And they became only slightly less pitiful even after they started making halogen versions with a capsule enclosed inside the fixture.
But then the DOT has always been, and still lives in the stone age when it comes to lighting regulations.
Old Auto Tech That You LIKE?
- Thread starter Jay Freddy
- Start date
And they became only slightly less pitiful even after they started making halogen versions with a capsule enclosed inside the fixture.
But then the DOT has always been, and still lives in the stone age when it comes to lighting regulations.
twouvakind
Site Donor 2025
A lever on the steering column put the vehicle in or out of gear, not turn the wipers on or off.
Airplanes used to have ashtrays.
I've said this before on similar threads: Cornering Lights.
As for roll up windows, not missed by me. I was 17 and driving my fathers 1972 Ford Galaxie 500 4 door hardtop with roll up windows, the drivers window was whistling and I tried to crank it closed, and the pot metal cast handle snapped and split my index finger apart. Blood all over the place, as I drove to work at the Chevron service station. So that's why I don't like the manual windows.
As for roll up windows, not missed by me. I was 17 and driving my fathers 1972 Ford Galaxie 500 4 door hardtop with roll up windows, the drivers window was whistling and I tried to crank it closed, and the pot metal cast handle snapped and split my index finger apart. Blood all over the place, as I drove to work at the Chevron service station. So that's why I don't like the manual windows.
I like the foot-operated washer fluid pumps that some older cars had. You could get the windshield wet and avoid the wipers scraping over a crusty and dry windshield. Of course, many electronically controlled pumps delay the wiping action until the windshield has been soaked.
A proper manually activated handbrake
Proper locks on both front doors and trunk/hatch
Trafditoional ignition l,ock and key
A manually unlocking gas flap
A proper antenna - even a short roof antenna beats a windshield or back window antenna
Full-size spare tire
CD changer or even CD player
The teen in me misses louvers and windsplits!
A proper manually activated handbrake
Proper locks on both front doors and trunk/hatch
Trafditoional ignition l,ock and key
A manually unlocking gas flap
A proper antenna - even a short roof antenna beats a windshield or back window antenna
Full-size spare tire
CD changer or even CD player
The teen in me misses louvers and windsplits!
And hair? Mine does.I like the foot-operated washer fluid pumps that some older cars had. You could get the windshield wet and avoid the wipers scraping over a crusty and dry windshield. Of course, many electronically controlled pumps delay the wiping action until the windshield has been soaked.
A proper manually activated handbrake
Proper locks on both front doors and trunk/hatch
Trafditoional ignition l,ock and key
A manually unlocking gas flap
A proper antenna - even a short roof antenna beats a windshield or back window antenna
Full-size spare tire
CD changer or even CD player
The teen in me misses louvers and windsplits!
similar to what several others have said:
Glass headlamp lenses( not too concerned with sealed beam vs Capsule)
Wing Vent windows
crotch vent ( though i Do like the Ventilated Seats in my Uncle's Lincolns)
BENCH SEATS! ( miss being able to have my Girl cozy up to me while Driving)
I miss the utility of an ashtray ( someplace to put change and what not, that can "hide away" in the dash) even though i no longer smoke.
my First car, Grandpa's '87 Olds 98 had at least 4 ash trays( dash, Passenger, and both back door armrests), each with their own pop up lighters.
Spare Tires. current car only has an inflator with sealant. ( which reminds me, it's been 5 years since i bought the car, need to replace the expired sealant canister)
one thing specific to that Olds.. Secondary Accelerator pedal on the left (Grandpa's Right leg was amputated)...though... it did potentially cause the "accident" it had.
Took it in for Tires, and the kid must have thought that 3rd pedal was a Clutch... he drove it straight into the brick Column between the bays.. bent the Front end, Cracked the Rad, etc. ( they paid to have it fixed. frame shop and all) during which repair, the body shop removed the secondary gas pedal.
That left pedal came in handy when i broke my right leg. asked the Doc, if I could drive since my car already had the equipment, he said, " if your car is equipped, have at it!"
OH! something else from that olds I miss... Fiber optic Light indicators on the Fenders and back of the inside of the Roof. easy way to tell if you had a bulb out.
