Two or three days don't go by that I don't take my 1968 DeVille Convertible out for a 15 to 30 minute drive. I adore driving the car, it has 111,000 miles on it and burns no oil and runs strong and the Climate Control works perfectly. That said I never drive more than 20 miles from my house because today there are no mechanics anymore that I can find ( Other than my Friend who lives 20 minutes from me ) who can reliably work on my car beyond what I can do myself. My rear view mirror should say CAUTION, Beware of KIA's 3 inches from your rear bumper. I have taken to try and ignore looking behind as these modern drivers race up behind me and then sit on my ass. I am 70 now and not as daring or financially well off as I used to be.
I hear ya - I'm always driving my '56 with my head on a swivel and trying to take the same safety precautions a motorcyclist would.
The ones on your tail aren't as dangerous (for you or themselves) as the ones who cut in front of you with inches to spare and then slow down. One thing I use driving in traffic is a large wide-angle rear view mirror that gives close to 180 degree view of what's happening out there. Makes up for the puny mirrors and lack of a right hand mirror, and easily clips on/off for show/display situations. Not quite the same as the cameras on the new cars, but it certainly helps.
This afternoon, I got in the '91 Seville to drive down to the garage, and found I had no starter. Luckily, my grandkids were handy and pushed me down to the back 40. I have an appointment in town tomorrow morning, so I needed to get the '81 Seville out. So, I filled it up and found that the little white marker wasn't as accurate as the green #s in the later car I've been used to. It showed almost a quarter tank when I started and took about thirteen gallons to fill it up. At least there is not much left of the "old" gas. I still reach down for the shift lever on the console, and have to get used to the one on the steering column again.
I also found that the handicap card was not in the glove box, so I had a picture of the dash showing it and the # and hope no one complains about an unmarked car being parked in a handicapped spot.
Living in rural Maine, one challenge is "young men in pickups." No matter the speed limit or winter-degraded roads, they'll get way too close. A couple of these cowboys have signs, adjusted for rear view mirrors that say,
"Move Over." Taking these guys seriously requires one to find an appropriate shoulder and allow them to menace
someone else.
You may have noticed that bad guys tint the back windows. This provides anonymity so that other drivers don't know who and how many are in the car ahead. It causes them to pause and think before starting something with a potential gangsta crew.
I bring a different car home each week or so. I can go right to country roads where my only concern right now are deer. I stay away from main roads as those roads are full of idiots headed to the amusement park located here. I'm lucky.
Yes- can't blame it all on COVID! They run stop signs and red lights regularly. I never used my horn so much as these days! The more congested an area is (with a "plethora" of stop lights) the more aggressively people drive so they don't get stuck in redlight-a-rama. Having your "head on a swivel" as 56Fleetwood said sums it up pretty well.
Here in AZ we have THE WORST drivers I've ever seen. I've had multiple people cut me off at speeds of 60 plus. Not fun for old hydraulic brakes. I also get the gawkers who come inches from side swiping you too. Just this past weekend, while heading home on the 34 Harley I had someone with NO LIGHTS come screaming around a corner and nearly hit me. People unfortunately don't care. Its best to ensure your brakes are working properly, that you're driving defensively, and to make sure that Hagerty policy is up-to-date.
Yep, same here. Most of my driving is highway but the gawkers are bad- especially when I have the 55. I usually sit back in that one and actually do the speed limit (yes, in the right lane).
The 70 on the other hand is hard to drive slowly- It just loves to move.
I drive defensively in both cars.
They are insured, and I have AAA if they break. With that said I do avoid weather if possible, and when I worked in the office I would drive them on Fridays when traffic was lighter.
They are made to be driven which is one reason im ok with mine not being show cars (the other reason is money). But I'm not stupid about it. I put about 1k/year on each car, give or take.
However in July I got caught in pop-up rain showers in both cars-- That reminds me, I need to buy wiper blades.
Quote from: Jim Miller on August 05, 2025, 07:15:07 AMI bring a different car home each week or so. I can go right to country roads where my only concern right now are deer. I stay away from main roads as those roads are full of idiots headed to the amusement park located here. I'm lucky.
If you want moronic idiots, try having Disney world and associated theme parks, plus Cape Canaveral right down the street.
It's the ones that want to side shadow you taking pictures and video or the single drivers that almost always sideswipe you doing the camera crap.
We need another COVID to clear the roads and clean up the gene pool a little more.
Last Friday took our 42 ('bigger than a Chevy Suburban') to a smaller event held nearby in remembrance of a CLC member who passed several years ago.
A much older CLC member came within 3 or 4 inches from hitting another Packard with his Packard while leaving the event.
Just a few minutes later a 1947 convertible owner got too-close-for-comfort pulling out of his parking space.
Its not just the non-vintage drivers that get scary close.
Oh, I hear you!
Here in L.A. it's even worse. We don't have "rush hour"...we just have "rush". Bad traffic ALL the time, every day, all day long!
And the drivers here are atrocious! Most of their attention is directed to their cell phones and just texting away!
Plus our politics are such that we are paying higher taxes on gas, and registration fees and sales tax, and we are told that they need to keep raising fees and taxes to repair our roads. So we pay more and more...and yet the roads STILL don't get fixed and drivers are dodging potholes like crazy!
All of which leads to drivers being distracted. So I added the 3rd brake light in the hopes that those tailgaters will see my brake light (if they happen to look up from their phones) and/or directional signals or emergency flashers. Added the passenger door mirror too.
And I make sure my horns and lights work...and that I have my St Christopher medal around my neck!