Anybody Remember Back When?

[bunyip]

In 1967 I saw a new Datsun bluebird, big selling points were standard radio, heater and dipswitch on the steering column.

 

[bcp]

I would still prefer the headlight high-low beam switch on the floor. I've got a foot not doing anything. Maybe a clutch and switch operated with the same foot was a problem for some. Or just "Move something, and we will call it an improvement." I think my steering wheel alone now has about 13 switches on it.

Bruce

 

[Industrial Toys]

I'm surprised that I doin't remember difficulty in finding that foot switch in a hurry. I don't mind the steering wheel switches except that every manufacturer is different. It was pretty much standard for all US vehicles to have a switch you pull out on the left side of the dash for the lights. Life was simple! Now you get out the 1200 page manual!

 

[dragoneggs]

I would still prefer the headlight high-low beam switch on the floor. I've got a foot not doing anything. Maybe a clutch and switch operated with the same foot was a problem for some. Or just "Move something, and we will call it an improvement." I think my steering wheel alone now has about 13 switches on it.

Bruce

I still like to reminisce about the left most foot pedal in my '60 Rambler American. It activated the front windshield washer... better yet it shot a healthy stream into the driver's window on my right side. Great for stirring up trouble on Friday nights! :laughing:

 

[Looking4new]

Yep. Owned a dump truck with that setup. 4spd auxiliary wasn't synchronized, got real good at double clutching.

When upshifting the 5spd from 2nd to third for example, you also had to shift the 4spd from 4th to 2nd.
Shift the main first, then drop the aux into gear.
I had no problems with it. Great range of gears. Super, super low gear, would just crawl at wide open engine speed.

The only time I used the clutch in them was to stuff it into gear from a dead stop or to go to reverse.
I had 69 Ford 800, 1970 Louisville, 1974 Louisville, a Hayes (I don't remember the year of it) a cornfield Cadillac (It was full crash box), a 1965 White Constructor 4x4 crash box and a Mack. The Mack was the only one that had a straight up 5 speed main and 2 spd auxiliary with reverse on the aux. WOO,hoo 5 speeds backwards. If you could hold it straight you could get 30 mph backwards.
For a while I taught drivers how to shift 5x4, 5x3.

I sure miss the 5x4 trannies. You were either in the gear or you weren't. If you got 'lost' in the shift pattern, normally happened when you missed a shift, then pull over and start again.
Not like todays 18 spds, that if you shift fast enough you could beat the air shift and end up in between gears almost like you were in neutral.

 

[bunyip]

I'm surprised that I doin't remember difficulty in finding that foot switch in a hurry. I don't mind the steering wheel switches except that every manufacturer is different. It was pretty much standard for all US vehicles to have a switch you pull out on the left side of the dash for the lights. Life was simple! Now you get out the 1200 page manual!

Here it is on the right side except on US and Euro cars which are right hand drive but they never modified the light/indicator/wiper configuration so we go to turn and activate the wipers or indicate when it rains.
Was more confusing when I had a Toyota and a BMW and you had to think which one you were driving when performing a function.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I would give my left nut (even if it did make me like ******) if I could have a button on my steering wheel that would activate my wipers for one sweep! Is that too much to ask for? The stupid mist control around for decades is useless! It's never right for the changing conditions.

 

[MossRoad]

Remember how the windsheild washer bottle was pressurized by the spare tire? I still have one of those bottles that I was always hoping to find a use for. On the way back from the farm, there was a rather large hill, and my Dad would always put her in neutral and implement a mexican overdrive, to save even more fuel over the Bugs already impressive consumption.

HA! I'd forgotten about that windshield washer and the spare tire. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Okay Moss... you are reminding me of another story.

My best friend's parents were members of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra back in the day. We were sort of legal to drive. They made their annual pilgrimage to Ashland, OR to attend the Shakespeare festival. My buddy and I drove down from Seattle with his parents, dropped them off, and hijacked their VW bus to go agate hunting. We struck 'gold' up near Klamath Falls. We loaded up the bus with agates, geodes, and other incredible specimens and made our way back (down hill) to Ashland at the end of a glorious day.

My buddy's dad the next morning got a good look at our precious cargo and ordered us to lighten our load. Not by a little but a lot! We were begging and pleading because we had big plans to cut and polish and make bookends and make a fortune. Buddy's dad saw it another way.

To this day, I am still rueing that we couldn't haul our treasures home. Hindsight he was right... we wouldn't have made it over the pass but crap!

I do remember that even with two people and a little baggage, that VW bus was simple to drive, floor it, clutch it, shift, floor it, clutch it, shift, floor it. One pedal or the other was on the floor.

Yep. I spent many hours sitting on the floor between the two front seats watching my mom shift the VW bus. So when it came time to learn to drive at 15, I pretty much hopped in the driver's seat with my dad in the passenger seat and off we went! :laughing:

Then we came home and got in his 70 Nova with a 3 on the tree and off we went again. Great times learning to drive in the local cemetery.

 

[LouNY]

I would give my left nut (even if it did make me like ******) if I could have a button on my steering wheel that would activate my wipers for one sweep! Is that too much to ask for? The stupid mist control around for decades is useless! It's never right for the changing conditions.

On my 15 RAM a quick push gets one sweep a bit longer gets 3 sweeps.
On the end of the stalk with the wiper controls.