Many of you know that my husband and I “do” old cars, specifically Model A Fords. Built by Henry Ford in 1928, 29, 30, &31, they are classic, fun to drive, and so simple to work on. And we work on them a lot. So I know a little bit about “car anatomy” of these classic cars, which are way less complicated than today’s computerized monstrosities. As a result of this hobby, I find myself using car analogies when I talk to clients about their pets. For example, for lameness, I look at the toe nails like I would tire tread to look for odd wear patterns.
Body systems of Cars and Animals:
Dermal system– This is obviously the painted sheet metal. Some car owners get really fussy about their paint job. Others just want it not to rust too badly. We even call rust spots “cancer”. So it needs some care like washing and waxing. “Wax on, wax off”, kind of like a cat licking itself or bathing a dog. Fortunately for pets, their skin heals on its own. Hail damage or a dented sheet metal doesn’t heal itself. Fortunately for cars, there aren’t “car fleas”. I think of the tires like feet with sneakers on, or maybe more like stiletto heels when we use those skinny tires with tubes. And if the tires aren’t aligned right, we call it “toeing in “or “toeing out”. Imagine the way a bull dog walks “toe in”, or a dachshund with crooked legs walks “toe out”.
Skeletal system– The frame (or chassis) is like an animal’s bones which support the rest of the car body (unlike today’s “unibody” cars). The “joints” of a car are very like out joints- they need lubrication and can wear out. Car joints can be replaced, but then so can some dog joints. We give the cars a shot of grease when they get creaky and we give pain medicine to arthritic dog. And the steering and braking were all mechanical back in the 30s, so you have to really stomp on those brakes, and your arms can get tired after fighting that steering wheel after a long day’s drive. Fatigued and broken metal frames can be welded instead of pinned or cast in plaster. Actually, many Model A bodies are partially wood instead of all metal.
Circulatory system (heart & blood)– This would be the engine with oil and coolant. The radiator would be like the capillaries & sweat glands in the skin to help cooling, (dogs and cat don’t really “sweat” through their skin), but they do pant or radiate on their foot pads, nose & ears. Standard Model As do not have a pressurized coolant system, and you can actually read the engine temp on the thermometer that looks like hood ornament on the radiator cap. I wish cats had a pop out thermometer so I wouldn’t have to take it rectally. Sometimes when I see an anemic dog, I say they are a “quart low. “ And I often compare a spleen to an oil filter, because it filters blood.
Respiratory system– The nose would be like intake manifold, the lungs are like the carburetors because Model As are air-aspirated (no fuel injection back in 1930). The carburetor mixes the air with the gasoline and feeds it to the engine. This is really important when we go into the mountains where the air is thinner. At least we can manually” adjust” the carburetor, unlike a dog or cat. They just breathe harder until their bodies adjust to the altitude. One different is a dog bark or cat meow is air driven, while the famous “ahooga” horn is purely electrical. Low voltage car, sad sounding horn.
Gastrointestinal system– This is where the fuel goes, but gas instead of kibble. Buy crummy gas, have poor running car. So I guess the muffler is “you know what”. I don’t know of any “prescription” fuels, but they definitely come in different grades based on Octane. My husband, in the petroleum industry, swears all “gasoline” is the same, but the additive packages in different brands make a huge difference on the lifetime of an engine, which makes him a gas “snob”, just like some pet owners are with pet food labels. Back in 1930, these cars could run on just about anything, even moonshine. Some dogs and cats seem to get by with low quality food, where others need the expensive stuff.
Nervous system (brain & spinal nerves)– the electrical system. Now in the stock Model A, you find a 6 V system instead of 12V. Many of us have upgraded to a more standard and more powerful 12V, so we have brighter lights, modern batteries and alternators. No computers or fancy sensors back in 1930. You get a mechanical “speedo” with odometer, a fuel gauge that floats in the tank and points vaguely to your level (located just behind the engine basically over your lap), and a dash light bulb that you have to turn on to use. Does that make the headlights like eyes? I often compare the eye’s cornea to a windshield and the eyelids to windshield washers. Model A don’t have windshield washing systems, with solutions. We get out and wash them by hand, and use a lot of Rainex.
For electrical things to work right, those wires have to be intact, no electrical shorts. Kind of like a dachshund that is down in the back. And if you pull the master fuse on a Model A, it is like a dog fainting. No signals going anywhere. I don’t think cars “seizure”, but when they sputter, it sure feels like it.
Cars can “store” electrical energy in the battery. Dogs and cats store biochemical energy in their fat. Some store a lot more than others.
Endocrine and Immune systems– I read in on a woman’s auto repair site, that modern on-board computers and sensors are the like endocrine and immune systems. I am sure glad dogs and cats have them, but there is nothing like that in an old Model A. We rely on traveling in groups to help when we have “unscheduled roadside seminars” (aka breakdowns). Imagine a hyperactive Cabriolet with hyperthyroidism, or a sluggish Phaeton with hypothryoidism! A diabetic Woody Station Wagon? What about a moody Coupe “in heat”? But it sure would be handy to leave two cars in the garage together, and come back to find a little baby Roadster!
Come out the Pate Car Swap Meet this weekend (April 25-17, 2019) at Texas Motor Speedway to see the shrine of the rusty old car part and classic automobile. Admission is free, but parking is $5. And yes, my husband will be there, working for the Model A Club. AAhhooogggaaaa!
See you down the road.
