A somewhat embarrassing old car moment

Here’s a grab-shot of the Buick on the road in front of a weathered barn I found while taking a drive. If you look closely, you can just see the white cable ties on the rearview mirror. Photos by author.

“Don’t worry we’ll take the Buick,” I said with false confidence while keeping my typical trepidation to myself. As my cars get older, I generate more concern regarding the embarrassment that would result from one of them breaking down. Possibly it’s because their age draws more attention than the usual 15-year-old rusty sedans and pickups that are normally seen on the side of the road awaiting the tow hook. Or maybe it’s just me getting older, since my anxiety thus far is unfounded, as my 1967 Buick GS 400 has been reliable since its return to driver status.

It also periodically serves second-car duty, meaning it’s the only other one besides our 2010 GMC Terrain family vehicle that’s driveable right now. Everything else is an unfinished project. So when the GMC needs servicing or repairs, the Buick is called upon to provide transportation until it’s finished.

Spring had literally just arrived in mid-April in Western Pennsylvania when the Terrain required some underhood attention that went beyond the typical driveway servicing. The only appointment we could get was on a weekend when many other things were happening that required a car. Now you’re caught up to the opening quote of this story.

Offering the Buick up to function as the primary car for a couple days also motivated me to check its fluid levels, change any that were due and basically give it a once-over to make sure it was running, driving and stopping as it should. Fortunately no problems were detected. Nevertheless, I still took it on a 25 mile-or-so round trip, prior to bringing the SUV in, just to make sure.

With the help of my kids, we also cleaned it inside and out so it would look its best. Soon thereafter, it was ready to do what it was originally built for in 1967. Provide stylish, moderately quick transportation for its owner…and family.

We dropped off the GMC and a few hours later I’d have to use the Buick to take my teenage son and his friend to a school function. It would be the first time anyone who wasn’t a family member would be in the car. Though the interior isn’t perfect, it’s clean and presentable and the vehicle was running well, so I was optimistic that it would provide a positive first impression.

I hopped in the driver’s seat and my son was in the passenger seat. I started the engine and then reached up to adjust its NOS inside rearview mirror and it came off in my hand. Yes, you read that right. Like something out of a 1970s B-movie car chase, a piece of the car fell off in my hand.

In my defense, its design isn’t the best to begin with—a plastic-backed mirror that is glued to the narrow perimeter of a chromed backing plate. The first indication of its lacking design was the fact that it was already apart in the box when I got it and it hadn’t even been installed in a car yet! I had scuffed the metal edges and plastic to rough up surfaces and glued the mirror back together about two years ago, and it lasted until this moment.

Now it was in my hand and I had no time to glue it back on and wait for it to dry, because I had to pick up my son’s friend and get them to their destination. I didn’t want to drive the car without the mirror for safety reasons and because it just looked terrible.

Here’s the temporary fix up close. It isn’t brain surgery but it’s functional.

My quick and dirty fix was to cable-tie it back on again. Does it look good? Nope. Does it look better than no mirror? Yes. Does it work like it should? Yes.

Fortunately, everyone got to where they needed to be and there’s no word as to whether or not my temporary fix was noticed. The Buick didn’t break down and we got the GMC serviced and returned, so now I can perform a more lasting and less obvious fix for the mirror.

Like SNL’s Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, “It’s always something. If it ain’t one thing it’s another.” You either have your vintage car break down while driving it around with your kid and his friend in it or the rearview mirror falls off in your hand just before leave for that ride.

Do you recall any embarrassing stories about your car that you are willing to share? This stuff can’t only happen to me.