Dear modern car owner:
Everyone needs to drive an old automobile. You probably have a friend who has an old car and you don’t understand why they spend so much time and money on these old steel boxes. An old car has a past, a history, stories to tell. There are scratches and dents, tears in the seats maybe a cracked dash. Some around still have carburetors and a choke which transforms starting the car from a button push or a key turn into a short ritual that sometimes ends with a prayer. Warming the engine is required to run not just warm the cabin. Some old vehicles have reputations – some reliable others are high maintenance and moody. Many are given names like Hank the Tank or Rusty.
We drive old cars because its like having a conversation with an old timer or even a grandparent. It has its personality, quirks, history and scars of the past. But just like spending time with a seasoned citizen it is enriching and character building.
So when that friend is sitting in the garage with that old car or going on a drive – go with them. Learn about the start up ritual, ask what the buttons in the floor do, or see what a “3 on the tree” is all about. Enrich your life, slow down, learn the story and appreciate how spoiled the modern autos have made us.
Seek adventure and get busy living.
Sincerely,
Ben