Topic: Out with the old? In with the new!

[-<WillyP>-]

 The other day, I was driving home and spotted a beautiful 1972 Chevelle SS a few cars ahead of me. It looked to be a complete restoration, shiny red paint with black stripes, brilliant chrome bumpers, and the rumble of a healthy big block. Brought back a lot of memories!

I've had a few muscle cars in my day... '63 Impala SS, '70 Camaro Hurst, '67 El Camino, etc...  All very fast cars, or so the man in the blue uniform says...

  But there was something else that caught my attention about this wonderful old piece of Americana on the road in front me the other day.

  The smell of the exhaust. Now, I don't think there was anything wrong with the car. It sounded great, there was no visible smoke coming from the tailpipe. But  the technology of the day meant carburetors, no electronic engine management system, only a crude “smog pump” which by today's standard did little to curb the toxic fumes spewing from the duel exhaust pipes.
  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not ranting against old cars or anything, they were awesome in their day, and I consider myself lucky to have experienced first hand the joy of driving such beasts. But beasts they were, brutal acceleration coupled with poor handling, lousy brakes, bone jarring suspensions, enormous appetites for high test... and no cup holders, either!
  I would hate to see them all disappear completely, but I am also glad I don't have to endure my commute to work everyday in one, either. Back in the day, when all we had were gas guzzling behemoths a walk down main street of any small city was a very unpleasant experience. We've come a long way since then, and I never thought I'd say this, but I am very glad we did!
  Now, I drive a small, four cylinder econo- box. It gets great gas mileage, and the exhaust is relatively clean. It has air conditioning and power steering. The radio plays Cd's, even has a jack for an mp3 player. All the lights work. It even has cup holders!
  I'm not quite ready to say "Out with the old", but I am glad to say "In with the new".
  We like to hold on to old things, they bring back fond memories. Our rose colored glasses allow us to view our memories as the perfect things we wish they were. I try not to think about the many quarts of oil that went into the old Camaro, or the day the transmission locked up. I overlook the fact that the Impala had a 327 that couldn't outrun a soccer mom in a minivan.
  And don't get me started on the hours I spent underneath that rusty old El Camino. But all the negative memories pale to the memories of being pushed force fully back into the seat when the go pedal was mashed to the floor. If only I could get that damn thing to start!

...WillyP...

[TechPro]

Mmmm.... memories....   


Very nice. 

[-<WillyP>-]

Well, my Camaro was actually dark blue, and had different wheels, The El Camino looked just like the one pictured, except for the primer on the rocker panels I replaced. My Impala looked like the one in the pic except mine had the original SS wheel covers, and a red interior. I never owned a '72 Chevelle but the one I saw looked like that pic.