Kids these days will never know….

bradgator2

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Yep. When was your last time to use one? Or have you ever used one? :lol:

Yeah, I learned to drive on my dad's 71 Ford Galaxy 500. Obviously it had one. But I havent thought about that switch in many decades. When I saw the pic, it took my brain a few moments to place the memory.
 

secgator

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Yeah, I learned to drive on my dad's 71 Ford Galaxy 500. Obviously it had one. But I havent thought about that switch in many decades. When I saw the pic, it took my brain a few moments to place the memory.
Same with me....I recognized it(I thought), but took a second to know it...if that makes sense. Didn't take long, almost as if "I know what that is, but I can't believe I'm seeing it". Impressive thing about those--I don't ever remember having to change one out, repair or replace one...nada. Zilch. I'm sure some did need replacing but all in all it's like they were indestructible. They were built like a tank--never wore out and were actually used more often than one would think. If you drove at night, it could be a lot of clicking going on from low-to-high beams. The old saying applies--"they don't build em like they used to".

That was the coolest "remember this" item posted in this thread.
 

TLB

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Absolutely a good one! I hadn't thought of those things in at least 30-40 years. Had to take a second look at first because it looked familiar but I was mentally head scratching for a split second. Then bam--and literally started laughing out loud here.

That was me. Wondering if it was a push-pull door lock and the left side was the window slit...but no, that wasn't it. Was it some peg for placing things? No, not it. Holy COW! When it struck, I absolutely laughed out loud. Winner of the thread thus far.
 

B52G8rAC

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Why don't we still have them. No clutch to impede the left foot. I actually hate the column mounted switches.
 

Detroitgator

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Why don't we still have them. No clutch to impede the left foot. I actually hate the column mounted switches.
While I still remember the floor hi-beam switch fondly as a kid (and on my dad's '71 Buick Skylark convertible), as a "Detroit guy", and a GD Yankee, I'll tell you why they went away.

The obvious answer is because putting everything in the turn signal switch is easier/cheaper to manufacture in the electronic age (vs a mechanical switch age).

The other answer is known by all GD Yankees or anyone who lived somewhere where they salted the roads in the winter and, like in Detroit, had a lot of winter where it was thaw/wet slush by day, freeze/ice by night, repeat for most of the winter... it's because you don't want to put a hole in the floor to mount under any conditions. Now add the salt/slush to constantly hitting that mount in the floor from underneath (whether the bottom of your car was coated or not)... now add that people didn't buy new cars every 18-36 months back then... what you eventually got was a rusted out, big hole in your floor boards.
 

B52G8rAC

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While I still remember the floor hi-beam switch fondly as a kid (and on my dad's '71 Buick Skylark convertible), as a "Detroit guy", and a GD Yankee, I'll tell you why they went away.

The obvious answer is because putting everything in the turn signal switch is easier/cheaper to manufacture in the electronic age (vs a mechanical switch age).

The other answer is known by all GD Yankees or anyone who lived somewhere where they salted the roads in the winter and, like in Detroit, had a lot of winter where it was thaw/wet slush by day, freeze/ice by night, repeat for most of the winter... it's because you don't want to put a hole in the floor to mount under any conditions. Now add the salt/slush to constantly hitting that mount in the floor from underneath (whether the bottom of your car was coated or not)... now add that people didn't buy new cars every 18-36 months back then... what you eventually got was a rusted out, big hole in your floor boards.
Its not just GDYankees that had the salt problem. Notice the one word formulation. My first car was a 1960 Falcon my dad used for fishing (driving up and down the sugar sand of Pensacola Beach and Gulf Shores. When I got it the floors were holes so I used tarpaper and roofing cement to put in serviceable barriers between the road and my feet. Drove that car for about 18 months until the entire clutch mechanism fell out because, you know, rust. I actually didn't think of the floor mounted switch needing a penetration. Good call.
 

Detroitgator

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Its not just GDYankees that had the salt problem. Notice the one word formulation. My first car was a 1960 Falcon my dad used for fishing (driving up and down the sugar sand of Pensacola Beach and Gulf Shores. When I got it the floors were holes so I used tarpaper and roofing cement to put in serviceable barriers between the road and my feet. Drove that car for about 18 months until the entire clutch mechanism fell out because, you know, rust. I actually didn't think of the floor mounted switch needing a penetration. Good call.
You worked in this "office" for how many years, and you didn't realize that stuff was mounted through holes?!?!?!?!!? :lol:
img_2233.jpg
 

Jack o' Diamonds

My mind is made up, don't confuse me with facts...
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When electric starters first came out, they also had a push switch on the floor.. Had a '34 international pickup with such an arrangement.. But the starter didn'r work, and couldn't buy one so had to hand crank it. Wasn't legal to drive on the road because of mechanical brakes and vacuum operated wipers. Drove it all over the farm.. Had to park it on a hill and coast it and pop the clutch to start it.. Hand cranks can be a killer..
 

CDGator

Not Seedy
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Jul 24, 2020
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Grampa worked at IBM, and the fact you didn't choose to show the Selectric just makes me sad.

View attachment 51741

It crossed my mind but I chose to go really old school where you had to do the manual return. That one is too fancy.
RIP Grampa and please forgive me.

BTW, we owned one just like that in your photo but I let a friend borrow it and never got it back.
 

Seedy

Totally not CDGator
Oct 17, 2020
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It crossed my mind but I chose to go really old school where you had to do the manual return. That one is too fancy.
RIP Grampa and please forgive me.

BTW, we owned one just like that in your photo but I let a friend borrow it and never got it back.
I think someone received Grampa's Selectric as part of estate distribution. only half kidding.
 

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