"Fender Skirts"

[Spurshot]

Its interesting. I poked around the net and found a study of wheelhouse aerodynamics. It turns out the rear wheelhouses can have up to 25% of the vehicle drag. The front wheelhouses have much less drag because they are close in the wake of the front valance/air dam. So this links to the discussion on the effects of removing the air dam. The airflow migrates out from under the vehicle and into the rear wheelhouse and also interacts with the airflow along the side of the vehicle, causing a lot of drag. It turns out those car engineers from the 50's and 60's that designed fender skirts were really reducing drag a bunch...consciously or not.

 

Another interesting finding in the study was that large spoke openings near the outer diameter allow more air to pump thru the wheelhouse and add drag. Solid wheels or small openings reduce drag.

[Btuggle88]

I remember a lot of those things and I'm 37 but mostly because my grandparents had old cars and so did my parents but my first car was a 1960 impala with straight six and 3 on the tree and WHITE WALL tire, how about that for throw back. I miss the floor mounted dimmer switch, my uncle had a riviera that had an 8 track player in the dash

[Ventilator]

Its interesting. I poked around the net and found a study of wheelhouse aerodynamics. It turns out the rear wheelhouses can have up to 25% of the vehicle drag. The front wheelhouses have much less drag because they are close in the wake of the front valance/air dam. So this links to the discussion on the effects of removing the air dam. The airflow migrates out from under the vehicle and into the rear wheelhouse and also interacts with the airflow along the side of the vehicle, causing a lot of drag. It turns out those car engineers from the 50's and 60's that designed fender skirts were really reducing drag a bunch...consciously or not.

 

Another interesting finding in the study was that large spoke openings near the outer diameter allow more air to pump thru the wheelhouse and add drag. Solid wheels or small openings reduce drag.

That is why we have that Dam thing in the front of the rear wheel well, to force air around the tire and well. At least that is what a GM Engineer told me. Might have been in more technical terms, but you get the point.

[Spurshot]

8 track? That was modern stuff. How about a 45 rpm record player in a car? Then came the 4 track...

[OldHobo]

I also recall front fender mounted mirrors. You ended up having to get in and out of your car eleventeen times just to get them set right. Also used frost shields on the side and rear windows during the winter since heating systems couldn't keep them clear of frost when it was really cold outside. My first car was a '51 Pontiac. It had vacuum operated wipers. Step on the gas and the wipers either stopped or got really, really slow - took an act of faith to drive up a steep incline during a downpour. Ahhh, for the 'good old days'.

[Badbird2000]

I remember fender skirts..my dad's 61 Impala had them, and the fender mounted mirrors. He was still driving that car in the 80's w g end I was a kid. I loved that car..so mad when he sold it when I was in high school. Romans red, 283 with the power package, 4bbl and dual exhaust, 3 on the tree... I remember our first microwave too..Amana RadarRange..my mom still won't trash it even though it stopped working years ago..I remember the floor mounted dimmer in the 1975 Suburban too..

 

Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

[SarahsGMC]

How about "inner tube"? I remember a time or two my dad had run a tube in tires when they had been punctured. I doubt you can find inner tubes for our sizes anymore.

 

Cars didn't have seat belts standard until the late 60's. I remember when you would see seat belt kits on the shelves of auto parts stores.

 

"smog pump". That's a by-gone term from the seventies.

 

"white walls". They were tires, for you younger guys. You were considered of lower income if you didn't have them.

We run inner tubes in paddle tires of all sizes and other sand/mud tires because of the risk of spinning the bead and going flat. Tube keeps em in check.

 

sent from my truck in a field

[Bad Bowtie2]

Man, if this don't bring back some memories. I have a feeling that the OP at 42 was not the original author of that post though? Or he MAY be lying about his age? LOL

 

No, it's true. I'm 41 today & 42 on 6/12/14.

 

I've just always loved the 50's. I've owned a 1960 Ford T-bird (vacuum wipers & a generator still) since 1991, I'm the 2nd owner. AM radio still works!! I listen to the "50's on 5" on XM/Sirius Radio often too in my 2012 GMC Sierra...

[scott19677]

Pretty recent ,but what about rear window louvers for 70s trans am and camaro. And the BRICK cell phone with the aero antenna?

[Mike-1000]

Dimmer on the floor...how about starter button on the floor.

First gear that wasn't synchronized.

Hooks and chains to hold the tailgate shut....and open.

Whatever happened to the straight six?

 

Mike

[Btuggle88]

Three on the tree and four on the floor. They don't have cool phrases like that anymore.

[Ventilator]

Three on the tree and four on the floor. They don't have cool phrases like that anymore.

 

Yeah, "Knob on the dash" just don't cut it. LOL

 

[Chris]

 

Yeah, "Knob on the dash" just don't cut it. LOL

 

I posted that pic a couple days ago. Haha. Now days everything is too electronic and I'm an IT guy and love electronics. A shift "dial" is too far

[SarahsGMC]

We make that disgrace at my shop along with paddle shifters

 

sent from my truck in a field

[Ventilator]

I posted that pic a couple days ago. Haha. Now days everything is too electronic and I'm an IT guy and love electronics. A shift "dial" is too far

 

 

That is the word I was looking for, "dial"!

 

So now we have, "three on the tree", "four on the floor", and "dial on the dash".

 

Some of the old Mopars of the 60's had push button shifters.