Cars - Things You No Longer Have To Do

[therealHJ]

Cars, modern cars ... they are just great compared to cars of the past

Stick in the coded key press the button and everything works

What things do you remember from the past you had to do with cars that you dont have to do now

One that sticks in my mind is taking out the spark plugs and putting them in the oven, then cutting the fuel off and turning the engine over to try and dry out a petrol flooded engine on a cold day (being careful not to flatten the useless battery) before putting the hot plugs back in and trying again!

[AlcoholBrazil]

Emptying the ash tray
Winding down the window manually.
Checking every door is locked.
Needing just a wire coathanger if you lock your keys in , not a £200 bill for a dupllicate key.
Changing a wheel with another wheel the same size without calling out a breakdown company,
Pulling out your stereo so thieves don't nick it with a sliding mechanism.
Having chewed up cassette tape mangle your stereo.
Checking the contact breaker points under your distributor cap.
Saluting the AA man.
Leaving the kids loose and unrestrained in the back seat and stopping them catapulting through the windscreen.
Repairing the circle of rust from your wing mounted car radio aerial.
Displaying a tax disc.

[therealHJ]

Getting under the front wings of a car with a hosepipe to wash the accumulated salt and mud out of the corners

[Zambo]

Soon it will be drive the fucker. Gone to far already and taken some of the pleasure out of driving.

Who needs 'take me home headlamps', wipers that come on when they think it's the correct time to, loud beeping when you are reversing, engine cut out when stopped at traffic lights, cornering assist fog lights etc etc.

As long as I have remote central locking, auto windows and manual AC, I'd rather save the money on the rest of the shite.

[therealHJ]

I agree, the prospect of a car you don't drive yourself doesn't appeal to me at all.

Something I don't miss though

Timing a car using a timing light and trying to avoid losing your fingers

[AlcoholBrazil]

Patching up a hole in the exhaust with Gun Gum
Spraying Underseal under the floor and getting that black tar stuff off your skin and clothes for weeks.

[m4rkb]

- A full service with AA membership before thinking about driving 100 miles or more.

- Know anything about how cars work so you stand a chance of doing it yourself when it goes wrong.

- Teach you how to drive when there are no brakes and clutch.

- Repairs with P38, plastic padding and a tin of Car Plan paint.

[lasharoo]

Pull out the choke

[Jonathan]

Isopon for repairing rust holes

[therealHJ]

Isopon for repairing rust holes

Remember it well!

[Steve Hunt]

Constantly looking at your speedo in camera controlled areas (if you have cruise control)

As someone who does a lot of motorway driving, I would never buy a car without cruise control. The greatest development in last 20 years, imo.

[Steve Hunt]

I agree, the prospect of a car you don't drive yourself doesn't appeal to me at all.

It would be the death of the taxi industry.

[paolo]

tune the carbs

bleed the brakes

adjust the handbrake cable

replace the magic tree

[therealHJ]

Carbs

I had a 1971 MGB Roadster used to spend hours setting the twin SU carbs and a few days later then would be out of balance again

Points

Using a piece of a fag packet to set the gap

[Basualdo]

Emptying the ash tray
Winding down the window manually.
Checking every door is locked.
Needing just a wire coathanger if you lock your keys in , not a £200 bill for a dupllicate key.
Changing a wheel with another wheel the same size without calling out a breakdown company,
Pulling out your stereo so thieves don't nick it with a sliding mechanism.
Having chewed up cassette tape mangle your stereo.
Checking the contact breaker points under your distributor cap.
Saluting the AA man.
Leaving the kids loose and unrestrained in the back seat and stopping them catapulting through the windscreen.
Repairing the circle of rust from your wing mounted car radio aerial.
Displaying a tax disc.

Getting a plucky chap with a red flag to walk in front of your horseless carriage to warn pedestrians and horses.

[Reg]

Cars, modern cars ... they are just great compared to cars of the past

Stick in the coded key press the button and everything works

Until there's a computer hitch and nothing works.

And you have to pay a fortune for the whole thing to be replaced and rebooted.

[m4rkb]

Cars, modern cars ... they are just great compared to cars of the past

Stick in the coded key press the button and everything works

Until there's a computer hitch and nothing works.

And you have to pay a fortune for the whole thing to be replaced and rebooted.

When I saw your name as the last post there Reg, I seriously expected you to mention starting handles.

[therealHJ]

Using a metal coat hanger as a temporary aerial after some young scrote has snapped off the telescopic aerial

[Reg]

Cars, modern cars ... they are just great compared to cars of the past

Stick in the coded key press the button and everything works

Until there's a computer hitch and nothing works.

And you have to pay a fortune for the whole thing to be replaced and rebooted.

When I saw your name as the last post there Reg, I seriously expected you to mention starting handles.

[therealHJ]

Cars, modern cars ... they are just great compared to cars of the past

Stick in the coded key press the button and everything works

Until there's a computer hitch and nothing works.

And you have to pay a fortune for the whole thing to be replaced and rebooted.

When I saw your name as the last post there Reg, I seriously expected you to mention starting handles.

I can remember my dad starting his Austin A30 with a starting handle

I also remember him having indicator lights fitted and doing away with the trafficators

[m4rkb]

There's many a time I'd still have been grateful for a starting handle but there are too many stories of people with broken arms when the engine kicked back so they are banned under Health & Safety.

A good few stories exist too of bikers being thrown over the handlebars of a Norton 750. In one case, another broken limb. In those days they were ready for this type of shit but would still be able to drive even with a broken neck.Cars today just turn you soft. Fifty miles in a clapped out old banger blowing snow through the heater crawling up some hill in Wales isn't comparable to a modern car with different climates for the passenger and driver.

My car bleeps when the temperature drops outside to minus whatever telling you to be careful - as though I don't already know. What cars should do is automatically open all the windows and turn the fucking heater to stone cold with added Aircon for extra comfort.

[lambrini]

I can't drive. Need to learn at some point.... Meh.

[Petingo]

Emptying the ash tray
Winding down the window manually.
Checking every door is locked.
Needing just a wire coathanger if you lock your keys in , not a £200 bill for a dupllicate key.
Changing a wheel with another wheel the same size without calling out a breakdown company,
Pulling out your stereo so thieves don't nick it with a sliding mechanism.
Having chewed up cassette tape mangle your stereo.
Checking the contact breaker points under your distributor cap.
Saluting the AA man.
Leaving the kids loose and unrestrained in the back seat and stopping them catapulting through the windscreen.
Repairing the circle of rust from your wing mounted car radio aerial.
Displaying a tax disc.

Getting a plucky chap with a red flag to walk in front of your horseless carriage to warn pedestrians and horses.

[finchman]

Disconnecting the speedo cable to stop the mileage racking up.

[AlcoholBrazil]

Disconnecting the speedo cable to stop the mileage racking up.

Or even using a drill to wind it back.