The show was a nice mix of local enthusiasts with some serious entries. Five year old Jason, particularly enjoyed the 1959 Oldsmobile 98, while his Father and I had our heads under the hood of a 1964 Pontiac 2+2 with a 421 cubic inch engine with three, two-barrel carburetors. (No Pansy fuel injectors on this model!)
It was a trip down memory lane for me, walking among these aging engine blocks, as I regaled my two younger males with stories of hot rods and porta-walls and metal dashboards from my youthful days "On Harrisonville Avenue."
"Grandpa Ron, Grandpa Ron. What are these?" Jason asked.
I looked closer inside the 1984, 15th anniversary edition of the Hurst Olds. There, above the ash tray (another historic anomaly) was the real gearshift and two other shifters, the "Lightning Rods." I had never seen anything like that before.
.".
Well," I replied authoritatively, "one is for vanilla and the other for chocolate."
.
Jason looked to his father for guidance, since he knew that I have kidded in the past. "Is that right?" Jason asked.
.
"Grandpa Ron is having fun with that answer," my son replied. "Actually, the Lightning Rods allow the driver to shift up or down when he wants to, but without having to use a clutch, like I do on my Honda."
.
Jason smiled at me -- knowingly -- and we walked on to the Pontiac Firebird 6.6.
.
Maybe I shouldn't joke around with a five year old. Maybe he'll grow up with a distrust of adults. My Grandfather Borders joked around with me when I was growing up, and I turned out alright. Right? RIGHT?
“Does Grandpa love to babysit his grandchildren? Are you kidding? By day he is too busy taking hormone shots at the doctor. At night he and Grandma are too busy doing the cha-cha.” ~~ Humorist, Hal Boyle
No comments:
Post a Comment