Do you remember? Feel free to add.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I rememeber when people who liked cars liked Top Gear. Now it seems fashionable for interweb warriors to slate it constantly.

 

It's not really for people who like cars any more though, it's for people who like the false tension and drama of all the reality shows I avoid.

[cms206]

TIR signs on trucks (not sure if these still exist or not,never seen one in ages)

 

Curious - looked it up...

 

"Before the borders were relaxed within the EU one would see T.I.R. signs on containers or trailers with customs bonded seals.

"Transport Internationaux Routiers" was a sort of system apparently where you could cross the borders without reinspection at each border."

 

I always thought it was Trans International Roadways but it looks like it doesn't exist anymore.

 

 

It does still exist, or at least the TIR boards do; passed a Greek registered Merc Actros only last week with a TIR plate on the front, thought it looked bloody odd!

[CreepingJesus]

I'm pretty sure that the old TIR boards, are just a little retro thing with some of the old school long-distance guys. Especially those who used to go into the Middle East, back in the day. See also 'Les Routiers' boards.

[trigger]

Funny enough i often see TIR signs on containers at work, I wondered what it meant.

[AeroNautiCal]

Radweld.

Electronic ignition kits.

Green Shield Stamps.

The Green Shield Shops all becoming Argos.

Les Routiers signs on trucks.

The 'glowing kid' Ready Brek adverts.

Seeing cars with F1 style wings on their boot lids for the first time.

Sitting in the back (on the wheel arch) on my uncle's brand new MK 1 Transit and thinking the rear air vents were a clever idea.

Bunking off school to go out with my mum's boyfriend in the Ford Custom Cab (on contract) for The Metal Box Company (which was conveniently based opposite the school, as was the 3 truck 'Haulage and Storage' firm that did sub work for TMBC).

When truck drivers actually used ropes and tarps to secure loads.

Being allowed to drive fork lift trucks at London Docks whilst doing collections in the 'Custom Cab when I should have been at school.

Trucker's cafe's.

Petrol stations being virtually everywhere... And closing at night.

Shops closing for lunch!

[barefoot]

being able to buy a numberplate without shitloads of paper work

[scooters]

Aladdin Thermos Tartan vacuum Flasks

beaded seat covers

beige faux leather brouge style steering wheel wrap

The Lane Changer clip on rear veiw mirror (wonderful thing)

overstuffed rear bench seats in a Wolseley 1800

The neighbour's Volvo 145

Dad's DS Safari and AA rescues in it

a company in Edinburgh called 'Hometune' who would come and tune your car for you

tuning cars full stop (well, shitters are used to that!)

using a tape recorder to play music cos the car had no stereo (Mk III cortina Estate, DS Safari)

driving from Barcelona to Provence to visit a Volvo Truck dealer to collect a relay whilst on a family holiday in the 245 DL - no Volvo car dealers in France or Span at the time.....also being flashed at because of the side running lights in France and Spain

Feeling car sick due to the smell of petrol and damp interiors (how we love that smell these days!)

being able to actually buy decent parts in Halfords

[AeroNautiCal]

Being interested in the pages of shotguns for sale in the Sports section of your mum's home delivery catalogues.

Being even more interested in the pages of ladies in swimwear and underwear!

The white, Matchbox Cars double decker buses that shuttled staff about in East London.

The cash machines that used reels of fabric with instructions printed on to guide you through the process... And how modern it was!

The first cordless tv remote controls.

Price guns in shops and price stickers on individual items. Cashiers ringing things up at the tills, when they were still called tills, and not checkouts.

British Telecom Pagers.

Phone boxes that took 2p and 10p coins... And had phone directories.

British Telecom Party Lines.

Party Seven kegs.

A Double Diamond Works Wonders.

Watney's Red Barrel.

Your first Black & Decker Workmate.

Your first magnetic tipped screwdriver.

Routemaster bus conductor's alloy ticket machines, and throwing the near empty rolls like streamers from the top deck.

Taking apart Compact Cassette players to make them as small as possible and still work.

Going to the Library to look stuff up.

Life before political correctness.

[Cavcraft]

Five star pez.

 

Driving a 2.5 n/a engined Sherpa/LDV400 and thinking it was like a Ferrari after the 'O' series engined Sherpa I was driving before it.

[triang1]

Needing to fit a negative earth 8 Track into my positive earth Cortina... kept in wrapped in the styrofoam box it came in, shoved it in the glovebox... result! Stevie Wonder , Roxy Music etc all in beautiful stereo. - Except occasional sparks when the case touched the side.

 

Romac dust brushes kept in a tin box on the parcel shelf

 

Car accessory shops selling centre consoles, three hole instrument binnacles ( in fake mahogony natch) , Overhead consoles (tooo much) pifco hazard lamps ... oh the joy.

[RobT]

I may be repeating others but:

 

-Anti-static strips on cars

-VWs with their badges missing in the 80s. My Dad's company mk2 Golf 1.6 CL managed to survive badge intact though!

-Toys from Tandy called Radioshack, Armatron being one of my favourites. On reflection it was just shit

[oman5]

white dog poo.

texan bars.

spangles

bar six.

little old ladies with those 2-wheeled shopping trollies, usually tartan, and accompanied by small yappy dogs usually with a matching tartan doggy coat

pound notes.

all telecom vans were commers.

those funny little pale-blue 3 wheeled invalid cars (AC invacar. I want one.)

calling anything with a datsun or honda badge "Jap crap"

Fizzies. (them little 50cc 2 stroke bikes) usually with exhaust baffles removed to sound meatier.

Honda C70s. usually ridden by men in macs and national health glasses with the compulsory white top box.

mopeds you started by pedalling them.

