Old Enough To Remember?

[St-Gerard]

We had one of those ringer washers, I remember my mom got so mad at it she pushed it off the back porch, then bought a new modern one.
Edit, learned don't get my mom mad at me. Fond memory now.

 

[Shuey]

I’m old enough to remember the Big Bend Dash! How ya doin’ Shuey?!

Glad I saw your post! 2024 wasn't a great year for me health wise, but 2025 looks to be a good one.

I run across our pictures 2 or 3 times a year as I browse down memory lane - great memories for me. Young enough to be daring, lucky enough to survive, and . . . it was an exhilarating adventure made more so by sharing it with new found friends!

Hope life is treating you well.

Shuey

 

[motornut]

Anybody but me have one of those Whamo-air blasters. They were great fun for knocking things off wall and emptying ash-trays when those were still being used

 

[JetRanger]

Bonus points for identifying this switch.

 

[Uncle Phil]

Headlight dimmer switch operated by your foot.
That's where they used to be!

 

[Skunkape]

My first car had another little pedal above that that was the windshield washer. It had a little "bellows" that was the pump.

 

[Uncle Phil]

Anybody remember when the windshield wipers were operated by vacuum pressure instead of an electric motor?

 

[Skunkape]

Anybody remember when the windshield wipers were operated by vacuum pressure instead of an electric motor?

Stop when you accelerate and go into super high speed when you let off the gas.

Got one in the garage.

 

[Uncle Phil]

Got one in the garage.

And it is?
That was a major upgrade to my 57 Chevy to go from vacuum wipers to electric!

 

[Skunkape]

55 Ford, It doesn't run and is in need of restoration but it was my father's. He bought it in 57 I think. My parent's dated in it, went on their honeymoon in it and it's the first car I ever rode in. Also first standard shift I ever drove. I was just a kid and getting over pneumonia and my dad took me out to drive it. I jerked it all over the place and even left some rubber on the road.

 

[tnbill]

The fords had a dual fuel - vacuum pump but most people replaced them with a standard fuel pump as the combination pump was expensive.

 

[Rhubarbray]

We have a '74 VW Thing in the garage,........the washer fluid reservoir was pressurized by the air in the spare tire located in the frunk, the engine was in the back.

And in case you're thinking, "what if you get a flat and need the spare?" VW thought of this, you can use the tire as a reservoir until the tire gets down to 20 psi at which point a relief valve closes and you get no more air. 20 psi is all the tires are inflated to, the car only weighs 2,000 pounds.

 

[RaYzerman]

I definitely remember the headlight dimmer switch on the floor..... do any of you remember the starter button on the floor only on the right side? I remember vacuum wipers well...... and I had a 59 Beetle with the gasoline cabin heater..... had a '69 Beetle later, may have had air washers, I can't remember. Wasn't there a rubber bulb type thing you pressed on with your foot? Maybe another car, not sure.

 

[JetRanger]

Anybody remember when the windshield wipers were operated by vacuum pressure instead of an electric motor?

On the '52 pattern Jeep in which I learned to drive standard shift in the Army. The 3/4 ton SMP was even more fun: no synchromesh!

 

[billo]

My neighbor about 20 years back was old enough to remember learning to drive in a ‘27 Model T. He said it had a separate pedal for reverse and that earlier models would starve for gas on a long hill since the tank was under the seat. The cure on newer models was putting it up in the dash (gravity feed).
Sounds safe to me but then I did drive a Pinto.

 

[Larry Fine]

I remember all of those things. I started driving stick-shifts in a '64 Chevy van with a 194 cu in six, and later a '66 Ford an with a 240 cu in six, both with the engines between the seats.

My own first car was a '65 Corvair Corsa with the 140HP engine with four 1-bbl carbs, and a four-speed floor shifter. The heater routed engine air through the passenger compartment.

 

[bdalameda]

My neighbor about 20 years back was old enough to remember learning to drive in a ‘27 Model T. He said it had a separate pedal for reverse and that earlier models would starve for gas on a long hill since the tank was under the seat. The cure on newer models was putting it up in the dash (gravity feed).
Sounds safe to me but then I did drive a Pinto.

My dad had a Model T when he was in high school. He used to talk about having to back up long steep hills as it would run out of fuel if he tried to drive up going forward.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

do any of you remember the starter button on the floor only on the right side?

Yep. Had that on my 1942 GMC one ton. You had to hit the gas pedal and the starter pedal at the same time when it was cold while also being careful not to flood it by pushing the gas pedal to much on your way to hitting the starter pedal.

Reverse was selected by placing the shifter in the same position as second gear after flipping a little toggle lever on the shifter. No synchros in the transmission.

Air was filtered through an oil bowl.

 

[motornut]

Anybody remember when the windshield wipers were operated by vacuum pressure instead of an electric motor?

You bet, and what a piece of defecation they were, rebuilt a bunch and they operated most of the time. Even rebuilt air pressure wipers off trucks that used compressed air. It was fun watching those things jerk and dance across the windshield.
Having the wipers work with the throttle control was interesting too. Vacuum reservoir was a must, or they quit when you hit the accelerator.
Anybody stand next to a semi that had a air starter?

 

[Nashcat]

My dad said the Model T could only get up long hills in reverse, due to the gravity feed from the tank. That, along with the foot pedal for reverse, was the reason for the phrase, “Having to push it up the hill with my left foot.”