Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

I think I'm a dying breed


mnwildpunk

Recommended Posts

I think it's funny how many people today have never driven a clutch! Most of us just take it for granted that everyone can.

But some of the comments in this thread could be from any era regarding progress. I'm sure there was a group of old guys in the 1960s snickering that the mechanics then couldn't fix a Model T.

Speaking of clutches...

When I bought my new car last year, I wanted a manual. They had one on the lot. I bought it. When I go back now and look around, there are zero manuals on the lot - 60-100 cars and not one is a manual. I just think it's a lot more fun driving a stick. People don't want them now becuase it's too hard to drink coffee, text, SHIFT, and drive at the same time...

I used to work on cars in my spare time. Every now and then I think about it again, then I watch a TV show that shows rusted off, broken bolts and I change my mind :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But some of the comments in this thread could be from any era regarding progress. I'm sure there was a group of old guys in the 1960s snickering that the mechanics then couldn't fix a Model T.

Thing is, a competent mechanic who actually UNDERSTANDS his craft can fix anything...if he has access to the specs. I was lucky to have apprenticed under a mechanic who worked on model Ts in his youth, and he was still a wizard in the 1970s. He was responsible for teaching me that they ALL run on the same basic principles, and if you understand those, you can fix 'em all. He was entirely correct.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of clutches...

When I bought my new car last year, I wanted a manual. They had one on the lot. I bought it. When I go back now and look around, there are zero manuals on the lot - 60-100 cars and not one is a manual. I just think it's a lot more fun driving a stick. People don't want them now becuase it's too hard to drink coffee, text, SHIFT, and drive at the same time...

Even as far back as 1991 when I was out shopping for a Geo Tracker GSI model (the higher level model) I couldn't find one with a clutch. It took me months to find a GSI 4x4 convertible with a clutch, in an acceptable color, that the dealer would actually deal on.

I love tooling around in my Tracker with the clutch. Yup, still have it.

The only downside was the 8 years I had to commute to work on the Garden State Parkway. Think of it as a 2 hour slog of stop and go traffic each way. I had to stop driving the Tracker to work because my hip was hurting due to all that clutching.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Danno,

At what point in AZ here do you get to skip the emissions because it is a classic or antique?

At this point Dan could get Antique status on the Malibu, and Himself LOL.That is 25 years from manufactured year, you still need to keep the emissions equipment working, and original though. The only option to Avoid the Emission test Legally in Maricopa county is to get the Insurance company to list the vehicle as Receational use only. This allows you to modify/alter emissions devices to the vehicle, but strictly limits your use, allowing only 4000 miles per year.

Mark, Vehicles prior to1966 is the cutoff for emissions in the State of Arizona. Vehicles after 1975 are required to have functioning emissions system to be considerd legal for use in the county containment area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doesn't this vary by county in Az., or is it statewide?

Bill the two counties in Arizona doing an Emission testing program are Maricopa,which is the metro Phoenix areas, and Pima, which is the Tucson area. It is based on the population, and region. By using guidelines from the Federal Government.

Many people who own land outside of the county, or knows a relative/ friend outside of the county. Have in the past used those addresses to circumvent the law, when there is an issue with passing an Emission test. The State issues a registration tag that is different in color, for that reason, Owners who drive into the Containment area with one of those vehicles can be ticketed for that offense.

Edited by my80malibu
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bill the two counties in Arizona doing an Emission testing program are Maricopa,which is the metro Phoenix areas, and Pima, which is the Tucson area. It is based on the population, and region. By using guidelines from the Federal Government.

Many people who own land outside of the county, or knows a relative/ friend outside of the county. Have in the past used those addresses to circumvent the law, when there is an issue with passing an Emission test. The State issues a registration tag that is different in color, for that reason, Owners who drive into the Containment area with one of those vehicles can be ticketed for that offense.

So, to clarify...

Rancher Brown lives in East West Overshoe in Gnat-bite County and drives his '77 Chevy pickup (his only vehicle) to Phoenix for the day to do some shopping and remind himself of what other people look like. The truck is registered at his ranch, where it should be.

