What automotive 'trends' do you remember clearly?

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Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I love my T-Tops!!


I don't, if I ever could get a hardtop version of my car I would. The t tops make the car hotter, noiser, and the only reason they don't leak is I never hardly have taken them off.

Of course this happens with convertibles too....which is why I don't like them. Only nice thing is I have half the rood to wax and polish.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I love my T-Tops!!


I don't, if I ever could get a hardtop version of my car I would. The t tops make the car hotter, noiser, and the only reason they don't leak is I never hardly have taken them off.

Of course this happens with convertibles too....which is why I don't like them. Only nice thing is I have half the rood to wax and polish.


Yeah, what was I thinking! The FORMULA in my Sig has them factory installed!
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: JetStar
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I also remember when cars (1970s) only came with an AM radio with that one oval shaped speaker in the middle of the dash. I'm thinking maybe it was the higher end cars like Cadillacs and Lincolns that came with an AM/FM radio,and some with either an 8 track or cassette player?


Under dash FM converters anyone?

Ha! I had one in 1977-1981. It was a Pioneer SuperTuner, fitted under the dash of my AM-only Ford Maverick, with a round green-lit dial that reminded me of the big round device Lt. Sulu was always adjusting at the helm of the Enterprise. The SuperTuner was sensitive and would pull in FM stations from quite a ways away. Sometimes I'd get an FM stereo station, and the stereo channel would flick in and out annoyingly until I switched off the sensitivity feature. Then the entire station might vanish.
 
"Three on the tree"was on the base models in the 1960's. Automatic transmission was an expensive option to us poor folk. Also, the "three on the tree" transmission was considered a vast improvement over the cheaper to build three speed manual shifter on the floor as it kept your hands closer to the steering wheel.
 
Originally Posted By: JetStar
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I also remember when cars (1970s) only came with an AM radio with that one oval shaped speaker in the middle of the dash. I'm thinking maybe it was the higher end cars like Cadillacs and Lincolns that came with an AM/FM radio,and some with either an 8 track or cassette player?


Under dash FM converters anyone?


I worked with a guy, who DJd in the 1970s. He worked at an AM radio station, but they played FM style "Album Oriented Rock", and their target demo were people in ten-year old cars, who wanted to get FM, but had to settle for them.
crackmeup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I love my T-Tops!!


I don't, if I ever could get a hardtop version of my car I would. The t tops make the car hotter, noiser, and the only reason they don't leak is I never hardly have taken them off.

Of course this happens with convertibles too....which is why I don't like them. Only nice thing is I have half the rood to wax and polish.


I love those Monte Carlo SS's!! Those cars are RARE!! You never see them anymore.
 
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Originally Posted By: JetStar
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I also remember when cars (1970s) only came with an AM radio with that one oval shaped speaker in the middle of the dash. I'm thinking maybe it was the higher end cars like Cadillacs and Lincolns that came with an AM/FM radio,and some with either an 8 track or cassette player?


Under dash FM converters anyone?

Ha! I had one in 1977-1981. It was a Pioneer SuperTuner, fitted under the dash of my AM-only Ford Maverick, with a round green-lit dial that reminded me of the big round device Lt. Sulu was always adjusting at the helm of the Enterprise. The SuperTuner was sensitive and would pull in FM stations from quite a ways away. Sometimes I'd get an FM stereo station, and the stereo channel would flick in and out annoyingly until I switched off the sensitivity feature. Then the entire station might vanish.


What was the deal with those FM radio signal boosters in the late 70s/early 80s? They were a little box you'd mount under the dash that had a huge button on the front that'd light up when you'd push it. Did they actually do anything?
 
Don't remember if this one was mentioned,the Brougham interior (the seats had those pillows sewn into the backrests).
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow

1982-holden-hdt-commodore-vh-ss-group-3-sedan.jpg



I had wind splits just like the ones on the Commodore on my first car, a Golf, in 1983. They were made by Kamei. I also put on rear and rear side window louvers made by Zender. I also had a Funkengrüven sticker defacing the rear bumper. The '80s were weird!

hotwheels
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I love my T-Tops!!


I don't, if I ever could get a hardtop version of my car I would. The t tops make the car hotter, noiser, and the only reason they don't leak is I never hardly have taken them off.


