21 replies to this topic

[mariner]

Just an odd-ball snippet but here's Chrylser's 1956 solution to  a perpetually running dash clock

 

http://www.rockauto....dex.html#trivia

 

Go to the trivia bit ( and thanks to Rockauto - a super supplier).

 

For 1950's Detroit its actually a pretty neat low-cost solution.

 

My real favourite there is the "Highway Hi - Fi" - If you had  one of those in your Dad's car in 1956 you would be just " to cool for school"!

[OfficeLinebacker]

That's pretty awesome.  I like the instant heater the best.

 

I've always thought there should be some way of harvesting heat from the exhaust to warm up the car's interior sooner.

[BRG]

That's pretty awesome.  I like the instant heater the best.

 

I've always thought there should be some way of harvesting heat from the exhaust to warm up the car's interior sooner.

You mean like the one that was fitted to the early VW Beetle?  Which Detroit copied here by the look of it?

 

Did the self winding clock really work though?  I know the system works for watches but then you tend to wave your arm around a lot all the time you are awake. But if you spend all day on the freeway, you haven't really moved the steering wheel much, & then the car is parked for two days and the clock stops.  Wouldn't you spend a lot of time resetting it after it ran down?

[MatsNorway]

Oh man that clock is so cool. I want one for my future project car.

[Magoo]

Highway Hi-Fi is worth a story in itself. It was developed by Peter Goldmark, the inventor of the microgroove LP record. His motivation for automotive record players: He despised the car radio, especially the growing art form known as rock and roll.

 

As a result, the records available for Highway Hi-Fi, which did not take a standard music record but was based on the 16 2/3 rpm spoken word format, consisted of Broadway musicals, dramatic readings, etc. In other words, stuff young people would never listen to. That doomed Highway Hi-Fi as much as anything. The next generation of automotive phonographs played standard 45 rpm records. 

[Greg Locock]

and now the wheel has turned and audiobooks and podcasts have become staples for many drivers. 

[malbear]

My radio doesnt even work .

i like to hear my engine

thats what you get by driving a 92 nissan NX coupe

[Magoo]

and now the wheel has turned and audiobooks and podcasts have become staples for many drivers. 

 

Indeed, among my favorite aspects of road trips now. 

[indigoid]

Indeed, among my favorite aspects of road trips now. 

 

*boggle*

 

What happened to just enjoying the scenery? :-(

 

I will never forget (at least not until very old and senile ) riding my bike across the Sydney Harbour Bridge the first time. Tingles.

[Magoo]

 

 

What happened to just enjoying the scenery? :-(

 

.

 

I enjoy that too.

 

 

http://bit.ly/17VcLhn

[Greg Locock]

Sure, when the driving gets intricate the stereo goes off. Sadly in Oz most of my driving is at speed limit +3 kph, middle lane, brain approaching sleep. Occasionally God throws a kangaroo at me to wake me up.

[malbear]

yes those skippys allways have to be on the other side of the road and wait to move just 10 meters away from the headlights

[Magoo]

yes those skippys allways have to be on the other side of the road and wait to move just 10 meters away from the headlights

 

Sounds like the same strategy employed by the deer around these parts. 

[Canuck]

And Canadian bears apparently.

[Magoo]

And Canadian bears apparently.

 

I don't wish to be critical, but to me that one is more the fault of the motorcyclist than the bear. True, the bear did not have the right of way in this case. However. 

[Canuck]

In addition to the ground-sky-ground-sky-ground-sky recorded on the camera, it recorded a speedometer reading well in excess of the posted limit.  I'm inclined to agree.

[johnny yuma]

You mean like the one that was fitted to the early VW Beetle?  Which Detroit copied here by the look of it?

 

 

 

 My main experience of old VW hot air heaters was in the USA in 1982 in a Squareback,not a bad tourer for 3 month road trip,but the heater air always had a whiff of exhaust/petrol about it,and the air didn't arrive hot enough to demist the screen going over Vail Pass ,Colorado...quite scary with the traffic" jam" sitting on 50mph nose to tail.Crazy septic tanks.

[malbear]

Sounds like the same strategy employed by the deer around these parts. 

Usually mum kanga with a joe in the pouch and a teen following . Its the teen most likely to get bumped, while the bucks are too busy fighting or raping.

[BRG]

 My main experience of old VW hot air heaters was in the USA in 1982 in a Squareback,not a bad tourer for 3 month road trip,but the heater air always had a whiff of exhaust/petrol about it,and the air didn't arrive hot enough to demist the screen going over Vail Pass ,Colorado...quite scary with the traffic" jam" sitting on 50mph nose to tail.Crazy septic tanks.

The earliest Beetles used a heat exchanger on the exhaust to warm the air, but later aircooled models IIRC used a petrol fired heater.  Not sure which that car would have had.  Either way, you could have got a whiff of something less than fresh air!

[Greg Locock]

Usually mum kanga with a joe in the pouch and a teen following . Its the teen most likely to get bumped, while the bucks are too busy fighting or raping.

That's just Geelong on a Friday night.

[gruntguru]

 

[Magoo]

Electro-mechanical clocks are interesting machines....probably the least reliable technology ever installed on American cars. Worked just about long enough to get the car home from the dealer.