Reminiscing about older vehicles

[turnkey4099]

Remember when vehicles required significant maintenance every 3,000 miles? When they wouldn't start if it was really cold or really hot? When 100,000 miles was an accomplishment?

Today's cars, you change the oil once a year. New tires every couple of years. Otherwise, you turn the key and drive.

When a new car was doing well if it only burned a quart per thousand? Tires were doign well to get 20,000, 16mpg was outstanding!

Harry K

 

[Old Gray Mare]

I grew up in the 50s and 60s when cars and trucks were loaded with chrome and would sorta float down the road like a giant boat. These cars were awesome!

I just can't accept a vehicle thinking for me and parking itself. LOL, whos fault is it when the vehicle hits another? "But officer, the car was out of my control"!

Guess this is why, even after 23 years, I'll never give up my '93 GMC 6.5 Turbo Diesel 4x4 3/4 ton. It drives like new and has taken me everywhere in northern Idaho, summer or horrendous snowy winters. It's the last year made without computers or sensors. I get drooling compliments all the time:

 

[bcp]

Been there, done that.

Grew up with Ford Model A 19??, 1936 Plymouth, 1945 Dodge, 1948 Dodge pickup, 1950 Chevy, 1953 Chrysler, 1955 Willys pickup.

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Oil changes every 1000 miles.

Vacuum wipers that quit on acceleration or hills. Vacuum boosters on fuel pumps: diaphram leaks, and you lay a smoke screen to make the military proud.

Dimmer switch on the floor.

Stick shift on the steering column.

Six volt system, some positive ground, some negative.

Step-on starter switches.

Push button starter switches.

Manual chokes.

Left hand lug nuts on one side of the car.

Turn signals and heaters were options.

Brake lights the size of quarters.

Clocks that never worked.

Flat floor in the front, door to door.

Three-across bench seat in front.

Engine compartment with 2-3 wires visible except spark plug wires. You could almost stand beside the engine.

Spark plug tire inflators.

Oil-bath air cleaners.

Pleated paper oil filters in a heavy metal non-disposable can.

Bumper jacks.

Inner tubes.

Tube repair clamps and patches you lit on fire.

Synchromesh on only the higher gears, or not at all.

Manual chokes.

Radios that had to warm up.

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Bruce

 

[coobie]

Having lived when there were vehicles that just needed spark, air and gas to run to having these new modern computer controlled vehicles that have so many sensors, fuel injection and a host of other new things it just makes me wonder if the older type cars and trucks were better. Seems new vehicles last a lot longer as opposed to many years ago, If they hit 100k miles in the old days they were pretty well done by that time, now its not uncommon to go several hundred thousand miles and still be running good.

Reason im reminising right now is this is the 4 time in the last 2 years i have been stranded in my 2010 dodge truck, all 4 times from little plastic plug sensors that cost under $40 With all the technology at our fingertips it just seems in a lot of aspects we are going backwards. I just never remember being stranded on the side of the road or way out in a field long ago over such stupid looking little made mexico or china parts.

The more we advance, the more we loose simplicity in things, least it seems that way to me.

I think back in the 1970,s dodge/plymouth had this little ceramic box that sat on the firewall used to fail.Some things never change.LOL.. Just ordered a new 2016 Dodge 2500 with the 6.4 hemi this past weekend,hope I have good luck with it.

 

[ultrarunner]

I had one go out... by-passed it to get home and put a new one the next day... I think it was $6

Car would start and not run... power for run spark went through the resistor.

The cool thing was I could by-pass it to get me home.

 

[cat fever]

My first car was a 1972 Nova, the second car was a 1970 Chevelle Malibu. I would like both of them again only in the SS version. Could not afford the SS's in high school. They always started and run well, but, pumping the gas pedal would bring back old memories for sure.:laughing:

 

[Ed of all trades]

My 2nd car was a 72 Nova rag top. 20 years ago I was told that it was worth big $$$$ in restoreable condition. Wish I had it now. I remember buying a 79 Chevy PU new for exactly $7000. It was a Scotsdale with bucket seats, console automatic, ac. the works. Now it would cost what a small house would then. I do wonder if we are really better off or just think we are. Ed

 

[Gem99ultra]

Been there, done that.

Grew up with Ford Model A 19??, 1936 Plymouth, 1945 Dodge, 1948 Dodge pickup, 1950 Chevy, 1953 Chrysler, 1955 Willys pickup.

------------

Oil changes every 1000 miles.

Vacuum wipers that quit on acceleration or hills. Vacuum boosters on fuel pumps: diaphram leaks, and you lay a smoke screen to make the military proud.

Dimmer switch on the floor.

Stick shift on the steering column.

Six volt system, some positive ground, some negative.

Step-on starter switches.

Push button starter switches.

Manual chokes.

Left hand lug nuts on one side of the car.

Turn signals and heaters were options.

Brake lights the size of quarters.

Clocks that never worked.

Flat floor in the front, door to door.

Three-across bench seat in front.

Engine compartment with 2-3 wires visible except spark plug wires. You could almost stand beside the engine.

Spark plug tire inflators.

Oil-bath air cleaners.

Pleated paper oil filters in a heavy metal non-disposable can.

Bumper jacks.

Inner tubes.

Tube repair clamps and patches you lit on fire.

Synchromesh on only the higher gears, or not at all.

Manual chokes.

Radios that had to warm up.

-------------

Bruce

Bruce, now there you go just spoiling all of our reminiscing about 'the good ole' days'. Everything was going soooo good, thinking about the simplicity of the slower, simpler life. And now you've buggered it up with reality

My thinking is that vehicles in basic form, with the value of the dollar adjusted, is pretty much the same as back in the 'good ole' days'. The difference is that we are require all of those niceties, conveniences, and safety features that weren't tacked on back in the '50s, '60s, and '70s.

Yeah, I'm one of those car enthusiast that had and loved many tire-shredding, ear bursting, mammoths. And I yearn dearly to have some of them back in that 15-car garage - that I don't have. But if I did, I'd enjoy every minute tinkering with each and every one of them, just like I did in my younger days.

Would I be better off with them, or with the modern cookie-cutter Safemobiles? I don't even want to know.

 

[mjarrels]

Back in the early 70's, a friend and I got his early 70's VW beetle home (about 50 miles) using sneaker shoe laces to replace a broken alternator belt.

mark

 

[dieselcrawler]

I'd take back my 1979 Jeep CJ7 that I built frame up with 304 v8 and 5 spd trans from a later model, fiberglass tub... take back the '72 olds cutlass convertible I traded it for too... 350 rocket, bucket seats with console shifter, that got me a 97-in-a-55 ticket one day... but that was after drilling the brakes at 110! Lucky I didn't loose my licence over that one.

I might be from the younger crowd (I'm a '77 model my self, at 39 now) but I have to agree that you sure could limp an older one home alot easier than now...