That simple act of providing your own transportation would result in getting ticketed for driving a legally-registered, insured (if Arizona requires it?), inspected and approved vehicle will create a fine for you??

Sounds ever so slightly un-American, not to mention a gross restriction of all kinds of freedoms, etc. And plain stupid.

With that kind of behavior, I was considering Arizona for "someday," or perhaps to buy some property to escape the winter here.

Not with the government behaving like that.

Charlie Larkin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic has made me think of a lot of things, good and bad.

One of the things is this picture

img019_zpsbe7bb931.jpg

I was born in 1963, my Dad had this '35 Ford before I was born and was one that he never sold.

He wanted this picture of his 1935 Ford with his new at the time 1985 Ford Tempo-to show the difference over 50 years.

Now that picture is 28 years old. :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i donno, i am 24 and very much appreciate the old cars and technology, i look at it as a bigger variety to my choices, i mean all these kids i consider my peers know nothing better than their leased altimas maximas and accords, or in some cases bmw 5 series but i dont know many rich ppl! Its all about knowing it all and how it was and what from then reflects on the parts now. Also speaking about auto parts business, as long as you stay away from Autozone ( which honestly needs to be destroyed! horrible company!) you should be good. I worked in autozone as a delivery driver september and october, and i had to quit. They treat customers like utter garbage, often sneaking in some sort of grease packets into their purchase without them asking for it! i mean what the! They focus a lot more on you tugging in your shirt or the way your name tag hangs or the color of your socks than the real stuff like helping people with cars, talking about various car parts and things of this matter. The commercial manager who was dispatching my devilries, was a total tool. I mean the guy sat all day in that desk waiting on calls and just buried in his cell phone if no calls were coming. He often made me do awful tasks such as cleaning bathrooms or buying the management lunch or drinks. I used to design and build people outdoor kitchens and grills at home depot, and now this? I still suffered through it and just did my job but then i got into a literal fight with the commercial manager when i called him a lazy sob for sitting at desk all day and telling me i don't make deliveries on time when i met each quota by 15-10 minutes before. Total idiot. He proceeded to threaten me that he will find where i live and his boys are going to wreck my car and spray paint my apt door... that was it for me. I called Autozones regional managers, HR's and even got to speak to bill rhodes. All of them 0 help and totally corporate brain washed. DO NOT BUY FROM AUTOZONE!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

honestly it was mostly the fact that they paid 8.75$ an hour in new york city and there was barely any work to begin with. You cannot survive here for 980$ dollars a month, that's just a laughing joke. I am sure people will tell me how hard they worked with lower wages and such in other places but trust me, you cant do anything here for 980$ a month! Got myself an interview at Columbia University for their groundskeeper job which is like 17/hr plus benefits and full time right away, unlike these corporate giants who will make u work part time 40 hours just to not give you benefits or full holiday pay. My rent alone here is 1050$ for a one BR apartment in Bensonhurst Brooklyn, is rather low since most people pay 1500+ these days so i got lucky. You could get something cheaper here but it will be in a location such as crown heights or bushwick.

Also i am sure more autozone horror stories around here, i am quite sure that company is probably more appreciated in the south or mid west but i prefer napa or pepboys all the way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure all companies have issues. But sometimes just changing jobs is for the best. Been there and done that. Autozone has a pledge and code all employees are expected to follow and this is reinforced from the first day of training on. And that's from the lowely red shirt partimer to the ceo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To Clarify,

Rancher Brown is free to drive around the State of Arizona all he wants. His truck is legally registered in Gnat-bite County, However if he decides to take residence in Maricopa County or Pima with his 1977 chevy pickup, He then must register it in Maricopa County or Pima and have it pass an Emission test. Once again it has to do with population, and region, in Phoenix we live in a Bowl, aka the Valley of the Sun. We have a huge problem with pollution, especially during the winter months.

