I'm hitting the road tomorrow - taking four kids to the beach with the idea of celebrating their spring break. It promises to be a week of pure pandemonium and so I will be spending the rest of my day preparing for the apocalypse. It's a volatile sit... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Good luck, be safe, and have a great time. Meanwhile, I'll be savoring this lovely phrase... "the patience of an archaic stone," and trying to focus on achieving that state when things get frustrating. Thanks for the wonderful writing. And, yeah, vent windows for all!
Enjoy the beach and time away from the office. Regardless of the pandemonium, I'm sure you'll figure out some kind of distraction to help keep your sanity. There is something to be said for spending time with the family out in the fresh air. Which leads me to agree with your first thought. I too miss the vent windows. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for the ones that crank open and closed (ala tri-five Chevys), but any vehicle that has them is an improvement over today. Open them slightly, and you have an effective air exchange system that doesn't create major drafts anywhere, and, in the spring/summer, there's no better way to get a huge blast of fresh air in the car than to open the vent windows as far as they will go. I also miss the fresh air vents in or near the kick panels.
My wife gripes almost daily about how she can't believe they've done away with wing (vent) windows. I just smile and tell her we need to get her something much older for her daily driver.
I'd love to bring drip rails back too. Tired of cracking my window open on a rainy day and getting totally soaked and there's no way I'm getting those ugly stick-on vent visor things.
X2! Ryan, enjoy your time away from the office, we will all be on our best behavior while the boss is away.
Your taking off without a worry of us having a party and trashing the place? Your a trusting soul... The kegs get here at 11:00 am tomorrow! Be loking for beer bottles and red cups in the bushes next week, and lacey panties in the pool filter... You and I both, on the lack of vent windows thing. I do my level best to NEVER drive late model cars if I don't have to, 'cause mine have ALWAYS been "antique". How ever, my girlfriend had a small breakdown last summer after her 23 year old Mercedes had IT'S last break down, and did the typical asian girl thing just to spite me... She bought a new Honda. Since day one I have called this steaming pile of dung "The Impurity", and until recently she wasn't allowed to park it in our driveway. Of all the things on this thing that piss me off, (doors that lock me in, windows that open all the way at the touch of a button when I just wanted it cracked on a rainy day, God I hate power windows, every control in some sort of weird late model unreadable petroglyph, 85mph TOP speed, front wheel drive wretched, scary, terrifying, horrible handling, I bang my knees on the steering column every time I get in or out because I am taller than a midget...) I think the thing that infuriates me most it not the lack of vent wings - that would be bad enough. No, it's the F**KING little worthless triangular windows in the cowl right in front of the mirrors on either side!!! I mean really, WHY? Did someone at Honda design go home and actually excitedly and poudly explain designing that to someone? If they did open and hinge like a vent wing I would have thought "genius", but no. Worthless on every single level! And to top it all off, 'cause it's hers, any time I HAVE to drive it has a Chinese C.D. of some sort stuck in it - I mean really, Rock Around the Clock in Cantonese?! Sorry, lost my mind for a moment... I too am glad to see it isn't just my twisted mind that can look at a picture of someone from the other side of the world and assign a name and back story. In that picture, as far as I'm concerned he's doing God's work...
1, Probably the same guy that thought billet has a place on a Hot Rod 2, Arturo is a true craftsman that takes crazy pride in his work, always great to see that. 3, The week at the beach will be one great memory for your family. Enjoy, GodSpeed
First off... enjoy your time away Ryan, as I am certain we can and will all maintain those bitchin' and bitching efforts. Do take your best beach ball, blanket, and an audio device that tunes you those soothing sounds of spring becoming summer. Ahh, yes... relax, as your term paper's proposal "Is the Vent Window soon to replace the Sunroof", well, isn't due quite yet. And Artturo's got your goods, in his assured, loving, and most masterful hands. Spring is here, Ryan... chaperon the kids and do HAVE A BREAK
In the 90,s my brother got sick of not having vent windows on his ranger truck he took it to some auto glass shop and told them to give him vent windows they put em in no problem looked factory, and they did it cheap too...
I AGREE VENT WINDOWS RULE! have fun on your trip Ryan, enjoy your kids thanks for the heads up on the apocalypse
Ironic you would use the word apocalypse only in the sense that as I am stuck at home recuperating with my foot on a boot cast watch Apocalypse Now will reading the hamb. Time spent on a road trip to the coast with the family can be very enlightening,good luck with your sanity! A phrase ofter heard,,"Are we there yet?" "Daddy,I gotta go to the bathroom" "He's touching me" Damn,I really do miss my kids being small. HRP
Take care and have a joyful time at the beach! When it comes to vent-windows I have to agree 150%. I am a happy smoker and driving around in a new car is just silly when it comes to not be able to open just a little bit without have the hair blown off. I mean, just why is cars designed not to have open windows? In my previous 1964 Galaxie and my current 1962 Fairlane it's no problem to crank all windows open without disturbing winds in the car. F**k new cars.
Enjoy them while they're small! I love 'em all but mine are 13, 14 and 16. Vent windows are one reason I still have a '97 Ford pickup as my daily driver. Darn hard to smoke a cigar and drive a manual without vent windows.
All the power brokers are taking the weekend off? My boss (not her, the other one) just told me he's going camping for the weekend (we work weekends). Last week I had a similar rant about lack of wings in my wifes car. I just wish the dickweed that had my chevy before me had learned to close them before he parked it for a few years so I wouldn't be chiseling out the rusted toeboards (last night and tomorrows project).. Also Code- ditto for kick vents
LOL - that's for sure! I might sound like a whiner and "why don't I always drive a vintage car with cool vent windows?" The reason is that I live in Sweden with salty roads and nasty winter weather. That in combination with no garage for my winter-daily driver = new car just to keep things simple
Taking 4 kids to the beach . . . it's like mobilizing the Third Armored Division. They ain't little for long, brother! Enjoy!
Not having air in my old Mustang, I can appreciate a vent window in the Texas heat. Those things made not having A/C some what bearable. As long as I drove 35 MPH or better, that breeze gusting in was heaven. About that guy making your wheel, awesome pic. Having been to Europe while in the Navy, when we weren't getting drunk, we'd wander into a shop that had craftsmen working on stuff we couldn't afford. We just liked to watch them work. We knew, no mater what they were building, it would last forever.
how about those old chevys that have vent windows, front and back. It's a cool thing to see when all 4 vents are open.
Have Fun , be safe and enjoy every moment . They don't stay little very long. Act like a total fool at the beach nobody will know you. LOL
They probably did away with vent windows because; 1) it was less additional parts to build/install 2) most new cars come with A/C 3) far less folks smoke nowadays 4) they were an easy way for creepy crooks to break into your ride. I really miss "wing windows" as my Dad always called them and I cringe when I see tri-five Chevy's and F 100's "modernized" with one piece door glass. x2 on missing drip rails too. I wonder how long long the Wife's daily econo box power window switches will last. Crack the glass and there's a waterfall of water hitting them.
Well, wing windows are a nice modern convenience for me, the cowl vent works good too...however, sand, four kids, ice cream, carpet, upholstery....might need some wet wipes and a whisk broom, lol. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I know you have an Italian fetish going on right now, but just to be sure, breaking out a speedo on South Padre Island is a big Texas no-no, Ryan! Have a blast and keep the sand outta your shorts!
Gonna keep the vent windows in my "39". Be sure to take the dark sunglasses, so you can secretly check out the chicks!!
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