The best drivers on the road...

I'm down in Southern California for a few days, working between Azusa and Anaheim. It goes without saying that the well-worn freeways of LA and Orange County are dirty, covered with debris, and congested with too many miserable cars and trucks. It's ... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

 

That Merc had a feature in R&C about 4-5 years ago. I'm sure he's on this board and his name should be in the article. I gotta finish reading....

 

Thank you. Cars are driven, modern vehicles are operated. Quite often operated with a high degree of negligence.
Saw a Ford commercial on TV the other day, and a satisfied customer was saying,"it's not like driving a car it's more like operating my computer."
Too many people are zipping up and the interstate today with zero driving skills. These folks are not hot rodders.

 

i have made the same observation about driving old cars. I think the ease with which modern cars are able to be driven is creating driver's who do not drive, they do not have to think about it or pay attention to it. They can be mindless about the task of driving. Thus all the distractions. Perhaps driver's ed classes should start with an older vehicle, no automatic trans, no power steering, etc.

 

Modern "user friendly" cars put more people behind the wheel that don't have the skills or aptitude to drive. Cars that park themselves, apply the brakes when they sense you're asleep. What happens when these systems malfunction?

All of my vehicles, old and modern, are manual trans because I like to "drive" and I believe in staying engaged in the process.

Isn't driving the single most dangerous thing most people are involved in?

 

I don't know him , but I see that Merc all over the place and it is beautiful . I always find myself paying attention to the bias plys trying to follow the grooves on the freeway and constantly checking my gauges among other things in addition to just driving in an old car .

 

Ditto on that Ford commercial. I couldn't believe they used that in an ad. Vehicles are supposed to be safer and major campaigns are being pushed by multiple actors (including manufacturers) to reduce distracted driving. Yet it seems like manufacturers are pushing things in the wrong direction. While they are promoting some safety technologies like blind spot warnings and emergency stop assist, much of the advertising dollars go toward technology of the distracting variety (email, text, internet apps). Likewise vehicles are moving all of the driver ancillary controls like HVAC and audio control into touch screens that demand the driver's visual attention. I can change the HVAC or radio volume on my base model pickup without looking. Try that with a touch screen. Some of the touchscreens require you to actually move through a series of menus to accomplish these tasks. God help you if the Prius driver behind you feels a bit nippy as you have to make an emergency stop.

 

I mentally prepare myself when driving my old cars...its like going into battle... against idiot drivers, the road, the weather and even the car!! its always nice to see a hotrod or a custom sticking out from all the blended in crap on SoCal freeway.. puts a smile on my face.

 

I agree with jackdarabbit, the new cars are dulling our senses and preparing us for the day when we will have no real control over our vehicles except get in, strap in, punch in destination and shut up. Not for me. I'll take the older stuff for as long as I am able.

 

This is why I feel to uncomfortable to do daily commute battle in a vintage car. I do work the odd Saturday & on those days I will usually drive something vintage.

 

The POSNIVE Merc belongs to a nice guy in Glendora. He built the car in his garage by himself.

It's KROQ not KROC

I drive the 210 every day, and what's strange is that on Sundays going westbound from about 4PM on....everyone is going 90 mph and there are no CHP's in sight. It only happens on late Sunday afternoons.

 

I always drive like I got 40 lbs. of contraband in the back of the car, and it keeps you on the straight and narrow. Good thread, I always felt old cars keeps you alert. Drive a swingaxle vw in the rain with no brakes and windshield wipers a few years and really hone your skills. You sure as hell won't ride nobody's ass after that.

 

Try leaving the panhard bar off the front, and it's it's even more fun!

...I gotta get to that somedamnday...

 

Yep, nothing replaces the synthesis of man, machine, road....

 

Jive-Bomber, I always enjoy your posts. Everything you said rings true except the part about other people noticing your vintage ride. Yes, you will always get the thumbs up from the few, the proud, the aware. It's always a surprise to me the number of oblivious that don't notice the '49,'50,'36,'40,'34,'64,'56 rolling piece of love driving at speed right next to them. And that's fine. Because ultimately we drive what we drive because we love driving what we drive. Most will never get it. Heck, even some our own children don't get it. But we do. And that is why.

