"When dawn spreads its paintbrush on the plain, spilling purple... ," Sons of the Pioneers theme for TV show "Wagon Train." Dawn on the mythic Santa Fe Trail, New Mexico, looking toward Raton from Cimarron. -- Clarkphoto. A curmudgeon artist's musings melding metaphors and journalism, for readers in more than 150 countries.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

This old truck

I've been wondering why I like old trucks so much.

Most recent was a 1969 Chevy C10 pickup that my uncle Mike gave me...only had 43,000 miles on it. But I didn't have the time and the money to properly restore it, so I sold it. But, I still like old trucks.


I wore a short sleeve shirt today with pictures of old pickups on it. One of my students commented about me being "old."


Got me to thinking...now I know why I like old trucks. We have a lot in common.


The headlights are getting dim.  The front grill is missing a few parts. The rear bumper is a crooked. The frame may be too. The dashboard has a lot of cracks and wear. The upholstery is a little ragged at times.


The paint's peeling and rust is showing from all the dents. Part of the headliner is damaged or missing.  The mileage is piling up, and the tread on the tires is almost gone.


It still gets pretty good mileage, but the fuel requires more additives.  The horn is raspy, and the sound system is getting weaker. There are a lot of rattles.


The transmission is intact, but doesn't always function smoothly. shifting gears.  The radiator leaks from time to time. Most of the hoses are pretty worn.


It doesn't start as quickly as it used to. The joints and axles still work, but need more grease. The springs and shocks are pretty well shot. It sometimes wobbles a little on the road.


The compression is still excellent, but it won't go as fast as it used to, and the trade-in value keeps dropping.


And then there's that noisy exhaust.

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