Time for a deep clean...

[lloyd3]

Nice and cool here yesterday so I took my car out for a toot. First time in a long while. Went over to visit a friend who's a retired airline pilot (he aged out at 65 and is now struggling to adapt). He's a car guy too, but his stuff is all either new or nearly perfect (one marriage, no kids, ever). I got a chance to sit and visit while he and some of his neighbors went over the car. Comparing a 53-year old muscle car to a brand new Toyota Landcruiser and a little Beemer sedan isn't entirely realistic, but it does provide a rather stark example of the differences. I've not done much of a cleanup on this car for some time, just a spray of water once in a while and a wipe-down with a damp cloth. If you're careful about where and when you drive them, this can take you a long way but... there is a limit, however, and I seem to have found it.  In this nice, safe little neighborhood, with perfectly manicured lawns and all new or newer cars, my '68 Charger stood out like a sore thumb.  At least it felt that way for me. All I could see was the dust and dirt and smudges everywhere. Under the hood looks even more grim, with bugs and crud everywhere. Most of my free time recently (for the last 2-years or so) has been devoted to helping my son get his old Dart on the road so it's not hard to figure out how the car & I got here.

At this point, I think lots of folks just quit. Something new and shiny seems to be in order and the "old" car gets a minimal do-over and is then sent on down the road. After 26-years of keeping this relic in respectable form I could surely be justified in doing just that. But...it's not likely to happen. I need to dig out my cleaning supplies (& wallet), roll up my sleeves, and go to work on it. The hard part is fitting it in between all the other chores that need doing.  This used to be easier, not sure what happened there.

[Kern Dog]

I love the old cars. The styling is unique and each glance at them is a step back in time for me. Yeah, it takes time to keep them clean but I'm okay with that.   

[Lennard]

New cars don't have class.

[lloyd3]

Lennard: So true, but they do have lots of things that make them a bit easier to live with in heavy traffic. My car got lots of positive attention in this "Stepford Wives" neighborhood because our Chargers are effectively rolling art that you just don't commonly see anymore, but as a practical matter the drive over there (& back) was a bit of a  challenge. All of our roads here along the Front Range are constantly busy anymore, with lots of stop and go. I almost never take it towards civilization anymore, always away from it, and that's getting harder to do.  I'm struggling with two things here now, crowded highways and unwanted attention. The legal term for it is "an attractive nuisance", much like a swimming pool that needs a fence, the car gets gawked at in traffic and then dumb things can happen.  This is all made worse in 4 lanes of combat driving. My brakes are still stock drums and that is always a concern as well. It stops fine, but almost all the other cars on the road now can stop way better.  Not so-much an issue in rural areas, but in town now...it is.  I know I'm preaching to the choir here, so sorry for the rant. I'm guessing traffic is getting worse just about everywhere anymore.

[Lennard]

I understand what you're saying Lloyd.  Newer cars are on a higher performance and comfort level. That's the reason why my Charger now has a Hellcat drive train, disc brakes, new a/c, etc. Built for another 50 years of fun.