 

Reminds me of going to work one day, (1992?) pulling a hill with my little 260 windsor, when a light blue chopped Merc with old lead work showing around the rear window blew past me in the fast lane going 80. License plate said "INTO IT". I was impressed, to say the least-

I also realized I need a bigger engine...

Only time I ever saw that car too-

 

amplify that with the NYC drivers, that walk/taxi/subway all week, then get their car out of a parking garage and come out to the "country" to terrorize our streets on weekends.

N

 

woman, by the way, are the best drivers...once their makeup is on.

 

I drove my 50 Ford and 66 GMC everyday for 5 years until the company said I needed a more business type car. I was always more worried about people hitting me trying to get a closer look than anything else. I did drive my 53 Henry J a bunch and once a girl in a Mustang tried to drag race me and I told her it's a flat 4 so we couldn't race and she hit a pole trying to get around to the other side. I love driving my old truck even if top speed is 70. If I am lucky to be going downhill with the wind to my rear. I had the Henry J 79 on the grapevine on the way to primer nats a few years ago. Driving old cars and truck well it's simplier no radio no ac the heat works both in the summer and winter But usally its just your feet are boiling. People forget how simple driving use to be when you paid attention to the road not the radio dvd paler GPS cell phone or texting. I own zero cars that came from the factory with a radio and I like them that way. When the company I work for would call me I wouldn't answer or would say I'll call you later I can't hear you. I like it because it gives you time to think when you are sitting in traffic and in Los Angeles we do sit in lots of traffic.

 

I'm sometimes amazed when I think back and realize that 50 years ago the average housewife knew how to drive a car with a three-on-the-tree standard trans, no power steering and no power brakes. People today generally are clueless.

I love actually and actively driving a car. Love my vintage cars and don't need the modern conveniences...I do need a cup holder though.

 

I can't help but agree 100% with what's already been posted here.

But, I don't just drive my car, I become part of it. Reading the gauges, listening to the engine and the road noise from the tires for hints that something may be wrong. Feeling how it handles through the steering wheel and the seat of my pants. It's how I learned to drive, and it's why I still enjoy driving today.

Even though I commute 4 hours and 200 miles a day.

.

 

Agreed. Wanna truely be "unplugged?" Get in the hot rod.

 

the technology in cars today flies in the face of Darwin. There are so many "safety" features on new cars that it is allowing the stupid people to live long enough to reproduce. Why is it that the stupid people seem to reproduce at the highest rate?

 

Sorry to see Ford promoting that concept. God help us all !
My rod has no:
heater
Air cond
radio
cup holder
power steering
power rakes

When I drive it, I gotta pay attention -- to the car, to the road, and to the other drivers. And I do.

And I love it !!

 

Thats exactly why I wouldnt buy one.

 

I remember seeing an interview with a Lotus engineer in the late 80's, when the engineer was asked why the Lotus (Esprit I think) did not have ABS or traction control like it's competitors the engineer answered with " our cars dont need gadgets, our cars need drivers!"

 

Damn jay, you have a way with words, you ought to write a blog...that is some concise, evocative storytelling with a great point. Made my day to think of it that way.

 

here here!!!

I am sooooo tired of people calling almost everything that results from negligence, "an accident".....THE most overused, and incoorect useage of that term. An accident is a brand new spindle failing, your wheel coming off, and you fly into the nearest solid thing...and even then, it's no accident, because it was either a failure in quality control at the manufacturer, or a poor design for the application, or on and on....

Americans speak of accidents as if that's what you call the result of you not paying attention to your shit....


pffffffftttttt!

 

Nice one Jay....driving old car's requires your attention...

 

"I didnt notice that I was ____________ behind the wheel ,but my new car did!" I have to agree. Most new cars are smarter than there drivers. Traction control,launch control,brake control, drive by wire,the list gets ever longer. Just speaking for myself,I find it a little creepy. Just because you CAN engineer all this stuff, doesen't mean you NEED to engineer all this stuff.