From guilt to innocence and back

Ah, the good old days. Before the War.

There is no experience like the feelings of nostalgia that can sneak up on you when you take a lazy Sunday drive in the country, in a pre-war automobile.

Which war is that, you ask?

Let's see.... That would have been the War to End All Wars, as the car I was riding in was made in 1913. A 1913 Buick Model 25 Touring Car, restored by a Buick dealer in the still good old days of the early 1960s. This car is a fully drivable restoration, not one of those fussy museum pieces you'd be afraid to take out on the road. When the dealership had it restored, it wasn't much older than a car sold by the dealership in the early 60s would be now. Gives you some perspective on time.

In 1913 my father was four years old. Drugs -- marijuana, cocaine, heroin, you name it -- were all completely legal in this country, and available without prescription. World War I had not started, although the "winds of war" were blowing then, as they always are. And that 1913 Buick was on the road clattering along, lurching through the gears, at a top speed of about 40. Amazing that no one had thought of valve covers; you have to lubricate the push and rocker assemblies manually with a little oil can before each trip. Park the car and oil drips on the ground. To start the engine, you must cup your hand, thumb backwards, on the underside of the crank, then give it a yank upwards, making sure to pull back your hand when it engages. Otherwise, you can break your hand or dislocate your thumb if the crank kicks back. I rode in the open back seat, which had a carriage feel to it. The crude suspension and mechanical brakes made the ride distinctly rougher than any car today, and I was reminded of riding in a World War II Willis Jeep. Because of the open valves and primitive exhaust system, the engine made a noise which at first sounded a bit like a diesel, but listening more closely I could hear little puffing and hissing noises, of the sort you hear in an old two stroke farm engine.

If you want to hear the engine sound, you can. Simply go to this web page, and click on 1913 Buick. It is the exact same sound I heard yesterday.

The world was still a pretty innocent place when that car was made, and it wasn't all that long ago.