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Just like old times...

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Trevor Jessie

Trevor Jessie

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I accidentally left my daily driver Ford out in the cold last night. I'd been putting it in the garage because I know the battery is on its last leg. Of course this morning I was running late taking my youngest to school so I didn't have time to jump start it. So I fired up the Midget in 15 degree weather and off we went. Reminded me of when I used to drive my Midget to work every day. I had too keep turning the heater motor on and off to keep comfortable and the windshield clear. When my daughters start driving on their own I hope I'm able to return the Midget back to daily service. Fun times! ... Luckily my oldest daughter had gone to school earlier (that would have been a tight fit!)
 
well done!
 
I had a '72 Midget from 1979 - 1986 that I drove daily in Vermont; snow tires and a ski rack made it "perfect" for winter driving :smile:. I don't remember being able to turn off the heater blower motor very often once winter rolled around, but I also don't remember encountering any significant driving problems except for deep snow. I do remember having to shovel my long driveway FOREVER because of the car's low ground clearance. I also remember a -0 f degree starting routine that involved blankets, a heating pad atop the battery, a drop light below the oil pan,, starting ether and extra time before departing for the 30 minute drive to work.

On the other hand, I adored driving the car all over the state for work. I also fondly remember weekend and vacation drives to Montreal, New York City, Boston, Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. I sold the car with about 90,000 miles for a used Jeep CJ-5. Three years late I was back into sports cars with a '78 Spitfire, an '78 MGB and an '80 TR-7.

Hopefully, by the end of this week, I'll have a '74 Midget that now resides about 60 miles from . Given the winter temperatures, I'll confront a similar drive to yours - but this one has no heater unit. Brrrr....

Jeff
 
Well done, Trevor. Always nice when the old iron comes to the rescue. :grin:
 
1965 thru 1969 a '61 Bug Eye was my only transportation, South Side of Chicago. Worked as break and front end mechanic in Wiebolt's Auto Center. Had the biggest, best heavy lug snow tires available, with stock tires on front. Front tires would cut thru the snow (without floating), and rear snows would push the 1,300 pound Bug thru anything.

Also the biggest, heaviest Delco battery, R-85 from memory (probably for a monster size Cadillac or Olds 98). At night when the (quite large for the day) shopping center closed, I would make the rounds searching for customers/workers that needed a jump. Often found 2 or 3. I would pull up, offer a jump, many would reply, "With that ?" After I gave them a jump most would happily offer $5, which was real money for the day. As I recall I made about $4 an hour, plus a small percentage of work accomplished. Heater was adequate, but I was always dressed warm anyway - boots, no sissy tennis shoes.

All the while I had my DC powered, 2-speaker, 8-track player playing as loud as it would go. Got drafted in '69, and the Bug Eye and the 8-track went away. Blueghost.
 
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