Things you had to do to old cars that you don't have to anymore with newer cars. Go!

1) Mix up anti-freeze 25 qt. at a time. (cooling systems were much bigger in olden times)

Favorite vanished feature: A radio antenna which you pushed down fully for anti-vandalism and car washes.
You got a key shaped tool which was a hook.
The tip of the antenna had a hole for that hook. You pulled it up.
Easy, fast, cheap to manufacture (no motorization).
 
A bit of my childhood was spent in the waiting rooms of Car-X or Midas, so I'd say changing the exhaust system. I've only had to change the exhaust system out of need 1-2 times in my lifetime. Maybe it's emission controls or better coating, but it's just not needed like it was on 60's and 70's cars and trucks.

I'd also say the weatherstrip and outside rubber is of much better quality than it used to be, so belt molding and weatherstrip is seldom an issue for the last 20+ years.
 
Dad’s was a 327 with the Powerglide. In today’s age of CVT and 10-speed transmissions a two speed seems almost unbelievable.
The "Slip 'n' Slide" Powerglide was almost indestructible though.

Way back in the day I talked with the owner of a small indy transmission shop who told me that if the PG were the AT made, he would be out of business.
 
A bit of my childhood was spent in the waiting rooms of Car-X or Midas, so I'd say changing the exhaust system. I've only had to change the exhaust system out of need 1-2 times in my lifetime. Maybe it's emission controls or better coating, but it's just not needed like it was on 60's and 70's cars and trucks.
Leaded gas had two "scavenger" chemicals that existed to get the lead out of the engine. They worked but were horribly corrosive to exhaust parts.

The EPA also required catalytic converters to have a lengthy integrity warranty, so OEs figured out how to make stainless exhausts.
 
Tech and auto maintenance sure has changed over the years. Tell us some of the changes you remember.

I will start....You no longer have to pump the gas pedal to start a car.
Till the day she died my Mother would do that . And God help you if you tried to tell her it wasn't necessary .
 
It's not so much the car, but the fuel-- people still add Iso-Heet "dry gas" here in the winter. Mention that they're getting a couple gallons in every tank purchase already and they'll say "well I never had a problem."
 
Find someplace to mount the equalizer for the radio.
My wife's car came with no radio. She had an off-brand aftermarket AM radio/cassette player installed. The radio had rotary tuning and no buttons for presets. The sound was horrid - something like 4 W RMS per side.

After we got married I installed a Radio Shack "40 Watt" amp (2 x 20 W) in the glove box.

That little amp improved the sound incredibly!
 
This isn't really a "do"... I had to take Mom's Grand Marquis out last night and was in a semi-rural area so less street lights. Operated the turn signal to indicate a right turn and...cornering lights! Why don't they exist anymore? I was thinking that with LED technology today, it should be possible to create cornering lights without taking too much space on the fender or ruining the aerodynamics.
 
"Starting Procedure"
Basically everything in this video
I reference it when an old head says "The old days were better" 🙄


Fast idle cam and choke, what in the mid nineteen century nonsense was this 😤
 
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