Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[jamespowers]

I don't worry about locking the Plodge -- they wouldn't be able to figure out how to start it even if they thought they could get away with stealing it. Given the brainpower of our local pot-addled criminal element I doubt they could even figure out how to work the door handles.

:rofl: I dunno. The hippies here manage to drive anything no matter how dope addled they are.

 

[vitanola]

You just live in an anomoly or in a state of denial. Seeing that your violent crime (298.6 versus 222.7) is above the national average and your city has the highest crime index (283.9 versus 63.6 for Reading) in your area, I would lock everything there too.
Of course car theft was high back then. There were so few cars that criminals and jyoriders had little to choose from. The other side of that is that nearly all car thefts back then ended in recovery of the car--usually in one piece. Now if your car is stolen forgetaboutit.

I have lived in BAD neighborhoods (in the Roxbury district of Boston during the height of the crack epidemic) and know what a DANGEROUS neighborhood is like.

Note that our local constabulary strictly enforces the law, and this tends to inflate crime statistics. Brian, our police chief tells me that the violent crime statistics have been somewhat inflated due to domestic violence, which is an endemic problem. He reports two boys tusseling over a girl as an assault, the sort of thing which never sees paper in many other jurisdictions (namely Reading, which whilst it is larger than our village is practically bereft of a police force).

Now my new cottage over in Hillsdale may be a bit less secure, being on a less-travelled street across from the park. Hillsdale, being a larger city, also has a less prominent police presence. In addition, the cottage in Hillsdale is not the largest private home in the city, and is not so prominent.

AS far as cars are concerned, when I lived in Roxbury the Ford coupe ('27) sat on the street, and was left un-molested. For years. Back in the early 'eighties when I lived in Hells Kitchen for a season I had a little Maxwell runabout which I would store in the freight elevator of our building (an molding factory which had not yet been redeveloped), this machine, which had neither top, nor windshield, nor doors could park safely nearly anywhere in Manhattan, the only danger being young children who wanted to "play car", I did install a padlock on the hand-brake lever for just this reason.

 

[jamespowers]

I have lived in BAD neighborhoods (in the Roxbury district of Boston during the height of the crack epidemic) and know what a DANGEROUS neighborhood is like.

Note that our local constabulary strictly enforces the law, and this tends to inflate crime statistics. Brian, our police chief tells me that the violent crime statistics have been somewhat inflated due to domestic violence, which is an endemic problem. He reports two boys tusseling over a girl as an assault, the sort of thing which never sees paper in many other jurisdictions (namely Reading, which whilst it is larger than our village is practically bereft of a police force).

Now my new cottage over in Hillsdale may be a bit less secure, being on a less-travelled street across from the park. Hillsdale, being a larger city, also has a less prominent police presence. In addition, the cottage in Hillsdale is not the largest private home in the city, and is not so prominent.

AS far as cars are concerned, when I lived in Roxbury the Ford coupe ('27) sat on the street, and was left un-molested. For years. Back in the early 'eighties when I lived in Hells Kitchen for a season I had a little Maxwell runabout which I would store in the freight elevator of our building (an molding factory which had not yet been redeveloped), this machine, which had neither top, nor windshield, nor doors could park safely nearly anywhere in Manhattan, the only danger being young children who wanted to "play car", I did install a padlock on the hand-brake lever for just this reason.

I have never had a vehicle stolen from here either---I own 8. However, I lock them all when I am done driving them.

 

[jamespowers]

I wouldn't worry about Hillsdale as their crime rate is about half of Jonesville's.

 

[vitanola]

We are down to five, and after we finally move into the cottage I hope to get down to three. Too much STUFF!

I don't spend money on modern cars, though. For daily service we are still driving the Taurus that the Better Half purchased in (new)1991 (134,000 miles), and my trailer tow car, the Tahoe that I purchased (also new) in 1996 (406,000 miles). When I have the time I really need to get out to find a clean, low mileage, full-framed sedan which can tow. I suspect that my only alternatives will be wither a Lincoln Town Car or a Mercury Grand Marquis. I need something which can occasionally tow a 24 foot low-profile box trailer, or a small car trailer (Model T sized). Any suggestions?

 

[vitanola]

I wouldn't worry about Hillsdale as their crime rate is about half of Jonesville's.