Like Mike says, if he was stopped here in Maricopa for some reason the officer most likely would not ticket, if his residence is outside of the containment area because Rancher Brown is just a visitor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rancher Brown is free to drive around the State of Arizona all he wants. His truck is legally registered in Gnat-bite County, However if he decides to take residence in Maricopa County or Pima with his 1977 chevy pickup, He then must register it in Maricopa County or Pima and have it pass an Emission test.

I dunno but dumb local laws just drive me nutz! It seems for something as important as vehicle emissions there should be one federal standard that applies to everyone. There's only one ozone layer!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The biannual emissions test for registration here is not a big deal...I'm usually in and out in 15 minutes when I get it done...I've gone on Tues or Wed around 5pm in the middle of the month before...end of the month and Saturdays is when the testing stations get busy, I've heard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dunno but dumb local laws just drive me nutz! It seems for something as important as vehicle emissions there should be one federal standard that applies to everyone. There's only one ozone layer!

I dunno if the air is clean in your County. Do you want to pay for someone else's dirty air problem. Most likely not. The Majority of people in Arizona seem to be Retirees, who dont want or can't to pay for anything.I dont want to get in to the Root Politics of the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dunno but dumb local laws just drive me nutz! It seems for something as important as vehicle emissions there should be one federal standard that applies to everyone. There's only one ozone layer!

I have to heartily (and respectfully) disagree. Why should a guy, like me maybe, have to keep a vintage vehicle that's HARDLY EVER DRIVEN, contributes almost nothing measurable to environmental pollution (and is located in an area where there IS NO measurable pollution because of weather patterns and low population density) as clean as a late-model vehicle that's driven constantly, spends probably the majority of its time idling in traffic jams or the lazy-line in front of the fast food emporiums (WASTING the majority of the irreplaceable fossil-fuel it burns) and spews many many more times the volume of effluent into the environment?

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to heartily (and respectfully) disagree. Why should a guy, like me maybe, have to keep a vintage vehicle that's HARDLY EVER DRIVEN, contributes almost nothing measurable to environmental pollution (and is located in an area where there IS NO measurable pollution because of weather patterns and low population density) as clean as a late-model vehicle that's driven constantly, spends probably the majority of its time idling in traffic jams or the lazy-line in front of the fast food emporiums (WASTING the majority of the irreplaceable fossil-fuel it burns) and spews many many more times the volume of effluent into the environment?

Bill you are reading things into my statement. Vintage vehicles are generally exempt from current state inspections and emissions because of the very reasons you state. Older cars used as transportation are tested to make sure they are performing to the standards they were built to, and not to be as clean as a late model car. They can't be by their design.

It doesn't matter if your vehicle is polluting your county, it's much bigger than that. All pollution goes upward and becomes a smog slick up in the atmosphere. So each vehicle counts. I do agree with your comment on idling vehicles and those in traffic. Cities that are specifically smoggy have started programs to turn their taxi fleets over to hybrid, and eventually electric. Big issues are the emerging vehicle markets in China and India where emissions laws are lax or non-existent. Again, the emissions from these vehicles will eventually choke us all.

I was at a facility management industry meeting at PJM Interconnection in Valley Forge, PA last evening. They are the company that manages the power grid on the eastern half of the USA and Canada. The management of the grid is absolutely fascinating. But the big thing was a Mini Cooper in their lobby. It's an electric vehicle concept that they are working on. Where the issue with electric cars is the range due to battery technology, the cars they're working with pulls it's electricity from the grid, and sends back surplus stored electricity from the car's batteries. They are not far from having a totally electric unlimited range vehicle. Very cool indeed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I the cars they're working with pulls it's electricity from the grid, and sends back surplus stored electricity from the car's batteries. They are not far from having a totally electric unlimited range vehicle. Very cool indeed.

Indeed. I'd like to learn more about getting power directly from the grid, I assume, during operation. Nicola Tesla had supposedly developed technology making it possible to "broadcast" electrical power sufficient to do actual work (as opposed to weak broadcast energy streams like radio).

I have a 1955 copy of Motor Trend that has an article about an early hybrid (yes, 1955), the builders of which also claim to have broadcast energy technology...and it was to be the next step after the hybrid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...