11 Features You No Longer See in Cars

Mental Floss ^ | February 11, 2014 | Kara Kovalchik

[EveningStar]

It's hard to picture what today's teenagers will wax nostalgic about 30 years from now when they reminisce about their first car. (It still required gasoline, perhaps?) Who knows how automobiles will change in the future; what we do know is how different they are today from 30 or more years ago. If you fondly remember being surrounded by two or three tons of solid Detroit steel with a whip antenna on the front from which you could tie a raccoon tail or adorn with an orange Union 76 ball, and enough leg room that you didn't suffer from phlebitis on long road trips, then you might also miss a few of these.

1. Bench Seats

[Andy'smom]

My husband has a 2008 BMW with a full size spare.

[Dr. Sivana]

1. Late 80’s dodge omni sits in my garage for several months. Simply will not start. I discover the way the car flashes the check engine light to tell you what ails it. In this case it is a $17 electrical part on the fender wall about two inches square. I replace it, car starts right up.

2. Later 80’s Reliant. Strands my daughter at her job. Will not start. Code says map sensor is defective. Pick one up at junk yard for free. Install and car starts right up.

3. 2001 Chrysler 300m with 110,000 miles and original spark plugs. Starts missing bad. Code says number 5 coil is dead. Buy new coil for $48. Install, no more miss.

vs. '66 Dodge Dart
1. No electrical parts in the fender. Dodge Dart up $17.
2. What's a map sensor? Dodge Dart up $17 plus trip to junk yard.
3. Owner should have tuned up car by this time. Note: the modern spark plugs that give extended life in modern cars also give extended like in old cars.

Now. That said, All of these Chryslers except maybe the 300 will have front end issues. The front wheel drive cars may also have CV issues.

The '66 Darts had horrible drum breaks and need a different self-adjusting spring to avoid scoring drums and going through wheel cylinders. The master cylinder also goes to all four wheels.

4. Points. You can run them hotter than Electronic Ignition, and adjust them to your liking. You are likely to get lots of practice.

5. Carbs. The old Mopas ran nice with a one barrel Holley. The newer ones ('80s and ups) were mostly garbage, especially on the minivans and mitsubidhi engines in general. Modern fuel injection is a net blessing.

6. Fuel pumps: Replacement on Dodge Dart: $40 for a new one, and 15 minutes under the hood with some wrenches and a screwdriver. New cars: $80 part, and $300 labor pulling the fuel tank.

I wish I could have a mix of new and old. There is much to prefer about the old, but over all, the new ones are easier to maintain if you can prepare for the occasional catastrophic repair job.

[DoodleDawg]

bfl

[Varsity Flight]

1. Brand new vehicle paid in full for 2K, as opposed to the current inflated bank-government 20-30K toy boxes rent-payment scam.

2. Dry sump

3. Iron cylinders

4. Hand throttle/ prime

5. Twin batteries

6. Analog clock

7. OEM needle guages

8. Manuel clutch-tranny.

9. Valet key

10.points and condensor

11.spring loaded clutch-reverse.

12.upper access engine oil filter (although the Jeep does still have this)

[Andy'smom]

I had a Fiat with a manual choke. It was a 1974.

[BitWielder1]

The hand crank was not an unmixed blessing.
You ever use a hand crank starter?

I was kidding. No I have never used one.
I'm a big guy but I doubt I could crank my V8 by hand.

Nostalgia is all fun and games until someone feels compelled to remind me how the "Good Old Times" weren't.

[ExCTCitizen]

You aren’t related to Ted Kennedy??

[Phillyred]

SPLIT Rear Windows, awesome

[who knows what evil?]

My uncle drove one of those...kids could lay in the back and watch the stars at night.

[Phillyred]

Are we siblings? Haha! My uncle had one too. That car was a flat out beast!

[Last Dakotan]

Now that’s funny!

[B4Ranch]

Use tubes inside the tires.

[TurboZamboni]

nice Riviera.

[Bigg Red]

7. Vent Windows

&&&
I think I miss them most of all. When the weather is warm enough for opening the windows, I hate the noise that results. Not sure why, but the air rushing in through the window opening creates a roar that grates on my nerves.

[TurboZamboni]

Manual shift transmission.

best theft deterrent device today.

[Bigg Red]

Or you end up under water with the windows up and your electrical shorts out. GLUB GLUB!!!

***
That’s why I bought one of those windshield hammers. Hope I never have to use it.

[who knows what evil?]

Sure was!

[fanfan]

You have dimmers on the headlights? We only have a high beam/low beam option. The only dimmer is for the dash board.

[Two Kids' Dad]

Back around ‘83 or ‘84 we piled 11 of us into my buddy’s Maverick to get lunch and had to drive past the police station to get to the local burger joint. Didn’t get busted and made it back to school in time for our next class period.

[zeebee]

Most come standard with back up cameras and lane change warnings. Why?
BECAUSE YOU CANT SEE OUT OF THE DANG THINGS.

So true, but once you get used to it, the back-up camera is much better than turning around and looking.

So what have I learned to love about modern cars that I cannot do without?

- Laser cruise control that keeps you at a certain distance from the car in front no matter what your set speed is.

- Blind spot warning sensors.

- Warnings if you are closing in on the car in front too fast. Some will even stop for you if you turn it on.

- A sensor that shuts the outside vents when it detects another cars exhaust.