cars

A Slow 110

mikemjensen cars, Uncategorized, Useless Observations Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

In the previously blog-mentioned movie of “Smokey and the Bandit” there’s a scene where Frog (Sally Fields) looks at the dashboard of the 1977 Trans Am and in a surprised voice asks, “Are we really going 110? We’re going 110!”doing_110

The camera shows the speedometer and the needle is on 110, but it’s 110km/h.

Correct me if I’m wrong but that’s just shy of 70 mph. Not really that fast but maybe when compared to the then national speed limit of 55 MPH and on a two-lane back road somewhere between Texarkana, Texas and Atlanta, GA.; it seems fast.

Still, if you weren’t paying as close attention or able to watch the movie over and over (a feat not normally possible in 1977), you would assume she meant 110 MPH. Despite efforts to the contrary, the metric system didn’t exist to anyone stateside back then. Or even now.

Sometime around 1976, or in my fourth grade, I remember doing conversion worksheets in school. We were taught that the US had to get in line with the rest of the world if we were to stay relevant and competitive. Not too far in the future, pounds, gallons, and miles would be but a faint memory. I recall the worry and perceived immediacy of this new-fangled measuring system. We needed to learn it now!

That was the last instruction and work sheets I would ever receive.

Road signs for a short time listed both kilometers and miles, and the speedometers in the cars were required to list both as well. I don’t recall anyone resisting but it never took. There didn’t exist a real daily reason to change. People had bigger worries and eventually all effort to get people to switch went away.

I know that it might sound sick, misguided, or even ridiculous; but I’m kind of proud that we rejected it as a country. It’s OK to be different, to do it our own way. We Americans are funny that way.

The metric system is superior and easier to use. I admit it. But for whatever reason the 16 ounces to the pound, the 128 ounces to the gallon, and the 5280 feet per mile systems work for us.

Just like declaring that trucking Coors beer east of Texas is bootlegging.

 

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Shifting to Tomorrow

mikemjensen cars, Useless Observations Tags: , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

I’ve always loved cars.

My opinion has always been that the best cars were made in the decade of the 60’s, just like me. Big cars, big motors and lots of roar, it’s hard to pick out a bad 60’s car; Corvairs excepted.169_main_l

Although slower and robbed of power by the smog controls and 55 MPH speed limit, the Camaros and Trans Ams of the 70’s slid their way in my childhood and will always remain a heart favorite.

The 80’s brought back fuel injection and the 90’s introduced aerodynamics. And since the 2000’s, the cars have been getting more powerful each year, even to the point to rival the best the 60’s had to offer. And with stability in the corners, AC, and good estimated EPA gas mileage as well.

Hands down, the golden years and all around cars of cars were in the 60’s. Period. Technology aside, they had the power and styling that the car companies of today are still trying to recreate. Those cars were that good.

Now the talk is about electric and self-driving cars. Electric cars will erase all speed records of a fossil burner and self-driving cars will erase the need for a driver.

Being a fan of the loudest, fuel wasting-est, bulkiest cars available, it would be reasonable to assume that I am not at all OK with self-driving cars. That assumption would be wrong. I am in love with the idea. I will give up styling, power, exhaust noise and maybe even power windows if I can set the destination and sleep the rest of the way.

Get off at 5, set the heading and wake up at the beach the next morning? Yes. Sign me up.

 

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