The Field Car was a beater. It was a 1971 Maverick, which I bought in 1980
while in college. It wasn't really a beater then, but it didn't take me long
to turn it into one. With dedication and determination, any car can be
turned into a beater in a matter of months.
The transformation on the Maverick began when my room mate Tim came home
with me for the weekend, and I had to repair the fences around the horse
pasture. My parents left for the day, and we didn't want to carry fence
wire, tools, and extra posts around a 200 acre pasture, so we put it all in
my car and headed out. All was well for the most part, until we got bored
and decided to see how well the Maverick would take the hills. The
educational opportunities in this type of exercise cannot be overstated. Not
only did we get most of the fences fixed that weekend, but we learned how to
replace shock absorbers, too! We could have learned to do some body and
paint work as well, but we decided that the little scratches and dings just
added character to the car. Tim dubbed it the "Field Car," a name that has
stuck with the Maverick ever since.
Beatership wasn't bestowed upon the Field Car all at once. Sometimes days or
even weeks would go by without it acquiring a single new distinguishing
feature. Then just when it seemed like progress had stalled, an opportunity
for further customization would present itself, although I seldom recognized
it as such until after the fact. The distinctive markings on the roof of the
car for example came about when Tim and I were on our way to meet some
friends and didn't want to wait for a train. When we saw the lights start
flashing at a crossing up ahead, we were sure we could safely beat the
on-coming train. Indeed, we beat the train with a hundred yards to spare. It
was the descending barrier that proved to be the real challenge. We actually
did beat it... mostly.
As with most Fords in those days, the Maverick's starter solenoid was
mounted on the inside of the fender, next to the battery. These solenoids
were a common point of failure. This wasn't too much of a problem, because
one can bypass the solenoid by positioning a screwdriver across two contact
points on these devices, thereby starting the car. This was a great source
of amusement for those of us who know how to take advantage of the
situation. If for example my friend Mike and I were leaving a convenience
store and noticed several people milling around, we would dash out like we
were being pursued by the devil himself.
"Hey! where's Tom with the get-away car?!"
"That dip-stick must have gotten scared and ran!"
"We'll have to steal one of these cars! Quick - jump in that Maverick and
get behind the wheel - I'll hotwire it from under the hood!"
Mike would get in the car, put the key in the ignition and turn it on. The
car wouldn't start that way, but with the key in the "on" position I could
start it from under the hood with my Buck knife. Then I'd slam the hood,
jump in the car, and we'd squeal away. The looks of dumb-struck amazement on
the faces of the passers-by were priceless. It's a good thing cell phones
were not yet in use, or we'd have been arrested for stealing my own car.
One of the advantages to driving a beater is the fact that you have less to
lose in a collision than someone with a newer car. This fact hadn't dawned
on the driver of a Mustang one evening when Tim and I and two red-heads were
driving down the highway. After he cut us off, the "ladies" let fly with a
few choice words and some non-verbal hand gestures. I guess he took offense,
because he started swerving into my lane, trying to force me into on-coming
traffic. He was driving what appeared to be a brand new Mustang with a
shiny, silver metallic paint job. I was driving the Field Car. I said, "If
he swerves into this lane again, everyone hang on!"
Tim said, "Um... Joe? What exactly are you going to do?"
READ THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://www.authspot.com/Short-Stories/Driving-a-Beater-Car.84302
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Poor Old Charlie's Wake
http://tinyurl.com/2g8h44
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