LOST IN TIME: UNUSUAL CAR FEATURES THAT JUST DISAPPEARED

#cbradio #oldcars #classiccars
CB radios made two-way communication between cars really convenient, but the fads seemed to die off pretty quickly as cell phones became universally accepted because of the influence of the movie "Smokey and the Bandit" and the fact that there were no cell phones at the time. some cars in the 1980s had the option to come with a CB radio. the CB radio made two-way communication between cars really convenient.
Nonetheless, EBS are still available, and many enthusiasts, truck drivers, and those who work in emergency response continue to use the gadget. It would appear that some dependable technologies, such as CB radios, never fully go out of popularity.

These headlights could flip up and down and were disguised when they were switched off; pop-up headlights were most usually seen on sports vehicles; it wasn't until the 1960s that pop-up headlights became a popular design feature on sports cars. The first car to feature them was the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, which used a vacuum-operated system to raise and lower the headlights. Over the next few years, several other sports cars followed suit, including the Porsche 911, the Lotus Elan, and the Ferrari Daytona. Honda was fond of adding them to their models. In addition to their distinctive appearance, pop-up headlights also provided improved aerodynamics by reducing drag and improving airflow over the car's body. By the 1990s, the pop-up headlight was on the verge of extinction due to safety concerns; as a result, manufacturers began phasing out this light configuration, and it was completely phased out in 2004.

the image of a family going on vacation in a wood paneled station wagon wasn't just something that was seen in the movies. Many car models came with fake wood panels along the sides. While this wasn't a bad looking feature at the time, it was cheaply made, causing the paneling to fall off or disintegrate. Many different cars used this wood paneling, with Chrysler being one of the last companies to offer it on the Town and Country minivan up until 1996. Today, wood paneling is a terrific accessory for vintage cars, and it also serves as a pleasant visual reminder of memorable family vacations spent in the station wagon.

Like most features of early American cars, front bench seating was a holdover from the horse-drawn carriage. It allowed for additional passengers or simply gave everyone a little more room. The bench seat was a popular feature of the big American sedan until the 1970s, when safety regulations caused its popularity to decline. However, they are still found in many trucks. Yet, if you were a child in the 1970s or 1980s, there is no doubt that you drove around on that front bench seat. The Crown Victoria was one of the last modern sedans to provide bench seating, and after that, bench seats and sedans were abandoned altogether.

The history of the automobile vent window dates back to the early days of the automobile, when cars were first being designed with enclosed cabins. In the early 1900s, car manufacturers began to experiment with various ways to improve ventilation inside the car, as early cars tended to become uncomfortably hot and stuffy in the summer months.
One of the solutions that emerged was the vent window, a small, hinged window that could be opened to allow air to flow into the car. The first vent windows were manually operated and were typically mounted on the front doors of the car.
One of the first models to feature vent windows as a standard feature was the Ford Model A, which was introduced in 1927. The Model A had a pair of vent windows on each front door that could be opened to provide additional airflow into the car.
However, as car designs became more aerodynamic in the 1970s and 1980s, vent windows began to fall out of favor. Many car manufacturers began to use air conditioning systems and improved ventilation systems as a more effective way to keep the car cool and comfortable.

The history of the automobile automatic seatbelts dates back to the late 1970s when car manufacturers began to explore new ways to improve vehicle safety. One of the innovations that emerged during this time was the automatic seatbelt. The first automatic seatbelt system was introduced by the Japanese car manufacturer, Mazda, in 1975.

[ThisOldCarChannel]

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[jimowens]

The window vents need to come back. They were very practical

[troynewly]

One feature absent from this list is the dimmer switch, the floor button to turn high-beams on and off.

[piotrswiat-xtkk]

Bench seats were actually pretty cool, practical and very comfortable. To bad they're gone.

[markesanderson]

Always enjoy your videos! Thank you for your research and presentation. Big car buff here. There was a car prior to the 1963 Corvette that featured pop up headlights. That was the Cord 810/812 from the 1930's. They were manually cranked open and closed from inside the vehicle. Kinda cool! Thanks again - great work.

