70-Year-Old Vehicles

Hagerty Drivers Club sent an email featuring a 1952 GMC Suburban Ambulance. The email asked, 

Low-mileage 1952 Suburban ambulance is begging to be resuscitated

 Does this low-mileage, 70-year-old GMC workhorse deserve a new lease on life?

After reading that, it dawned on me that my 1952 Willys Jeep M38A1 is also 70 years old. I hadn't thought of that in those terms. Interesting!

Above, yours truly with the Jeep. Photo by Nandoh Munoz.

But, to answer the question: Yes, they should restore the old ambulance.

Now I Can Get The Jeep's Brakes Fixed

Above, I can now finally get the Jeep towed into Gallup to get the brakes fixed. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, I had to return a piece-of-junk garden hose to Home Depot that I bought yesterday.

The stupid, cheap thing kinked up every three feet of its 50-foot length. It got so bad today that I just gave up and returned it and got a better one.

I was planning to go to Gallup this afternoon, but I went earlier instead to take care of the hose matter. As I was craving Chinese food for some reason (something I never do), I decided to go to King Dragon Chinese Restaurant that is nearby Home Deport.

I went there after my business at Home Depot was completed. I had sweet & sour chicken. It was good!

Above, today's lunch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The day did start out great, though.

I used up my four roadside assistance calls for this term with Auto Club when I locked my keys inside the Mustang a month or so ago. I was going to use that one for the Jeep to have it towed to the mechanic to get the brake leak problem fixed. 

I asked what my out-of-pocket cost would be if it were towed through them. They said $90 plus $7 to $10 per mile after three miles. That would make my cost around $300. No thanks.

Then, I went to the website for Hagerty Classic Insurance, the classic car insurer who insures the Jeep. I spotted a section listing, Roadside Assistance. I did not know if I had roadside assistance in my policy. So I called. 

The representative checked and said I have it with my Hagerty Club coverage. Hooray!

I then called my mechanic and set up an appointment for May 2. Finally, I can get the Jeep's brakes fixed.

Had I known that I had roadside assistance through Hagerty, I would have had the brakes fixed weeks ago.

Not a bad day.

Normandy and a 75-Year-Old Willys

Above, Jeeps unloading at Omaha Beach in 1944.

In time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day, a vintage Jeep returns to Normandy in an article posted by Hagerty News.

They wrote:

English speakers call it D-day. The French, le jour J. It happened 75 years ago on a blustery Tuesday in 1944 along a 50-mile stretch of rain-swept seashore on France’s northwest shoulder. Aaron Robinson revisits history on the beach in a 75-year old Willys.

To read the article and see some nice photos, go here. 

Coronavirus: Resurgence of Drive-In Theaters?

Above, the long-gone Van Nuys Drive-In, where I saw Godzilla 1985.

The last movie I saw at a drive-in movie theater was The Beverly Hillbillies at the Winnetka Drive-In in Chatsworth, California back in 1993.

Since then, that drive-in and many others in California and in other states closed up for good, allegedly due to high property values. The last drive-in theater in Gallup, New Mexico closed up years before I moved to the state.

The current coronavirus is making people take a second look at the drive-in theater.

Hagerty Drivers Club posted:

A nostalgic staple of 1950s–60s America might provide a valuable escape from the current stay-at-home situation if U.S. officials allow it. 

Drive-in theaters, once a common form of entertainment here and abroad—mostly in rural areas—are already experiencing a resurgence in some areas of Europe and Asia as people look for safe distractions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal guidelines do not specifically mention drive-in theaters, but state governments may choose to allow them to open since they are functionally so different from typical movie theaters. Drive-in movie-goers can easily maintain a safe distance from others outside of their own vehicle.

To read more, go here. 

Midwest Farmers Favoring Old-School Tractors

Above, a new tractor on display at last summer's Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I saw a new article at Hagerty.com, my immediate thought was of my neighbor Bo across the street. He has several tractors, all of which are 1950s vintage that he regularly uses on his property and, on occasion, helped me out.

It seems that farmers in the Midwest favor older tractors over the "new-fangled" ones with all kinds of bells and whistles.

Hagerty wrote:

American farmers are seeking out older tractors, and not just as collectors’ items. The dated machinery is easier to use, less expensive to purchase, and cheaper to repair and maintain than modern tractors, so instead of early retirement the old workhorses are being put back into the field. 

Greg Peterson, founder of Machinery Pete, a farm equipment data company in Rochester, Minnesota, recently told the Minnesota Star Tribune that most decades-old tractors have plenty of life left. 

“There’s an affinity factor if you grew up around these tractors, but it goes way beyond that,” Peterson told the Star Tribune. “These things, they’re basically bulletproof. You can put 15,000 hours on it, and if something breaks you can just replace it.” 

Hagerty’s resident tractor enthusiast Becca Hunt, whose farming family owns and uses four vintage tractors, wholeheartedly agrees. 

“They’re tough and reliable, and if something breaks, it’s easy to fix,” she says. “Plus, because they’re older, a lot of the parts are interchangeable with other brands. We have an Oliver, but we can get a part from another manufacturer and it still works. You can’t do that with the newer tractors; they tend to be part-specific, which can be a bit costly.

Above, Bo aboard "Edith" at Barking Spider Acre. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Hagerty Classic Insurance and More

Above, the November/December 2019 issue. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Until I bought the 1952 Willys Jeep M38A1 in August and insured it, I had never heard of Hagerty Classic Insurance before.

I first called my Mustang insurer, but they don't insure older or classic vehicles. But, they have some sort of arrangement with Hagerty and transferred me to them.

For one thing, Hagerty's premium prices are very reasonable (it is under $200 to fully insure the Jeep for a year). Next, they also have a car club called the Hagerty Drivers Club. 

According to Wikipedia:

Hagerty Insurance Agency, styled just Hagerty, is an insurance company specializing in classic car insurance based in Traverse City, Michigan, in the United States. The company is the leading insurance agency for collector vehicles in the world and host to the largest network of collector car owners.

About the Hagerty Drivers Club:

Hagerty Drivers Club™ makes the experience of owning, driving and loving cars better through discounts, roadside assistance, and more. If you're ready to save money on car stuff and keep pace with car culture, this club was created for you.

Yesterday, the club's bimonthly Hagerty magazine arrived in the mail. It is loaded with interesting articles on people and their prized automotive possessions. Plus, there's plenty of ads from vendors specializing in classic vehicle products, maintenance and restoration.

Hagerty sends out emails with links to articles on classic vehicles several times a week.

If one has a classic car and needs insurance, I would highly recommend Hagerty.

To access Hagerty's website, go here.