The ford sierra launch and thinking how futuristic it looked, whilst hating it for killing off the beloved cortina.

seeing morris marinas and minors with collapsed trunnions by the roadside.

getting overtaken on the motorway by a rep doing 80 and thinking "what a lunatic!"

non-speed limited HGVs...some of them capable of 80 mph+

Leyland national buses. PSV autoshite, I want one of those too with the whiney, thrashy smoke belching 510 engine and the fishtail exhaust

[Station]

Using Radweld or similar coagulants with 90% of internet community getting their fur up claiming it'll block 1 inch wide water galleries.

[Pillock]

Changing British Telecom Yellow to BT Grey and thinking what a weird logo it was (there was an exchange across from my primary school)

Using a phone box.

Stripy British Gas vans

Having to retune the radio as you drove a long distance.

Thinking 40 miles WAS a long distance

Putting mudflaps on new cars.

Being amazed by electric windows and remote locking.

Ford joystick faders!

Going to the motor show at Earls Court every other year

[Richard]

Headlights you could see by.

 

Radios that could receive a signal more than 6" from the studio.

[mattblack]

When company vans didn't have the word 'solutions' on them

 

When 'logistics' was 'transport'

[tonedepear]

odometers with windy-round numbers, rather than digital bollocks which you can only see when the cars running, assuming the bulbs are ok and the pcb bit that lights the bulbs isn't torn.

 

*grumble*

 

When Audis and Skodas weren't driven exclusively by complete cunts.

[Albert Ross]

odometers with windy-round numbers, rather than digital bollocks which you can only see when the cars running, assuming the bulbs are ok and the pcb bit that lights the bulbs isn't torn.

 

*grumble*

 

When Audis and Skodas weren't driven exclusively by complete cunts.

 

Out on road test today in a white van, followed by a Wanker Chariot A5, he neglected to indicate to go round a roundabout, as a triple decker car transporter pulled out in front of him from one of the slip roads. My, how I chuckled as I peeped in my rear view mirror. I do believe I saw the truck driver waving.

[Twiggy]

... metal "sun visors" on the outside of the car - must have played havoc with the aerodynamics at anything over 30...

 

the "V" shaped fly catchers, mounted on the front of the bonnet...

 

not being able to get an alcoholic drink in Wales on a Sunday...

 

radiator muffs...

 

no barrier on the motorway central reservation...

 

three lane roads with a central suicide lane...

 

A A/ R A C patrols on motorbikes... who saluted you...

 

no 70 mph speed limit on motorways...

 

the Co-op "divi...

 

the vehicle restriction signs on motorway slip roads - "no learner drivers... "

 

no Forth Road Bridge or Severn Crossing...

 

petrol at 5/- a gallon...

[AeroNautiCal]

The Dunlop Denovo Safety Tyre being launched.

Everyone washing their cars on Sunday.

No motorway lighting.

Hitchhiking.

[Station]

When company vans didn't have the word 'solutions' on them

 

When 'logistics' was 'transport'

 

I hate that 'solutions' thing. It gives the impression that they have board meetings and have discussions, although it's toilet unblocking 'solution'. Very American (ie shit).

 

I also hate cheap A5 fliers that offer a service, for example window cleaning, saying 'we will clean you windows' when it's only one person. They're usually called MW window solutions, the 'company director's' initials.

[Albert Ross]

I used to trade as " FW Services". People mistakenly thought it was my initials. How wrong they were. It stood for "Fat Wanker" .

[Station]

My friend had an internet thing called SMD, which stood for 'Suck Me D*ck'.

[Des]

Glue sniffers in the park, with polythene bags containing rubber solutions.

[triang1]

When 95% of the cars on the road were in a vast and interesting kaleidoscope of colours - now 95% of cars are either silver met or black.

 

As above, when cars came in an interesting and attractive variety of interior colours rather than black,grey or black

 

When the only black motors were driven by the old bill or undertakers.

 

For example the current Alfa 159 (Alfa ffs - a company reknown for flair,design and imagination) is available in the following colours;

 

+ White

+ Red

+ TWO shades of black...

+ FOUR (!) shades of metallic silver

oh a very,very dark blue that looks like Black...

 

I blame Joe public who have been reading What Car? for years telling them that silver was the 'safe and sensible choice'...arrgh

 

Makes me yearn for BL's beige or mustard shades...

[boobydoo]

[quote="Twiggynot being able to get an alcoholic drink in Wales on a Sunday...

 

..

 

I'd forgotten about that. I was at college in North Wales from 1981-1984...what a God-forsaken place that was on a Sunday. Nothing was open. Mind you, we would trundle off to Menai Bridge to a caff that was open lunch-times that did ham,egg,chips and peas on a Sunday lunchtime for 50P!!

 

Equally depressing was that at the student 'disco' (as they were called then) on a Saturday and Wednesday night, they insisted on every other record played being Welsh language.

 

Truly wrist slittingly awful.

[55bloke]

I take it you were at Bangor University then? Me too, from '73 to '77. I absolutely loved the place to be honest, but I do remember Sundays being "dry." And I remember the student's union insisting all business be conducted in Welsh and English - even though Welsh students were pretty few and far between! It certainly slowed down the debates (or slanging matches!) when every thing had to be translated before a reply could be made!

[boobydoo]

^^ I was at 'Y Coleg Normal', the teacher training college on the banks of the Menai Straits. To be honest, those three years were the biggest doss of my life .....so yeah, I enjoyed it!! The bits I was sober enough to remember, anyway.

 

I actually cried when I left!!

[55bloke]

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about "Normal College!" I did 3 years studying Zoology, living in digs with about a dozen other lads, and had a Mk 1 Cortina GT- good times!