Herbert Can Be Ever Ready

One night, while driving to Los Angeles for a college road-trip, the car broke down in the middle of a mountain pass.  We were three kids, who knew nothing about cars, except that you got into them, turned the key, pushed ‘play’ on the cassette player, and stepped on the gas.  It was hot.  For although it was midnight, it was August in the Southwest desert, and the temperatures were still quite high.  We were in my best friend’s ’67 Chevy Mach II.  The Mach II part may make it seem as though it was some kind of race car, but it was a white, four door car we often referred to as the ‘Granny Mobile”, it was very, very fast however.

So, we were sitting on the side of the road, with steam and hot water shooting out from the engine, when a kind trucker pulled over to see if he could help.  Luckily this guy, who had spent most of his last twenty years or so on the road, knew a bit about the concept of do it yourself auto repair.  We were a bit flustered, as he asked to see the factory manual in order to read up on the best way to deal with this small engine repair.  Manuals were not something we kept handy at the time, and after all, the car was circa 1967, and we were circa…19 years old.  Nothing is supposed to break down when one is 19 years old.

This older gentleman, now I am his age and do not like to consider myself ‘older’, gave us a kind but stern talking to about heading out on road trips without thoroughly checking our vehicle before hand.  And on top of that, he said that whether one is traveling by truck, by car or by motorcycle, manuals should always be stored in a safe place, for situations just as these.  So, without a manual for a guide, he took a look under the hood of the ’67 Chevy and found that the radiator hose had blown.  He went to his truck and came back with duct tape, cardboard and some tin foil.  He fixed up the hose so we would make to our LA beach destination, and told us to get to a mechanic as soon as possible.  My best friend sold that car about five years later, with the duct tape, the card board and some tin foil, still intact.

Related posts:

1. Beuys Night Out in Manhattan The legacies of famous artists who have done important works...

Filed by Herbert Jones at 12:38 pm under Automotive
No Comments