So...it's a lovely warm sunny day here in beautiful British Columbia. My wife is away....and I was bored.
You've all heard me ranting about my '75 Criterion. I haven't been its biggest fan lately. It's rusted out, the floor is rotten, it has electrical issues, the spare tire door is stuck shut, the exhaust system is shot.....and so on. There have been a few times when I've been tempted to light the !@#$% thing on fire, just to enjoy the flames. I've spent a lot of time second-guessing my decision to buy her.
But, as I said, I was bored. Idiot that I am, this ambulance is fully insured for daily driving, despite the fact that she hasn't moved in months.. I figured..."What the heck. It starts, it steers, it stops (I hope. At least it did last time I drove it). I'm going to take the old girl down to the carwash and treat her to a hose-down. Ya never know. I might find some more rust to grumble about."
So I checked her fluids, fired her up, let her warm up for a few minutes as I checked the turn signals and brake lights, made sure I had my cell phone and credit card in case I needed to call a tow truck, tested the brakes in the driveway....and headed out on the road.
Now, the exhaust in this old girl has more holes than you can count, so I flicked the power window switches and down the windows went. Good ol' flow-through ventilation. The factory AM-FM radio works fine, so I dialed up my favorite classic rock station and cranked the volume. The car wash is about a mile from my home, and while I was driving, I couldn't help but notice how smooth the ride was and how well it steered. I had to cross a couple of speed bumps and she just floated over them. She was loud because of the bad exhaust, but when I gave the gas pedal a good push, that big ol' 500 c.i. engine just dug in and took off like she was born to race.
I pulled into the car wash (It's one of the "pay'n'spray" types) and loaded the machine with coins. This is the first time I've power-washed her, and the grime of 14 years of neglect by the previous owner started to fall off. Her paint is faded and rusty, but as I worked my way around her, admiring the dedication of the talented folks who had built her so long ago, I could imagine her previous glory. I thought about her history, and how many lives she'd help to save. I thought about the EMTs and Paramedics who had worked in her over the years (including PCS member Terry Lange). I hoped they were all still around and doing well.
As I scrubbed, paying attention for the first time to some of the tiny details, about a dozen people had gathered around to look at her as I worked. I didn't notice them at first. My eyes were blurry from the tears pouring down my face. Her history was talking to me....and I was listening.
Today was a day of change.....a change that can never be undone.
I'm in love with my Criterion. There are no issues that cannot be fixed with a little time, effort and money. She'll be back in top shape...whatever it takes. For all those people who are living and breathing today because of her, she deserves more than a rusty grave.
...and we're going for an even longer drive next weekend!
You've all heard me ranting about my '75 Criterion. I haven't been its biggest fan lately. It's rusted out, the floor is rotten, it has electrical issues, the spare tire door is stuck shut, the exhaust system is shot.....and so on. There have been a few times when I've been tempted to light the !@#$% thing on fire, just to enjoy the flames. I've spent a lot of time second-guessing my decision to buy her.
But, as I said, I was bored. Idiot that I am, this ambulance is fully insured for daily driving, despite the fact that she hasn't moved in months.. I figured..."What the heck. It starts, it steers, it stops (I hope. At least it did last time I drove it). I'm going to take the old girl down to the carwash and treat her to a hose-down. Ya never know. I might find some more rust to grumble about."
So I checked her fluids, fired her up, let her warm up for a few minutes as I checked the turn signals and brake lights, made sure I had my cell phone and credit card in case I needed to call a tow truck, tested the brakes in the driveway....and headed out on the road.
Now, the exhaust in this old girl has more holes than you can count, so I flicked the power window switches and down the windows went. Good ol' flow-through ventilation. The factory AM-FM radio works fine, so I dialed up my favorite classic rock station and cranked the volume. The car wash is about a mile from my home, and while I was driving, I couldn't help but notice how smooth the ride was and how well it steered. I had to cross a couple of speed bumps and she just floated over them. She was loud because of the bad exhaust, but when I gave the gas pedal a good push, that big ol' 500 c.i. engine just dug in and took off like she was born to race.
I pulled into the car wash (It's one of the "pay'n'spray" types) and loaded the machine with coins. This is the first time I've power-washed her, and the grime of 14 years of neglect by the previous owner started to fall off. Her paint is faded and rusty, but as I worked my way around her, admiring the dedication of the talented folks who had built her so long ago, I could imagine her previous glory. I thought about her history, and how many lives she'd help to save. I thought about the EMTs and Paramedics who had worked in her over the years (including PCS member Terry Lange). I hoped they were all still around and doing well.
As I scrubbed, paying attention for the first time to some of the tiny details, about a dozen people had gathered around to look at her as I worked. I didn't notice them at first. My eyes were blurry from the tears pouring down my face. Her history was talking to me....and I was listening.
Today was a day of change.....a change that can never be undone.
I'm in love with my Criterion. There are no issues that cannot be fixed with a little time, effort and money. She'll be back in top shape...whatever it takes. For all those people who are living and breathing today because of her, she deserves more than a rusty grave.
...and we're going for an even longer drive next weekend!
We've all been there at one time or another with our cars. I've had many occasions where I've wanted to set one of mine on fire and roll it down a hill or throw a stick of dynamite under the seat and run!:gun1: But after a little time, and some persuasion from other PCS'ers I got past it worked on the car some more and things turned out pretty well.
Thank for sharing your story with us!