Forgotten features on old cars


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Needing a set of AF spanners/sockets before metric was on the scene and maybe Whit/BSF if you go back further.  BA for the small/electrical bits.

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You can still get them in modern cars Ben as optional extras but they can be expensive.

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 ben

Not if the street or road speed limit is 30mph or less

This is not a feature, but necessity.  Hubby's first car was a rear-engined Renault Dauphine. To keep the front end down he used to have a sack of sand in the boot.

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I've got the owner's handbook for my late dad's Ford 93e Prefect. It lists the toolkit as follows;

 

Contents of Toolkit.

Tool bag

Wrench 7/16" X 1/2" Hex open end.

Wrench 9/16" X 1/2" Hex open end

Wrench spark plug and springclip nut box spanner

Screwdriver

Monkey Wrench

Pliers

Wheelbrace

Starting crank

Tyre pump

Jack handle and tyre lever.

Lubrication gun

Cylinder head box spanner

Tommy bar

Tyre lever.

 

There are comprehensive instructions in the handbook on how to do a decarbonising operation, with accompanying photographs and using the toolkit provided.

Owner to provide a suitable scraper to remove carbon.

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, katyjay said:

This is not a feature, but necessity.  Hubby's first car was a rear-engined Renault Dauphine. To keep the front end down he used to have a sack of sand in the boot.

 

Some did the same with Hillman Imps...

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The older cars also lent themselves to the addition of extra dials. I had a Hillman Hunter and fitted oil pressure gauge, ammeter and volt meter. Along with stick on heated window panel, fog lamps and driving lamps there was an array of dials and switches. Modern cars do not offer the areas around the dash to fot such items.

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Not long after getting married and 2 small kiddywinks we wanted a car. Some one was  selling a Wolseley 14/40 (not sure if I have the number right) but if you have seen the old tv series 999 the police had the same car, allthough the police car did had a bell on its' front bumper. The person wanted £10 00 for this classic (well it would be now) we lent £10 00 off mum n dad. The car had a shiny walnut dash board, large leather seats that went all theway across, a very large stearing wheel, and those orange thing' s that pop out from side of your door. It was pure luxury, we had it for about 6 months, masters mum n dad ask if we would take them to see a relitive who lived in Guildford, of cause we said. Now the M1 had just been finished and when you brought petrol you were given a cube of car shampoo. Well in our glove box we had about 30 of these cube's. Going down the M1 it started to rain, master switched on the wipers, then great big chunks of oil was hitting the window and the view was just a blur so winding the window down arm full lenth and squeezing one of these cubes of shampoo on to the window so we would see where we were going. The M1 made the journey shorter but it seemed must longer and not enjoyable. Problem Head gasket had poped it's cloggs. RIP Wolseley well worth £10 00.

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