I remember when cars had...

[Chris142]

I remember laying over the fender to put points in my Chevelle.

 

[Chris142]

Vacuum operated windshield wipers. Metal dashboards. Bias ply tires. 13-15 inch wheels. No seat belts. No pollution devices. FM radios that were optional and cost extra.

The wipers on my scout would stop when you stepped on the gas.

 

[FordMan59]

The wipers on my scout would stop when you stepped on the gas.

Yep, that's the way they worked. The rain was supposed to slack up every time you had to accelerate.

 

[Shel_B]

Many things, but gas fillers behind the license plates comes to the forefront of my mind.

Well, there were gas fillers hidden behind taillight lenses as well.

Does anyone remember having a windshield that would open with a crank or a lever? My uncle and dad each had pre-WWII Dodges that would do that.

Optional turn signals ... often as an aftermarket add-on?

Mohair upholstery?

Oil bath air cleaners?

Nylon bias-ply tires (ka-thump, ka-thump)

 

[Variant_S]

A choke knob on the dash.

An overdrive knob on the dash.

 

[K-Man]

I remember that too. My dad had a '61 Ford Falcon with a 144 CI inline 6 cylinder with 3 on the tree as the first car I remember him owning. When he traded it off it had 77,777.7 miles on it as he pulled it onto the lot where he traded it. It had already been rebuilt once and needed it again.

I remember my dad rebuilding the Powerglide transmission in his '66 Chevelle wagon. The car did not have 100,000 miles at the time.

Lots of parts are far more durable now. That brings me to my contribution:

Radiator hoses and belts that had to be replaced every year because they were junk.

 

[FordMan59]

I remember on the MG Midget I had back in the early '80's when you wanted to use the heat you had to open a valve under the hood to allow the coolant to flow through the heater core.

 

[grisby]

Interior room and trunk space.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Glass headlights.

 

[55hambone]

Room in the engine compartment to work. I had an uncle who was about 5' tall that was a Ford mechanic. I remember him standing in the engine compartment, working on a truck engine. Back then if you dropped a wrench it would hit the ground, not get lost under the hood.

 

[BHopkins]

• Radios with vacuum tubes. You didn't want to leave the radio on with the engine off for too long.
• Vents on the driver and passenger
• Generators instead of alternators.
• Two speed automatic transmissions
• 6 volt electrical systems

 

[Tdbo]

Actual chrome bumpers, which could take a moderate thump, instead of plastic or metal color keyed bumpers which require painting if scratched (at least, if you want the car to look decent.)

 

[Dave Sherman]

I remember on the MG Midget I had back in the early '80's when you wanted to use the heat you had to open a valve under the hood to allow the coolant to flow through the heater core.

Yep! I have one! Always wondered why they couldn't put a cable and a pull handle on the dash to control the valve, but instead make you get out, pop the hood, and turn the valve.

 

[himemsys]

Cigarette lighters and ashtrays.
non-retractable antennas
curb feelers
fake spare tire humps on the trunk lid

edit:
push button radio station presets that are set by pulling out the button
8-track and cassette players

 

[TCL]

Actual chrome bumpers, which could take a moderate thump, instead of plastic or metal color keyed bumpers which require painting if scratched (at least, if you want the car to look decent.)

Chrome Antennas, non powered type that you pushed down into the fender.
Also, floor vents that you opened by pulling on a handle.

 

[bcossa2020]

Push button AM only radios....non tilt steering...lap belts only....no inertia reels on seat belts...

 

[TCL]

Push button AM only radios....non tilt steering...lap belts only....no inertia reels on seat belts...

No Headrests and all metal dashboards...

 

[KS-Ryan]

...Stripped out cars/trucks that had no a/c, p/s or radios. (I bought a 1996 Toyota Tacoma like this brand new when I was 17.)

...4 speed manual transmissions and 5 speeds were an "option".

...Base pickup trucks that didn't come with a rear bumper.

 

[NitroM3]

Real keys I am old enough to remember those lol. Plenty of older stuff too I wish we still had. Stuff like manual transmissions which may still be made but are rare these days. And other stuff too like analog gauges.

No no no no, what you remember is when "your moma" gave you those different colored rubber keys when you were teething as a baby.

 

[NitroM3]

Here one, real analog gauges, specifically the big old console Vacuum gauge that said POWER and Economy and was all color scaled.