There's been some discussion about old cars... I've owned my '68 Mustang fastback since 1993. Until 2001, if she wasn't running, I was walking. I've built and rebuilt her four times now and wouldn't trade her for the world.
I enjoy the adventure of driving an old car. Most of all, I enjoy all the stories I get every time I stop at a gas station. Seems everyone's uncle, dad, cousin, etc. had one and wishes they never sold it because it was so much fun to drive. So much different than modern cars. Not better or worse, just different.
A few years back, this very car was what I used nearly every day to drop off amps at FedEx and the Post Office. I'd just load her up and fly. Best, fastest, most fun delivery truck for the job.
One particular Friday in March, I was a little late getting the orders out. There were only 2 or 3 because we were in backorder. The Post Office and FedEx are about 3 miles apart with the old Schiit Shipping Department (aka the garage) in between. I grabbed the boxes plus the orders from my own little company and hopped in my old Mustang. Didn't bother with a jacket since I was only gonna be gone about 10 minutes. Didn't grab my phone, but so what, I was only gonna be gone 10 minutes. No big deal, right?
I made the drop at the Post Office, hopped back in my '68 fastback to fly over to FedEx. Making the U-turn due to the divided road, there was a very loud, expensive sounding k-thunk and my transmission was now a box full of neutral. I coasted the car back around and parked. (Good thing I'm used to manual steering and manual brakes.) I didn't even have the reverse gear. There was nothing but nothing that'd move my car in any direction. I was stuck there, on the edge of nowhere because this post office was closer than then one in town. 10 minutes...yeah, right.
Hmmm... No phone. Still gotta get the 2 amps to FedEx...in less than an hour. How'm I gonna do this?
Luckily, the USPS people knew me by then. I was able to use the manager's phone to call Jason...
Except he wasn't paying attention to what I was actually saying when I said I was at the post office and my car was busted. (Kinda like the Great Schiit Storm of 2014 when it took five mentions plus photos before he understood it was a sprinkler INSIDE the building that was spewing.)
I figured I might as well start walking. The icy wind was blowing pretty good through my sweater. No coat, remember...only gonna be gone 10 minutes... But I did have a pair of driving gloves in the console. Hey, better than nothing. They kept out some of the wind as I clutched those 2 Asgards and walked the 3 miles to FedEx because Jason sent a friend to get me at the wrong post office.
That day, I literally walked 3 miles uphill to deliver those two Asgards to FedEx and then trudge back home. Eddie brought a tow strap and we used his El Camino to go rescue my beloved bucket of bolts. Jason paid for the transmission rebuild because he knows the way to my heart is through my car. After that, I started religiously bringing my phone and, of course, never had another incident.
The real reason I didn't just give up and go back home? The hill I had to walk up was far more steep toward the garage than it was toward FedEx!