Winter ride, old school

[Awca12a]

Woke up to 20-degree temps and the Del Rio hadn't been run in over a month.  Figured it needed a long drive so after 5 tries, she turns over running strong but high.  As I head out, it starts to snow and the engine temp wouldnt break 130 so there was no heat to test out my new heater core and box gaskets.  Fortunately, the wipers work perfectly after trying some advice here to soak the cable in breakfree lubricant.

The ride gets cold and I miss the defrosters; front and rear but the single speaker on the dash brings news as the reception rises and falls with the hills.   Road gets slick, cold and people are skidding, tailgating and being stupid.  Me and the '57 just enjoy the loud 8-cylinder, appreciate the new springs and enjoy the ride.   I felt totally alive as I drove the stick shift that was moved from the tree to the floor, calculated my stopping distance and the stupid around me and felt every bump and turn through the new shocks and alignment. 

The car is far from perfect and on the way home 10 hours later, I missed the windows with my breath and watched it freeze.  My forlorn headlights barely lit the road ahead as bright Xeon lights blinded me through the frost and let me read the tach despite the broken bulb.   Perhaps most fun was using the transmission down the 3/4 mile section of steep decline where the yellow truck emblazoned road sign urges caution. 

At no point did I feel out of control or afraid but I realized that this was a unique day.  My kids will just not understand how to drive this way, nor appreciate the discomfort as a happy reminder of when I had my first car in the snow.  Someday soon the car will be pretty and people will ooh and ahh at the car show about the unique 2door wagon with Moon eyes, big engine and period interior.   

But for me, driving a car that's alive and on the verge of being untameable while safe in contextual terms, gives me a bigger smile than the someday paint job ever will.

So to all you who understand what kind of day I had, go out and enjoy your imperfect car on imperfect roads before the car is too perfect to do that kind of thing.

[hiball3985]

Good for you, drive it like it is meant to be. I drive mine on an almost daily basis anywhere I want, I never worry about pretty or car shows. That's what brings me real enjoyment. I don't have to deal with the extreme cold, just extreme heat, luckily today was a pleasant 75. The short ride I took today dogging falling rocks in the canyon.

[junior58]

I know exactly where you're coming from, had a similar drive experience in October when travelling to Lake Taupo though unseasonably cold weather for the end of winter. Driving across the desert road through falling snow, wrapped in blankets to keep warm, gloves and hat on, electric wiper conversion working a treat. Bit draughty through the worn window seals, especially with no "B" pillar as its a 4 door hardtop. Non-halogen headlights struggling to peer through the snow, but the tail lights of the "B" train truck and trailer unit were nice and bright for me to follow as he blazed a trail through the snow. Made it safely to our destination and reflected on what a great trip it was, looked forward to the return journey 3 days later. My car will never be too pretty to drive in conditions like that, or any other time. In two weeks time we are due to set off on a mid summer trip to Muscle Car Madness in the South Island, approx 700 miles each way, where the only way to turn on the air conditioning is wind all 4 windows down, pull the vent knobs and cruise.

[RICH MUISE]

Both those stories put a smile on my face. Before I tore my car apart, I used it as a daily driver for over a year in the  foothills and mountains of Colorado. Almost nightly I took that old heap up the pass to Cripple Creek..summer, and winter. Plugs were always fowling because of so many oil leaks..100 miles to the quart, but it never left me stranded, and in the winter studded snow tires were enough to get me up and down the mountains...although not always in a straight line. I really miss that year. I know my car will never be the same..no oil spewing 6 banger with 3 on the tree, no sans radio (had one...didn't work, didn't care), hopefully no stopping in the middle of the night to throw some oil in an almost empty oil pan. Won't have as many rattles and cold air blowing up thru the holes in the floorboards, and probably won't be as much fun either.
At times I regret going overboard with my car...NAH, not really, but I do think I'll have another as a daily that I won't have to worry about.

[djfordmanjack]

guys, those stories are just great ! this year will be my 20th anniversary in having owned and driven only cars older than 1967. Waxing them up good against the salt in winter of course. a good winter drive feels better that many summer cruises. it takes you and the car where most won't dare to go, what a joy.
Even a fully restored car might be taken on such a trip, because first: a few tiny paint chips won't ruin the whole job
second:after we're gone, somebody else will most probably ruin the car anyways
third: the cars were also expensive when new, but they still used them and wore them out, because they are cars.
I will just put a driver paint job on my Del Rio this summer and I sure will drive it in winter too (but not frequently) I have a second good used set of bumpers for that, so not to ruin the fresh chrome in the salt
I had just been talking this with Jay.
forum off topic but these are my daily winter drivers.

[djfordmanjack]

and here's one for all of us '57 winter drivers