If You Recognize What's In These Pics, You're Old!

[DubiousDan]

I remember when I was really young, turning on the TV and running to the couch to get there before the picture came on.

 

[benenglish]

dimmer switch

Winner!

Side note: If you had a mid-1960s Continental then it could also be the seek button for the radio. With the right options, you could get two of those buttons on the floor. Until I got the hang of using them, I repeatedly flashed the lights when I was trying to change the radio station.

 

[deemus]

I never saw either of my grandfathers shave. I never saw either of them not fully dressed and "presentable". Same goes for my grandmothers. Back then I was "seen and not heard".

Yep. There was no complaining about it either.

 

[deemus]

What's this? Will show your age.

If your truck was old enough, it could have been the starter button.

 

[Charlie]

At one time, my father had a Chrysler Imperial (big as a damn tank!) that had a radio station selector button on the floor. If you pushed it, it would take off and stop at the next strongest radio station! I'd take my friends out for rides and tell them all they had to do to change the station was to point at the radio (and I'd hit the button on the floor)! I'm sure some of them still think they had seen a radio that changed stations when you pointed at it.

 

[billtool]

So which one of you old b-sterds remembers how to set the Channel memory on the AM push button car radios?

 

[cvgunman]

So which one of you old b-sterds remembers how to set the Channel memory on the AM push button car radios?

pull out on the button, then push back in

 

[Charlie]

Me! Me! On our vehicle you tuned to the frequency, pulled the "button" out, and pushed it back in. All mechanical!

 

[Charlie]

Family had a "gigantic" 1958 Mercury that had that set-up!
Looked like this one but ours was white.

 

[billtool]

pull out on the button, then push back in

Boom!

 

[gll]

Speaking of buttons...

 

[msharley]

What's this? Will show your age.

Got one in my truck. '87 F 350...

Works just fine.

 

[msharley]

Speaking of buttons...
View attachment 250280

First car had something similar. 1964 Dodge.

Buttons were vertical, as was the Park Lever.

 

[Texasjack]

My mother's uncle had an old Ford pickup ('49?) that we drove on his farm. The battery was dead once and his nephew and I went to jump it. Couldn't find the battery to save our lives. Uncle came out and showed us it was under the floorboards. Eventually the engine seized up and he was forced to buy a used Chevy truck. I don't know why, but for some reason he removed the air cleaner. We were out in a field one day and when he started the truck, it backfired and the carburetor was on fire. He put it out by throwing dirt on it. I didn't know jack about carburetors, but I got a rebuild kit and took that thing apart and got it working again. I must have been 16 at the time. I drove a '63 Buick Skylark with a 215 cu. in. V8 aluminum block engine, with the weird Power-Glide transmission where the reverse was all the way to the right on the shifter. Had to rev it up a couple of times to get reverse to kick in. Had a 4-barrel Quadrajet (aka Quadrajunk) carb. Front wheel fell off twice while I was driving it. That was a thrill. Starter motor burned itself out in the driveway of girl I was picking up for a date. But I got a job in a gas station because when the owner asked if I had any experience working on cars I pointed to the Skylark and told him that was the only way I could keep it on the road.

 

[BRD@66]

My mother's uncle had an old Ford pickup ('49?) that we drove on his farm. The battery was dead once and his nephew and I went to jump it. Couldn't find the battery to save our lives. Uncle came out and showed us it was under the floorboards. Eventually the engine seized up and he was forced to buy a used Chevy truck. I don't know why, but for some reason he removed the air cleaner. We were out in a field one day and when he started the truck, it backfired and the carburetor was on fire. He put it out by throwing dirt on it. I didn't know jack about carburetors, but I got a rebuild kit and took that thing apart and got it working again. I must have been 16 at the time. I drove a '63 Buick Skylark with a 215 cu. in. V8 aluminum block engine, with the weird Power-Glide transmission where the reverse was all the way to the right on the shifter. Had to rev it up a couple of times to get reverse to kick in. Had a 4-barrel Quadrajet (aka Quadrajunk) carb. Front wheel fell off twice while I was driving it. That was a thrill. Starter motor burned itself out in the driveway of girl I was picking up for a date. But I got a job in a gas station because when the owner asked if I had any experience working on cars I pointed to the Skylark and told him that was the only way I could keep it on the road.

Mechanics are made, not born.