Either cough or lame
11/16/2024
The season has come to an end, many an eventful journey lies behind us and the cars have mostly done their duty. Now we are in the midst of long fall and soon winter evenings. There is enough work to do. And sometimes we wish we could have held back a little. Why?
Old technology is characterized by the fact that it can still be mastered with basic knowledge. However, the simplicity of some designs requires a little maintenance, such as walking around the car with the grease gun, which can also be an almost meditative experience. In any case, it's good to know that the ball pins, bushes, bearings and other moving parts have a nice layer of grease to keep them running smoothly.
I am firmly convinced that my VW Transporter, for example, drives much better when it has been lubricated on its front axle levers and collar pins. The fact that you occasionally look at your car from a different perspective is also a good thing: a cable hangs down or a sleeve on the drive shaft has small cracks - repro rubber parts, the eternal annoyance, but that's another topic.
And it is also a good idea to rectify all faults immediately. Which is not always easy, for example after a long vacation trip with lots of miles and the subsequent return to a 100% professional life. Sometimes a lot of work piles up and there's not enough time because you have to pay for your absence from the office with detention. Of course, there are also those moments when you can fix all kinds of ailments in a burst of activity. This is also an uplifting feeling. However, once a certain number of cars - let's talk about projects - have been built, there is usually no end to the work. "If they don't lame, they cough!" an English horse breeder once said: if they don't lame, they cough.
That may be just as true for cars as it is for horses. There is always something to do. And if the entire fleet of vehicles is left without a diagnosis, then you start to worry. Yes, in fact, I'm regularly far less nervous about driving somewhere if I know about two or three little things about the car in question. I sometimes drive around with a makeshift solution, an emergency repair that I know I've done myself and now know the weak point very well.
A perfectly functioning car carries with it an aura of impenetrability, of - unwanted surprise. But fortunately, the perfect car is only an ideal state that needs to be approached as closely as possible. At least that's the case for me. This noise in the drive, the rear left door that can only be opened from the inside, the creaking seat rail, the oil bath filter that screams for fresh oil, the windshield wiper blade on the passenger's side that lubricates well and wipes poorly - little things - the main thing is that the car drives. It bothers me too, this imperfection, but I have learned to accept it.
Yes, I sometimes think it would be smart to limit myself to one or two cars. Then I would pay more attention to them. That may be true, but that would be too big a sacrifice for me. I like my cars and they - mostly - like me too, even if I sometimes have the feeling that they might feel a bit neglected.