Yes, but that is, I'm afraid, due to more lax enforcement.

The reported crime rate is about half of Jonesville's.

Unfortunately, I now see that a very efficient police department can result in an apparent increase in crime.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Gee, ya think?

I think that you may be living in the wrong place, Mr. Powers!

Everytime I'm in the city, the thugs are eyeing up my Cadillac car. I imagine they want to do something like this with it.

I keep my Toyota in such a state of mess inside that nobody'd bother to steal it. The punks rifle the glove compartment every few months looking for drugs, but they never do anything worse. Besides, who'd steal a fifteen year old Toyota anyway?

I don't worry about locking the Plodge -- they wouldn't be able to figure out how to start it even if they thought they could get away with stealing it. Given the brainpower of our local pot-addled criminal element I doubt they could even figure out how to work the door handles.

 

[vitanola]

my eyes! MY EYES!

If one is going to do a purple motor-car, this is the way to do it:

The 1907 Studebaker-Garford which formerly belonged to Bertha (Mrs. Potter) Palmer, of Chicago, which was finished in her favorite shade of heliotrope to match her evening gowns.

 

[jamespowers]

Gee, ya think?



Everytime I'm in the city, the thugs are eyeing up my Cadillac car. I imagine they want to do something like this with it.

Wow! You have a HUGE Aggravated Assault rate where you are. Geez, I guess you don't settle problems there with guns. lol lol Just hands and fists. The forcible rape stats are surprisingly high for a small community too.:eeek: Interesting.

They want to do the second one to yours.

That is another thing they didn't have in the 1920s. If you had your car stolen you could be sure you wouldn't get it back in such an adulterated state. :eeek::eusa_doh:

 

[jamespowers]

my eyes! MY EYES!

If one is going to do a purple motor-car, this is the way to do it:

The 1907 Studebaker-Garford which formerly belonged to Bertha (Mrs. Potter) Plamer, of Chicago, which was finished in her favorite shade of heliotrope to match her evening gowns.

I don't think that is actually purple but more of some nasty blue hybrid that some hood thought up while on some serious dope.:eeek:

Imagine how much it would cost to de-ghettoize that thing if it was returned to you.:eusa_doh:

 

[Dan Allen]

Wow! You have a HUGE Aggravated Assault rate where you are. Geez, I guess you don't settle problems there with guns. lol lol Just hands and fists. The forcible rape stats are surprisingly high for a small community too.:eeek: Interesting.

They want to do the second one to yours.

That is another thing they didn't have in the 1920s. If you had your car stolen you could be sure you wouldn't get it back in such an adulterated state. :eeek::eusa_doh:

It's absolutely amazing how expensive bad taste can be.

 

[jamespowers]

It's absolutely amazing how expensive bad taste can be.

Now THAT is a good tag/signature line to use.
It is indeed amazing how much they can charge you for stuff that will be gauche and make you look ridiculous.

 

[Dan Allen]

Now THAT is a good tag/signature line to use.
It is indeed amazing how much they can charge you for stuff that will be gauche and make you look ridiculous.

They ought to start a thread on bad taste in auto's. I've got a few pic's that are truly "inspiring" so to speak.

 

[jamespowers]

They ought to start a thread on bad taste in auto's. I've got a few pic's that are truly "inspiring" so to speak.

I bet. They have zsome really ugly ones out here on the street. My favorite are the ones with wheels and tires that are worth more than the car they are on.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That poor Caprice.

I bet. They have zsome really ugly ones out here on the street. My favorite are the ones with wheels and tires that are worth more than the car they are on.

It's all the damn bars' fault.

Wow! You have a HUGE Aggravated Assault rate where you are. Geez, I guess you don't settle problems there with guns. lol lol Just hands and fists. The forcible rape stats are surprisingly high for a small community too.:eeek: Interesting.

 

[jamespowers]

That poor Caprice.

I thought maybe you might want one.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I probably would have been interested in it when it was new, right around 1990 lol

I thought maybe you might want one.

 

[jamespowers]

I probably would have been interested in it when it was new, right around 1990 lol

Think of all the Smart cars you could run over with that.

 

[Stearmen]

If one is going to do a purple motor-car, this is the way to do it:

Here is a proper purple car!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

If I was buying a vehicle for that purpose, I'd go this route:

Think of all the Smart cars you could run over with that.