Topic: Those were the days

[HondaMan]

I often get emails where the sender is 'amazed' about the stuff I know about IC engines (not just these Fours), carbs, injection, oiling, etc., etc.
Well, son(s): it ALL came out of those printed pages! The internet is fast & convenient, but far from true, verified, tested, or anything else that follows truth.

[BenelliSEI]

It is what it is.... At one time prior to the cell phone revolution, we had three banks of payphone booths on our mfging floor, totaling probably 45 payphones. Today not one of them remains, they've been gone at least 15 years.
   I don't really miss the paper till Sunday rolls around, that's the one I always saved for various painting projects. As an aside, my youngest son works for our local newspaper doing the final layout before going to press, and they had a power outage last week that for what ever reason couldn't be resolved. For the 1st time in the paper's 175 year history, the paper missed its print deadline. Technology for ya.
   My wifes no different, does everything on her iPad, I on the other hand still buy hard and soft cover books, I pull one out occasionally and review aspects of many of them. A good book is something to pass on as well, I've had several people over the yrs where we would trade books back and forth and then discuss them afterwards, definitely a dying part of the social fabric of our world. Nobody shares anything anymore, they all just #$%* about each other.

Another newspaper sideline story, my first Wife of long long ago was a true typing guru.  I don't recall the exact number of words per minute but it was astronomical and all it pretty much error free.  She worked for years as a typesetter for the local daily rag that is on its last legs now and was top enchilada in the typing pool.  I was a young police detective on the local police department and needless to say, did not enjoy a great relationship with the press at that time.  That certainly wasn't what caused the divorce, but lets say we had different views about the local print media. I can also attest to the fact she was pretty damn good at taking about everything I owned, to include the dog, at a lightning fast pace as her second best talent.....

Nothing beats a good book. Amen!

[grcamna2]

I often get emails where the sender is 'amazed' about the stuff I know about IC engines (not just these Fours), carbs, injection, oiling, etc., etc.
Well, son(s): it ALL came out of those printed pages! The internet is fast & convenient, but far from true, verified, tested, or anything else that follows truth.

This is why I enjoy true OEM factory Honda Service manuals;printed by the manufacturer's trusted source.

[dave500]

yep,ive got volumes 1 through 5 of the genuine GM Holden HQ series factory workshop manuals.

[grcamna2]

yep,ive got volumes 1 through 5 of the genuine GM Holden HQ series factory workshop manuals.

I see that your blue Holden that you drive is 'a Keeper' Dave 

[dave500]

well after 35 years i kinda like it Bill!

[grcamna2]

well after 35 years i kinda like it Bill!

Did you purchase it with very low miles ?

[dave500]

I dont really remember Bill,the odometer has returned to zero twice for me!

[britman]

I know a number of you on this site around my age remember a real auto parts store.  There are none left today, all are corporations who employ 18 year acne infected kids who know about as much about a wheel cylinder as the computer tells them, which only goes back to the year 1995 if you are lucky.   When you entered a store in the old days, it was usually family owned, all of the fan belts was hung on the rear wall, in the far corner paint was mixed from a color chart book about the size of small child.  The place had a particular smell, almost a mixture of oil, grease, and sawdust.  The counter guys knew automobiles from the ground up and most had worked there forever and knew you by name when you came through the door.  Parts were looked in the massive books lined up across the counter, and were in stock 98% of the time with a choice of new or re-maned. Damn I am old........

[dhall57]

Yes, those were the days...Then Came Bronson. He got me interested in cycling back in the day. Michael Parks was the actor and I got hooked.  A single season of 26 episodes airing between September 17, 1969, and April 1, 1970.

A family man in a station wagon pulls up next to Bronson at a stop light:
Driver: "Taking a trip?"
Bronson: "What's that?"
Driver: "Taking a trip?"
Bronson: "Yeah."
Driver: "Where to?"
Bronson: "Oh, I don't know. Wherever I end up, I guess."
Driver: "Man, I wish I was you."
Bronson: "Really?"
Driver: "Yeah."
Bronson: "Well, hang in there."

Johnie and Ben, I watched Bronson too! Even though it had a short run I can't believe any kid or grown up at the time who was interested in motorcycles didn't watch it. Sad to say Michael Parks past away some years ago.

[Kelly E]

I know a number of you on this site around my age remember a real auto parts store.  There are none left today, all are corporations who employ 18 year acne infected kids who know about as much about a wheel cylinder as the computer tells them, which only goes back to the year 1995 if you are lucky.   When you entered a store in the old days, it was usually family owned, all of the fan belts was hung on the rear wall, in the far corner paint was mixed from a color chart book about the size of small child.  The place had a particular smell, almost a mixture of oil, grease, and sawdust.  The counter guys knew automobiles from the ground up and most had worked there forever and knew you by name when you came through the door.  Parts were looked in the massive books lined up across the counter, and were in stock 98% of the time with a choice of new or re-maned. Damn I am old........

