Hot Rods Time For A Safety Check?

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

Time For A Safety Check?

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Good call! I've started the winter checks on my Buick to try and eliminate the frozen wrenching while the white stuff is here. Checked all my brakes, did oil change, lubed the suspension and did a tune up. I've got a pesky leaking tube on one of my wheels, so that will be changed shortly and I should be good to go. I've spent my fair time shoveling snow and laying on the frozen ground working on a broken part. I like to try and avoid this, if at all possible.

 

You just described my roadster.

 

I store my good stuff for the winter,but always make sure it's ready to go.The last three years we've been hit hard right at the end of winter with double digit snowfall and single digit temps,but Christmas Day might be drop top weather.Like they say,if you don't like the weather around here,wait 5 minutes.

 

How in the hell does something like that happen to the chevy sedan?

 

Winter can mean icy road and wet conditions in many parts of the country but for those of us living here in Florida it is out nicest time of the year with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the 70's each day.

I decided 24 years ago I did not want to shovel snow any more and put chains on the trucks.
We used to burn wood 24 hours a day to heat the home and I just got tried of doing it.

Jimbo

 

Yikes! Good tip. I've got some parts commin my way, but here, aside the rain, winter is'nt so harsh. Gotta watch out tough. I already had a fender bender recently and I was heart broken for a month until I got the car fixed. Nothin happened to me tough, aside a scuffed nose and sleepless nights..

 

This is a good point!

I normaly gets totaly anoid when People say; hot rods aint safe, Racing aint safe, old Cars is dangeress.
If you wants to be safe buy a Volvo :shock:

Its as safe as we build em!
And routine maintenens is what
keeps us and others safe!!

We upgrade engine, but most of the people on here upgrade brakes too. Keeps everything up to scratch.

The weather is bad around here, and my vintage car insurance aint valid.

So now its time to rebuild, recheck and clean.
Do the thinks that aint priority.
And mist importingly; upgrade time!

 

One think to think of esp if you live in a rainy place like I do. (Oregon).
old car esp 6v cars, have dim brake lights combine that with rain on the glass and people can have a hard time seeing you brake. Use caution, tap em a few extra times or look at cleaning up the inside of your lights painting them white or silver or going to a better/ brighter bulb.

 

I was wondering the same thing. I hope, maybe, that the car was just parked, and the flood came along and knocked over the tree. Doesn't seem to be any damage to the car hinting that the car hit the tree first.
Would love to hear more on that one.

 

Considering the image filename is "Hurricane_1938.jpg" with a caption of "A car smashed by a tree, in Ulmer Park, after it was knocked by the winds of the Great New England Hurricane" ... I'm gonna go out on a limb (pun intended) and say it happened during the category 3 hurricane that swept through Long Island, NY on September 21st of 1938.

With that said, I don't think a safety check or new bias-plys would have saved that '32 Chevy from its demise.

 

And remember, SLOW DOWN!

These are vintage machines, regardless of the upgrades. Increase your following distances keep your eyes peeled and let the crazies pass you.

Be safe, be cool.

 

There is a Danish saying, the biggest safety factor in any car (foreign or domistic), is forty cm behind the wheel.

My frist boss, where I took my apprentenchip, always told my 90% of all accidents Can by traces back too People who dont know F "-all about cars.

Because know one wants to drive a unsafe car. We get the Best out of what we got!

 

If I'm using my vintage cars as a daily drivers,I allow myself more time to get there.I also drive according to conditions and what my car will do,period

 

I prep my car for winter by putting a blanket in the front seat for my wife. It gets cold here in Florida during our two weeks of winter.

--louis

 

X2 also I prefer to dive very slowly w/foot just resting on the throttle and hearing the throaty sound of my home brew side exhaust.. keep your distances.
Its funny how sometimes the road keeps nearly empty in front of you when you drive slowly.

 

It's that "other" guy I worry about! They come out of no where!

 

Safety check should be done every time you go out unless its a daily driver and you check every couple of days, One day after washing and polishing the jalopy for a show did a safety check NO HEAD LIGHTS!!!!!!!! and I had to be at the event 5:00AM, so its a no go! frustrated it stayed home and still had to attend since I volunteered for this event, later found I lost the Ground to the head lights!

 

Common sense goes a long way,good topic. HRP

 

So now instead you run the A/C 24 hours a day most of the year and use electricity that was mostly produced by burning huge amounts of coal 24 hours a day
But at least you don't have to do that yourself

 

Both my parents were nearly killed driving through Wyoming in November years ago. No snow on a clear day, they hit black ice crossing a bridge and spun out. Hazards are not always obvious.

 

Very good point. Although a little off topic.
I always told my kids when learning to drive to never drive the same speed as traffic. On a four lane to either drive 5 mph slower or 5 mph faster. This actually opens up more road in the direction your going in an emergency maneuver either on your sides or up front. On a two lane only 5 mph slower as this will open up the same space. Has worked for me for 45 years. Not one moving accident.

 

Good thoughts. I'm doing new front tires and brake adj. on my '40 in the morning.