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11 Features You No Longer See in Cars
Mental Floss ^ | February 11, 2014 | Kara Kovalchik

Posted on 02/14/2014 11:09:59 AM PST by 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


(Excerpt) Read more at mentalfloss.com ...


TOPICS: History; Society; Travel
KEYWORDS: automobiles; cars; oldage
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To: Phillyred

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo!

One of the first cars I ever drove on a road was my Grandpa’s cherry 68 Riveria. It had a nice little 430 inch engine. I wish I had it now.


221 posted on 02/14/2014 6:13:52 PM PST by Professional Engineer (I am not cynical. /s)
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To: TruthWillWin

Everyone knows the girl rides in the middle spot on the bench seat up next to you... regardless of the stick.


222 posted on 02/14/2014 6:41:33 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: The Cajun

Wow... I just thought about start up procedure on my 64 Buick. Pump the gas to prime the carb with the accelerator pump and latch up the automatic choke... which opens back up as the exhaust manifold comes up to temperature. I need to put it back on the road.


223 posted on 02/14/2014 6:52:30 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: Puppage

you skip over the :) ?


224 posted on 02/14/2014 6:56:27 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: forgotten man
Are cars still equipped with turn signals?

For that matter why aren't turn signals auditory inside the cabin anymore?

I noticed four or five years ago that they had started to phase out the audible cue.

225 posted on 02/14/2014 7:29:13 PM PST by Fightin Whitey
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To: Popman
AUDIBLE TURN SIGNALS

Sorry about my post #425.

Guess I didn't hear you.

226 posted on 02/14/2014 7:32:12 PM PST by Fightin Whitey
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To: Fightin Whitey
I noticed four or five years ago that they had started to phase out the audible cue.

Us elderly folks can't hear them anyway...

227 posted on 02/14/2014 7:47:38 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media -- IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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To: xsmommy; tioga; Texan5; SoothingDave; hobbes1; MHGinTN; SunkenCiv; neverdem; Nachum; ...
I miss the miss the mechanical roll-up windows. Came close to buying one of the few remaining models which offered them, but it would've been a special order.

F150 with mechanical window handles and manual door locks....
Told my granddaughter to roll the window down.

She asked “There's no button. How do I do that?” 8<)

228 posted on 02/14/2014 7:52:32 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: BitWielder1

Many years ago, I bought a 1952 Lincoln SA200 welder with a magneto and a hand crank starter on the V4D Wisconsin engine.

As the seller was showing me how to start it, he warned me that it sometimes kicked back and sure enough it did. He also added that his brother had 2 teeth knocked cranking a combine with the same engine.

I bought an flywheel and starter for it soon after. I never broke anything but it sure hurt when it slapped you with the pointy end of the crank or tried to jerk it out of my hands.


229 posted on 02/14/2014 7:52:34 PM PST by Clay Moore ("To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." ~Voltaire)
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To: EveningStar

A “crank”. I remember my grandfather driving a car that still had the hole for the crank, the crank itself, and could be started using it. It was not required to start the car, more of a backup in case the new fangled electric starter failed.


230 posted on 02/14/2014 8:51:21 PM PST by faucetman ( Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
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To: Clay Moore

I had a Fairmont “speeder” I used for track inspections a long long time ago on the railroad. It had a hand crank start, 2 cycle engine. What was interesting about the unit was that the engine was designed to run in either direction.

The drive was a direct drive canvas belt and if you had to back up, you would hit the kill switch and then as the engine came to a stop, you would have the throttle half open with the timing still in full forward advance. right at the last moment as the engine came up to TDC as it slowed down enough, close the ignition switch, it backfires, and reverses direction, then you quickly reset the timing to full retard (full advance for reverse) to keep it going.

Not many could master the technique... but it sure beat having to crank it.

It fouled plugs routinely and it was just standard protocol to swap out the plug for a cleaned one when starting the day. Ignition was a Ford buzz coil.


231 posted on 02/14/2014 9:47:03 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: ExCTCitizen
You aren’t related to Ted Kennedy??

Nope.
Nor Tom Cruise.


232 posted on 02/14/2014 10:29:47 PM PST by mountn man (The Pleasure You Get From Life Is Equal To The Attitude You Put Into It)
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To: Secret Agent Man

I did...sorry. :-)


233 posted on 02/15/2014 4:36:49 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: cableguymn

Not really, they used to make the well bigger for the bigger tires. They shrunk the trunk, might have grown the gas tank into that space.


234 posted on 02/15/2014 6:55:45 AM PST by discostu (I don't meme well.)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie
Can’t even find a kick starter motorcycle anymore.

Sure you can. Royal Enfield is still in business.

http://www.autoinfoz.com/bikegallery/exterior/big/ext-1357383234Royal%20Enfield%20Cafe%20Racer%20500%20Bike6.jpg

235 posted on 02/15/2014 7:03:15 AM PST by Sirius Lee (All that is required for evil to advance is for government to do "something")
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To: WorkingClassFilth

I would like floor vents and side vent windows to return.


236 posted on 02/15/2014 7:20:55 AM PST by ops33 (Senior Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired))
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Shove it or let it lay..
Driver Returns On Foot (Ford backwards)
More Old Parts Are Reused..

Fix It Again Tony (hey, that one can make a come back!)

the list goes on and on..


237 posted on 02/15/2014 7:50:15 AM PST by cableguymn (It's time for a second political party.)
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE

Had a 4 door car in Brazil with manual locks.

What a pain it truly is to reach into the back seat to unlock that door. Contorting oneself.

All cause of Brazil’s ridiculous import tariffs making everything so expensive.


238 posted on 02/15/2014 7:56:17 AM PST by SoothingDave
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To: ops33

You and me both.


239 posted on 02/15/2014 10:08:08 AM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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To: Dr. Sivana

I used to have a Duster with a slant six and three on the floor. Loved that car. Got crappy mileage, but gas was cheap.

The thing about cars is this: They need very little work. My Chrysler 300M got regular oil changes, brakes and tires. That was it - for 185,000 miles. The omni and reliant were awesome for the price.

And I spent no time under any of those cars. They were simply reliable (once I figured out the codes). Keep gas in the tank, change the oil, replace tires and brakes, and you are pretty much golden. I will say that Chryslers are notorious for transmission problems (I had an older reliant and LeBaron convertible that had this issue) but that is not really a “new vs old” thing.

Older cars are much simpler, but also nowhere near as good as a newer car. There is a company that, for around $35,000 will give you a modern suspension on your 1970 challenger. It still handles pretty much like a pig compared to a modern Challenger right off the showroom floor.

And then there is this AMAZING video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aDs1sHJLFE

And an explanation here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ3Y0lxGz6s

Bottom line, I see most pre 1990 cars as not much more than a Model T with some nice body work. I exagerate, a bit, but you get my point.

Meanwhile, I’d LOVE to have an MG TC for the roads around where I live.


240 posted on 02/15/2014 10:23:29 AM PST by cuban leaf
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