Anybody Remember Back When?

[PILOON]

"Life was simple! Now you get out the 1200 page manual!"

and even then you find options that are not explained in your 1200 page manual !
Like my Kia, I discovered one day that the small black plastic in the door handles actually unlocked the doors when pressed.
Also the 5-6 buttons that control anti skid, differential locking etc.

OK by trial and error I soon learned but it would have been nice to be able to read up B4 experimenting.
Again my transmission has auto shift and manual shift but they don't tell U that in manual shift and all wheel lock + antiskid that if one wheel does skid U lose all power, go figure.
The downhill ABS braking is another interesting feature that I still don't quite understand. Seems that the car simply can't go more than 5 KMPH no matter what in that mode.

 

[Industrial Toys]

A friend and I would get driven around by a guy that had a Rambler, before we had licenses. His CB call sign was Rambler Scrambler. That was quite the solid car! I wonder why they didn't use them as taxis.

 

[bunyip]

I have downhill control, it applies braking to individual wheels and gives a very jerky ride, self cancelling over about 20kph, it is horrible and I don't see why you need it so I turned it off.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My friend showed up here in her Kia Soul4u last friday. It was slushi and messy. Trying to get up the slippery approach to the house, that vehicle was smoking and the smell of burining rubber apparent. We thought the car was toast! There was no leaked fluid, all levels were up. An inspection the next day in day light, revealed nothing wrong. I spoke with a few Kia service managers and my mechanic. No one can explain it, except that the traction control was on.

Now, I tell her to turn it off in difficult conditions and bought her a CAA membership for X-MAs, as she has lengthy commutes out in the country, with instructions to have the thing towed to my mechanic if it ever got to that.

 

[bunyip]

Don't they come with free roadside assist, we get 5 years with Hyundai and Kia.

 

[Industrial Toys]

She is just out of warranty, its a 13, I think. Man time flies!

 

[turnkey4099]

How many of you all drove a 5x4 truck. 5 speed main transmission and a 4 speed auxiliary?
If you could keep it straight you had 4 speeds in reverse.

Those were called 'brownies', I don't know why.

I drove a ?38? Cornbinder 21/2 ton in grain harvest 4 speed with 2sp rear end. The 2 speed was shifted with left hand on a lever, right hand for the gear shift. Quite a monkey drill split shifting.

 

[turnkey4099]

Okay Moss... you are reminding me of another story.

My best friend's parents were members of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra back in the day. We were sort of legal to drive. They made their annual pilgrimage to Ashland, OR to attend the Shakespeare festival. My buddy and I drove down from Seattle with his parents, dropped them off, and hijacked their VW bus to go agate hunting. We struck 'gold' up near Klamath Falls. We loaded up the bus with agates, geodes, and other incredible specimens and made our way back (down hill) to Ashland at the end of a glorious day.

My buddy's dad the next morning got a good look at our precious cargo and ordered us to lighten our load. Not by a little but a lot! We were begging and pleading because we had big plans to cut and polish and make bookends and make a fortune. Buddy's dad saw it another way.

To this day, I am still rueing that we couldn't haul our treasures home. Hindsight he was right... we wouldn't have made it over the pass but crap!

I do remember that even with two people and a little baggage, that VW bus was simple to drive, floor it, clutch it, shift, floor it, clutch it, shift, floor it. One pedal or the other was on the floor.

Yep, I and a buddy 'rowed' a microbus from Idaho to the east coast. Rather fun but top speed wasn't so hot.

 

[bcp]

Those were called 'brownies', I don't know why.

Made by Brown-Lipe.

Bruce

 

[turnkey4099]

I would still prefer the headlight high-low beam switch on the floor. I've got a foot not doing anything. Maybe a clutch and switch operated with the same foot was a problem for some. Or just "Move something, and we will call it an improvement." I think my steering wheel alone now has about 13 switches on it.

Bruce

I agree on the footswitch. Been awhile since I drove my 89 F150 at night but I think it still has it on the floorboards. 4sp also so left foot does get some exercise. I grew up on crash boxes so I can still shift a manual without the clutch. Had to one day when the clutch hydro cylinder blew up 20 miles out in the boonies.

 

[turnkey4099]

I would give my left nut (even if it did make me like ******) if I could have a button on my steering wheel that would activate my wipers for one sweep! Is that too much to ask for? The stupid mist control around for decades is useless! It's never right for the changing conditions.

My 2005 Ford 500 gives one swipe with just a quick pull of hte wiper stalk. Pull and hold a second gives 3 or 4 plus a squirt of fluid.