I never had a problem with mine leaking ('84 Cutlass), but they were noisier and hotter. I fixed the hotter problem by making black panels to install that covered the glass. Not as effective as a solid roof, but at least it kept the direct UV out. The noise wasn't an issue -- I nearly always had 'em out anyway. I built a cool "rack" for them that sat on the upper shelf in the trunk, just behind the rear seats. I'd slide 'em into the rack (which had bungee cords to keep the tops in) and go. It took all of about 10 seconds to switch to topless and back.

Mine had the Olds 307 V-8 and I installed the factory Walker dual exhaust that fit the Hurst/Olds and 442 models. It sounded really sharp. And looked really classy, too (chrome SSIII wheels, white paint, maroon interior, factory stainless lower rocker panels).
 
Originally Posted By: hpb
Vacuum operated "economy gauges" were common in the 70's and 80's. Thankfully, they're gone!


Subaru has them ...
 
I remember watching the SUV craze happen and thinking it was going to change everything for the worse. Feel like I was right...
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I love my T-Tops!!


I don't, if I ever could get a hardtop version of my car I would. The t tops make the car hotter, noiser, and the only reason they don't leak is I never hardly have taken them off.

Of course this happens with convertibles too....which is why I don't like them. Only nice thing is I have half the rood to wax and polish.


I love those Monte Carlo SS's!! Those cars are RARE!! You never see them anymore.



Not up here...there are 4 of them I know of in a 10 block radius and I live in a very small town of 12k people.
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Originally Posted By: hpb
Vacuum operated "economy gauges" were common in the 70's and 80's. Thankfully, they're gone!


Subaru has them ...


Are having digital MPG gauges an improvement? My car has one, but I switch it off. I don't need to be further reminded that my car is a fuel hog and needs premium fuel.

Anyway, I once had a friend with a 1990s Diesel Benz. It had an analog MPG gauge, but since diesels don't produce vacuum, I don't know how it worked.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I love my T-Tops!!


I don't, if I ever could get a hardtop version of my car I would. The t tops make the car hotter, noiser, and the only reason they don't leak is I never hardly have taken them off.


I never had a problem with mine leaking ('84 Cutlass), but they were noisier and hotter. I fixed the hotter problem by making black panels to install that covered the glass. Not as effective as a solid roof, but at least it kept the direct UV out. The noise wasn't an issue -- I nearly always had 'em out anyway. I built a cool "rack" for them that sat on the upper shelf in the trunk, just behind the rear seats. I'd slide 'em into the rack (which had bungee cords to keep the tops in) and go. It took all of about 10 seconds to switch to topless and back.

Mine had the Olds 307 V-8 and I installed the factory Walker dual exhaust that fit the Hurst/Olds and 442 models. It sounded really sharp. And looked really classy, too (chrome SSIII wheels, white paint, maroon interior, factory stainless lower rocker panels).


Yeah same here. My current 300ZX and the 86 turbo I had never had a problem with leaking. Both of mine came factory with these detachable panels that lock into place to keep the sun out while the tops are on. Not even a hint of light or heat gets in.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
I remember watching the SUV craze happen and thinking it was going to change everything for the worse. Feel like I was right...


Yeah same here. All an SUV is,is a modern day station wagon. I guess the term SUV is supposed to sound "hip" or something.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
I remember watching the SUV craze happen and thinking it was going to change everything for the worse. Feel like I was right...


Yeah same here. All an SUV is,is a modern day station wagon. I guess the term SUV is supposed to sound "hip" or something.

People from a generation or two ago associated station wagons with family road trips. They also associated them with their parents, and at some point, teens and young adults don't want to drive what their parents drove.

A younger generation from that associates family vans with their parents, would also choose an SUV.

To me, a station wagon is a regular car with extra useful space.
 
Oh wow! Major changes during my memory (can remember from about 1952/3):
one piece windshields
wrap around windshields
got rid of the dog leg
4 headlights
12 volts
alternators
fins
not fins
long cars
muscle cars
windshield washers
seat belts
padded dash
shoulder harness
disc brakes
carpet on the floors
leather seats
bucket seats
floor mounted shifters
halogen headlights
small cars
front wheel drive
air bags
ABS
traction control
fuel injection
direct fuel injection
turbo charging
supercharging
dual exhausts
radial tires
raised white letters
non chrome bumpers
red line tires
MacPherson struts
automatic transmissions (rare before the late 1950's)
air conditioning
 
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