Motoring fashions that have died out

[Richard]

Travel sweets in the glovebox

 

 

Arm out of the window holding the roof on.

 

Both still very much in fashion in my world.

[billyboy406v6]

F.T.P.     Only applies to Mercedes Benz motor cars.

[62 Austin]

"Flocking" on cars.

[Parky]

Audis proudly proclaiming "Procon 10 protection system"

 

The one where a minor accident triggered some mechanism with pushed the engine forward away from the passenger compartment and guaranteed an instant insurance write off

 

"Renault recommend ELF Lubricants" with a picture of Alain Prosts F1 car - several years after he had left the team. And several years after Renault left F1!

 

Duckhams Q oil - in fact any Duckhams oil.

 

Other recent Motoring trends I have noticed disappearing are indicating, concentrating, and showing courtesy to other road users

[PhilA]

Audis proudly proclaiming "Procon 10 protection system"

 

The one where a minor accident triggered some mechanism with pushed the engine forward away from the passenger compartment and guaranteed an instant insurance write off

My old man had an 1989 Audi 80.. the manual had a brief description of the Procon 10 system.. if you shunted something hard the engine would shove back and downward, under the car rather than into the cabin, and by an ingenious system of cables and pulleys and stuff would pull the steering wheel away from you, collapsing the steering column, giving you a bit more room inside that you wouldn't hit yourself against things so badly.

 

That was the theory.. however if you've shunted something so bad that the engine's broken its mountings and been shoved under the car you've got a few more problems than worrying if it'll buff out

 

--Phil

[Captain Furious]

The two second rule

[jonny69]

Really, really slow cars with genuinely sketchy handling. I hear people moaning about their cars being slow but I think they've never even been in a properly slow car.

[strangeangel]

 subwoofers.

 

Really, does anyone bother anymore?

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/24339-ice-ice-baby-trigger-warning-contains-scenes-of-really-bad-subwoofer-installation/

 

[Timewaster]

I've not read all 9 pages but has anyone mentioned the way new cars don't have any spec badges on them anymore?

 

In the 80s early 90s there seemed to be a competition who could write the most stuff on the bootlid.

I've used the example before of my bosses old CX which read:

 

Citroen CX 25 DTR Turbo2 Familliale ABS

 

On 4 different badges.

 

FFWD to now, the company car just says "Focus" and a little Eco something or other badge.

The family bus just says "Galaxy"

 

If it weren't for the insurance docs for the Galaxy I wouldn't know what model it was.

Clearly not top of the range, given the keep fit windows and switch blanks.

 

It is apparently a Zetec, but with a VAG anchor and not a Zetec engine.

What does that mean?

 

The Focus is an Edge, which means it is a Popular Plus to you and me. And I only know that because that's what I ordered. It might be a Style or Titanium or anything. There are no clues.

 

Bring back Popular/City/Merit L GL GLS CD/VDP/GHIA XR etc etc.

 

Or even Deluxe and Super.

 

What do kids leave scrapyards with their pockets stuffed with these days?

[Guest Hooli]

Given that's a Nottingham reg, and your username, I hope it came from Hooleys Ford.

 

 

Sorry to disappoint. I lived darn south back then, it was 2nd hand from Ashington Autos.

[matty879]

them little chrome fish badges that god botherers put on the bootlid

[Twiggy]

Starting handles....................

 

On board jacks at each corner of the car.......

 

Spare wheels...

 

Drop down blinds on the rear windows...

 

Methinks I`m showing my age here !

[Walter White]

GB stickers.

I know they had a purpose but so many left them proudly stuck to the boot lid or tailgate once they were off the ferry and back home that they were a bit of statement for all to see.

[Richard]

Really, really slow cars with genuinely sketchy handling. I hear people moaning about their cars being slow but I think they've never even been in a properly slow car.

 

I keep seeing shopping cars described as underpowered because they have only 120 BHP or something. In the 70s a typical family car would be a 1300 Escort/Marina/Avenger/Viva with BHP in the 60s, 0-60 in the high teens and top speed in the 80s. These weren't slow cars either, they were just cars.

[garethj]

Buying a car with 40bhp and spending huge amounts of money tuning it to a hopeful 60bhp but realistic 42bhp.

[Cheggers]

Rearranging the lettering on the back of the car to say something witty* 😉

 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

 

[Timewaster]

Sticking GB stickers at an odd angle in an attempt to cover a scraped bumper.

