Anybody Remember Back When?

[PILOON]

"Life was simple! Now you get out the 1200 page manual!"

and even then you find options that are not explained in your 1200 page manual !
Like my Kia, I discovered one day that the small black plastic in the door handles actually unlocked the doors when pressed.
Also the 5-6 buttons that control anti skid, differential locking etc.

OK by trial and error I soon learned but it would have been nice to be able to read up B4 experimenting.
Again my transmission has auto shift and manual shift but they don't tell U that in manual shift and all wheel lock + antiskid that if one wheel does skid U lose all power, go figure.
The downhill ABS braking is another interesting feature that I still don't quite understand. Seems that the car simply can't go more than 5 KMPH no matter what in that mode.

 

[Industrial Toys]

A friend and I would get driven around by a guy that had a Rambler, before we had licenses. His CB call sign was Rambler Scrambler. That was quite the solid car! I wonder why they didn't use them as taxis.

 

[bunyip]

I have downhill control, it applies braking to individual wheels and gives a very jerky ride, self cancelling over about 20kph, it is horrible and I don't see why you need it so I turned it off.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My friend showed up here in her Kia Soul4u last friday. It was slushi and messy. Trying to get up the slippery approach to the house, that vehicle was smoking and the smell of burining rubber apparent. We thought the car was toast! There was no leaked fluid, all levels were up. An inspection the next day in day light, revealed nothing wrong. I spoke with a few Kia service managers and my mechanic. No one can explain it, except that the traction control was on.

Now, I tell her to turn it off in difficult conditions and bought her a CAA membership for X-MAs, as she has lengthy commutes out in the country, with instructions to have the thing towed to my mechanic if it ever got to that.

 

[bunyip]

Don't they come with free roadside assist, we get 5 years with Hyundai and Kia.

 

[Industrial Toys]

She is just out of warranty, its a 13, I think. Man time flies!

 

[turnkey4099]

How many of you all drove a 5x4 truck. 5 speed main transmission and a 4 speed auxiliary?
If you could keep it straight you had 4 speeds in reverse.

Those were called 'brownies', I don't know why.

I drove a ?38? Cornbinder 21/2 ton in grain harvest 4 speed with 2sp rear end. The 2 speed was shifted with left hand on a lever, right hand for the gear shift. Quite a monkey drill split shifting.

 

[turnkey4099]

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 and a buddy 'rowed' a microbus from Idaho to the east coast. Rather fun but top speed wasn't so hot.

 

[bcp]

Those were called 'brownies', I don't know why.

Made by Brown-Lipe.

Bruce

 

[turnkey4099]

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 agree on the footswitch. Been awhile since I drove my 89 F150 at night but I think it still has it on the floorboards. 4sp also so left foot does get some exercise. I grew up on crash boxes so I can still shift a manual without the clutch. Had to one day when the clutch hydro cylinder blew up 20 miles out in the boonies.