I was driving my car last week, on my way to work as usual only this drive was
accompanied by an outside ambient temperature hovering in the low teens. Even with my
engine running at normal operating temp, it could not generate enough heat through the
big steel hood to melt the permafrost. When it's this cold out, the roads are white
from salt distribution and each passing car is coated with same layer of ashen white
that distorts the vehicles' original color. The reason one does not see many shiny
clean cars on days like this is due to "fear of freezing." What this means is, everyone
living in this climate has had their doors or trunk frozen shut. So, conventional
wisdom would dictate that the introduction of water to your car in this weather would
be ill advised. Hence all the white toned vehicles rushing down the freeway.
Usually, when you think of classic cars, one immediately visualizes sunny California. Top down,
Rodeo Drive or Sunset Boulevard. While the thought of an average mean temperature of
72, is delightful, some of us do live well north of the equator. I live in New
England. As this column is published, I have been knee deep in arctic weather since
Thanksgiving. Driving a classic, vintage or old car during a northeast winter only
amplifies the commitment to this vehicle of choice. If you are fortunate enough to
live in the Sun Belt and drive one of these cars, right on. As for me, my goodness,
I'm wishing for spring.
continued...
|
|
Daily Drives is a monthly column relating experiences driving these old cars.
|
"Driving a classic, vintage or old car during a northeast winter only
amplifies the commitment to this vehicle of choice. "
|
|