[nucleargrizzly]

My '89 Turbo Trans Am has T-Tops, an electric antenna, CB and pop up head lights. I think the combination is cool.

[toddlenard]

A lot of my old vehicles not only had vent windows but they also had a little leaver below the dash that opened up the vents underneath the dash that would give you a huge rush of air as you're cruising down the road.

[valengreymoon]

Swivel seats, slide away steering columns.

[itsnotme]

My Dad had a 1976 Buick Skylark 2 door coupe with the 1/2 Landau roof. Car was bright yellow, roof was black. Looked great, until...New England winters....by 1984, that car had rust stains all over it and the massive doors had overloaded their hinges, dropping down and making the trim get hit (and parts removed) each time the door was shut. LOL
Loved me some T-Top rides! Always fun to drive around with the glass roof off. Probably why I love convertibles today. I still have a portable CB radio I bring on long trips for emergency use. My sister had a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass coupe with a swivel driver's seat. That was kinda cool.

[jrussellcase]

I could totally see Charles Napier having a CB radio in his car. 😄

[ttop]

Speaking of antennas my '71 Malibu has the antenna in the windshield. It also has another unusual feature for its time. An air powered rear window defogger/defroster which works great. It pulls in heat from the interior and blows it on the window. This was before the defrosters of today with the wires in them.

[jimsmalleimb]

The only ones of these I miss are the bench seat, the vent window, and one thing you forgot to mention... the automatic transmission column gear selector lever which took up less space in the car and was more practical to use.

[mymomsaysimcool]

My 78 Cutlass Supreme had most of these features. Other features that disappeared, opera windows on a coupe, cigarette lighters and ashtrays everywhere, sealed beam headlamps, under hood lamps, hood ornaments, jacks that lifted the car by the bumper, and crotch coolers (under steering column vents).

[BEATNIKMACHINE]

I ran into Clint Eastwood and he owns one of these Firebird T tops and a town and country, I met him in a parking lot near the sears in Carmel and we spoke for plus minus 45 minutes about the engine and how much he loved it either way and that he and his girlfriend at the time took it on a sneaky getaway to vegas for a week back in the day. Good times he loves it and his example was in mint condition. 2nd time I met Mr Eastward first time was in the safeway parking and he was waiting for his wife to do the shopping in his typhoon that time he gave me 2 hours of his time. LOOK OUT FOR HIM IN PARKING LOTS I HAVE RUN INTO HIM 4 TIMES IN CARMEL AND HE IS A CAR GUY WITH MINT VEHICLES. he does not shop he waits in the car !

[elhombrebilingue]

I'm so happy with my 85 Buick Lesabre. No airbags and no annoying seatbelt buzzer. The plush velour seats make it such a comfortable fun drive. ❤

[kylebrown]

I just enjoy the heck out of this channel.. I remember 2 more items that went away.. The rumble seat in the station wagons that folded down into the floor and faced backwards, and the floor vents that could be opened manually that seemed to never be completly closed if opened and winter driving was cold on the toes... Thanks again for the posting 👍👍✌🍻

[robertd]

Power Antenna's were around before 1960; Cadillacs had them going back to at least 1954 or earlier. They were vacuum operated, but power nonetheless. Also, pop-up head-lights go back to at least the 1930s, look at the 1936 Cord.

[johnmaki]

I had an AWESOME "power antenna" on an '84 Plymouth Reliant! It COULD NOT climb a 45-degree incline! I LIKED this "ride", though!

[michaelwilliams]

Landau roofs looked great on the Ford Mustang II Ghia, Chevrolet Monza Towne Coupe, & Pontiac Sunbird Towne Coupe! Plus, those three cars looked even better with sport mirrors & a chrome luggage rack on the trunk lid!

[percentSNAFU]

While this was an aftermarket part, Le Bra was actually very common in the 80's and 90's. I had one back in the day. Also the shaded headlight covers.