During my time working in the yard, we had probably hundreds of cars come through that weren’t immediately deemed worthless. Most of the time I was all about bringing them back to life, even though in the end what I wanted didn’t mean squat. So it was so long and farewell to the Malibu two-door that I begged for, the Malibu four-door simply because it was a four-door, the green Dodge Aspen coupe that was showroom-floor perfect, and so on and so forth. But one vehicle defied any reason for remaining in my eyes, and kept coming back like a rash: a 1967 Jeep J20.
I normally have no issue with FSJs of any kind. M715s are badass. Jeep trucks are badass. But this thing…this primer gray, ugly as a man’s ass rig…working on it might have been more irritating than playing Operation with a pair of channel lock pliers. It had been 302-swapped, everything felt like it was cast-iron and would not unbolt short of divine intervention, and it had more electrical problems than Nikola Tesla’s next-door neighbors. I might have seen it drive further than the front yard three times ever. Everything about it was brutalist…not spartan, but straight up painful. A seat made of plywood would’ve had more cushion.
I’ve said it before: I start losing interest in vehicles once you go older than the 1950s. I get why automobiles of that time period have a draw, I understand their place in history fine. I just wouldn’t want to deal with one. Yes, a lot of it has to do with the fact that I’m significantly bigger than a circa 1948 human being would be on the average. But is that all? I’ve got to be honest…no, it’s not. There is a point where it feels like you’ve regressed back into the proper “horseless carraige” days, and the feeling isn’t museum-esque, but instead doesn’t seem right. I don’t know where I exactly draw the line. I never drove the 1950 Chevrolet, and the oldest vehicle I’ve driven was a resto-modded 1957 Chevrolet wagon. Do you have a point where it just seems like the rig is too old? I know people who won’t ride in cars that don’t have airbags in them, and I know people who are good up until you get to the Model T and it’s very unconventional operating procedures. Where’s your line?
Getting a stock Model A Ford running after setting a few years. Had to stop and think. Spark. Fuel. Air. Did drive it though!
No line, if it has a motor I’m in. Does not matter if it is gas, diesel, electric, steam, etc.
I never really thought about it, but now that I have I realize that the oldest car I’ve ever driven was a 1959 Chevrolet and that was in 1970, so it didn’t seem old at the time.
That’s not to say I’ve never driven a car older than 11 years, I certainly have, most of my daily drivers have been at least that old, but I’ve never driven nor worked on a car older than me.
I did once ride a 1952 H-D Panhead (Lucille) that was a pos and nearly killed me, much to the amusement of it’s owner who rode it relentlessly and couldn’t understand my chagrin over the lack of something as mundane as working brakes. When in doubt ask, never assume.
70’s Van Craze creations
Back in the mid70’s my buddy’s dad had an International Scout that they used for hunting. I swear the technology of that thing was straight out of the 1940’s. It felt more like a mail truck than a real car. We were out bogging it in the hills one night (yes after a little too much to drink) and not 5 minutes after my buddy swore that “nothing can stop this thing” he high centered it on a big rock and knocked a hole in the oil pan. We had to hike several miles back to a road, catch a ride to the nearest phone booth (no cell phones back then!) and call his dad. Fortunately I was not around when my friend had to face his old man.