Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

[Zombie_61]

Look on the bright side, what are the chances you'd have lived to be a Lounger if you'd bought it then?

Let's put it this way--I'd hate to have been one of the people who sets the odds in Las Vegas. lol

I would have sold the heap I bought and bought that one for sure.

The "heap" was a '61 VW Beetle that was in very good condition, made better once I installed the 1835cc engine and Gene Berg five-speed transmission. I had a lot of fun with that car, so no regrets here. But I have to admit, if I found myself in the same situation today I'd do the deal for the Mustang.

 

[jamespowers]

Let's put it this way--I'd hate to have been one of the people who sets the odds in Las Vegas. lol

The "heap" was a '61 VW Beetle that was in very good condition, made better once I installed the 1835cc engine and Gene Berg five-speed transmission. I had a lot of fun with that car, so no regrets here. But I have to admit, if I found myself in the same situation today I'd do the deal for the Mustang.

Oh man! The VW would have been gone faster than the Mustang would go full throttle if it was me.

 

[Zombie_61]

Oh man! The VW would have been gone faster than the Mustang would go full throttle if it was me.

I've had three of 'em--the '61, then a '66, then a '63. They're great little cars as long as you're not in a hurry to get anywhere. The "secret" lesson I learned from the '61 (and from other friends who had "tinkered" with their Beetles) is that you have to leave 'em alone and let 'em be a Volkswagen, and as long as you do the regular maintenance they'll last forever. The moment you try to turn them into a race car or a circus wagon (i.e. extreme customization) it messes with their mojo and you're going to have constant problems, so you'd better have deep pockets or an unlimited supply of parts.

 

[jamespowers]

I've had three of 'em--the '61, then a '66, then a '63. They're great little cars as long as you're not in a hurry to get anywhere. The "secret" lesson I learned from the '61 (and from other friends who had "tinkered" with their Beetles) is that you have to leave 'em alone and let 'em be a Volkswagen, and as long as you do the regular maintenance they'll last forever. The moment you try to turn them into a race car or a circus wagon (i.e. extreme customization) it messes with their mojo and you're going to have constant problems, so you'd better have deep pockets or an unlimited supply of parts.

I wouldn't own one if they were giving them away free. Now that I think of it, I could have had a few free over the years.... I worked for a VW parts distributor after my last year of high school. That was the closest I want to get to a VW.

 

[wsc]

Serarch lights
Used to be the a big grand opening of a store or some event in town they'd run all night, haven't seen one in use in years.
I remember watching them from my window as a kid hoping to "spot something" ha

 

[Shangas]

I think the last time I saw searchlights outside of a theme-park or Disneyworld or some-such place was at a cinema. But it was many, many, many years ago.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Serarch lights
Used to be the a big grand opening of a store or some event in town they'd run all night, haven't seen one in use in years.
I remember watching them from my window as a kid hoping to "spot something" ha

Good point!
We had a dealership a mile away from the house when I was a kid. I remember seeing the search lights in the sky on Friday night, as they tried to sell 70's Chevrolets. While I had a few in my early years, I wouldn't have bought one new. The dealership would have come out cheaper giving the salesmen a few flashlights. It would have brought in the same amount of people, especially when you are selling the "new" Chevy Citation. :eeek:
I can't even being to imagine what those lights cost to operate.

Another Dart exists?

Zombie, I knew a guy in high school that made a weekend racer out of his Beetle. Rebuilt and modified engine, cross-fed carbs, and a change in how the gearing went (something planetary). All I know is it was a rocket to about 85mph, and he would take a lot of money from Iroc and 5.0 people every Friday night. The funny thing was, he could race all weekend on a half tank of gas.

 

[LizzieMaine]

There's a company around here that has a searchlight mounted on the back of a trailer -- he rents it out to car lots and grand openings and such, but it's been a while since I've seen it. Most people around here wouldn't see much point in going to a car dealer at night -- it's easy enough to get swindled in broad daylight.

I loved my VW -- the only car I ever owned that would start without a protest in 15 below zero weather. But they weren't built to endure New England rust, so the only ones you see any more are the "collectible" ones. No more playing Punch Buggy in the back seat on long trips.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Serarch lights
Used to be the a big grand opening of a store or some event in town they'd run all night, haven't seen one in use in years.
I remember watching them from my window as a kid hoping to "spot something" ha

You see search lights pretty regularly around here. They're usually in front of a strip club.

 

[jamespowers]

I loved my VW -- the only car I ever owned that would start without a protest in 15 below zero weather. But they weren't built to endure New England rust, so the only ones you see any more are the "collectible" ones. No more playing Punch Buggy in the back seat on long trips.

I think I found it!:

 

[LizzieMaine]

Well, mine was red, but that's pretty much the idea. I guess they don't salt the roads in Bavaria.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

It would cost more to ship it here than I paid for mine!

Good man! Need another one? California car!

Guy down the street from the shop has one, '70 2-door Swinger with a 318. He's also got a '70 Mustang, '69 Camaro, and a '66 Chevelle.

Another Dart exists?

The airport here still has them and uses them. They can bee seen from just about anywhere in town, at night.

Serarch lights
Used to be the a big grand opening of a store or some event in town they'd run all night, haven't seen one in use in years.
I remember watching them from my window as a kid hoping to "spot something" ha

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

And I keep telling James that VW's aren't necessarily hippie.

 

[jamespowers]

And I keep telling James that VW's aren't necessarily hippie.

Wasn't that the one used in Jamestown, Ghana. Yeah, I think Hippie Jim had one.

 

[jamespowers]

It would cost more to ship it here than I paid for mine!

Heck, if you paid more than $100 I would say you paid too much.

 

[Gregg Axley]

It would cost more to ship it here than I paid for mine!



Guy down the street from the shop has one, '70 2-door Swinger with a 318. He's also got a '70 Mustang, '69 Camaro, and a '66 Chevelle.



The airport here still has them and uses them. They can bee seen from just about anywhere in town, at night.

LOL, I read that as the airport still has Darts, uses them, and they can still be seen from just about anywhere in town at night. Dern ADD.

 

[jamespowers]

LOL, I read that as the airport still has Darts, uses them, and they can still be seen from just about anywhere in town at night. Dern ADD.

Well Darts are pretty ugly.

 

[Gregg Axley]

So VintageTink could see them if she flew over Wisconsin?
Understandable.

 

[jamespowers]

So VintageTink could see them if she flew over Wisconsin?
Understandable.

Yes, remember Mighty Man and his Dog Yukk? Well Yuck could stop a plane in mid air. So can a Dart. You just have to focus the ugliness.
[video=youtube_share;cL6WnUyhfl8]http://youtu.be/cL6WnUyhfl8[/video]

 

[Zombie_61]

Zombie, I knew a guy in high school that made a weekend racer out of his Beetle. Rebuilt and modified engine, cross-fed carbs, and a change in how the gearing went (something planetary). All I know is it was a rocket to about 85mph, and he would take a lot of money from Iroc and 5.0 people every Friday night. The funny thing was, he could race all weekend on a half tank of gas.

Mine was a real sleeper (i.e., a car that doesn't look like it can go as fast as it does), so I took a lot of people by surprise. It topped out at about 90 mph, but a friend had a '63 with a larger engine and got his up to around 120 mph on an empty stretch of freeway while I was riding with him once. :eeek:

...I loved my VW -- the only car I ever owned that would start without a protest in 15 below zero weather. But they weren't built to endure New England rust, so the only ones you see any more are the "collectible" ones...

Yeah, rust and air-cooled VWs don't get along too well. Unless you live by the ocean, that's not much of a concern in this part of southern California.