I could not agree with you more- If you're a pilot, then fly the damned thing! I own two Citroen Traction Avants. Front wheel drive, no power anything. Fun, but power steering might help when parallel parking and the back window is so small you really need an LSO to guide you. (sorry, I'm ex-Navy) David Beckham came to Toronto when the Toronto Football club was starting up. He wouldn't play on the pitch because there was to much gravel to suit him. The whole attitude was "aren't you a professional?" He lost a lot of fans that day.
A Cord a pig to drive? You know, I think it really, really depends on what you're used to. My friend "Old Joe" said he loved the thing.
I can see how someone who learned to drive on a modern vehicle with power steering, power brakes, automatic transmission and so forth would have a problem if they were dropped in a pre-war car. It's kind of like modern day pilots who try out WW2 or earlier vintage aircraft. They usually are in for a shock. About ten years ago I read a story of a West Coast millionare who recovered and had restored a Messerschmitt 109. As he was an ex-Navy F-14 pilot he figured an Me-109 would be no problem.
Well, he said the Me-109 was "a snake!" A real handful to fly, called for constant attention and woudn't fly hands-off at all. He sold it to an air museum who's pilots have quite a bit of experience in WW2 aircraft, and those gents said it's just fine, no problem for them. By the way, my brother who's an ex Air Force helicopter pilot (and still flys them) has NO sympathy for pilots who complain an airplane won't fly hands off. "So what! Helicopters don't fly hands-off! If you can't live without an E-Z Fly button what's that say about you?"
Like everything else, it all depends on what you're used to and what you expect. Sometimes it's too much.
Everyone that I've talked to who owns a Cord says that they're real pigs to drive. V-8 in the front with no power steering or brakes. So what? I still want one! Did you know that the Cord transmission was used in the Tucker? I want one of those, too.
I worked with a gent who owned a Cord in 1941, bought it second-hand from the original owner who didn't care for it. He (my co-worker) enjoyed it tremendously until December 7, 1941. Since he knew he was going in to the service, and realistically didn't know if he'd come back, he sold the Cord and gave the money to his parents.
Luckily, he survived the war. As he told me, "I should have put it on blocks for the duration, but who knew? Sure wish I had it now!"
Big Boys remind me of Cord automobiles. They didn't make very many of either, but there's sure a lot of them around today. A good thing!
A minor update regarding the possible restoration of Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 #4014. Trains News Wire reports that Ed Dickens, of UP's steam program, has postponed his appearance at the Southern California Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society's annual meeting on February 23rd. The society owns #4014 and Dickens was to provide the latest regarding the two's ongoing discussions of UP's interest in acquiring the Big Boy. His visit has been set for a later date not yet announced.AHH NOTHING BUT , it good because if it was going south or they had moved on to the 4018 or 4023 or any of the other big boys he wouldnt have postponed it
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