Top 10 Strangest Automotive Inventions (from GM, Ford, & Chrysler) - Which is Your Favorite?

[@DanEBoyd]

That blue paint on that Mobile Director Imperial @21:07 is absolutely gorgeous!!!

[@jamesweddle184]

Those bucket seats were pretty sharp looking too!

[@charlesseymour1482]

Hi nice vintage car. ​@@jamesweddle184

[@mjmorrill081]

My grandfather gave me my very first car a 1963 Pontiac tempest LeMans with a 326 V8. I love that car. It's a shame Pontiac doesn't even exist any longer.

[@stevevogelman3360]

Nice first car. My gramma gave me my first car too. But it was a not so cool 1964 rambler.

[@dshsdog]

Mine was a 65

[@boblozaintherealworld3577]

Yikes. That thing must have moved!

[@Bbbbad724]

I had a 1965 2 dr sedan and the color was beautiful. It had a 326 HO with a 4 V and a 2 speed with like a Buick that had Switch Pitch. It was odd. If you took off easily it was a 2 speed, but if you took off quickly it acted like a 3 speed but it was just a torque converter trick that somehow multiplied the converter ratio. The Buicks had it too. I loved the car and the transmission burned up and I decided to put a 3 speed in it, the crank had the hole for the bearing and I found out that the only 3 speed was a Ford top loader design so I found one and put it in there with a 3 speed hurst / Pontiac endeavor and a 10.5 diaphragm clutch that was in the C-10 pickup. I t was a really good transmission. It had the first year Quadrajet and it was neat car with the 3 speed and the QJet with the air cleaner lid flipped or a chrome air filter, that 326 ran good.

[@andyZ3500s]

Those 63 Tempest LeMans are nice looking cars. Nice first car.

[@justajo2]

My dad bought a 1960 Corvair which had the gas heater. It worked great, never gave us a reason to feel anxious. A safety feature was that it would only run when the engine was running and when shut off by the switch or stopping the engine it would go through a cycle to burn away any remaining gas or vapors before shutting down entirely. You could hear it operate for about 30 seconds before it became silent.

[@steves9905]

the mobile director is perfect for cocktails with your secretary on the way to the board meeting.

[@Johnnycdrums]

The "Mobile Director" is definitely the ticket. Lose the typwriter, keep the drink holders.

[@MickeyMousePark]

"secretary on the way to the board meeting." "Board meetings" in the backseat....

[@oliverdelgado6952]

​@@MickeyMousePark 😋

[@zlinedavid]

Board? More like wood meetings, amirite? 😏

[@patrickflohe7427]

@@zlinedavid 😂

[@pjesf]

The “Mobile Director” option seems like a convenient excuse to have the secretary join you on a business trip

[@LongIslandMopars]

One of our club members owns one. It's so cool.

[@boblozaintherealworld3577]

ok, that's a good one.

[@jerrystaley1563]

As regards to that 1967-68 Imoerial "Mobile Director" option: Can you imagine what would happen with that typewriter (as pictured) and a rear-facing passenger if the driver had to emergency brake or the car get hit from the front? That relatively heavy typewriter would hurtle into the passenger's chest or face. Yikes! As to that 1961-63 Tempest "rope drive" driveshaft: my 1963 Tempest 326/3-speed experienced a complete failure after exiting I-35 and making a u-turn beneath the freeway. Stranded by the side of the road with absolutely no driveshaft connection. Later, the dealer had the factory rep look at it. He said a small scratch on the shaft led to a fracture failure. As the car was past warranty and I had the car repaired by our local mechanic, Pontiac refused any compensation. Other than that, it was a beautiful Cordovan Brown metallic 2-door coupe with a 260 hp (SAE) V-8. JJS

[@vladtheimpala5532]

@@jerrystaley1563 Sounds like a pretty nice car.

[@DerrickOil]

I think the mobile director is more a tiny conference room on wheels, versus taking dictation.

[@tdk1246]

I remember the printed vinyl tops, they actually looked really good. I miss the uniqueness vehicles had at that time. Now cars are one of five colors and two colors of interiors.

[@sheilasembly-crum8447]

I agree totally! Plus, the colors offered are ugly and flat looking. No class.

[@MickeyMousePark]

colors: black, white, grey and other

[@philojudaeusofalexandria9556]

5 colors? You must be buying fancy cars. Most cars come in 3 colors: White, Gray/Silver, Black. And the interior is Black... or black.

[@FrankAllison-i1h]

The clamshell tailgate on my college girlfriends parents' Caprice wagon was sooooooooo cool! I loved that feature and it really worked well. With all the seats folded, you could put a whole 4x8 plywood piece in there and it would not get stuck on the tailgate. Such an awesome feature!

