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.
(Excerpt) Read more at mentalfloss.com ...
My 63 rambler had vacuum powered wipers.
Yup.. they sure did...I had one of these...my first car..
It had one thing that all my high school buddies salivated over, though. It was swell at drive in’s.
Fold down bench seats.
They cherry picked on the car crash video. That 1959 Bel Air was notorious, just like the VW Thing in the 1970s and the Subaru Samarai in the 1980s (rollovers). Try the same test with a 1961 Chrysler Imperial and your results will be quite different.
Your Reliant and Omni are both pre-1990, and yet you give them high marks. When gas hits $4, I still see Omnis and Horizons (and VW Rabbits) come out to play. I believe it is illegal to make cars that light today.
I have had a fleet of Dodge Darts and other assorted Chryslers (’89 Fifth Ave, ‘79 Dodge Diplomat, Darts from ‘66 through ‘76 (7 total), ‘65 300, and an awful ‘86 Plymouth Voyager)). Only one of the Darts (’73) had a tranny problem, and it was a pre-existing condition with the car bought for $55. The torqueflite in the ‘60s version, my parents’ ‘61 Lancer and ‘68 three on the tree manual Dart did fine. Front ends and rust were the main problems.
But you are right on the handling. I would also throw in brakes. The older cars need more attention and love, but a lot of the same enhancements help these cars as well. Mobil 1 synthetic oil, modern car batteries, etc. brings new life into these cars, even if they do skitter on the Williamsburg bridge.
I have not found a new car with a seat as comfortable as an old MOPAR non-split bench.
Congrats man ! Keep that puppy runnin’. I know how hard it can be to keep up the body, but ifin’ it was me, I’d try to keep her in as good a condition as possible ..... just sayin’ - never know when you might need the protection of some thin metal. From the elements to critters of varying degrees ! !
WOW..... the same “copper” color as mine ! What a beaut !
well.. should I junk mine it has a rust free hood..
The rest of the body, the rust is just free with the part ;)
I sure hope that was an attempt at sarcasm, not stupidity.
Standard headlight bulbs have a 65 watt high beam and a 55 watt low beam. This makes the low beam DIMMER than the high beam. Also if the switch that controls this function quits, guess what you ask for. A DIMMER SWITCH!!
I just bought a 1978 Ford Bronco, and the starter switch is located in the DASH!! No locking steering wheel. Love it!!!
Never - ever “junk” a Ford Bronco as long as it’s still doin’ da job ! !
I didn’t plan on it till duct tape and bailing wire can’t keep the heat in it any longer.
2005 volkswagen new beetle. suprised the hell out of me.
CC
very easy to “barrow” too.. bring your own ignition switch and off ya go.
The folding seats was a Nash/AMC specialty. Some parents wouldn’t let their daughters date a guy with a nash because “the seats folded into a bed”, LOL.
CC
I don't know where you live, but crime of that nature, while not unheard of, is not very common here. Penalties are pretty stiff and people are not afraid to shoot.
One guy here rented a house that had been previously occupied by a drug dealer. The third time he was robbed in his own home, along with his wife, he gave them everything, then followed them outside and killed them both with a shotgun. While not exactly legal, the DA refused to indict. He did not even submit it to the Grand Jury. People don't take kindly to being robbed.
I get it.. You’ll find the keys to mine hanging in the ignition.
I was just pointing out that in the 70’s security was low on the manufacturers list because it was not near the problem it is today.
They are beautiful. In ‘71 they bumped it up to 455! I always loved the Buick Wildcat too. My favorite name goes to Plymouth Fury. Another beast.
Not particularly useful in the back country with no charging locations.
And the batteries would make it too heavy to off-road.
I’ll stick with diesel.
I’m sorry about your arthritis. My husband and I have it too. This cold winter isn’t helping.
After reading your post I wasn’t entirely sure of myself. You made me go look it up, so I thank you for that. I like learning.
Automobile lights use Relays. “Most headlight switches use an electromechanical device called a relay to control the lights.”
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5040978_headlight-switch-work.html#ixzz2tbrix7rD
The term dimmer = variable-voltage device.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimmer
The term dimmer tends to be associated with full range ‘dimming’. No harm done.
I hope we all have an early spring.
I still miss that car; 300,000 miles with only one fuel pump and one alternator. Sure makes me hate those American cars.
I hadn’t given the switches much thought.
Hope it warms up for you soon. It’s very soggy here with melting snow.
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