Glass headlamp lenses( not too concerned with sealed beam vs Capsule)
Wing Vent windows
crotch vent ( though i Do like the Ventilated Seats in my Uncle's Lincolns)
BENCH SEATS! ( miss being able to have my Girl cozy up to me while Driving)
I miss the utility of an ashtray ( someplace to put change and what not, that can "hide away" in the dash) even though i no longer smoke.
my First car, Grandpa's '87 Olds 98 had at least 4 ash trays( dash, Passenger, and both back door armrests), each with their own pop up lighters.
Spare Tires. current car only has an inflator with sealant. ( which reminds me, it's been 5 years since i bought the car, need to replace the expired sealant canister)
one thing specific to that Olds.. Secondary Accelerator pedal on the left (Grandpa's Right leg was amputated)...though... it did potentially cause the "accident" it had.
Took it in for Tires, and the kid must have thought that 3rd pedal was a Clutch... he drove it straight into the brick Column between the bays.. bent the Front end, Cracked the Rad, etc. ( they paid to have it fixed. frame shop and all) during which repair, the body shop removed the secondary gas pedal.
That left pedal came in handy when i broke my right leg. asked the Doc, if I could drive since my car already had the equipment, he said, " if your car is equipped, have at it!"
OH! something else from that olds I miss... Fiber optic Light indicators on the Fenders and back of the inside of the Roof. easy way to tell if you had a bulb out.
Last edited:
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
I will certainly take today's auto A/C systems + just about any of the new coolant products as of late, over the constantly leaking and easily breaking A/C systems of the past.
stick shift and a carburetor == pop starts, baby!!
You're likely right, but my night vision was definitely better back then.
I had Cibies in my '71 Corolla. Part of the appeal of sealed beams is that they're relatively easy to upgrade.
As well, I associate cars of that era with simpler wiring - if I known then what I know now, I would have run heavier gauge wires in parallel to minimize the voltage drop. Maybe even a relay controlled by the headlight switch. Reduced lifespan, but replacement sealed beams were cheap. The newer cars are too crowded under the hood for me to consider that sort of upgrade.
- Joined
- May 31, 2024
- Messages
- 323
Good memory - but it was the washers - that was the Beetle of the 60s.
They also had manually adjustable brakes, no problems with self adjusters not working?
Phew, that's not nearly as bad. I imagined driving through pouring rain for two hours, deflating the spare, losing the wipers, and then getting a flat.
- Joined
- May 31, 2024
- Messages
- 323
The vacuum wipers were really bad.
A friend had an old Scout with those, they would pretty much stop when he accelerated for any length of time.
Precisely.
Digressing in some cases from "tech," per se:
A plethora of buttons, each possessing high-quality haptic feedback. Unfortunately the recent trend is toward poorly integrated, oversized grease pads with gloss black bezels that scratch easily and look terrible under direct light.
Car designs that don't make wheels of less than 18" diameter look undersized.
Glass headlight assemblies.
High-quality cloth seating material.
Port fuel injection, mitigating engine NVH at idle and generating far less cancer-causing particulate matter in the exhaust stream.
A plethora of buttons, each possessing high-quality haptic feedback. Unfortunately the recent trend is toward poorly integrated, oversized grease pads with gloss black bezels that scratch easily and look terrible under direct light.
Car designs that don't make wheels of less than 18" diameter look undersized.
Glass headlight assemblies.
High-quality cloth seating material.
Port fuel injection, mitigating engine NVH at idle and generating far less cancer-causing particulate matter in the exhaust stream.
Floor mounted dimmer switch. 3 on the tree. Only 1 coil that rarely failed.
The much-loved BSV.
Some of the stuff from my past E39, to me the perfect balance of new age and classic:
1) A real key
2) Real e-brake handle
3) Simple HVAC rotary knobs
4) A manual transmission
1) A real key
2) Real e-brake handle
3) Simple HVAC rotary knobs
4) A manual transmission
Owen Lucas
$100 Site Donor 2023
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2021
- Messages
- 3,221
I think they still do in airplane bathrooms, IIRC on the bathroom door.