[@2W3X4YZ5]

I’m a 59 yr old car enthusiast. I spent 20 of those years as a wholesale car dealer. I worked as a line tech, and a couple of years in parts. Your video was very informative, and I learned a lot of stuff I never knew. I really appreciate it. Cheers.

[@RareClassicCars]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jorgedacosta8957]

Your Dreaming, I'm 58 and was Born in 1965 how the hell were you selling cars in this era? Your a liar.

[@2W3X4YZ5]

@@jorgedacosta8957 I sold new cars (Lincoln-Mercury-Merkur) from 87-89, then went on the line at Chrysler for five years, then ran a wholesale operation in California from 97-09. Retired now, with strong opinions intact.

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

The videos you make Adam, and then the info & stories shared by people here in the comments is such a wealth of knowledge and enjoyment about American automobiles. I'm 49, rode in a lot of huge '70s Grand Villes and Bonnevilles as a kid that my dad bought cheap after they were more than a few years old . It just occurred to me to possibly make a goal of reading all the comments (after watching all your videos). The wealth of automotive knowledge, and life experiences in these cars, and history here is giving me something to look forward to. 😊 Thanks to Adam for the videos, and for giving people a platform to share on

[@mariekatherine5238]

The Corvair with gas heater, I had a hot water circulating engine block heater installed in a 1980 Chevette that I kept outside in Minnesota. It had to start reliably every morning. It worked very well. I plugged it in via a large, heavy duty extension cord through my 2nd floor bedroom window. One January morning the temp. was -56 F. The car started right up, but the analog gauges didn’t work. The speedometer needle was stuck, same with charge, odometer, dashboard clock. I got about 15 miles when they suddenly thawed and kicked in again. So there was an extra 15 miles on the car that didn’t show on the odometer when I sold it.

[@wordcripple3174]

Hydro-Wipe sounds more like a bidet than a car feature...

[@lgbpop]

Best comment on this post ~

[@markrossow6303]

M-B 600 ,,Pullman" limos had Hydraulic Everything

[@tylernewton7217]

Plus you gotta use that dial to open your orifice. Don’t really goes well with the hydro-wipe feature.

[@l.cfootman3259]

The window swamp cooler that could be had on some mid-50's cars, could be considered a somewhat strange invention. And, perhaps even the swing away steering wheel offered on the T-birds mid-late 60's.

[@gregoryward93]

Actually the swing away steering wheel was a standard feature on all T-Birds starting with the third gen 1961 model.

[@theda850two]

It also was available on full size Fords in '64.

[@Teestar22]

I remember when our neighbor bought a 1970 Plymouth Gran Coupe with that paisley top and matching upholstery. It was really something...until our other neighbor bought a 1972 Gold Duster with a snakeskin vinyl top. Chrysler made some bold moves back then.

[@danrowley7002]

Your comment about Ford’s gold glass sparked a memory. When I was 15, I thought I was going to be an auto mechanic, so I bought a 1975 Motor Manual. I still have it, although the pages are quite yellow now. In the alternator section, there is mention of the Ford Sierracin high voltage alternator, which provided about 120 volts for the rear window defroster. This is why there is a separate alternator, as this wiring was completely isolated from the low voltage charging alternator. I thoroughly enjoy your videos, especially when I hear the Chrysler “Hamtramck Hummingbird” starter.

[@josephgaviota]

That 2nd alternator information is very interesting!

[@pcno2832]

120V wiring on the inside of a car? Sounds like a potential shock hazard.

[@marko7843]

We had a customer at our shop with a Continental Mark IV and the second alternator. It was actually TWO hundred volts and it was for the rare, optional InstaClear windshield which had an invisible coating of gold sprayed on to it to heat up much faster than a cold defroster. It also had the most V-belts I've ever seen on any car in my life... 😅

[@josephgaviota]

@@marko7843 DANG, I wish I got a chance to see that.

[@brucebardell3792]

The glass was Sierracin brand (acquired by PPG in 2006), supposedly the same as aircraft windshields. At the time, I calculated the windows used power equal to 4.5 2-slice toasters (I purchased a '76 T-bird new).

[@HypocriticYT]

The only but important things you are missing is having less people, less traffic and cheap gas when driving your cars. These cars supply great memories that cannot be matched

[@judgegixxer]

You should look at some vintage film of traffic in the 50's thru 70's. Cities were just as bad as today and the air was actually worse. LA was brutal. Lot of lead in that smog too. They were great looking cars though and I understand the romance. That's why I watch this channel.

