tips for driving late 30s cars?

[Joe Werner]

does anyone got any tips for driving lates 30s cars? when i drive my dads 37 chevy coupe my biggest problem is not really knowing where im at on the road. im sure im not the only one with this problem, if anyone has any tips for me it would help.

[DizzyDale]

Dear Joe,I think what you describe is the same as jumping in a motorhome and not knowing exactly where the sides of the vehicle are.All is CURED with some time behind the wheel.WHATEVER you do STAY off the interstate or you will be PUNTED over the guardrail.diz

[R W Burgess]

Joe, I'm assuming you do not know where "in the road" your Chevy is operating?

The easiest way is to have a friend ride with you and as you drive along you can point the center of the hood emblem in a certain segment of the highway. Then, have your rider friend look out the mirror or the right side of the car to find where in the road you are driving, whether close to the ditch or far away from it. Adjust from that point either left or right. That was probably the biggest reason thay had large hood ornaments in the early years of car production.

In my case, if cars approaching me are "sharply" turning to the ditch and giving me a one finger "wave", I figure I must be too far on "their" side of the road. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Just kidding!!

Wayne

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">does anyone got any tips for driving lates 30s cars? when i drive my dads 37 chevy coupe my biggest problem is not really knowing where im at on the road. im sure im not the only one with this problem, if anyone has any tips for me it would help. </div></div>

When taking Driver's Training in High School, in the winter/spring of 1960, using a '59 Chevy Biscayne sedan, the teacher gave out the best piece of advice, which I have found works well, to this day, driving cars of any age or era: Line up the centerline of the front of the hood, be it an ornament, or simply the crease that is almost always present there--any visual reference, between your eyes and the edge of the pavement, you will place the car almost perfectly centered in your lane.

Art

[1937hd45]

All of the above tips are good ones, but it sounds like dad needs to install a right rear view mirror on the passender side door. One of the main reasoins thay are there it to tell you were your car is sitting on the road.

[Aanderson44]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">All of the above tips are good ones, but it sounds like dad needs to install a right rear view mirror on the passender side door. One of the main reasoins thay are there it to tell you were your car is sitting on the road. </div></div>

I sure wouldn't rely on my right side mirror to tell me where I am with relationship to my driving lane! Actually, right side mirrors are as much a development of the era of 4-lane highways as anything else, as they are a great safety aid when merging into the outside (right hand side) lane from a center lane by aiding in eliminating that blind spot.

Art

[Aanderson44]

Joe,

Something more to keep in mind: Realize, if you haven't found it out already, that a '37 Chevy (or any other similar car of that era) no matter how well restored cosmetically and mechanically, has nearly the acceleration, braking or maneuverability of a modern, 21st Century car. So, that means planning ahead much more intently than perhaps you are used to--keep to the right hand lane whenever possible, be sure to allow a lot more room in front of you (hard to do with the rather discourteous people out there anymore!), and above all, drive very defensively.

But, all that said, it can be tremendous fun to drive those rural, secondary highways, even county roads that you may never have driven, or those that you have tended to ignore, and see country you've not seen before, at speeds which allow you to actually see what you are driving past and through.

Art

[olcarherb]

Sounds like a good general rule but I'd guess there are variations depending upon what you're driving. For instance...With a Porsche 911's sloping hood you'd probably be almost in the gutter, With most non Ford/ brass era or British (dominion) cars that are right hand drive you'd end up on the sidewalk with that rule!!!lol Although if you used the center line you'd probably be OK....though I guess you really don't need to in the case of a right hand drive car since you can look down out the side of the car (ie through the driver's side window IF THE CAR HAS WINDOWS that is). And in my first car, bought at the 1st ever Carlisle car show (Postwar '74), an original paint '57 Chevy 4 dr. hardtop, which I still own, there is no center line, just the twin "bullets". Also, to be technically correct, this rule depends upon the relationship between the driver's height (or at least the height from the seat of your pants to your eyes) and the height of that center point of the road. It is <span style="font-weight: bold">Very Different</span> for Yao Ming (7'6" basketball player) driving a Porsche versus the little old lady who looks through the steering wheel to drive!!!

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Art really hit the heart of the matter here...

When you're behind the wheel of an old car: '37 Chevy, '55 Buick, '14 Model T, etc. the VEHICLE defines your driving parameters in terms of visibility, steering, braking, acceration ( or lack there-of )...

You have to meet the car where IT is...

As for "knowing where you are", that comes with practice...stay away from more congested roads until you are comfortable with the car's "space".

I actually feel more comfortable about "knowing where I am" in my '41 De Soto sedan than I am in my wife's 2000 neue-Beetle: her car has TERRIBLE blind spots !!! (I now refer to it as "that thing from Wolfsburg"...)

Also, don't try to push that 216 "babbit-pounder" over 50 MPH...it won't like it !

Enjoy getting to know a pre-War time machine...great way to travel !

[Guest 1959olds]

Dear Joe, the scarriest part of driving these beast are the brakes! I totally agree with everyone else on keeping them rural. My favorite drive is US 40 near my home, 4 lanes and many small towns to go through. I hate driving our 2-lane highways because they are rather "hilly" and you start getting a stack of cars behind you in a hurry. The car I used to show was a 59 Olds that would clip along at any speed you desired. I still had people on my tail and I would be running 60-65. Must be something about people can't stand having a 130 mph "rice-burner" and following an old car? Plan you braking WELL in advance and go have a ball !!!

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Having the ability to experience both worlds, between my 305 HP /425 ft lb torque tire-smoking '60 Windsor and my '41 De Soto (which is non of the above), I would suggest that if you want to go fast and keep-up with the idiots who are pushing rice down the road well in excess of the posted limit (while "texting" or chatting on the cel-phone), then buy a fast car that handles like it's on rails.

Leave the old iron stock and consider the resultant driving experience "Time travel" to a different era (and frame of mind) of American culture...

This is my humble opinion...developed after driving pre-1950 cars and trucks for all of my driving life (22+ years)...(as well as newer stuff when the roads get sloppy in the winter).

Let the rest of the world fly on by...where do they think THEY'RE going ?

[rgshafto]

The hood ornament trick as always worked well for me on my '36 Pontiac coupe when it comes to being centered in the lane. I can only see the tip of the LH front fender and nothing out the back, so I learned early to never back up if I don't absolutely have too. I'm completely blind in the rear quarter as well - 3 window coupes look neat, but they are a visibility nightmare. I learned to drive on mine and it's a wonder I'm still here; had a lot of close calls early on.

The defensive driving advice is right on the money. I always assume the cars ahead of me will do something unexpected (stop quickly, pull out of a driveway, cross the center line, etc) and try to prepare myself for every eventually. But you also need worry about the cars behind you. I don't have turn signals, and few people know what hand signals mean anymore (except the digital one ), so I give people plenty of warning that I'm slowing down by pumping the brakes. I also pull over if I'm being tailgated. I've got halogen tail lamps to increase my visibility at night as well - those old tail lamps are very dim in comparison to a modern car.

You really need to DRIVE these old cars, which is a big part of the fun for me, not just pilot one. Nothing like an old pre-war car on a nice rural road on a beautiful summer or fall day. Have fun with yours.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Hee-hee...I used to do that to 'em with my '62 Falcon (190,000 miles)...

It encouraged them to pass me and get it over with !