page loaded in 0.078 seconds
| | Site Map | Back Page Art | Back Issues | Privacy and Security | Terms of Use | |
| Home | Features | Articles | Daily Drives | Rear View | Driveway | Directory | Showcase | Classifieds | Store | Games |
|
by Bobby McCarthy
Copyright (c), 2003, My Daily Driver -- All Rights Reserved 
I am not one of these Gray-haired-retirees that buff themselves and their 40-year-old cars to attend a
weekend car event. At the same time, I am not one of those Buzz-cut backward ball cap wearing "dudes"
that are only a stones throw away from puberty. No, I fall somewhere in between. I am not old enough
to have actually owned my vintage car when it was new. However, I was alive when the streets were
littered with brand new Muscle Cars.During the '80's, as some of you know, I performed in a variety of Punk-New Wave-Underground-College type bands. During this decade, owning a classic car was viewed as only owning an "old" car. American iron had lost its luster and was replaced by the BMW's and Porsche's of the world. The '80's are known as the "self-indulgent" decade. Yuppies replaced Hippies, Hondas replaced Fords and Corporate sponsored Pop music replaced Rock 'n Roll. My band mates and I were not part of the Wall Street 1980's, we were completely anti-establishment. We performed generally unpopular music to other disenchanted youths in small smelly dives. We despised anything on the Top 40 and considered anything successful as the enemy. This included the cars we drove. 
Most of my friends who had graduated college and were quickly ascending the Corporate ladder drove
Sirocco's, Audi 5000's, Preludes and the occasional Beamer. I drove a '69 Charger RT. Granted, it
huffed blue smoke and you could ascertain the road condition by looking in the trunk but it had a
definite anti-corporate appeal. My drummer drove a 1970 Fury 2 door that he could fit his entire kit
into the trunk. I had a singer who drove a 1965 Buick Skylark convertible. In addition to my own band,
other musicians, artists and scenesters drove classic cars.Obviously, it was inexpensive to own one of these "old" cars and lets be honest, as a member of the counter-culture, we were all on tight budgets. But, you could buy 5-year-old Honda or Datsun for roughly the same price. It all boiled down to style. You could always spot an imposter or a wanna-be by the vehicle they drove to the Electric Banana, CBGB's or any other alleged establishment showcasing Underground bands. If you pulled up in a late model foreign car, your commitment to the sub-culture was shot to pieces. Now that we have entered the next millenium, I still choose to drive a classic car. My budget isn't nearly as tight as back in the day and to be honest, we are a two-car family. But, whether it's commuting to work or heading out for the evening, I always reach for the "Dart Swinger" key fob. I guess I'm still a card caring anti-establishment member. Right-on. 
page loaded in 0.078 seconds
|