most of the cars that i've owned haven't had any gauges other than a speedo and fuel gauge.. gauges used to be an option and weren't available at all on some cars..
most of the cars that i've owned haven't had any gauges other than a speedo and fuel gauge.. gauges used to be an option and weren't available at all on some cars..
petegossett wrote:ronholm wrote:I saw an ad for the 2015 Caravan/T&C that stated something about "vent windows". Did they bring them back?Dusterbd13 wrote: Wing windows. I miss them. They make ac unnecessary in most climates.What was the last year for them? I looked all over to find a my 96 dodge van. Wanted one with no rust and wing windows. I want to say 97 was the last year for the wing windows... Rain Gutters and Wing windows.. Even has Chrome bumpers on both ends.
Rear vent windows.
Woody wrote:kanaric wrote:You can operate a knob without taking your eyes off the road. You cannot operate a touch screen without taking your eyes off the road.Woody wrote: Knobs.One of the things that may be making a comeback imo. They are far more convenient. Most luxury infotainment systems seem to use them now.
That's significant. I use a click wheel iPod for my in-car music for this very reason - I can operate it without looking at it to adjust the volume, pause, fast forward or skip tracks. Same with all the other controls in most of my cars, they can all be operated blind. Interface designers have completely forgotten this, it seems, and it's not doing any of us any good.
Mechanical parking brakes. How am I supposed to do a J-turn if the ECM won't let the electronic parking brake engage while the car is moving?
In reply to slowrid
The temperature gauges in some cars are buffered to the extent that by the time the needle touches red your E36 M3 is already toasted.
Miata owners complain about the non-linear temperature gauge (hint: if it's not moving, you're good, if it's moving it's time to take some action) but then they also ask for a low fuel light. 
going to dipsticks.. I am going to add to it by saying transmission oilchanges. Thanks BMW and your stupid "lifetime transmission fluid"
cig lighters
petegossett wrote:ronholm wrote:I saw an ad for the 2015 Caravan/T&C that stated something about "vent windows". Did they bring them back?Dusterbd13 wrote: Wing windows. I miss them. They make ac unnecessary in most climates.What was the last year for them? I looked all over to find a my 96 dodge van. Wanted one with no rust and wing windows. I want to say 97 was the last year for the wing windows... Rain Gutters and Wing windows.. Even has Chrome bumpers on both ends.
They are referring to the rear quarter glasses. They can be opened about 2" via a switch on the drivers' door (which incidentally is under recall for fire hazard). The last vehicle I recall seeing front vent windows on was the 1993 Isuzu Rodeo.
Dipsticks going away is just plain dumb. I first ran across this on Mercedes, it's easy to overfill/underfill a little and the damn dash goes bonkers. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
The lack of dipsticks and real usable data just baffles me. My parents just got a new XC60 T6, and my dad is currently waging jihad against them because of this. Apparently like the BMW coolant temp, you either have oil or you need a new engine. He discovered that they actually have software to display actual oil level outside the US, but we're too stupid to have it here.
In reply to Curmudgeon: I know the 9th gen F series(f150 92-96, f250 '98) had vent windows. IIRC, it was the last full size truck with them, last year for GM was '87, Dodge was '93.
neon4891 wrote: In reply to Curmudgeon: I know the 9th gen F series(f150 92-96, f250 '98) had vent windows. IIRC, it was the last full size truck with them, last year for GM was '87, Dodge was '93.
Did the 98 F250 really have them? I thought they went out 97?
I know the Dodge van had them until 1997.
neon4891 wrote: In reply to Curmudgeon: I know the 9th gen F series(f150 92-96, f250 '98) had vent windows. IIRC, it was the last full size truck with them, last year for GM was '87, Dodge was '93.
I believe you are correct, sir.
I have yet to figure out the reasoning behind eliminating dipsticks. Just makes no damn sense, particularly when the owners' manuals will tell you the owner is responsible for keeping fluids at the proper level. Let them drop, sustain engine damage = customer gets no warranty.
novaderrik wrote: most of the cars that i've owned haven't had any gauges other than a speedo and fuel gauge.. gauges used to be an option and weren't available at all on some cars..
In the 1960's and 70's a lot of Fords came only with a speedo, a fuel gauge, a charge light and an 'engine' light. The engine light was for both oil pressure and coolant temperature.
ronholm wrote:neon4891 wrote: In reply to Curmudgeon: I know the 9th gen F series(f150 92-96, f250 '98) had vent windows. IIRC, it was the last full size truck with them, last year for GM was '87, Dodge was '93.Did the 98 F250 really have them? I thought they went out 97? I know the Dodge van had them until 1997.
I stand corrected. The 9th gen ran till '97 for the F-2/350. '98 had the F-250LD, '99 saw the introduction of the Super Duty.
Other than the whistle, why did they do away with the vent windows?
bastomatic wrote: They're long gone now, but I sure do miss vent windows. Some cars had fresh air vents in the footwells you could open up too.
I miss these as well. There are days I would kill to have them in my ram or the Tahoe.
Dusterbd13 wrote: Other than the whistle, why did they do away with the vent windows?
Flow-through ventilation and a/c became predominant in the late 60s, which helped lead the way to the demise of the vent wing. Also, they were ridiculously easy to break in to.
I don't own a newer car, but good hydraulic steering racks seem to be going away. It's okay for standard cars so those vehicles aren't occasionally leaking hydraulic fluid into the environment (and aren't valved for good feedback anyway), but performance cars initially suffer.
A mechanical connection between the driver's foot and the throttle body.
The wife's Outback kind of soured me on drive-by-wire throttle bodies.
Door locks that can be operated with a key with no power to the car. Mazda only has one.
mad_machine wrote: going to dipsticks.. I am going to add to it by saying transmission oilchanges. Thanks BMW and your stupid "lifetime transmission fluid"
As far as I know, you can change the transmission oil. It's not a sealed unit. You just need to remember to do it.
How about:
The ability to see what is around you. Many old cars had almost 100% visibility, new ones, not so much.
The ability to get in a hot car as a passenger and ROLL DOWN THE DAMN WINDOW!!!
Similar to the above and what others have stated, the "isolated cocoon" environment that is considered the standard for car interiors.
carzan wrote: Drivers
Beat me to it.
I will add headlights that don't cost more than some cars I have bought in the past.
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