IAN FINN 808 Posted July 17, 2021 Report Share Posted July 17, 2021 My old Minor 1000 had 4/60 air conditioning It was 4 windows open and 60mph just. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 On 7/17/2021 at 7:29 PM, IAN FINN said: My old Minor 1000 had 4/60 air conditioning It was 4 windows open and 60mph just. I read this to hubby and he laughed too. He then said his dad had the same car and a HEATER was optional. Hard to imagine nowadays. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 I think in my first Mini a heater was an optional extra for about £10 and automatic transmission in a car had barely been heard of. With modern auto transmissions you can’t even roll back on hill starts. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,419 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 Car heaters were still optional until the early 1970's, Mini, Ford Anglia, Hillman Minx and others come to mind... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 Another thing re cars. What's happened to all the flies and insects that used to spatter the windscreen. Back in the 50's there used to be plastic fly deflectors that you could clip onto the bonnet mascot. Have modern farming methods reduced the insect population? Come to that, whats happened to bonnet mascots? The Merc. pointed star used to fold on impact and the Spirit of Ecstasy on a Rolls used to disappear into the radiator. I suppose Health and Safety has removed them all now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 2 hours ago, philmayfield said: I think in my first Mini a heater was an optional extra for about £10 and automatic transmission in a car had barely been heard of. With modern auto transmissions you can’t even roll back on hill starts. My first mini had an optional floor pan fitted when new but didn't last. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 I’ve seen them replaced with strong cardboard and sprayed over! A friend who had an 1100 found a ham sandwich on the back floor. It must have been painted over when the vehicle was constructed! It used to be a regular weekend job touching up the rust spots on the car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 A lot of cars ran around with plywood floors too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 Marcos sports cars were actually built with a laminated plywood chassis. The vicar who bought my girlfriend's Mini complained when his feet went through the floor! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,510 Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 5 hours ago, catfan said: A lot of cars ran around with plywood floors too. My mini in the 70s had off-cuts of carpet in the foot wells so the road couldn’t be seen through the floor. Did me well though for a few years, I used to drive up to Nottingham from Oxfordshire with a toddler and a baby in the pram-top on the back seat and the pram wheels sticking out of the drop down lid boot, no number plate visible. Wouldn’t get away with all that these days. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
West Bridgfordian 144 Posted July 20, 2021 Report Share Posted July 20, 2021 Car terminally expired on Sunday, got the local garage to check it out today and it's definitely dead. Rang around to get a hire car for a few days until I get a new car and they're very busy now we've reopened to tourists. Nothing available until Friday. Eldest son has two cars and has just let me know I can use one of them. Rang hire car place to cancel the car for Friday and got the feeling they think I'm doing it on purpose to just annoy them. Not in a good mood now! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 2,082 Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 We had a mini traveler which had a pizza dish to show you what speed you were going but no heater, I see that the new mini has not changed much as it still has a pizza dish for speedo. When it comes to car heaters at least this is one thing we can thanks the Jap's for. Just rememberd we also had little orange things that shot out from side of the car, never did find out whats for. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,150 Posted July 21, 2021 Report Share Posted July 21, 2021 Mary, those little 'orange things' as you call them were indicators, like little semaphore arms. Prior to their fitting, the hapless driver simply stuck his arm out if turning right and did a circling motion when turning left, (it used to be in the Highway code). Don't suppose young drivers would have any idea if you did it nowadays. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 On occasions, my sister, mum and I would be invited by Emily and George of Garden Street to join them for a day at the coast. Dad never went as he was at work. Uncle George's car had those old fashioned indicators which fascinated me. I wasn't a popular participant as I was inclined to travel sickness and didn't always manage to give sufficient warning to enable uncle George to pull over! Certainly, when I was learning to drive, the hand signals mentioned by Beekay were still a requirement of the Highway Code and I believe one could be asked to demonstrate them as part of the test. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,419 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 They were called Trafficators... Yesterday succumbed (after more than 20yrs) to the idea of a cold beer in this hot weather. The selection in the shops is bewildering and nowhere could I find my all time favourite Double Diamond nor Pedigree nor Bass. What is it with these weird names, do they make it taste better? Chose McEwans Championship but didn't realise it's quite strong, 7.4 ABV. Anyway pour a glass and I was instantly 6yrs old again. The smell took me back to being a little boy carrying an enamel jug of beer for my grandad from the beer-off on Sneinton Dale. Lessons learned. Beer, even cold beer, does not cool you down, in fact it makes you sweat. Beer does not taste the way I remember it. 500ml is more than I can drink without feeling a bit woozy Apparently I laugh a lot after drinking beer. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 The trafficators on Morris Minors often used to remain in the ‘stuck out’ position so they often got snapped off when exiting the car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,150 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 So now you know Mary, here endeth your first lesson in "Obsolete Functions On A Post War Car". I trust you will much richer in your education of the motoring industry. My thanks go to our generous benefactors for their enlightening contributions. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 How about the foot operated dip switch and the manual choke? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,150 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 Now you'll be spoiling Mary, Monseiur. The manual choke, always used in conjunction with a half matchstick to stop the bloody thing from going back in. Never realised you could twist it and it would stay out. Dip switch, with that reassuring click each time you pressed it. Another one Phil, vacuum wipers on Ford Pops, always slowed to a stop when climbing hills. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nonnaB 4,895 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 1 hour ago, philmayfield said: How about the foot operated dip switch and the manual choke? I used to think it was magic then automatic when the oncoming car had headlights on full beam. Later I understood and ruined my fairytale illusion. BK my choke was kept open by a block of wood made by my dad. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Engineer 614 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 On obsolete car functions, I recall a foot operated windscreen washer (rubber plunger of sorts) on some cars. I'd almost forgotten that we had manual chokes and being told that it drank about three times as much petrol if you forgot to push it back in when the engine had warmed a little. Those were the days when you could flood the carb through inexperience. Anyone of an age will remember 'static' seat belts before they introduced the 'inertia reel' type as a chargeable option. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oztalgian 3,296 Posted July 22, 2021 Report Share Posted July 22, 2021 My Triumph had a light switch that you turned, the first click just turned on the offside parking lights to save the battery, second click all parkers and third click headlights Do you still have to leave your parking lights on at night in the UK? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IAN FINN 808 Posted July 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2021 My 1960 Rover 3litre had an oil level gauge incorporated into the fuel gauge all you did was turn on the ignition press the toggle switch and show on the fuel gauge if it was full or less depending on the oil level, it was handy as the engine used a pint of oil every 250 miles most leaked out of the rear main seal. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,730 Posted July 23, 2021 Report Share Posted July 23, 2021 My left hand drive 1958 Opel Olympia Rekord, had a headlight dipswitch on the floor, and a rather lovely clockwork clock, in the face of the glovebox. You wound it by opening the glove box and rotating the whole of the clock. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,419 Posted July 23, 2021 Report Share Posted July 23, 2021 3 hours ago, Oztalgian said: Do you still have to leave your parking lights on at night in the UK? Not if the street or road speed limit is 30mph or less 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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