[@HypocriticYT]

@@judgegixxer I lived through it and cities were not nearly as large but yes the air in cities was not as good and you had some cars emitting black or blue smoke out the tailpipe. If you got behind one you either backed off, changed lanes or even better got in front of them

[@Wiencourager]

I recently saw how gas prices have changed over time adjusted for inflation, and gas in the late 50s was about what we are paying today. There were some spikes, the early 70s Arab oil embargo and the 1979 Iranian revolution raised gas prices from about 79-81. Those 2 periods were highest. , and the $4 a gallon we had about 2008.

[@bigredc222]

@@Wiencourager When I first started driving and working in the 70s, most of my money went into my gas tank.

[@HypocriticYT]

@@Wiencourager Inflation you can't use for this product alone. Much oil is produced for pennies. Just a few years ago a liter of gas dropped to 70 cents. It's market driven pricing. Actual costs to refine and get it to you are minimal. Dollar buying power was better decades ago and gas was cheap even for a teenager, this isn't true today. Government has forced price to rise and adds high taxes on fuel, that's why inflation doesn't tell much of the story.

[@michaelarnold2728]

My mother had a 1961 Buick LeSabre and oh my, seeing that dash again brings back so many great memories. I loved that speedometer and naturally, since I was a younin' at the time, played with it all the time. I kept the car until 1996, long after mom passing away in 1988 and sold it to a collector. Glad "Betsy" still lives on after 60+ years.

[@fourdoorglory]

Wow, not sure I could’ve sold that car.

[@michaelarnold2728]

@fourdoorglory5945 I know, but I was moving out of Arizona and to Washington state and already had a couple cars. She's still in good hands...made sure of it!

[@BobJohnson-xg9ng]

I bought an aftermarket gas heater, a Borg Warner, for my Volkswagen. It was a lifesaver.

[@johnh2514]

I loved those clamshell tailgates. When I was a kid my parent’s friend owned a ‘72 Kingswood Estate. I remember getting the chance to open it a few times. And Adam, I share your dislike of the rear facing third row seat….I had the unfortunate pleasure to drive in the back of my uncle’s 1984 Celebrity Eurosport wagon on a 200 mile roadtrip. About 30 miles in, I proceeded to get horribly carsick and threw up on my cousin’s feet.

[@invictusbp1prop143]

I don't even remember what our station wagon was. But I think the tailgate retracted down into the door and then it could open two ways, either lay down like a tailgate or open like a door hinged on one side. It had the jump seats in the floor that faced each other and road sideways. We didn't have that wagon very long. My dad and uncle got drunk one night and tore all the glass out of it, welded in some bracing and the next weekend, they were driving it in the demolition derby. Lol!

[@alfabeech]

We had a 63 Tempest convertible with a floor shift in the late 60's. It was cool. We also had a 66 Tempest with the sprint overhead cam engine and floor shift. We ended up with several other unique cars back then, also.

[@buixrule]

We had a 73 Buick Estate wagon with the electric clam shell tail gate. I loved that thing. We used to open it up, put the back seat down, slide in our row boat, and head to the lake. Great memories.

[@65bugnut]

When I was in high school during the 70's, my friend had an old Desoto with a record player under the dash. It even worked. It played 45 rpm records. I always thought it was weird.

[@johnlawfourtyfyve]

The record players installed by Chrysler played a unique record about the size of a 45 RPM record but were actually much slower. You had to buy the records at the car dealer. There were aftermarket companies that made record players for real 45 RPM records but those were not genuine Chrysler.

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

​@@johnlawfourtyfyveThat's what I thought I heard before, that they were unique records. I didn't know DeSoto had these, Cadillac was the only one I had heard of, I don't know of others.

[@OwenOReilly-d2w]

Wow.. special records.. there must have been some technical reason ? I bet they sold like hot cakes.. in Ireland lately Citroen are running a radio ad where they (pretend to) bring a vinyl record player along for a drive in one of their C5 models.. over speed bumps to show the record doesn't skip due to the suspension.. but they'll never outdo the hydralastic suspension they dropped a few years back..

[@gregt8638]

Oh boy! Adam posted another great video! I kid you not. I paused it 4 minutes in after much enjoyment - to go eat my dinner and look forward to finishing up the evening watching the rest of this video! These make my day! I usually end up with a good tranquil nights sleep after watching these memories from a very happy time in my life.

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

My thoughts exactly. And the comments from his videos are often treasure troves of life experiences in these cars, and additional info & history as well. I'm thinking forget everything else, watch all his vids, and also read all the comments. Adam's channel is like the best medicine 👍

[@judgegixxer]

The paisley top sneaking up on on a guy is hilarious. Must have been some funny drama at the dealerships. Can you imagine if that happened today, it would earthquake social media.

