Maybe The Younger Folks Ain't So Dumb After All !

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2010: Maybe The Younger Folks Ain't So Dumb After All !
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Pawelek-Brookshire, Texas on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 10:01 am:

We had some friends visit us yesterday with their 16 year old son and when he saw my '19 Touring and '31 160-A 4 Door Sedan his first comment was, "Wow, both these cars have suicide doors". I was taken aback. I haven't heard anyone use that phrase in many years. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 10:23 am:

I have a cousin who is in his 70's who has a scar on his forehead which was caused when he was riding in the back seat of the family's 1938 De Soto, which had "suicide doors" on the back doors. In those days almost all 4 door sedans had them. He pulled on the door handle when he was just about 5 years old and the wind caught the door and pulled him right out onto the road. Fortunately his mother wasn't going very fast in the residential district. My uncle put a device on the front door which went over the back door and held it so it couldn't be opened unless the front door was opened first.

Those doors made it easier to get in and out, but it was very dangerous, especially for children.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 10:34 am:

When I was little - less than seven - I saw a toddler fall out of a car onto the gravel shoulder. His face was a bloody mess. My Mom said he wasn't hurt bad, as he was crying loudly. I believe he fell out the rear window of their potato-shaped car, but the door may have opened.

rdr


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Vitko on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 11:25 am:

Traveling from ND to Minnesota in a 40 Plymouth sedan at probably 45 mph on a paved road I was yanked from the back seat when the wrong handle was grabbed.

I remember rolling down the pavement then jumping up and chasing the car thinking my mother was going to leave me! Back then a trip to the doctor was unthinkable.

Guess it was good that I was about three years old!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary White on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 11:32 am:

Speaking as a 'young-un', our biggest problem is that most of us are just ignorant. I was fortunate enough to have been raised in a family of old car buffs - grandpa was a hot-rodder in the 40's, dad raced circle track in the 60's - so I was taught from an early age...We didn't play football on Saturdays in my household, we spent time working on the 37 Chevy Master Deluxe and 39 Chevy pickup in the garage.

For the most part, I think younger folks would be interested to learn - they just need a mentor. Most kids today grow up with a video game controller in their hands or a cell phone in their ear. Maybe we should get together with the younger set and replace that video game and cell phone with a wrench and a hand crank. After all, they'll be the caretakers of our cars when we're long gone.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kirk Peterson on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 12:54 pm:

Norm and Paul
I had a similar experience. I was about 3, we were coming home from the baby sitter's on Woodman just below Devonshire in the San Fernando Valley. I was riding in the back seat of my folk's 41 Dodge.
All I remember was looking up and seeing my mom running back towards me. Luckily, I landed on my head so little damage was done. I spent the night in the Sun Valley Hospital.
Thank God, my 5 yr grandson rides in a child restraint system.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By willie k cordes on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 01:24 pm:

Gary, I practiced some of what you are saying in your post. My wife and myself raised two sons in the Houston area. There were a lot of games some 30 years ago when they were born. I started taking them to the family farm when they were still in diapers. They had bicycles, go carts, trail bikes and other goodies bought cheap from swap meets and garage sales. Yes, later we did a model T for each one out of parts and yes they have more model T's and parts now.
My only regret is they also gaduated to larger street motorcycles, that scares me.
The idea was to keep they away from street gangs and other undesirable city activities.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 02:13 pm:


It seems we have a Chrysler theme here. In this case it was a '41 Plymouth. I never did it, but my little brother opened the back door while the car was moving. Luckily, he let go of the handle. Mom was scared spitless.

I'm with Gary on young youths learning what they're exposed to. My dad had the mechanical touch of death, and I think it's because he was raised by his grandma, widow of a Civil War vet, and was never around anything mechanical. He remembered the first car in Sedan, where he was raised, and I think he was over thirty before he ever owned an automobile. With that family background, I was an adult before I ever worked on a car. I think I have a little mechanical aptitude, but never learned to use it as a kid. Fortunately I've always had an interest in old stuff, and that has led me to learn as an adult whatever I've learned about old cars.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Vitko on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 02:50 pm:

Do you think backwards Kerk? If so I know where it came from! LOL


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kirk Peterson on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 05:00 pm:

topic thread the to back Getting. Haha

On the Whitefish tour, I met a young man from Missoula about 19 just starting to learn about Ts and cars. And a man maybe in his early 30s from Sacramento who has spent his entire life around Ts and Cars.

I was impressed and one's enthusiasm and the other's knowledge.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Vaughn on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 05:03 pm:

Here is a picture of the finished speedster built by students at Lincoln Northeast High School in Lincoln, NE. (See Jan/Feb Vintage Ford). I think the students did a great job and it spurred interest into the hobby by these kids.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Faccin on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 05:08 pm:

Mike,

Nice job by the students!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth Harbuck - Shreveport, LA on Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 08:55 pm:

Agreed! That dude is way cool!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Moorehead on Friday, August 27, 2010 - 05:02 am:

This has nothing to do with suicide doors but everything to do with smarter than you think kids. While working on my last turn signal project for our 27 roadster, I decided to use LED lights because of their brightness and current draw. Here in lies the problem. Because of the low amp draw, the heat activated flasher would not work. I did not want to spend the $45 I had been quoted for a LED friendly flasher.
While at Auto Zone one day, I was looking at the flashers and signals and a really young man (probably no more than 17) who worked there asked if I needed help. I told him of my problem and he said no big deal. He brought back over a couple of resistors in a package labeled LED flasher helpers. He said he used them on his Chevy truck when he put his new LED tail lights on. He said 6 or 12 volt is not a problem.
So, for $8, I got my LED's working and all is well. And the old NAPA guy wanted $40 to fix the same problem.


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