Here is one I was talking about yesterday, 3spd. column shift a.k.a. "3 on the tree"

I drove one once, that was wild.

I am 26 and missed out on some of the neat stuff you guys are talking about but here are a few I remember on relatives cars.

8track players bolted under the dash
seats that swung out to the side for easier egress (73 Monte Carlo)
sequential turn signals (73 Cougar I think)
Telescoping steering wheels (I wish my truck had one)
My granddads 72 Caddy with a 472 V-8 that would pull as much as a PSD.

I guess I am a seventies boy, they seem so old to me now. I am currently restoring my old 71 GMC truck. I am about to pull the engine and I have counted no more than about 12 bolts a few wires and a couple of hoses and it is out, amazing!

 

Yes, I forgot about gravity feed gas tanks. No fuel pumps to go bad. The gas tank was in front of the windshield at the hood level and gravity flow into the carb. The gas cap had a cork bobber with a rod that stuck thru the cap so you could see how much gas was left in the tank as you were driving. This was hight tech, because prior to that you had to stop the car and open the tank cap and put in a wood stick to tell how much gas you had left.

 

Ahhh Yes, vacuum wipers. On my first car, a Rambler Classic 660 Wagon with 3 spd on the column. The vacuum for the wipers was part of the fuel pump. Reclining front seat backs though, very handy at the submarine races. did any of you have an FM converter?

Giddee Up Giddee Up Giddee Up 409

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97 F150 Super Cab, Flare Side, Black over Silver, ORP, Towing Package, Gibson Exhaust, Smittybilt Frame Mount Blk Powdercoat Bars

 

Remember how big the steering wheels were? Big enough to steer the Titanic! And remember how when you needed to find the horn in a hurry it was easy, no air bags to get in the way?

 

This is probably way before any of our time, but I thought it was interesting. I just read in Car & Driver this month that in 1908 William Durant (GM's Pres. at the time) offered Henry Ford $8 million for Ford Motor Co. It would have been a deal if Henry Ford haden't insisted on cash! Scary!
Jeff

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1999 F150 Lariat
Reg cab Short box Styleside
5.4L 3.55ls
Deep Wedgwood Blue/Silver
Lund Interceptor hood shield, VentVisors, Class III hitch, Ford molded mud guards, soft tonneau, factory CD with changer (thanks Dusty), tinted windows

Menasha, WI

http://www.fortunecity.com/silversto...ton54home.html

 

The joy of watching a drive-in movie and the sound of cars starting up when it rained.

Hydraulic wiper motor ('64 Lincoln)

Running boards? How about fender skirts?

Automatic trannies that you had to lift your foot off the gas to make them shift. Ford-O-Matic in a '55?

Updraft carbs.

Magneto Ignition.

Nylon tires that developed flat spots if you didn't move the car for a few days.

Windshield washers powered by the spare tire (VW).

Putting fresh tubes in the AM radio.

Gas pedals that were hinged at the bottom.

Side valved flat head engines.

Curb feelers (whiskers).

Steering wheel spinners.

Single tail light.

Parking lights? What's that?

Red gasoline and oil in glass bottles.

 

How about the clever locations for fueling. Flip down license plate holders, etc. The neatest, of course, was on the '56 Chevvy.

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Ben Mc.----'99 XLT 5.4 SC SB ORP Dk. Red/Dk. Grey----Fact. Cab Steps/Tonneau/Slider----Straight Duals, Superchip, Airaid/KN (non-sag), Ungo Autostart/Keyless Remote, Prime Designs Air/Bug Deflector, Weathertech Wind/Rain Deflecters----PPI 4240 Amp,McIntosh 6x9's w/crossovers front, Polk DB 5.25's rear---Tuessssdayyyy Affffternoooooon----gotta love it!

 

First car I ever drove: '48 DeSoto ( I was 10). Weirdest damn transmission I've ever seen: "Fluid Drive" , it was an automatic but you had to lift off the gas and listen for a "clunk" when the next gear engaged.
Split front window
Emergency brake on the drive shaft
Flathead 6 cyl
and 2 tons of rolling steel and glass.

 

Ah, yes Dirlton, the '56 Chevy with the original fuel door light.........

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Dunbarton "The Middle Aged Kid" '99 XLT SC SB 4x2 4.6 auto 3.55 ls The occasional Z-71 Eater! Wedgewood & Denim, SuperChipped, Airaid FIPK, Rhino Liner, Mobil 1. Man, I got it all! (New Jersey)



[This message has been edited by Dunbarton (edited 11-17-1999).]

 

Insect2- I remember the big cars too. The ones that were so hard to steer, the arms looked like Arnold Swartzneggers arms! As far as crawling into bed with a 66 year old women, be thankful she is around to keep you warm and cozy.I know i enjoy the warmth of my wifes body. Feels good on a cold night!! The best music to a mans ears is his wifes snoring. Ask any widower.

 

Remember when you literally "pumped" your own gas. Gas pumps looked like old soda fountain machines with a large see through glass cylinder on top and you pumped a long lever back and forth to get the gas flowing. I remember being fascinated with these when I was a kid...

 

Hey - Dennis and ML - you guys sound as old as I am. You were there and experienced all of these old things.

Great wasn't it? Just remember all you younger guys are right now making memories you can talk about in 30 to 40 years from now.

 

I think vacuum wipers and pop-out windshields are a little before my time, but I do remember driving onto the runway for avgas (the green stuff, I missed the purple). Ah, that sweet smell of burned avgas mixed in with the smell tire smoke...

I do remember when the Ranger was a fullsize, and they had tool boxes in the right rear quarter behind the cab.

I also remember the rear fuel fills. They dumped a huge puddle of fuel on the pad when they launched!

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'98 4.6 5-sp F-150
We've come for your Tundra.

http://www.mcmullenargus.com/gallery...ge=1165&pub=12
trixters-playground@excite.com
www.truckinweb.com

 

My first truck at 16 years old.
1968 Bronco 170 inline 6, three on the tree,vacuum wipers, no A/C(not much heat),highbeem switch on the floor, no power drum brakes,6 foot plow.
Man what a first ride, all rusted out, burnt oil, the transmision would lock up if you tried to downshift from 3rd to 1st. I had it during the Blizzard of 78 in Massachusetts. Made enough money to buy a brand new 1978 F-250 4x4 with a 351.
Sometimes I see a old Bronco, and wish I had one, but one with a 302 and a automatic.

 

yeah, Old Henry Ford growing hemp. I bet not too long after that the assembly line was thought of. Somebody was smokin something and it wasn't Marlboro's. Just think', if Henry invented the Hot tub, we would all need one, and then we could relax and watch our "hemp" grow. Hydroponically speaking!!!!

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Black 99,flareside,SC 4.6, 3.08 chrome Westin step bars, Extang tonneau, Magnum Deflector, SUPERCHIPPED,KN air filter, Flowmaster 50 catback