[spike60]

Stick on bullet holes. My Z3 came with some on the back bumper covering gate post rash. Still there.

[garethj]

Filling stations with only one diesel pump.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Sticking GB stickers at an odd angle in an attempt to cover a scraped bumper.

Or perhaps if the towing eye cover falls out?

My workbus, about 3 weeks ago.

Today, it hasn't left the country in between. I was hoping the neighbour's would think I've been to that France buying 'baccy.

[Skizzer]

I've not read all 9 pages but has anyone mentioned the way new cars don't have any spec badges on them anymore?

 

...

Bring back Popular/City/Merit L GL GLS CD/VDP/GHIA XR etc etc.

 

This.

 

My work daily has the trim level etched on to the sill finishers in the door shuts, of all places.

 

It's like saying to embarking passengers, "You are now entering the glorious world of BMW LUXURY - prepare to be humbled by the mighty power of my leather-look seats, pointless LED mood lighting and slivers of unlikely tropical hardwoods with too much gloss lacquer."  Embarrassing.  Luckily they're mostly too busy trying not to bang their heads on the swoopy A-pillar to look down.

 

It also has a plastic badge on the rear quarter window declaiming the body style in rather camp italics.  I don't remember that happening even on mid-80s Japanese hot hatches, which could hardly move for "16-valve electronic-injection part-time-all-wheel-drive anti-lock-braking overhead-camshaft" stickers, but never actually said "hatchback" as I recall.

 

Said body style, by the way, is called "Gran Coupé".  So that'll be a German car with a name that's a nonsense Europudding mix of Italian and French.  It's enough to make you think about voting to Leave - well, almost.

 

It's an ok car, but it's an awfully long way up itself at times.

[garethj]

It's an ok car, but it's an awfully long way up itself at times.

 

The French expression is "trying to fart higher than your bottom"

[NorfolkNWeigh]

My last BMW had Business Edition in the door shuts.

MrsN says it reminded her of Elvis and TCB, although I don't think he had it on his BMW, just his planes

[NorfolkNWeigh]

[captain_70s]

I keep seeing shopping cars described as underpowered because they have only 120 BHP or something. In the 70s a typical family car would be a 1300 Escort/Marina/Avenger/Viva with BHP in the 60s, 0-60 in the high teens and top speed in the 80s. These weren't slow cars either, they were just cars.

I timed my Dolomite 1300 to 60mph at a junction one day. 0-60 in 24ish seconds, the most I had out of her was an indicated 84mph downhill and it really did feel like the end of the world.

 

Now-a-days a car is considered to be fast until the the 0-60 drops below 6secs and the top speed is over 150mph. I've mentioned my interest in acquiring a Toyota GT86 when they drop in value and am merely reminded that it's underpowered and slow by people I know.

[Negative Creep]

Oversized aftermarket alloys. Also amplifiers and subwoofers.

 

Really, does anyone bother anymore?

 

 

Been replaced by oversized OEM alloys

[pshome]

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I've not read all 9 pages but has anyone mentioned the way new cars don't have any spec badges on them anymore?

In the 80s early 90s there seemed to be a competition who could write the most stuff on the bootlid.

I've used the example before of my bosses old CX which read:

Citroen CX 25 DTR Turbo2 Familliale ABS

On 4 different badges.

FFWD to now, the company car just says "Focus" and a little Eco something or other badge.

The family bus just says "Galaxy"

If it weren't for the insurance docs for the Galaxy I wouldn't know what model it was.

Clearly not top of the range, given the keep fit windows and switch blanks.

It is apparently a Zetec, but with a VAG anchor and not a Zetec engine.

What does that mean?

The Focus is an Edge, which means it is a Popular Plus to you and me. And I only know that because that's what I ordered. It might be a Style or Titanium or anything. There are no clues.

Bring back Popular/City/Merit L GL GLS CD/VDP/GHIA XR etc etc.

Or even Deluxe and Super.

What do kids leave scrapyards with their pockets stuffed with these days?

I know what you're saying.

However, many moderns have 'Eco-blue-save-the-environment-but-not-really' badges lined up across their rumps. I still don't get the whole Eco thing. I guess the proper way of testing it would be to thoroughly inhale the exhaust fumes for a sustained period, and see what happens. If it's an eco car, all should be fine, innit.

[pshome]

gas stations able to do a lube job....

 

[Junkman]

For driving in that Abroadshire