Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

[jamespowers]

It's steaming hot!

Like a pile of green horse manure.

 

[jamespowers]

That'd look better on a British sports car.

Sure, make a British car look ugly now.

 

[jamespowers]

I've also always had a soft spot for the Big Blue Oaklands.

Now you are talking. A nice big v-8 under the hood too---for the time anyway.

 

[vitanola]

That'd look better on a British sports car.

That dark green metallic is so much of its period! When I see it, though, I picture a certain 1968 Dodge Dart Swinger, with of course a black vinyl top. New York City car. My dear cousin Rose drove it until she bought her Camry in 2005. The dealer gave her a modest trade-in for the Dart, which had 26,000-odd miles on the clock. Older cars are common in her neighborhood in Astoria, where many folks have garages, but very few drive to work, as the El is just a block away. Her next-door neighbor still drives his 1963 Ford Galaxy, while a lady down the street has a 1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

 

[jamespowers]

Remember AMC, and their host of hideous colors? (As well as models)
Here is the essential list of cars that we all probably have known and hated, in no particular order. http://allworldcars.com/wordpress/?p=2208

They had the trifecta man. Ugly colors, ugly cars and wierd engineering at times. I mean the AMC Gremlin! Be real man! I'll take a Corvair over those heaps.

 

[jamespowers]

That dark green metallic is so much of its period! When I see it, though, I picture a certain 1968 Dodge Dart Swinger, with of course a black vinyl top. New York City car. My dear cousin Rose drove it until she bought her Camry in 2005. The dealer gave her a modest trade-in for the Dart, which had 26,000-odd miles on the clock. Older cars are common in her neighborhood in Astoria, where many folks have garages, but very few drive to work, as the El is just a block away. Her next-door neighbor still drives his 1963 Ford Galaxy, while a lady down the street has a 1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Oh geez! I remember that ugly green on the Dodge Dart. That was horrible.

 

[vitanola]

Now you are talking. A nice big v-8 under the hood too---for the time anyway.

I prefer a "Sensible Six", those mid-'Teens GM V-8's were a it troublesome and prone to odd vibrations. Heck, I even really like the Buick Fours, and would gladly drive one were it not for the scarcity of vertain critical parts.

 

[jamespowers]

I prefer a "Sensible Six", those mid-'Teens GM V-8's were a it troublesome and prone to odd vibrations. Heck, I even really like the Buick Fours, and would gladly drive one were it not for the scarcity of vertain critical parts.

They fixed some of the quality control problems they had later on with the true blue Oakland. I would still take one over the 6 though.

 

[this one guy]

How about *downtown* gas stations. Nowadays you'd be hard pressed to find an actual gas station within the downtown area of a town or city -- they're usually out on the Miracle Mile, not right in the middle of everything.

This is the corner of Main and Winter Streets, Rockland Maine in 1936. The building in the background is the theatre where I work, but the filling station has long since been replaced by a building that currently houses an upscale bakery. The "Fireproof Garage" advertised on the side of the theatre is still standing, but it's now a series of art galleries. So if you want to actually buy some gasoline right in town, tough luck.

(And for that matter, Tydol -- once the largest-selling brand of gasoline on the East Coast -- is long gone too.)

And convenience markets are replacing service bays. Try getting someone to mount a new tire or replace a belt at a mini mart/gas station.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Oh geez! I remember that ugly green on the Dodge Dart. That was horrible.

Don't forget the contrasting plaid upholstery in harvest gold and turd brown polyester .

 

[vitanola]

Don't forget the contrasting plaid upholstery in harvest gold and turd brown polyester .

Actually, the 1968-72 Swinger package in "Olive Green Metallic" were generally fitted with black vinyl tops and uphoulstery, though white vinyl is not unknown. I've only seen the white on convertibles, though.

 

[jamespowers]

Don't forget the contrasting plaid upholstery in harvest gold and turd brown polyester .

Oh the horrors! The 70s should be banned.

 

[jamespowers]

Actually, the 1968-72 Swinger package in "Olive Green Metallic" were generally fitted with black vinyl tops and upholstery, though white vinyl is not unknown. I've only seen the white on convertibles, though.

Great. Green with a hippie top and pimp white interior. Something Superfly would drive for sure. :rofl:

 

[Gregg Axley]

Or shag carpet in your living room.

Wait, I still have that. Well "semi" shag, not quite as deep as your "brushing" shag.
I know, it's time for new carpet. Maybe this spring.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Now there is a way to ruin a perfectly good Camaro:

On the Camaro it does look a bit odd, but on the Corvette it's awesome.

 

[jamespowers]

On the Camaro it does look a bit odd, but on the Corvette it's awesome.

Post a picture. I need proof.

 

[Espee]

There's a Chevron station across from Los Angeles Union Station, with some of the highest prices in the county.
I don't know why they invested in a high-mounted "arena scoreboard" light-up price sign-- if you've already pulled into a station before you see the high price, you might say "Oh well, okay, I'm here..."
But this one lets you see from 3/4 of a block away, that if you can possibly drive farther, you should.
The one time I was desperate enough to buy there, they got on the p.a. to shoo out a couple of patrons who were chit-chatting after hanging up the hoses. There was $$$$$ to be made from other desperate (or wealthy, or expense-accounted) folks!

 

[Stanley Doble]

Went to the library today and once again, had to leave because I could not read in peace. Today it was some kind of colicky baby convention. Last time it was Story Time for Half Wits. And always, cell phones ring ring ringing and phone conversations and personal conversations.

I can't recall a librarian shushing anybody in 20 years. For a long time nearly everybody knew to keep quiet in a library. Today they might as well be in Clancy's Pool Hall.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Went to the library today and once again, had to leave because I could not read in peace. Today it was some kind of colicky baby convention. Last time it was Story Time for Half Wits. And always, cell phones ring ring ringing and phone conversations and personal conversations.

I can't recall a librarian shushing anybody in 20 years. For a long time nearly everybody knew to keep quiet in a library. Today they might as well be in Clancy's Pool Hall.

I think I told the story about when I was in between computers and had to go to the library to get online and had to deal with people like "Lotion Lady." Lotion Lady would apply lotion or hand sanitizer every five minutes or so but not in a normal fashion, oh no, she had to rub her hands together loudly and vigorously whenever she put on her lotion.

 

[tridentine]

Nice looking Corvettes.