pages courtesy of our Daughter..

 

 

[Gary_Ash]

Apparently, my 1965 Studebaker Commander Wagonaire has been treating me well.  But, on a recent 160 mile trip, I did notice that the tires seemed to have flat spots or belt separation that didn't go away when the tires warmed up.  They still have lots of tread but I went looking for the date codes.  Of course, with the whitewalls, the data codes were not on the exposed side of the tire so I had to crawl on my belly to get under the back end to see the date code:  3202.  That means the tires were made in week 32 of 2002.  I guess 22 years isn't too bad for a set of tires and never had a flat, but it is time for a new set.

 

Now the trick will be to find some P205/75R15 tires with narrow whitewalls.  I know I can order them from Coker, but I'm hoping a local tire shop where I usually do business can get some. 

 

 

My Wagonaire with model Jade posing during a photo shoot for a fashion retailer. 

[Paul Dobbin]

1 hour ago, Gary_Ash said:

Apparently, my 1965 Studebaker Commander Wagonaire has been treating me well.  But, on a recent 160 mile trip, I did notice that the tires seemed to have flat spots or belt separation that didn't go away when the tires warmed up.  They still have lots of tread but I went looking for the date codes.  Of course, with the whitewalls, the data codes were not on the exposed side of the tire so I had to crawl on my belly to get under the back end to see the date code:  3202.  That means the tires were made in week 32 of 2002.  I guess 22 years isn't too bad for a set of tires and never had a flat, but it is time for a new set.

 

Now the trick will be to find some P205/75R15 tires with narrow whitewalls.  I know I can order them from Coker, but I'm hoping a local tire shop where I usually do business can get some. 

 

 

My Wagonaire with model Jade posing during a photo shoot for a fashion retailer. 

    Walmart can order white walls that cost less than half what Collector car tires cost.

    I bought a set for my 1981 El Camino.   I love them an I would post a picture, if i can find one.

[rocketraider]

1 hour ago, Gary_Ash said:

 

 

My Wagonaire with model Jade posing during a photo shoot for a fashion retailer. 

Tossup between the Wagonaire and the GM Skywagons for coolest steel-body wagon ever!

[28 Chrysler]

In 1978 had this golden turd brown rusty 1966 Comet, it never had a name that I called it that I could post here.

This thing would get stuck in 1/4" of snow, the spark plugs may have been the originals and did not want to leave a nice warm home for the cold trash bin.

I sold it - - the cops called to tell me to move my car, I sold it - - the cops called to tell me to move my car,  after third time the cops called to tell me to move my car I ended up calling the local bone yard.

I never got stranded in this car and always got me were I was going but the others, not so much.

 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Clyde here has a perfect record for no stranding (actually our A tudor did as well) - first thing I added upon purchase was the $15 fuse assembly that sits on the starter.

 

He came back from a 25 mile run and drove into his stall no problem.  I was getting him ready for another run and discovered the fuse was blown.  Put another in and it blew immediately but was conducting long enough for me to see smoke.  Followed the burning smell to see tail light wires exposed and hitting frame and crappy float a motor mounts.  Glad this didn't happen either on the road or in his shed which if unattended and unprotected  would have likely resulted in a fire where both car and shed woukd have burned to the ground.   

 

So - I took care of the car earlier with the fuse and it returned the favor.  90% of my mechanical work on this one is done and yes replacing harness and returning to the stock motor mounts.

 

Every Model A owner needs this little fuse kit!!

Edited May 10 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

My Harley Roadking fits this category I suppose. I wont post pics as its only 21 years but I have ridden over a lot of the country and it has never let me down. Not the prettiest girl at the dance but she's always ready to go.

[Billy Kingsley]

My brother's Chevrolet Cobalt started shaking and stuttering in midtown Manhattan the Sunday before Christmas. It got us home...an hour and a half ride...and quit on the same street as the garage, although still needing to be rescued, we got home safe. 

It was a scary ride, it was having a lot of trouble the entire trip. 

[JACK M]

Since you asked,

One of my DDs is an 03 Dakota RT.

It gets terrible milage, Like ten on a good day.

Last night I wanted to take a drive to a higher elevation to get a look at the Northern Lights that they were talking about on the late news.

Not much gas in the pick up, the gizmo above the windshield (DTE) said 25 miles to empty.

Should be good, it cant be more than 7 or 8 miles up there.

The drive was a disaster, a thousand other people had the same idea and the road up to the park was jammed and there were people parked on both sides of the narrow road for about a mile, people walking to the park to get a view, cars jammed up in both directions.

This was about midnight, and I could see to the north fairly well but saw no signs of the phenomenon so decided that when I clear this mess I will head home but there was no turning around and the other road home was a bit farther of a drive.

I got kind of lost as every wide place in the road and every intersection had looky loos parked and I missed a turn.

I finally hooked up with one of the major roads and the sign said 12 mikes to town (over a mountain, six miles up and six miles down.

I hit the DTE and is said I had 5 miles left. I prayed for the top of the hill.

I drove very conservatively as I was sure that I was going to be walking so I needed to get to the top of the hill.

Still lots of traffic up there for one in the morning, so I had quite a parade behind me.

Yea, I made it to the top, DTE read ZERO and I had 6 miles to home, actually about eight miles as I live aways out of town.

I mostly coasted down the mountain and feathered the throttle big time when I got to the flats.

Still a couple of miles home. 

In my head I was estimating the walk home. That walk was getting shorter and shorter.

Boy was I happy when I turned onto my road, That walk would only be 1/4 mile.

I was even more happy when I pulled into the place with the needle well under the E.

I'd cheated the pickup out of roughly 8 miles. Now will it make the two miles to the closest gas station? 

I think I will put a gallon from the lawn mower can in it before I try that.

 

You can be sure that I patted the dash and thanked that pickup for getting me home.