 

[turnkey4099]

HA! I'd forgotten about that windshield washer and the spare tire. :laughing:

I never encountered hat one but my 59 volvo had a rubber button on the floor to stomp on, it was just a pump so the left foot controlled how much and how often.

 

[QRTRHRS]

How many of you all drove a 5x4 truck. 5 speed main transmission and a 4 speed auxiliary?
If you could keep it straight you had 4 speeds in reverse.

The stick your arm through the steering wheel trick, lol! Then there were the Mack five speeds with what we called constant torque or high torque rise engine's. Choose your gear and stay there until you get to the top of the hill. I also drove a 74' Diamond Reo with a 270 Cummins set up like that. It had a Spicer 7 speed that had this weird pattern to get into the deep reduction gears. You kind of went to the left and forward from the regular low gear as I recall. That truck also had a Jacobs brake so you could drag the rpm's down to shift on a hill. I got fired for looking for a better job. (The good old boys club back in the day) Their new driver dropped the transmission his first day out, lol!

 

[Looking4new]

The stick your arm through the steering wheel trick, lol! Then there were the Mack five speeds with what we called constant torque or high torque rise engine's. Choose your gear and stay there until you get to the top of the hill. I also drove a 74' Diamond Reo with a 270 Cummins set up like that. It had a Spicer 7 speed that had this weird pattern to get into the deep reduction gears. You kind of went to the left and forward from the regular low gear as I recall. That truck also had a Jacobs brake so you could drag the rpm's down to shift on a hill. I got fired for looking for a better job. (The good old boys club back in the day) Their new driver dropped the transmission his first day out, lol!

LOL, remember when the aux linkage would get a bit worn and you got sloppy down shifting and instead of making perfect 90° moves you tried to cut the corners? I did that so many times. I used to carry a car jackhandle beside the drivers seat, just for when the linkage would lock up in a gear I really didn't want to use.

 

[ultrarunner]

ultrarunner. when attending a v.a. school . worked at night parking motel auto's in underground parking lot.
year around '58/'59. This new Ramble arrived to be parked and so got in drove down to basement into a vacant slot and the door on both sides were stuck shut. Climbed out window and ran up street to driver explained the problem he walked back to and into the parking lot basement. tried doors then I helped him climb back into the drivers side seat. he said never like the car much anyway. it had around 10 miles on odometer. was returning to dealer.
Don't know what the end of the story was he never returned.
ken

My friend called them throwaway cars due to the unibody construction... simple flathead 6 with one barrel downdraft carb plus auto... also had one with a stick and sold it.

Like most cars there are ballads written about them and the Nash and Rambler are no exception.

My first car is a toss up... I bought a low mileage one owner 1957 Ford but had previously bought a Model A project... both well before I was old enough for a license.

The 57 with mileage maker 6 and auto would get 20 mpg on trips and at times I had 8 people inside... 4 across on the bench seats... NO Heater and NO radio... plain jane except for the auto!

 

[MossRoad]

What I do remember about our mid 70's VW buses was that they were absolutely GREAT in snow with studded tires! :thumbsup: Cold as heck inside, but we never got stuck.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

When I was in high school I had a 31 Plymouth Coupe, straight 6. I was not getting good mileage. There was a local carburetor re-build and tune shop that had a good reputation so went to them. They checked over everything, new plugs, wires and points. He said if you want great mileage let me build a carb for you and you will get 30 MPG. Price $75, lot of money for a teenager. I was working and had jingle in my pocket said OK. Low and behold it worked. His big thing was he swore that big oil and big auto were in collusion to keep gas sales up. Unproven, but I was happy as like most teenager my car was my chariot.

Ron

 

[Streetcar]

What I do remember about our mid 70's VW buses was that they were absolutely GREAT in snow with studded tires! :thumbsup: Cold as heck inside, but we never got stuck.

With regular snow tire our bus would go through snow up to front bumper. At that height it quit forward progress but we could back up and look for less snow

 

[Ken]

anyone remember the Sears or Kaiser /Frazer, Hudson ,Willis and even in Ark. there was a automobile
called the Climber. designed to go most anywhere .
The Kaiser/Frazer you purchased the body then added the type of engine and wheels extra.
For some reason didn't sell many.
ken

 

[ultrarunner]

Our bus would be a bear to shift when sub zero... the long linkage and lubricant at this temp is ripe for problems...

Never did have a problem getting anywhere with traction...