When was the last time someone saw a manual choke on a car? My dad had a 1969 Nissan Patrol which had one. This was actually branded a Nissan and not Datsun like everything else that Nissan sold in the U.S. at the time.
Here’s two I haven’t seen listed:
1. Floor mounted mechanical windshield washer fluid pump.
You could actually squeeze the air pressure accordion on the floor harder to make the fluid shoot up higher! One crack in the plastic, though, and you are through!
2. Little doors for the floor vents mounted under the dash in the corners. A simple, bullet proof design.
3. Cardboard glove compartments. The economy ‘66 Dodge Dart I drove had a cardboard glove box. That’s one change I do not miss.
4. Manual window lifts. Though you can still find these on some sub-compacts and pickups, they are extinct in cars built for American style humans. Since all GM cars have poor electric window guides, I find this to be a nuisance, as my ‘94 Caprice Wagon with the rumble seat had four bad ones.
5. A fuse block with five fuses. Again, the ‘66 Dart was elegant in its simplicity. You could trace electrical problems yourself. In that year, Flashers were an option. More than once, I would have liked to have had them.
6. separable lap/shoulder belts. There was a time when the occupants of the car could decide how belted in they wanted to be. If you wanted the lap belt but not the shoulder belt? Cool. Just detach the shoulder belt, and you are at least part covered. Also you were less likely to get the shoulder belt of an older GM stuck in the door (weak belt return spring should be filed with bad window guides under GM nuisances).
7. A REAL tire jack. I don’t mean a silly little crank. I mean a big steel rod where you can get the car lifted in jest a few minutes.
8. REAL radio antennae, I had a Dart with a real serious radio antenna that scooted up half again as high as anything on the road today. Designed for serious AM reception, it could pick up favorites talkers with no issue. I had to manually put it down before entering the car wash.
9. Mechanical engine cooling fans. The engines on, the fan spins. he engines off, the fan doesn’t spin. Engine made of cast iron and steel so a little extra heat after a long drive doesn’t kill it.
10. Bias ply tires. Softer ride. Easier rotation. Less reliable.
Today, they don’t feature style. Every car looks exactly like the others. Boring
They don’t feature comfort. The seats are buckets seats that don’t conform to many people’s backsides and the seat backs curve so that your back hurts after driving for 5 minutes. And the head rests are made for someone 6’4” so anyone shorter gets sore necks.
I never know how to change the radio station or a cd so never listen anymore. When the time changes, it’s a major production to find the clock instructions in the manual. Same when changing the oil.
The A/C and heaters don’t work nearly as well as they used to.
Handling is nowhere near as smooth or easy as it used to be. It takes the whole road to make a U-turn now. Zero to 60 is a joke these days.
Let a cat walk across the hood and it’ll dent. Forget trying to fix them yourself to save a few dollars. No full sized spares. No trunk room. No inside room. Cars are overpriced pieces of crap these days.
I miss the rear windows in trucks that used to open to allow you to talk to the people riding in the rear.
And also the gun racks which were standard in all truck back windows.
bfl
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)
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.
A radio that did not require a BA in electronics to operate.
A heating or AC system that had a MANUAL OVERIDE for when the electronic duct flow controlers failed to work.
Wing windows to allow air flow into the car so you did not need AC.
Key start on the dash instead of the steering column which allowed easy removal and not disassembly of the steering column with the little aluminum push rod breaks.
Headlights that stay on when you forget to turn them off, so that you can drain the battery and have to call the triple hey!
What I miss the most...A BRAND NEW 1970 truck for $1990!
I want the rubber bumpers back. It pisses me off that they got rid of them. Its just a money making scheme.
When did cars stop having audible turn signals ???
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.