I miss the air vent boxes on an “A” body Plymouth/Dodge.
Vent windows.
Pop out rear windows.
Cars with colors, not the drab and boring colors that we see not. These colors are for people that do not like to maintain their cars appearance.
I miss the smell of a rich carburetor with 100 octane leaded gasoline.
A car without a large console. Just a buddy seat with a flip up armrest.
Roll up windows.
Ordering a new car the just the way you want it, without all of the “packages”.
Sure-grip rear ends that you could order in any car.
etc., etc., etc…
Vent Windows were discontinued due to Government pressure reacting to high percentage of car break ins being due to these windows.
It had NOTHING to do with government pressure. It had EVERYTHING to do with cost.
I have owned three Studebakers; every one of them a fine, well engineered ride.
· 1952 Studebaker Commander, 238 CID V-8, 2-door, 3-speed stick with electric overdrive, self adjusting brakes, angled wing windows
· 1950 Studebaker Land Cruiser, straight six (Packard), 4-door, named “Dinosaur”
· 1957 Studebaker, V-8 (Chrysler semi-hemi) 3-speed stick with electric overdrive
While I was putting close to 200k on the Commander, Ford came out with their “bright idea” campaign: self adjusting brakes and wing windows.
The Commander had self adjusting brakes that worked better - no need to back up real fast and hit the brakes. And the wing windows were so well designed they could be set so there was no additional wind noise in the car.
The 1957 could smoke just about everything on the road when I drove it in 1970.
And, the Land Cruiser was exactly that. Huge six coupled to a Borg Warner transmission. Smooooth.
The only other two cars that have been as much fun were my 1930 Model A and my current ride: a 1994 Crown Victoria LX.
In many ways, they just don’t make 'em like they used to.
“In the 1930s to the 1950s even low price cars had good rear seat foot and legroom.”
I was told the reason for this, especially on the early Fords, was that there had to be enough room back there for at least two cream cans.
"It had NOTHING to do with government pressure. It had EVERYTHING to do with cost. "
+1 !
I really feel sorry for people who see some kind of government conspiracy behind everything that they dislike.
However, even though this was a cost-saving move on the part of car manufacturers, whoever told DixieViking that it resulted in a saving of “almost $1k per car” was…blowing smoke…up somebody else’s “tail pipe”. In an era when most cars cost less than $5k, assigning an “almost $1k cost” to this relatively small alternation is…bizarrely inaccurate.
In addition to saving a few bucks for the car companies, the reality is that more and more people were opting for A/C by that time, so that vent windows had become somewhat superfluous.
I miss window AND floor vents. On a hot day, it was so nice to open that vent on the floor to cool your feet. I hate the “all-in-one” turn signal switches that incorporate the windshield wipers into the mix. I constantly hit the end of the switch when turning off the turn signal or adjusting the cruise control and watch the wipers go through four cycles on a sunny day.
@RayDJr: I like having the wipers on the turn signal stalk–to me that’s the perfect place for them. Now the ones that are on a separate stalk on the other side I hate–I always bump those things on when I don’t want to when I have a rental like that. And I hate having the headlight switch on the turn signal stalk instead of wipers.
However, even though this was a cost-saving move on the part of car manufacturers, whoever told DixieViking that it resulted in a saving of "almost $1k per car" was...blowing smoke...up somebody else's "tail pipe". In an era when most cars cost less than $5k, assigning an "almost $1k cost" to this relatively small alternation is...bizarrely inaccurate.
I agree it didn’t cost anywhere near $1k per car. The added weight was something that was considered also - especially in a time when companies were struggling to meet cafe’ restrictions. The other thing is I think newer aerodynamic designs really made an impact on it’s usefulness.
I don’t miss vent windows. They made cars easier to break into. So did door lock knobs. There is a reason they switched to pegs that are hard to pull up.
I don’t miss floor mounted high-beam switches. In a car you’re not familiar with, it could be hard to find it and easy to press accidentally.
The only reason I miss bench seats is because of one of the reasons they’re unsafe; my girlfriend could sit in the middle and I could put my arm around her shoulders as I drove.
Oh, and I upgraded my spare tire to a full-size spare. It’s your car, and if you want a full-size spare, you should be driving around with one.
Seeing how difficult it was for my older brother and sister to learn how to drive in a van with a three on the tree manual transmission, I prefer five on the floor. It makes the car feel a little like a race car.
I’ve been a nonsmoker for about 11 years, so I don’t miss smoking accessories like the lighter and ashtray.
I also don’t miss hoods that you can open from the outside, making it easy for someone to steal parts, like the battery.