Those auto parts stores still exist. We have a Carquest in Stanwood Wa. that has all of those things except for the paint. But they make hydraulic lines and have access to any welding supplies including stocking gas bottles. It's a family business and on Thursday when I was in there 3 generations were there.

Back when Auto Zone bought Carquest they promised to fully support Keith's store. Then they built a new Auto Zone 2 blocks away. But Keith has all of the city, school district and most of the auto and farm equipment repair accounts. He still has those accounts to this day.  It's basically an independent store with connections to Carquest. The Napa store has most of the other accounts which left Auto Zone with the left over retail sales and they have to fight over that with O'Reilly's.

This is a small town and the people are loyal to the places that truly take care of them. We kept Walmart from building a superstore that would have destroyed much of the small business here. But it's starting to change here too. In the last 24 years many people have moved here from Seattle. Fortunately for me the urban growth area is north of town and many moved onto Camano Island to the west of town connected by one bridge.

[grcamna2]

I had lived in Bethlehem,PA. for a short time and they had one very long established Car Quest with years of history;before I moved they changed it over to Advance  .

I enjoy going over to the Car Quest in Woodland,Ca. not far from me;they haven't switched over.

[BenelliSEI]

My first car was a 1959 “Bug Eye” Austin Healey Sprite I bought from a police pound for $40, in 1968. I was 15 years old. My Dad and I towed it home at 6:00 am on a Sunday morning when no one else was around, on a rope.  The grill was missing and a new one was $100! My Dad (he restored fine furniture for a living) used his band saw and a hand held jig saw to cut one out of a scrap piece of 3/4” plywood. We then filed and shaped it like an original and filled the centre opening with some galvanized expanded metal screening. Primed and sanded it to perfection and my Dad silver leafed it. Several coats of clear varnish and it looked great. We painted the car with several BRUSH coats of a nice red enamel (lots of sanding in between applications) and it looked spectacular. Can you imagine? This is the only photo.

The centre hood badge was about $20, so missing for a long time. Eventually a fellow car club member gave me a scratched up one he had replaced. Polished it up and glued it in. Sold that car for $300 to buy my first race car, which we towed around with my Dad’s 1963 Buick station wagon. I then bought a $25 Honda 90 to get around on. Not a single photo of that “gem”!

[grcamna2]

Nice,I like to hear this John 
Was the Honda a S90 ?

[BenelliSEI]

Nice,I like to hear this John 
Was the Honda a S90 ?

Bill….. I don’t think so. The rear fender was cracked in the middle, so I cut it off with a hacksaw and mounted the taillight closer to the seat. The front fender was a monstrous plastic thing and again, I trimmed it down with the same hack saw. It might even have been an older 150? It never died. I sold it for 2X what I paid for it and bought a NORTON P11 Scrambler! Next was a Triumph T100S followed by my first cb500. Haven’t  strayed away since.

Over the years I’ve raced three different “Bug Eyes” and an MG Midget. Still one of my favourites!

[grcamna2]

Nice,I like to hear this John 
Was the Honda a S90 ?

Bill….. I don’t think so. The rear fender was cracked in the middle, so I cut it off with a hacksaw and mounted the taillight closer to the seat. The front fender was a monstrous plastic thing and again, I trimmed it down with the same hack saw. It might even have been an older 150? It never died. I sold it for 2X what I paid for it and bought a NORTON P11 Scrambler!

Over the years I’ve raced three different “Bug Eyes” and an MG Midget. Still one of my favourites!

You have lots of experience with short wheelbase cars 

[BenelliSEI]

Nice,I like to hear this John 
Was the Honda a S90 ?

Bill….. I don’t think so. The rear fender was cracked in the middle, so I cut it off with a hacksaw and mounted the taillight closer to the seat. The front fender was a monstrous plastic thing and again, I trimmed it down with the same hack saw. It might even have been an older 150? It never died. I sold it for 2X what I paid for it and bought a NORTON P11 Scrambler!

Over the years I’ve raced three different “Bug Eyes” and an MG Midget. Still one of my favourites!

You have lots of experience with short wheelbase cars 

They are the most fun!

[HondaMan]

Those 'bug eye' Austins were big at my first college, too. They were sort of "resident cars" at the frat house(s), changing owners for a couple hundred $ every few years as new students swapped in. They were 1959 and I think 1960 models, most of them. IIRC there were 3 just in my small fraternity "Kappa Delta Row it", as we called it then (for having to 'row' thru the government stipulations, rules and forms for being part of Apollo in those days). The '59 had a really good heater in it.

One guy had an MG Midget, which had 3 little 5" long windshield wipers on it's 10" inch tall windshield. It spooked me every time he turned those on.