I finally had to face it today whom many of us have become. Found that most of my time (on the net at least ) is now at places like the following: The Garage Journal, HAMB , Craigslist, eBay automotive and tool areas, NAPA, junkyards and local old guy hotrod get togethers. Under the hood of my pre 1976 vehicles, chainsaws, firewood and the list goes on. Is that what we have become ? Where did surfing, beer, pizza out of the parking lot go to? No one around me now can change a tire. A local tow truck driver likes to jerk people about. When he picks up a Tesla on the road, he asks the driver if they ran out of gas. That is a joke and the drivers don't even figure out the joke ? Dan still stuck in the 1960's .
There was a time when I would build a new hot rod every 3 years, had boundless energy and was quite social. Now I find myself glued to my computer chair...til my *** falls asleep.
I feel it's not a bad place to be. I like peaceful living. Young ones can have the drama. I do miss going out on Friday or Sat. nights and hanging out. Cruise in's aren't for me. Just not the same. Mostly people with cars they know nothing about or late model junk. They just sit with their cars. Mostly so people don't touch them or get to close. They don't care to meet new people or do something with their cars. Wouldn't consider racing or long distance driving. I enjoy what I have and the friends who get me.
I'm still a little 64 year old kid, so I get out and drive mine....and I seem to keep picking up new ones to play with, too. Looked at two more last week.
Right there with you Jim. Sold 3 and bought 2 in the past year or so. Born in 66 and going on 20. Drove nothing newer than 73 till I turned 32. Now at 59 going on 60 I only buy older cars. Had the pleasure of changing the fuel pump on the Nova in a parking lot yesterday. Drove it to town and besides having to stop to change the fuel pump I drove it home. Life is good.
I'm not saying that I or we are old, it's just, what happen to the rest of the world. Where did they all go to ?? When I was in high school it was " Hey WOW, you HAVE a car ?? Can you give us a ride to the what ever. The student parking lot at school like a mobile junk yard. And the kids loved them. Now people think of a car the same way most look at a toaster or what not. Just an appliance.
Once when you pulled up at the lights with a jalopy people around you would look, point, kids would wave (and get a wave or honk back), sometimes ask you through an open window "What year is your car, mate?', etc. Now when you stop at the lights everyone (sometimes even the knuckle head drivers) have got their heads stuck in their damn phones, you could be driving a Space shuttle and it wouldn't even register. I have found that over the years my friends have mostly come from the "old car/hot rod" scene, we still see each other at shows and swap meets, chew the fat and have a few beers at the pub (especially the ones with good off-street parking!) "Pointless cruising" was a thing when we were single, because, lets face it, it was for impressing girls that we would never meet! My mind is still building a car a year, but my bones are having trouble keeping up with my brain.
I worked a long time to get to the point that I no longer have to work. My wife and myself are still pretty good friends, we enjoy spending time together. We don't do much through the winter anymore, we spend a lot of time online and looking out the window thinking about how happy we are that we don't have to go outside into that weather unless we want to. My wife and I are pretty active with our church. We are enjoying life right now. We do stay pretty active through the warmer months. Its getting close to the time things start getting busy around here, busy for us anyway. Neither of us are sorry we stepped out of the rat race and into a time of being content. We don't need more stuff, and neither of us feel that we have anything to prove to anyone else. Its a great place to be.
The Jalopy Journal
