Perspectives Change

[digitS']

Some of the most common cars of my youth are now, rarely seen. At least by me - I don't attend car shows.

Yesterday, I passed a parked Ford Fairlane. I'm pretty sure it was a '57. Shoot. Mom and Dad used to have a '57 Ford. I had a '64 Fairlane Sports Coup.

Anyway, it looked so low and wiiide!

There are quite a few new cars I don't much like the looks of. I hadn't quite realized how far that those new ones are from what cars looked like 50+ years ago!

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

Classic car nut here. They might have been gas guzzlers, but cars where roomy and safer. I love the big fins cars had and all that shiny chrome.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I learned to drive on a Galaxie from that era, straight shift of course. There wasn't a whole lot to them. Windshield wipers, a heater, and lights were standard but a radio was an add-on. We had 4-40 air conditioning, 4 windows down and 40 miles per hour. That wasn't bad on those back country gravel and dirt roads. It did hug the road pretty well. Power windows depended on the power of your arm. Power brakes, well if you pushed hard enough. Automatic locks, well if you forgot to lock your door Dad took steps to ensure locking the door became automatic when you went to town.

They were made out of metal, not plastic, so yeah they were kind of heavy. They were pretty easy to work on too without all those extra add-ons that are pretty standard now. You could get to things, you did not need special tools to work on it, and you could actually fix things. They did not have the safety features that are required now.

People often think back as that was the time they really built good cars, but those cars were not asked to do much except go. With all the safety features, climate control, entertainment centers, power assist driving aids, and cup-holders todays cars are also very well built but there is just so much more that can go wrong it doesn't seem that way.

I'm not a classic car nut but I like the cars I grew up with. They bring back some really good memories.

 

[thistlebloom]

My fantasy car (truck) is a Basic Vehicle, manual shift, manual windows, manual seat adjustment, a/c is nice but it's possible to go without in this climate. A heater of course and a radio of some sort.

Dream on....that will never come back.

I dislike those doors that shut themselves, whose dumb idea was that?
If you don't have the strength to open and close your door or hatch maybe you shouldn't be driving either.

 

[Nyboy]

I would be lost without cruse control. It has become a habit when i get on parkway, set it at speed limit and don't worry.

 

[catjac1975]

To me all new cars look the same regardless of the price. I know it's about streamlining for fuel savings but so boring. But. I'm not a car person.

 

[digitS']

Streamlining? Is that what it is?

These "crossover" cars, why do they all look the same? Headlights and grills, I need a cheat sheet.

I was waiting in 3 lanes for a red light a couple of days ago. I thought the Honda in front of me must be exactly like DD's. I look to my left, there is a Suburu. Right, a Jeep Compass ... all 3 black! I would not be able to recognize one from the other!

A friend drives a BMW x1, another has a Buick Encore ... Encore? Crossover?

Steve

 

[canesisters]

Speaking of 'few frills' - I was looking at this little sweetie yesterday when parts started falling off my truck and littering the road behind me.
http://www.carmax.com/enus/view-car...c-b59d-b8f2630a339c&Ep=search:results:results page

 

[Nyboy]

cane if you get any snow where you are go for 4 wheel drive. That jeep only 2 wd.

 

[canesisters]

The pickup is 'technically' only one-wheel drive and it's gotten me around.
The lady in CarMax's credit dept was real disappointed when I called back and said that we'd gotten the parts up - replaced some - re-mounted others - and the truck was running again so I was going to pass for now.
My DREAM CAR would be a 4wd full size crew cab pickup with a tricked-out hauling package... lol.. ahhh.. good to dream....