Just a little story of a night with driving lights,
Late September a warm summer night.
The sun had gone down and the stars came out in Central Oregon, God's
country my dad used to call it.
I had had a great run that day coming up over the Old McKenzie Pass,
Sparky and I had run out on the way up the old highway, whizzing around
corners and kicking it up, you know, up hill stuff when the road is a
little forgiving and it is so easy to bailout if things get a little
squirrelly. I mean, boy his wife was so pizzed she didn't even get out
of the car at the top.
But I digress, this story is about driving lights.
Anyway after a late day goodbye I parted with my pals, as I, was not
willing to drive into the sunset for two hours on the trip back home to
the Valley and Eugene, Oregon.
As the sun set I prepared to make the solitary journey home, since it
was late summer not many cars were on the road that night.
I had the top down. A medium windbreaker style cost zipped to my chin,
why am I telling you this, because this particular 2000 of mine has no
heater. Never mind about the heater this is about driving lights right?
To compliment the windbreaker I had on one of those ski bands that you
see on the slopes, a pair of medium ski gloves and my clear night
driving safety glasses (long hair - smoker). This was going to be a
short up and long mostly down hill trip, at night, deer, cops, danger!
Blackie as I affectionatly call her is a 1970 model 2000 LHD SU "mostly
stock" de-smogged Roadster.
The driving lights, ah I have finally arrived, are round with Chrome
Back - Yellow Lens, Fog, 1974 Japanese of origin from a defunct company
that I could find no reference or little on. Hooked right up to the
light switch, I always have wanted to use that function of a late model,
turn it a click. Took about five minutes to install them.
Big round yellow things! Yellow! What with all the Orange on the 70s you
know big orange turn indicators and orange side indicators. Yea a 70,
the ugly duckling of the roadster run, the last, but surly, arguably,
not the best.
I figure a 70 has everything right?, door buzzer! And can you believe of
all the things that quite working on our cars that the damn buzzer still
works how utterly irritating!
So what the heck I think, it's got enough junk up front why not a little
more.
Well that night I was blessed with having that junk up front, because I
had the ride of a lifetime. A lifetime you ask? Yes a lifetime next year
I will celebrate 30 years of owning a running driving roadster!
(mostly..)
Downhill, at night, top down, late summer, 2000 purring like a kitten, I
mean running the best you have ever had a 2000 run! High beams on, and
those big yellow fog lights kicking out a glow that opened up the
shadows along that 2 lane highway.
Ever heard "So Hot I couldn't keep my foot out of it" well man that was
it, so fast that I dared not look down to a dimly light gauge array, but
the road, it was unbelievable!! and after about 45 - 60 minutes of this,
me and the road and the car all alone, and I mean not another car in
sight, coming or going.
And then after all that glorious time lights in the far distance slowing
gaining on me, slowly.
It was a late model T-Bird turbo type and a guy who was just as crazy as
me, he passed me you know, I let him, what a fool!
For the next 45 minutes I used his bravado and additional headlight
coverage from his bights to hang on to his tail as he blazed the way!
He was trying to get away from me I guess, and I had turned off my high
beams, to be polite you know, he'd pull away a little on the straight a
ways, but as soon as the road got twisty again I'd catch back up and be
right on his tail, God I love those Yoko's I got from Sean.
I backed off as we approached the city limits and that was a good
decision, for after running so hot, for so long, by taking it cool
through town, I negotiated a least a dozen different cops sitting and
waiting, I guess they never got a T-Bird but they didn't get me either!.
What I will remember most of that night? Those big yellow fog lights and
their glow as I sailed solo down a very fast road.
September 2002
See you on the Road !!
robbpynes@continet.com
U20 Bombers (Datsun Roadster Club)
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