'merica....

[AJMD429]

Pretty cool weekend. Able to travel on great modern interstate roads in a reliable car listening to good tunes on a CD player, and CCW all the way from Indiana to the Atlantic ocean without fear of lawbreaking.

None of these things were as good when I was a kid; the car even gets twice the mileage of my college wheels....

[JerryB]

Did you add a quart of oil every 50 or 60 miles? How many flats did you fix on the trip? When we still traveled we made the trip to Yuma, AZ. several times in my 1977 Ford truck with just buying gas. Things have changed a lot since I got my drivers license in 1954.

[Bill in Oregon]

Remember how often you'd see cars and trucks alongside the road with hood up, a steaming radiator and someone adding water? I can't remember when I last saw this, but it used to be a constant sight.

[jeepnik]

Remember how often you'd see cars and trucks alongside the road with hood up, a steaming radiator and someone adding water? I can't remember when I last saw this, but it used to be a constant sight.

Yep not as common. But last Friday I was leaving the San Joaquin valley in Calif. I was going up the infamous grapevine (sadly not even a pale version of it's original self) and I saw several cars, pickups, vans and two tractor trailers pulled over, hoods up and needing coolant.

There is a great big sign to turn off ac's but people who don't take proper care of their vehicles also never learned how to read.

[GunnyMack]

I spent the weekend doing 67 mile one way trips from home to the gun club shooting a match. Many cars on side of the road, most were watering the daisies I think. This morning I was very lucky, a tractor trailer caught fire behind me making a couple competitor's late.

[Blaine]

The Grapevine is about +-6 miles.
Going west on I-90 there is a steep grade after crossing the Columbia River that goes for about 9 or 10 miles. It's a real killer if you haven't taken care of your rig.

[AJMD429]

At least when we went across the 'bridge/tunnel' at Chesapeake Bay we didn't wind up like this guy....

Three semis blown into the bay/ocean off that bridge in the past two years...! Here's one that almost did...
https://youtu.be/IgQeRf_fyUo.

You guys be careful out there....!

[Sixgun]

Doc......Atlantic Ocean ? You can CCw in md...nj...ny....???.

Yea, that Bay Bridge is somethin'. What did you think about the D.C.traffic...if you went on the beltway. That whole area reminds me of north jersey...a toilet.---6

[earlmck]

Doc......Atlantic Ocean ? You can CCw in md...nj...ny....???.

I'm guessing he spent a little time picking his route. Maybe trended a little southerly toward a friendlier climate.

[AJMD429]

Yeahh; we took the south bridge/tunnel route so stayed in good ol' Virginey....

[Griff]

Pretty cool weekend. Able to travel on great modern interstate roads in a reliable car listening to good tunes on a CD player, and CCW all the way from Indiana to the Atlantic ocean without fear of lawbreaking.

None of these things were as good when I was a kid; the car even gets twice the mileage of my college wheels....

Comparatively speakin', of course!

[Blaine]

My very first car was a 65 Mustang all ate up with rust. Sort of no good that didn't last too long, it gave up the ghost at about 80,000 and got about 17 mpg on the road and was sort of slow for a 275hp pony car.

My current Mustang is a 12 V-6 stock, with over 300hp, 0-60 +-6.5 seconds and 30mpg on the road over the Cascades to Spokane.

[piller]

My college wheels was a 1976 Ford LTD 2 door. That land barge had the big old 20mph bumpers. Remember those? A heavy steel frame with a heavy chrome exterior which was supposed to handle impacts up to 20 mph without damage. It had a 351m engine and a C4 transmission. On a good day going downhill with a tailwind it could get 13 to 14 miles per gallon. It could pull almost anything. That engine may have been slow and thirsty, but it had torque to spare. The air conditioner used Freon-12 and could get colder than you would want to sit in.

I drive a Camry now. It gets around 30 mpg and is reliable as you could ask for. It just has nothing else to distinguish it. Yawn!

[jeepnik]

My college wheels was a 1976 Ford LTD 2 door. That land barge had the big old 20mph bumpers. Remember those? A heavy steel frame with a heavy chrome exterior which was supposed to handle impacts up to 20 mph without damage. It had a 351m engine and a C4 transmission. On a good day going downhill with a tailwind it could get 13 to 14 miles per gallon. It could pull almost anything. That engine may have been slow and thirsty, but it had torque to spare. The air conditioner used Freon-12 and could get colder than you would want to sit in.

I drive a Camry now. It gets around 30 mpg and is reliable as you could ask for. It just has nothing else to distinguish it. Yawn!

I currently and have since new own a 1978 Sports Touring Model of the LTD II. Basically, they took the police engine, tranny and rear end and stuck a two door body on it. I'd kill for 13 to 14 mph. Then again I do tend to have a heavy foot. Ford liked the look of this model and the color scheme I have that they made it the centerfold for there brochure.

[AJMD429]

Current automobiles versus 60's and 70's ones is like Glock 9mm's versus 1911 45 ACP's, and Ruger Speed Six 357's.....the Glock will from a practical standpoint do the same thing the 1911 and Ruger will do, for less cost, less blast, and better reliability, just as a Honda Civic will do more or less what you NEED done just as well as that '68 Camaro or Lincoln.

Still there's something special about the cars and music of the 60's and 70's....