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Fender Skirts

Ever since I was a kid and my dad pointed out the suicide doors on a Lincoln, I wanted a car with doors like that. Alas probably not PC to refer to doors as suicide doors anymore.

Cheers,

Rob
 
I had a '55 Plymouth Belvedere that had a small, rubber-bladed fan mounted on the dashtop. Really goofy, as I recall but I kept it there as a conversation piece.

Really big cars are most certainly a thing of the past, with rising fuel prices, etc. That Plymouth was BIG! No kidding, you could comfortably seat 4 people in the rear seat. It was also good for sleeping, and, er, other "activities" that young folk sometimes do in back seats.

Of course, I never did anything like that in there, myself. :smirk:
 
Bret said:
But all of my kids still get a kick out of the “old” analog clocks in my older cars.

As much as I try to put myself above it, I still get geeked over analog clocks in cars.

Why DON'T they have vent windows anymore?! The Honda Fit has a PERFECT spot for 'em, too. They probably got rid of them because they couldn't figure out how to make them power operated! :rolleyes:

As for manual windows, I didn't know that they were THAT hard to find...I must have the world's largest remaining cache. Heck, most of my high school parking lot was filled with cars with windows cranks. Then again, I didn't go to a private Catholic high school, either.
 
Camshaft said:
Then again, I didn't go to a private Catholic high school, either.


So <span style="font-weight: bold">that's </span>how you can afford all those cars!
 
Basil said:
When did they stop making vent windows?

They stopped making vent windows right about the time they started trying to discourage cigarette smoking. That is what those things are for....to flick your cigarette out the window.
 
I thought the vent windows were for defrosting your windscreen, you know, push them way open.

I was always impressed with the variable speed vacuum operated windshield wipers, and then there was the air conditioner that hung in the window that only worked at 55.
 
TR6BILL said:
Basil said:
When did they stop making vent windows?

They stopped making vent windows right about the time they started trying to discourage cigarette smoking. That is what those things are for....to flick your cigarette out the window.
Interesting. Not saying that that wasn't a consideration but only recently auto manufactures've started offering a "smoker's package" option. Yet you still had a 12v outlet (minus the cigarette lighter) and an ash tray (probably called a change tray). Heck I think it's only a recent development that some cars aren't offered with ash trays.

But I always thought wing window vents had more to do with the fact that the door's shape didn't allow for them.
 
Oh heres another good one. I was getting some quotes for some minor damage to the right front "wing" (aluminum finder) on my Porsche and the guy (kid) looked at me funny.
 
Emergency brake was changed to parking brake for legal reasons. The term "emergency brake" might give the false impression that it can be used to stop the car in the event of total hydraulic brake failure, thus causing ugly consiquences in a court case agenst a manufacturer. So if it's labled "parking brake" then the company is free from any liability.
same as the "firewall" is now almost universally called the "bulkhead" in any official paperwork. (or "Scuttle" if you're British) It will not stop a fire. it's not a firewall.

Old school is cool. I love talking about points and condensers, fender skirts, generators, positive ground, 6V systems, center knock-offs, trafficators, updraft(late 20s Chevy) and sidedraft carburators (heck, just carburetors in general), 4 wheel drum brakes and all the like stuff that has faded into automotive history.
 
> They probably got rid of [vent windows] because they
> couldn't figure out how to make them power operated!

Many upscale GM cars had Electric Vent Windows. My '62 Olds Starfire had them as did Pontiac Grand Prixs. No doubt Cadillacs also had them.

I read long ago that cars went to flow-through ventaltion and elimated the vent windows to provide a slight MPG increase. The gain was the result of improving the smoothness of the air path along the car sides.
 
Don_Neff said:
> They probably got rid of [vent windows] because they
> couldn't figure out how to make them power operated!

Many upscale GM cars had Electric Vent Windows. My '62 Olds Starfire had them as did Pontiac Grand Prixs. No doubt Cadillacs also had them.

I read long ago that cars went to flow-through ventaltion and elimated the vent windows to provide a slight MPG increase. The gain was the result of improving the smoothness of the air path along the car sides.

Thanks for that Don, I learned two new things today. :smile:
 
Wonder-Bar radios...

Automatic headlight dimmers on top of the dash...

Dimmer switches on the floor...

Starter switches on the floor...

Three-on-the-tree...
 
rick_ingram said:
Wonder-Bar radios...

Automatic headlight dimmers on top of the dash...

Dimmer switches on the floor...

Starter switches on the floor...

Three-on-the-tree...

Floor-mount dimmer switches were a great idea, if they were still that easy to get to I wouldn't have to signal with the third finger on my right hand nearly as often. :smirk:
 
terriphill...I fell out of the crib long enough ago to remember all this stuff as well...matter fact I still have a suicide knob just it's on my old tractor as in FARMALL...
 
I had forgotten the dimmer switch on the floor...It was there in my first car. I miss that.
 
BIBBER said:
terriphill...I fell out of the crib long enough ago to remember all this stuff as well...matter fact I still have a suicide knob just it's on my old tractor as in FARMALL...

I've got one of those on my Ford NAA.
 

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dart, yup my 1963 bj7 has the floor mounted "dip" switch. what i also found strange is my new Chevy. truck requires you "push" the signal lever forward to put on the high beams and pull it towards you to shut it off, this is reverse from what id had in my other vehicles. :confuse:
 
anthony7777 said:
dart, yup my 1963 bj7 has the floor mounted "dip" switch. what i also found strange is my new Chevy. truck requires you "push" the signal lever forward to put on the high beams and pull it towards you to shut it off, this is reverse from what id had in my other vehicles. :confuse:
That's standard operation on Asian and most European imports (And has been for a loooong time).Sounds like GM finally caved in.
 
Rick, did you restore the Ford yourself?? Looks nice!
I'm doing a 52 Ferguson TEA,...with possible mods??
 
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