Pluggers by Rick McKee for February 21, 2021

I’d trade that old beauty for a new one if it’s that tired out.

Might wanta get that looked at. Something’s not quite right. If the engine’s running OK, I’d suspect a slipping transmission.

For budget reasons I drove as long as the car would run without major repairs. An old Dodge of mine developed sticky lifters. “tap, tap, tap,…” I changed the oil very often, about every month, for fours months. Cured the tappet sound. Just needed an oil enema…..

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it ;-)

Unfortunately our government wants to imposes “green tax” on us ol’ cars.

i like the landau top…..

My old Volkswagen Thing used to top out at 55, even with the windshield folded down.

Some of us just want to get to our destination with the load intact, don’t care as much about how long it takes.

The "I think I can " also applies to a Plugger’s vehicle going up hill pulling a trailer

I remember the old commercials for the “muscle” cars: Zero to 60 in so many seconds. Volkswagen had billboards that said, “Zero to 60.. yes!” ;-)

In 1969, Subaru brought their 360 to the US. A road test by a popular magazine put it at 0-56 mph in 2 minutes and 51 seconds. 56 mph, because it wouldn’t go any faster.

When I was a kid, my father had a Studebaker Lark that drove like that.

Some of us pluggers have been willing to trade-in our beloved, cranky gas-guzzlers because we recognize the health and safety issues involved—especially those of us who have developed COPD or have friends and relatives who are living with (or who have died from) respiratory diseases and heart problems. It was amazing last June to read headlines about places in the world where children were seeing a blue sky for the first time in their lives and ironic that it took a pandemic (which halted factories and traffic) to allow this to occur. Also, the safety features in newer cars really are helpful for those of us whose reactions have slowed a bit.

Sure.. but it looks like he started at the bottom of a hill. When I was a kid you got bragging rights if you made it up to the speed limit on a stretch of road going into Nelson BC.

My 74 Chevy Vega, which I bought used, was like that. Anything more than a very gradual uphill climb required downshifting into second gear to make it up the hill (with fingers crossed).

Zero to sixty “eventually”

North of the Mason-Dixon line that car would be pulled the road for failure to pass the inspections and smog tests. South of that line and it would be used for an official’s limousine.

The problem was that it was for buying new cars only. People with rolling scrap heaps could improve their footprint by getting a much less abused used car and float every boat.

If the cAAr is about 40 years old, I would say it came “naturally”. There were plenty of cars here in the USA in the late 70s and early 80s that were like that. With a combination of increasing pollution/smog devices on the need to in increase the fuel economy, speeds and quickness went out the window.

I had a car like that – a 1960 Goggomobil coupe. In the 9 years I owned it, I don’t think it got to 60mph more than twice.

Good Jordan sparked cars get from 31 degrees north to 29 degrees north without a complete zero holding them back.

I have a Prius wagon. 0-20, if I want to, I can match pretty much anything off the line, thanks to the instant torque of EV mode. 21-40, get out the calendar. 41+, not too bad, though it’ll never be mistaken for a sports car, but that’s okay with me.

Nothing to do with cars, but I agree with sometimes buying, or keeping, something “older” over the “new” model. I’m currently planning to buy a lamp I saw in the second-hand store window. It’s probably at least 15 years old. But I am sick to death of the cheapie made-in-China junk lamps (I’ve had 3 in the last year and a half!) that are either worthless or dangerously hot. I have an old lamp already that works just dandy, and if the one I buy only lasts 3 years, I’m still ahead of the game!