Pragmatism in Car Repair - Essay Example

?Pragmatic Restoration of a Car Pragmatism is based on the philosophy of science. I have been asked to accept the “inconclusive integrity of experience” (Dewey, 3), but that is difficult because experience always changes. My choice of restoration of a car is a starting point, but is based solely on reflection, not the benefit of experience. “In order to understand the esthetic in its ultimate and approved forms, one must begin with it in the raw…“ (Dewey, 4). Beginning the restoration of any vehicle “in the raw” can be a daunting but rewarding task. The initial problem is simple: finding the right car. The problem with this is trying to find the perfect car to restore at a reasonable cost and distance, although the drive to pick up the new car will be exhilarating in and of itself. Simply knowing what I am in store for makes my heart beat faster. Ultimately, the goal here is to find and restore said car to its original factory condition. Given that, I do not want to start with nothing more than an empty frame, I will need to find the car I want intact, but in need of work. This will give me the opportunity to restore a classic to its original beauty and luster, by my own two hands. The car I have chosen is a 1961 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors. As James said, pragmatism has “…only an attitude of orientation…” which is why I chose this car. The act of restoring a vehicle, namely this one, is reminiscent of a time when life moved more slowly, although I was not around, I have always enjoyed the family stories. As a kid growing up, it was always fun and exciting to watch the gangster movies with their long, low cars that gave the appearance of danger. In a way, I will be able to relive moments in time of which I was not a part. Also, something of great importance in American history is that President John F. Kennedy was riding in a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible limousine when he was shot and killed. Stark history, but it takes me home. The problems that I face in this project are simple, as finding an American car here will likely be more difficult than if I were stateside. Regardless of this, the restoration of a Lincoln is an exciting dream of mine that I will someday be able to fulfill. I have looked into it with vigor and found what I will need to do in order to complete this project with accuracy and pride, which will “…denote the unity of all ideal ends arousing us to desire and actions”, (Dewey, 42) Once the Lincoln I want has been found, I need to be sure that it is worth the asking price, as well as fit with my ideas and budget for the restoration. I must also consider if the condition of the car that I am buying will lend itself to the original restoration I am wanting to do, or if it is so badly beat up, or parts are too sparse, I may want to look elsewhere for another vehicle. This is the best part of the beginning, because the excitement of finding this car is infectious. I can already see myself cruising in it, windows rolled down, arm hanging out the window, very ‘hip’. Once I have the Lincoln at home, the fun would begin. Here I would strongly utilize pragmatism because there are not absolutes in care restoration. There is no state of rest, and practicality is what will allow me to succeed in this quest. I will need to have a space that is at least three times larger than the car itself, as all the parts will easily take up this extra room. The first thing that must be done with a project car is that it must be totally stripped down to the metal, piece by piece; it needs to be raw. This piece-by-piece deconstruction will give me the knowledge of what is still in good working order on the car, what is not, and what I need to find that is not there. It will also tell me a unique story, dreaming that perhaps this car once belonged to a famous gangster, but without the bodies in the trunk. This is important so that reassembly of the car will go easily and smoothly, but also to get to know my car. Each little piece tells a story of its own, its past, its present, its future. Each assemblage has a life of its own, even when it is not moving. If there is a part that I need, often they can be found in a salvage yard or in a classic car parts catalogue. Classic car parts catalogues are a lifesaver for me, as I am sure that finding parts in Ankara will be difficult. Aesthetics will be a key role in this project, as my interaction with this car and its parts will be not only energetic, but intimate as well. Once I have the car totally stripped, depending on the underlying condition of the metal framework and body I will likely need to sand it, sandblast it, or send it off for a chemical dip. Again, even this simple experience of looking at what some would see as a barren wasteland is telling a story. The workmanship and detail that were involved in making this frame and body are like nothing else still seen today. It seems we are too busy to give something the love and compassion that went into this bare body. Once the car is sandblasted and bare, there will likely be some bodywork that needs to be done. There may be dents, rust or even pieces of metal missing from it. Often, many dents can be pulled out using a dent puller, and the rust needs to be ground off so that it will stop spreading. One wonders where this rust came from? Why does it have that dent in the rear quarter? It leaves the mind to wander and wonder what life used to be like. Safety is paramount, yes, but the look and the feel of a beautiful car is like no other experience. To know that you are putting your heart, sweat, blood and tears into what some see as a lifeless machine is like food for the soul. Just like setting out to “understand the flowering of plants…” (Dewey, 4) I am setting out to understand the interactions of this car. Auto body filler is only for small dents that cannot be pulled out and to fill in grinding wells created from removing rust. This will be a very labor-intensive part of the restoration of a vehicle, but well worth the time. Insuring that the body is straight, every panel and door lines up perfectly is paramount to an excellent restoration. This leaves the car not only looking showroom new, but to know that I have accomplished this feat with my own two hands is an incomparable feeling. Once I have the body sandblasted, straightened and ready to be reassembled, I must take a very close look at each of