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I'm so old I remember when cars had TWO keys - one for the ignition and one for the trunk

and they didn't have an interior trunk release button.

and when you only had AM radios in your car

and no AC

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Driver2 · M

Yes and 8 track players were a big thing

eyeno · M

same..., those were the days...Cars had personality👍

Riverman2 · 56-60, M

@eyeno Yes! They didn't all look alike either.

eyeno · M

@Riverman2 once from the dealer, they gave me a loaner. When i got home while walking away looking back, I actually thought it was a Honda, to my amazement it was a Mercedes..!

Fukfacewillie · 56-60, M

@eyeno My Mazda 3 was mistaken for a BMW once. Lol

PiecingBabyFaceTogether · 31-35, M

That's basically the 90s in Egypt do not feel so old ☺

Nelisme · 22-25, F

Did you get out to crank them?

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@Nelisme nope, not that old - they actually had starters in them :)

UnderLockDown · M

And you could fit an economy car in the trunk.😆💪 When I was learning to drive there was an old Chrysler in the family, it was one of the first cars I drove. 460 big block I think it had. Fun car.😎

turbineman40 · 80-89, M

@UnderLockDown a 460 engine would make a tank run fast. Who cared about the 5 to 10 mpg back then

UnderLockDown · M

@turbineman40 By the time I got it, it was quite old, but it still ran well. It was the best car for long road trips, if you kept it under 60mph the mileage was survivable.😆 That was the most comfortable car to drive too.

fun4us2b · M

@UnderLockDown My dad had a Datsun 1600 and he joked that the engine looked like a sewing machine! Back then, engines were so huge...I learned stick shift on that car - lots of fun!

BridgeOvertroubledWaters · 61-69, M

There were some cars , like the VW Beetle or the Hillman Imp , that had the engine at back and the trunk in the front

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@BridgeOvertroubledWaters loveed my VWs - especially the SuperBeetle

Crazywaterspring · 61-69, M

I remember doing tune ups. Gap the plugs, set the points and replace the condenser. And don't forget a new rotor cap and maybe splurge on a new set of spark plug wires.

And "half price gas" when gas went over a dollar and analog pumps couldn't calculate new prices.

"Gas wars" were between neighboring gas stations, not these bs wars overseas.

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nuddie · 61-69, M

Air con was wind down the windows, manually

exexec · 61-69, C

The bench seats were great for dates. Snuggle while driving.
My grandfather's International Harvester pickup had a starter button on the floor.
My first car was a '59 Plymouth with push-buttons instead of shift lever.

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@exexec we had a Rambler that had a key that you would turn and then push the start button - and it had push buttons for forward and reverse as well

BridgeOvertroubledWaters · 61-69, M

Or cars without safety belts.
Or a front mirror on the front corner of the car and not on the side of the door

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@BridgeOvertroubledWaters oh yeah

remember when people said "I don't want to be trapped in the car - I want to be thrown free of it"

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@BridgeOvertroubledWaters I've never had a car without safety belts. My first car, in 1975, was a ten year old Mini.

saragoodtimes · F

they probably didn't have A/C and power seats and heated steering wheels. I'd have died

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@saragoodtimes A lot of the smaller cars didn't need power steering because the engines weren't that big and didn't have transaxles (weight was more evenly distributed)

loved my dodge dart - and it didn't have power steering.

oh I remember driving a plymouth fury - and the power steering on that thing was so sensitive it would almost react to the pulse in your fingers :)

saragoodtimes · F

@Pretzel no power steering and I'd be lost without pushbutton start on my Mercedes

Riverman2 · 56-60, M

That little triangle shaped window in front of the side window would never shut quite right and whistled at highway speed.

goliathtree · 56-60, M

Still have that 8 track with the Super Tramp Crime of the Century tape stuck in it.

turbineman40 · 80-89, M

Stick shift with a clutch, No outside rear view mirrors, no back up lights, warning signal or cameras. No safety belts etc
Things have changed

