A Little Automotive Nostalgia:

Every auto make and model had its own unique design and you can tell the make and model in an instant.

3 speed stick on the column

Fluid clutch. Why a clutch at all?

Split windshields

Flathead engines

Two tone paint

Push button auto trans Edsel

Chromed steel bumpers with bullets on front

Wide whitewall tires

Portawall false whitewall

Fender skirts

Spare tire on back. Toilet seat

Chopped and channeled

Raised and lowered

Nosed and decked

Bar grills

Flex exhaust pipes to make it look like duel

Dynaflow transmissions. Did you feel it shift?

Fuzzy dice

Fuzzy mirror

Graduation tassels hanging from mirror

Retractable hard top 1957 Ford I had one. Wish I had it now.

Turboglide transmission 1957 Chevy. Did you feel that one
shift?

Tubes in tires. Man did they blow out fast

Auto transmissions with only 2 speeds. Powerhouse

45 rpm record player under dash. Skipped over every bump

No seat belts. Ouch

No head rests

Metal dashboards

Only AM radio

No power steering or brakes. Who needs a spa?

Big steering wheels that had to be turned 3 times to round a
corner

Big metal horn rings

Suicide knobs

Ignition points. What's that? Oh yea, you adjusted them with a matchbook cover

Oiler kits to pump more oil into the rocker covers

Single master cylinders (some under the floorboard). One leak and no brakes. Pedal to the floor. Crunch!

Glasspack mufflers

Just rubber mat on the floorboard. No carpets. Carpets were an option

Even a heater was an option

No air conditioning Open the windows and go 60 mph

Drive in movies

28 cents a gallon for gas. Those were the good old days

Car hops

Hood emblems. The bigger the better

Fins. The bigger the better

High beam button on floor. Always rusted and corroded and seldom worked

T-Bird sequential tail/directional lights

2 seater T-Birds

Edsel, Pinto, Yugo, Fiero

Bench seats even in the front

Vent glass windows on front doors

Bias ply tires. Wore out in no time

Two door hard tops were cool and a four door was the old man's car.

Would rather be dead than drive the old man's station wagon

Vacuum operated windshield wipers. When you accelerated the wipers would slow down

Retread tires

Manual overdrive on transmission

4 bbl carbs

3 two's

Duel quads

Oil bath air filters

I am sure you can all think of more and I would love to know your thoughts.

By Guenter Hohmann

I have been an auto technician for 40 years and would like to share some of my knowledge. Get the best prices for all your automotive needs. Tires, parts, tools and a place to ask questions online to properly diagnose and repair your vehicle.

Please visit http://www.gunnysautotips.com/links_and_resources.html for all your needs.