quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:

Early VW Beetles had turn signals that extended out from the pillar, like hand signals. It was common for Beetles approaching each other from opposite directions to "wave" to one another.

Beetles also had a lever to activate a "reserve" gasoline supply. Mostly since gas gauges were so unreliable.

Renault had a car (I think it was the Dauphin) that had a "city horn" and a "country horn." My, how that must have been useful.

In 1957 I had an early VW, don't remember what year the car was, it had both of the features that you mention: semaphore turn signals and a handle to turn on the reserve fuel. I seem to remember that my 1961 Karmann Ghia had the reserve fuel handle, too. Not sure about my 1963 Porsche 356B, can't remember.

The two selectable horns, one for town and a louder one for country, were equipped in my 1972 Citroen DS-21. Probably standard in French cars of that era.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
<snip>
I remember seeing ads in Popular Mechanics for a canister oil filter that used a roll of toilet paper to filter the oil.<snip>

Probably a JC Whitney ad. Their catalog offered such things as a Burmese Gas Snake. And a fake CB antenna, to “Give your car that CB look.”

quote:

Beetles also had a lever to activate a "reserve" gasoline supply. Mostly since gas gauges were so unreliable.

My 56 Beetle had a factory installed GASOLINE heater mounted behind the gas tank in the 'front trunk'....it did heat the interior well....and with a little practice the driver could generate large back fires thru the exhaust tube under the right front fender....it led to endless mirth at intersections waiting for lights to change.

In the early 1990s I had a regular customer, an 86-year-old (at the time) woman who drove a '66 Chevy pickup with three on the tree and power nothing. I had a similar truck around that time, a '64 with a "granny gear" (extra low first gear that you rarely used) four-speed. Despite my best efforts I could never get it to brake well, but there's only so much you can do with 11x2-inch drums with no power assist. When I later acquired a 1984 C20, with power steering, brakes and cold A/C, I ditched the old truck.

Didn't see it but High Beam switch on floor board.

Throttle (no picture) and choke (no picture)

Windshield shades and fender skirts

quote:

Originally posted by midwest guy:

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:

quote:

Originally posted by midwest guy:
I had a Chevelle 68 SS396 that when we would drag I could ghost shift from 1 to2 and power shift to up to 4. I do miss that car.

What’s a “ghost shift?”

. We called shifting without the clutch ghost shifting back in the day. I could only do that from first to second if you were very quick. Power shifting is clutching with maximum throttle.

I think we call it Dead Sticking. It was done like when my clutch cable broke on my '73 914 and had to get it home. Also starting it in first with the cranking of ignition.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:

The filler cap for a ‘57 Chevy is above the L taillight, hidden behind a door made of the vertical chrome that outlines the fin.

The filler cap for the ‘56 is hidden behind the drop down left taillight.

Yep 57 was behind a chrome plate above the tail light...


56 was behind the left tail light assembly, the whole unit swung out of the way, however you had to twist the upright chrome piece at the top of the light assembly to unlock and open it..


55 was a side panel door flap...

A 1966 Chrysler Newport similar to this one (but a different color, I think it started out silver but it was grey by the time I got it)



… was my first car. In a way, I got my automotive technician career started on this jalopy, because I was always having to work on the damned thing. Anyway, it had a number of the features mentioned in the OP and elsewhere: fender skirts, left-hand thread lug nuts on the left side, dimmer switch on the floor, single-circuit brake system, carburetor, points ignition, bias-ply tires. Do I miss it? Hell no.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

56 was behind the left tail light assembly..

And when you over filled it, the gas splashed out and filled the recesses up with fuel. After the first time or two I was careful never to over fill it, I was always afraid I was going to blow up when I pushed the brake peddle.

My car was also like the one in the photo. You will note that there's no wires or plug going to where the backup light lens is. It was an option, not standard equipment.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cas,

My first car was a 50 Chevy Bel Air. I drove the heck out of it my Senior year of H S in Tucson. Those 40 horses on the flathead were awesome.

Circa 1973, when there were a lot of 1960s and even a few '50s cars still on the road, my sister hit a piece of chrome trim strip that had fallen off one while driving on a Los Angeles-area freeway. It speared a hole through her gas tank. If you wanted to paint one of these cars, you had to pry the trim off to prep it. The spring clips, holes in the sheet metal and sometimes the area surrounding the hole would always be rusted solid.

Chrysler fluid drive. Kind of a cross between standard and auto transmission. I had a 47 Dodge with it. I'm 77.

quote:

Originally posted by billfasttax:
Chrysler fluid drive. Kind of a cross between standard and auto transmission. I had a 47 Dodge with it. I'm 77.

Re: “Kind of a cross between standard and auto transmission.”

In the late 60s, the VW beetle could be bought with an automatic clutch for its manual transmission. Horribly jerky shifts from neutral to first. I had a Porche, and the VW-Porche dealership provided these as loaner cars.

quote:

Originally posted by threefeathers:
My first car was a 50 Chevy Bel Air. I drove the heck out of it my Senior year of H S in Tucson. Those 40 horses on the flathead were awesome.

Flathead? That should have had a 216 or 235-cubic-inch overhead valve straight-6.