the parts that are going to go back into the car. The primary parts that need very close inspection are the motor, transmission, brakes, suspension and the electrical components. To look closely, feel the smooth metal, not fiberglass, listening to the soft sound of my hand caressing my car is like a dream. Just by looking, does the motor look bad? Are there any noticeable leaks from the head? The camshaft? Crankcase? Oil pan? Looking into this once mighty machine and seeing it raw, vulnerable, dependent on me to fix it, make it whole again, is heartwarming. Once I pull the heads off, I need to look and see if the cylinders are scratched, discolored, broken rings, broken or skewed rods, piston movement and the heads themselves. If I listen closely, the car will tell me where it hurts. If everything looks good, I can ask myself other questions. Do I want to send the motor in to have it stroked and bored? Is the motor I have able to be stroked and bored? If so, how much and how much do I want? Given that I will have a 1961 Lincoln Continental, the motor will easily withstand stroking and boring, as it will, at minimum, have a 430 cubic inch V8. What a roar that will have. Silly young men in their souped up little cars wanting to race at a stop light, thinking, “I can beat that old hunk of junk”; just to find out they are wrong. My hands and heart brought that back to life. Once I have decided on what to do with the motor and have it properly cleaned, fixed and reassembled, I need to look at the transmission. For this, I would take it to a shop to have the inspection and/or repairs done. The suspension is quite easy, as once I have the car sandblasted down I will be able to see any and all cracks, breaks or other discrepancies in the suspension. Even if they seem okay, I would replace the shocks and struts. Yet another band aid for my silent beauty. After a closer inspection of the brakes, drums and calipers, if they were functioning normally I would still replace the brake pads and lines. A nice little face-lift for the inner workings of my charm, don‘t want any harm to come to her or me. Things that others may not see without a closer look, but I know that it is there. Also, when it comes to the electrical, I would go through each individual harness and check for wear, cracks, disconnections and missing wires. Peirce’s notions of fallibilism, semiotics, metaphysics and scholastic realism play a huge role in the electrical system of this car. It was his belief that fallibilism was balanced through anti-skepticism and is the basis for the reality of continuity. Electricity is nothing more than simple continuity that must be watchfully interrupted. Gently pulling the harnesses apart, fingering each one, turning and looking at each wire as though it were a rose petal. Then, everything should work as if it was new. After the long inspection and disassembly comes reassembly. This is a very time consuming, often frustrating step. I must use great caution in reassembly so that I do not damage any new or restored parts of the car. Disassembly is very easy, but putting it back together is not. This will be an incredible test of pragmatism. The time I have spent slowly, gently, lovingly repaired and replaced these parts will sometimes be argumentative. No different from another human being, this car may not want the same things that I do. Although my compassion is showing through in my heart and in this car, she may bite back. I have to be conscious of this, as getting into an argument with a piece of metal is one sided. I will not win. “Whenever a dispute is serious, we ought to be able to show some practical difference that must follow from one side or the other’s being right”, (James, 2). I have to calmly, smoothly work it into place, using tender loving care not to damage it. Once I have everything back together and running, it would be time to put some life back into the interior and give it some paint. Often, in older cars the upholstery and dash materials are haggard and worn from the life they led previously. A young buck, slicked back hair, black leather jacket tearing up the streets of New York. An elderly woman, driving cautiously and quietly to the grocery store. Both dependent on this Lincoln to get them where they wanted to be, without a care of the car. There are car interior kits that are sold with which to do the upholstery yourself, which would be a glorious addition to this luxurious car. To know that I took the time, effort and the patience it would require adding my personal touch. To know every time I drove that the cushions I sat on were molded and sewn by my hand, would be an other worldly experience. When it is time to paint, this is something that I would be honored to do. To see that slick steel frame and body turn from a shiny grey to a pure, pearly white would be like a religious experience. To see that ugly color transformed into a pure beauty, a remarkable work of art. Once I have the opportunity to do this, I know that there will be many things along the way that either excite or frustrate me. I know that subconsciously I will be using epistemology extensively while doing this work, because of the feeling given to the car by myself. “Since the actual work of art is what the product does with and in experience, the result is not favorable to [outside] understanding” (Dewey, 3). Others may gaze at my slick, mean looking car and think something like, “oh, that’s really nice”, but will never understand what they are seeing. The idea of restoring a 1961 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors is an exciting idea that I am looking very forward to. I know that along the way I will make mistakes, likely in the replacing of the parts, because any mechanical restoration has difficulties. I know that it will be a dream of a lifetime to restore my first car, because I know that it is an experience that will never be matched, even if I restore 100 cars. The feelings of love, pride and honor will never be matched in quite the same way again. The first one will always be my best memory. Dewey, John. Art as Experience. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 1934. Print. Dewey, John. A Common Faith. Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1934. Print. James, William. Pragmatism. Publishing in Motion, 2011. Print. Peirce, Charles Sanders. “The Collected Papers Vol. I: Principles of Philosophy.” Textlog 1 (1931). n. pag. Web. 13 May, 2011. Read More