Regarding the interior colors, it’s a matter of safety. Try placing a white sheet of paper on your dashboard on a sunny day. The reflection of the white surface makes it hard to see through the windshield. Today’s neutral tones (especially dark grey and black) dashboard colors are all about safety.
Wow, Whitey, where do you live? I did three years in the edges of the slums and didn’t encounter the problems you describe. Never had anybody (but me) break into the car via the vent window.
At any rate, bollocks on vent windows being “easier to break into.” The exact same procedure is used–bash the window with something heavy–the only difference is that replacing the vent costs less (something irrelevant to theives).
I miss vehicles that flaunted their mechanical nature, rather than hide it under plastic and behind overly-silent mufflers. Remember when automakers BRAGGED about cowl induction, DOHC, and fuel injection? Nowadays, it seems most mfrs would rather you think there’s miniaturized Harry Potters under the hood, who chant locomotus obscurus! every time you step on the gas.
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Breaking the window makes noise. Slipping an object through the edge of the vent window doesn’t make much of a sound.
I lived in Buffalo, NY when my grandmother’s Chevy van was broken into this way. My parents’ Ford van was also broken into that way, but I don’t remember where it was, probably in Buffalo.
Years after-the-fact, when I needed to get into that Ford Van, I was able to pry the vent window open with a plastic comb.
When I was a child, my little league football coach drove a beater with broken door locks. He kept a wire hanger in his trunk to unlock the doors by pulling on the lock knobs. Years later, when I was locked out of my 1984 Mercury Marquis, I had access to a pair of pliers, so I bent my radio antenna into a shape that I could use to reach through and pull on the door locks to get the car open.
You’re right; anyone can bash the window, but that is loud and will get attention. I once did that on my 1985 Buick Skyhawk when I locked my keys in the car on the way to a football game. I’d rather pry open the vent window any day.
The vent window on my 59 Pontiac was a crank to open or close so no way you could pry it open without breaking the window. I know some though were just on a pivot. I did need to replace a broken vent window on the 59 once. Cost me $1 at the junk yard complete with the gasket going around it plus instruction to a kid on how to replace it. Of course I broke it putting it in so had to go down and get a second one for $1. Total cost $2. Of course gas was 19 cents on sale and college was $2000 a year with room and board.
I don’t remember when the vent windows went out but didn’t have them on my 74 Olds. I thought it had more to do with styling, aerodynamics, and the more standard use of HVAC. Back then though when you talked to yourself, you didn’t get an answer. Now the lady says something like “Pardon, did you mean . . .?” I’m never sure if its the lady in the dashboard or NSA talking to me.
I know they stopped putting vent windows on full-size vans in the late 1980s or early 1990s. They phased them out on cars earlier than on vans, probably early 1980s.
I remember some care of the 1930s that did not have the vent windows. These cars were considered out of date when more and more cars got vent windows. I once owned a 1950 Chevrolet pickup truck that did not have vent windows. The improved 1951 Chevrolet pickup did have vent windows. The first car I owned without the vent windows was a 1968 AMC Javelin. It did not have air conditioning. Supposedly, the “flow through” ventilation replaced the vent windows.
If I live long enough, the vent windows will probably come back. In the meantime, a passenger side windshield wiper will become an option as it was on Ford pickup trucks through 1950.
I owned a 1976 Cutlass Supreme. It was a great car. I really liked it, but the ventilation system wasn’t the best. Of course, it had no vent windows. It got really stuffy inside if you didn’t run the A/C.
I’m happy with modern cars, except the newest ones - no knobs. Touch screens stink for repetitive simple tasks. With the retro craze, why doesn’t somebody make an audio system with nice alloy knobs, same for the climate control? Aftermarket audio system are nasty light shows, 200 page manuals, features I will NEVER use…
My F-150 is a '94, and it has 'em. I believe they made that body type through '96. Don’t know if that was the last commercially-available from any major mfr, but it’s gotta be close.
Mine lock from the inside…have to smash to get in, (un)fortunately. The sliding rear pickup window seems a bigger security risk, but I’m not a car theif, so maybe I’m wrong. (Do they still make those?)
I’m also not a fan of touch screens and button overload. My Lincoln has EATC and it’s irritating, and a bit dangerous, to have to eyeball the lower console to change the mode function or raise/lower the cabin temperature as needed.
The engineers also made a serious error by placing most of the warning lights on the Message Center located in the center part of the wraparound dash.
If a CEL, oil pressure light, ABS, SRS, or whatever comes on it’s easy to get overlooked unless the driver is staring at the passenger side A pillar…
My preference is for knobs and levers that I can find in the dark without looking.
Note to carmakers, use this for ideas:
Hey, if 347 buttons and switches is good enough for Boeing…oughta be good enough for Buick.