Aging and Nostalgia

How Old is too Old...?

Online, through general interest, I made a new friend, Ross.  Our common denominators are BSA motorcycles and repairing bikes. We've never actually meet and likely have other things in common soon to be discovered. We live about an hour or so driving distance apart from each other and I'm certain over the next year we will touch base at a local event.

"Up All Night"

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Recently Ross shared some new information on insurance and vintage motorcycles. This topic and others always  peaked my interest for the simple reason it would appear the government combined with the insurance companies are moving at a rapid pace to get vintage, custom, and collector vehicles off the road. I asked Ross what his thoughts are on the matter?  His response more or less touched on the complexities of the matter and it's the simplest approach the authorities will act upon. There are many reasons that come to my mind and it's always been in the forefront of my thoughts, but the one thing Ross said that really struck home was,  "Our parents had so much freedom and ours is deteriorating." It's kind of a scary thought and seems to be true. Slowly our freedom is being dissolved. Not just in the custom and classic vehicle world but all facets of society. Is our society with computers and technology moving into and communistic style of rule?

I think for myself and many others who share similar skills and interests, we aren't ready to give up gasoline! The threat of alternative fuels threatens our dreams, past time, and culture. It's not that I'm against progress, I marvel at the new technology and thinks it's fascinating. I do find it costly when implemented into a daily driver and find most of it unnecessary and impractical. Automobiles are supposedly safer and easier to drive but the accident rates continue to go up, is all the new technology working? It really depends on who you ask. There are many directions this topic can move into, as Ross stated, and I will maybe blog on a few in the future.

For now I will continue to do-what-I-do and enjoy it for as long as I can. After all a Hot-Rodder is a Hot-Rodder, a bit of a rebel ,and occasional law breaker, so I've hatched this plan. They say by 2050 all transportation will be so-called green and emission free. By that date I will be 88 years old (I have to live at least that long before I can retire).  If I manage to squirrel away one of my vehicles it will be the 1979 Fox Body Mustang. Who knows what it will look like by then or what power plant will hold. It could very well resemble something out of Mad Max. One thing I know for certain it will have more than 400 horse power and run on pure unacceptable gasoline. I'm sure not everything will be green powered, somethings will still need gasoline. I may have to steel it from the airport. However, some way, some how, I'm going to get my hands on some, top up the tank, open up the headers, and head out onto the main street doing smoke shows and donuts at every intersection. A kind of Thelma and Louise moment, except I want to live and snicker with my grand children as we watch the replays on the news. I should get away with the shenanigans at least until I wreck the car or run out of gas. The authorities won't be able to shut me down 'cause in 1979 the cars didn't have computers they are completely mechanical. So with a devilish laugh and smoking tires I will  ramble through the streets, out running their electrical something-or-others until I run out of gas or crash into the court house. I'm pretty sure they wont throw a frail old man, with a sad puppy dog face in jail...

Fox Body Mustang by Mitch Thibeault

...to be continued.