Who remembers this? Old farts' corner. - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

EA S · 01-07-2002, 17:18

For the edification and amusement of young fellas, what can you recall that is different to now (assuming you can recall anything)?

Remember the joys of afternoons spent ruining a feeler gauge doing the tappets with the donk running; adjusting dizzy points; changing the oil in oil bath air cleaners; putting in new king pins with pre-reamed bushes guaranteed to slip straight in and which never did and then just getting the full reco like you should have in the first place; trying to balance twin SU carbs; trying to improve your column shift by stuffing around with the trunnion rods (and wishing you could afford a ? B&M floor shifter conversion); marvelling at your mate's home made lowering blocks for the FX (yes, I know it didn't exist) onwards; and improving rear grip and handling with a sandbag each side in the boot.

And 5 digit speedos, because 100,000 miles was a bloody good innings.

And technological marvels like the lever operated air scoop under the windscreen, and valve radios that had a range of about 4 feet.

I do miss chrome swans with fluoro pink or green plastic wings on the bonnet; Esso tiger tails hanging out of the petrol filler cap; and the great accessory, the driver's window weathershield with the green plastic top and, on the deluxe model, the little canvas curtain, not to mention fans on the dash and the mighty Smith's round electric heater in my FE which always caused the dilemma that you could be warm at the drive-in if you had the motor running, which was a nuisance, or risk draining the battery if you didn't.

Cobra · 01-07-2002, 17:20

in other words you rode on a T-rex to your first job?

EA S · 01-07-2002, 17:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Cobra
in other words you rode on a T-rex to your first job?

No, a Malvern Star semi-racer and later a tram with no doors and wooden seats, and that's a couple of other things that were nowhere near as good as today's stuff, either.

As for the T-rex, they could be tamed if you had enough people (we averaged about 490 people killed during the taming process) but we didn't have the technology to make big enough saddles, so we never rode them.

Jesmol · 01-07-2002, 17:38

You gorgot about the big metal sunshields over the top of the windscreens, just like my HK had. Tasteful. and Vinyl roofs ....

RAPTOR · 01-07-2002, 20:19

OK, I'll own up to some of this but certainly not all of it, your older than me EA S. (see in quote below)

Quote:

Originally posted by EA S

Remember the joys of afternoons spent ruining a feeler gauge doing the tappets with the donk running; YES
adjusting dizzy points; YES
changing the oil in oil bath air cleaners; NO, but I know what they look like.
putting in new king pins with pre-reamed bushes guaranteed to slip straight in and which never did and then just getting the full reco like you should have in the first place; NO
trying to balance twin SU carbs; BUGGER THAT - too easy, The 186 had TRIPLES
trying to improve your column shift by stuffing around with the trunnion rods (and wishing you could afford a ? B&M floor shifter conversion); YES
marvelling at your mate's home made lowering blocks for the FX (yes, I know it didn't exist) onwards; NO
and improving rear grip and handling with a sandbag each side in the boot. STILL WORKS FOR THE UTE!

And 5 digit speedos, because 100,000 miles was a bloody good innings. YES

And technological marvels like the lever operated air scoop under the windscreen, and valve radios that had a range of about 4 feet. NO

pedro · 01-07-2002, 23:45

what do you mean remember, im still doing it . i have still got a kingpin reamer for the bottom pins & a rear drum puller ,for the backaxle, which used to break off now & again losing a wheel.
my austin didnt have any fancy accessories ,just a crankhandle &
hand windscreen wiper. demist with a potatoe cut in half. ah the good old days.