View 4 more replies »

turbineman40 · 80-89, M

@Pretzel I always wanted a Big Chey with four on the floor

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@turbineman40 and a six pack on the seat :)

turbineman40 · 80-89, M

@Pretzel Oh no, no six pack. My Dad would skin me alive if he found Coke bottles in the car no way a beer bottle

Highskirt · 56-60, M

Yes my first few cars had many keys .doors ignition. Boot .fuel cap

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@Highskirt oh I forgot the locking gas cap - when it was easier to syphon a gas tank

Virgo79 · 61-69, M

And a bunper jack, yes the bumper would hold the weight of the car.

SW-User

Did they reallly have a key for the trunk?

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@SW-User yup. the round headed key was for the trunk and the other one was ignition/doors.

Thevy29 · 41-45, M

That's the way they still make them in Tennessee

fun4us2b · M

Yep - Crank windows, Bench seats in the front, metal dashboards, unused seatbelts and that weird high beam footswitch on the floor in the left-hand corner...

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@fun4us2b I forgot the silver colored high beam light!

I actually prefer crank windows - they aren't as convenient but I remember how the power window motors would die after about 8-10 years

they do seem to last longer now

fun4us2b · M

@Pretzel Agreed, my dad wouldn't order power windows for that reason!

Applepiedom · 56-60, M

Oh and vent windows and floor vents and dimmer switch on the floor and automatic was an option. most car/ trucks came with stick shift. Ohh and big one no one got offended by every little thing

CelestiaStella · 22-25, F

That wasn't all that long ago, mang. I'm 23 and I remember these clear as day.

Those things being phased out is a definite improvement though.

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@CelestiaStella no argument there - and electric vehicles are really starting to impress me.

LunarOrbit · 56-60, M

No cup holders

Chime? Nooooo…irritating buzzer

Plastic on seats that you left on so neighbours new your car was new…for a couple years anyways

Riverman2 · 56-60, M

I remember that in winter the button on the floor for high beam headlights would freeze. So you were stuck on either high or low.

Riverman2 · 56-60, M

I remember when I finally saved up enough to get a horse so I didn't have to pull my own chariot.

turbineman40 · 80-89, M

@Riverman2 Careful now you are pulling my leg pretty hard and it comes apart at the knee. Haha

Riverman2 · 56-60, M

And cars were fast. The old saying, "pass everything on the road except a gas station".

jackrabbit10 · M

Im so old we did not have a car,,,

turbineman40 · 80-89, M

@jackrabbit10 Can you beat 82 in age?

jackrabbit10 · M

@turbineman40 got me by two years,,

turbineman40 · 80-89, M

@jackrabbit10 N
May I call you just a kid then? Haha

Roadsterrider · 56-60, M

I remember a button on the floor to start the engine and to dim the headlights.

Majorsite · 61-69, M

I'm old enough to miss wing windows !

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@Majorsite they were the BEST!
you want to get some air moving - you crack that baby open and WHOOSH!

Majorsite · 61-69, M

@Pretzel As a smoker, Sucked those ashes right out the window !

Disguised · 56-60, M

And a third little key for the glove box

Riverman2 · 56-60, M

@Disguised Yes! I forgot that. Also had spare bulbs in the glove box. Those didn't last very long.

Degbeme · 70-79, M

Vinyl seats in the sun. ☺️

Pretzel · 61-69, M

@Degbeme would you like your bum medium or well done today?

Fukfacewillie · 56-60, M

And those non electronic pre-set buttons on the radio.

robingoodfellow · M

@Fukfacewillie pushing the button got you into the vicinity of the station you wanted. Then you had to fine tune it a bit..

Fukfacewillie · 56-60, M

@robingoodfellow That’s right! Some dials had a great feel too.

turbineman40 · 80-89, M

You younger then me by twenty years and yes I do remember well my 1952 Chevrolet, two doors with three on the tree and fender skirts. Straight six and single exhaust