MerrillMedia wrote:
Too much junk in cars - too much to break, too much to get it fixed, etc. If the old school Beetles had A/C in them, I would probably drive one.

When we get hit with an EMP attack, I think my 1974 Bug will still start up and run, right?

For air conditioning I can roll down the windows with the window cranks and open the wind-wings.

Click Hamilton wrote:
When we get hit with an EMP attack, I think my 1974 Bug will still start up and run, right?

Depends completely on the intensity of the pulse, Click.  I've often wondered if the steel in a car body would shield the electronics in a car enough to allow survival, although the long wiring harnesses are really good antennas.

Click Hamilton wrote:
For air conditioning I can roll down the windows with the window cranks and open the wind-wings.

Broke my heart when Detroit did away with the wings!

GPS Studio Services wrote:
In the late  80's I had a Chrysler New Yorker that had an all digital dash.  It also had a synthesized voice.  It spoke to us often.  My wife used to call the car "Mr. Man."

My current Chevy Cruze has digital instruments but they are doubled with analog.  I can't remember the last time I owned a car that was all digital other than the New Yorker.

Holy shit. I had one of those.

Among some of the stupider ideas for autos was the plastic radiator on this model. It was replaced 3 times OEM until the shop put in a proper metal one.

By the time I got rid of it, the power seats didn't work, one out of four power windows still worked, and neither power mirror worked.

The dealership offered me $100 in trade so I chose to give it to a girlfriend. 3 months later, it was road kill, dead.

exartica wrote:
1989 Buick Riviera with digital dash and a touch screen:

WOW....Look at that beautiful plastic wood dash. GM..we build cars that get recalled!

DOUGLASFOTOS wrote:
WOW....Look at that beautiful plastic wood dash. GM..we build cars that get recalled!

I never understood the interest in wood in cars.  Wood dries out and cracks, or gets moist and warps.  As a detail with vinyl/leather or metal, it's a pretty terrible material.

Same goes with an analog clock in your more expensive car dashes.  Why?


Off topic.

I worked with a group of 11-13 year olds for the past two weeks.  None of them could tell time on an analog clock that didn't have numbers on it.

AdelaideJohn1967 wrote:
Any others?

I think a late or mid 80's Nissan 300zx had it too.

exartica wrote:
1989 Buick Riviera with digital dash and a touch screen:

Wow 1989 for touch screens...... I didn't even know they had touch back then.

Red Sky Photography wrote:
89 Jaguar XJ 40 had a digital dash. Would sometimes go completely blank when the solder joints got worn. Bang on the dash and it would start working again. New jaguars have partially digital dash that works very well and has many owner adjustable features.

same for the Holden Calais.. It had vacum fluorescent panels for various items and got a little warm, extended use caused solder joints to go wonky

AdelaideJohn1967 wrote:

Wow 1989 for touch screens...... I didn't even know they had touch back then.

pffffttt!!! thats nothing.
in 1982 you could get a firebird with a video phone, and it would valet park itself if you talked into your watch.

Paolo Diavolo wrote:

pffffttt!!! thats nothing.
in 1982 you could get a firebird with a video phone, and it would valet park itself if you talked into your watch.

LOL Dude............ Cracked me up.

But they did have carphones back then. only they were

A) very pricey
B) had a transmitter you had to shove in the trunk
C) pricey to use

Fifty One Imaging wrote:
....Own a 2005 Cadillac DeVille with an all digital dash ('01 shown)



In '06 they switched back to analog.

Now (2013) Caddy has an analog appearing cluster which is lcd, go figure.

Why would you not just use normal analog dials?