Today I old schooled it.
No gadgets, no electronics, no error code readouts.
Just a ratchet, socket, feeler gauge and a set of 8 Autolite 45 spark plugs. Oh and a crappy old garage radio, sometimes playing music sometimes just static.
It takes me back in reverse chronological order. Back to some of the important “car” stages in my life. Back to my 82 Camaro, back further to my 69 Dodge Dart, back to my first 1966 Chevy (in 1976).
It takes me back one more stage, working in one of my father’s garages where I worked long days in the summer on customers cars and back a bit further watching my father work on our 61 Chevy Belair and his old Dodge pick up. Even further back to my grandfather’s garage with the half dirt half cement garage floor, watching the two of them trying to get that old early 1950 Ford or Chevy truck (we called it the “doodle bug” ..and no I don’t know how it got its name) running.
There was always a radio playing somewhere nearby often a baseball game or country music.
That’s one reason I love my 70 Mustang. Working on it takes me back to those days. Today I could have been 12 again, leaning over the fender of a real American made car, just the basic tools and an old radio tuned to a sports station recapping March Madness 2011. It could have been 1970 again.
Finished up the job and fired the Mustang up and that started the way-back machine again.
1970 Coupe
Thanks for reading.
Tim