[@boblozaintherealworld3577]

First off, I absolutely agree that the Corvair was "picked on". My first car (which I shared with my older brother) was a used 61 Corvair 2-door. Yes, we had to weekly wipe oil spray off the rear end, but it was kind of cool in its own way. As for inventions, definitely #3....the Imperial's Director chair. Somebody mentioned that to me just the other, saying 'it be cool if you could just turn the seat around to yell at the kids in the back!'. Excellent.

[@harriettanthony7352]

The Corvair was Ralph Naders ticket to fame. He LIED thru the whole book. This writer was alive in this era and remembers.

[@boblozaintherealworld3577]

@@harriettanthony7352 He always struck me as a bit off the beam.

[@loumontcalm3500]

The Southwind gas heater was not unique to Corvair... It was the only heater choice for the so called "caveman" 1960 Corvairs however. The VW-esque manifold heater was developed for the '61, with the Southwind an option.

[@markcollins457]

The wipers option was a good thing but it reminded me about the movie with Greg Kinear about the life time lawsuit that the original engineer had filed and eventually won.

[@61rampy65]

That movie was called "A flash of Brilliance". Good movie.

[@life02ab]

Also the 2006 Crown is Fulltime AWD with a toggle on the front console labled “speed” and “snow”. This lets you choose drive options for jack rabbit take off or full 4x4 in snow.

[@nicksgarage2]

The Imperial floral top was intentional. The trim book shows a small swatch and you can see the pattern. It was supposed to be subtle. Yes, the top coat didn't wear well. Thinking that Chrysler would have to use some left-over material, which by the way was never used on anything else, just to get a burgundy top is unrealistic. As for the stereo cassette deck offered in 1971-72, it played stereo cassette tapes through the radio. You could also record off the radio or through the microphone.

[@andrewdavid9333]

Queen size bed in my 63 Rambler classic 660 4dr,back of the front seat folded flush with the rear seat for a bed while traveling....or whenever needed😊

[@pjesf]

😂😂

[@jeffrobodine8579]

I hated the Saturn's with the dashboard in the middle of the car.

[@josephgaviota]

All of the cars with the dash in the center ... it's such an OBVIOUS way to "cheap out" when a car is sold both left- and right-hand drive.

[@donfronterhouse4759]

One story goes that GM had slated the Corvair to end in the next year but after Nader's book came out,they decided to produce it for another four years. The Corvair was more like the Porsche than the VW bug. They were actually raced with a great deal of success and were sunsetted with the Camaro's premiere in 67.

[@shiftfocus1]

I’ve read a slightly different version of this story. They had committed to the 65 redesign (including the redesigned rear suspension based on the Corvette), but the Mustang had undermined the “sporty compact” market, so the plan was to axe the Corvair in, I think 67. After Nader’s book came out they decided to keep it in production. I’m not sure if it was eventually killed by parts supply, the need for production space, or need for investment for regulatory changes. Probably a combination of those.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

My aunt had both early and late versions; the later was sort of a hot rodded model called the 'Monza'. I remember my cousin (he got the Monza after his mom got a new Skylark in '70) took me for a ride in both, and taught me the difference. However; all truly did suffer from trailing throttle oversteer, making them all equally dangerous to a driver unfamiliar with the very different driving characteristics from non rear engine cars driven to their limits. Porsche continues to sell those potentially deadly designs to this day, along with a quite thick driver's manual that supposedly, the owner must agree to learn when purchasing the car (though most never do).

[@lamarrharding4776]

You forgot the Rambler front seat that folded back to a full-size bed! Southwind gasoline heaters were available after WWII in any US built car. My 1956 Chrysler had the gasoline heater, air conditioning, disc brakes, a record player and search tuned radio

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

Southwind heaters, interesting. the Fireball Roberts option they could have called it

[@lamarrharding4776]

@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we they were most common in Ford vehicles, GMC trucks and light aircraft to my knowledge but they did give off good heat.

[@lamarrharding4776]

Today you can get a Webasto gasoline heater installed in most any vehicle, and China makes a Diesel copy of it.

[@70baja]

​@@lamarrharding4776 Eberspächer's still around as well

[@DblIre]

​@@lamarrharding4776Many light twin aircraft had Southwind heaters. They are reliable, efficient and give off a lot of heat. The VW microbus also had this option.

[@61rampy65]

About those Mod Tops: All I can say is; Adam, you weren't around in the late 60s, were you? The Ford gold glass used a second alternator, but it was a 120v device, and used bright orange wiring looms, just like today's Hi-volt electrics. The Corvair gas heater (made by Stewart-Warner) was the *only* available heater in 60, and the direct air heater was available for 61, along with the gas heater. (But you couldn't order both). VW and Porsche also used gas heaters for many years. I've had a couple of gas heaters and they really work well. I still have lots of parts for one. The Chrysler Mobile Director was designed to have the exec drive, while his secretary rode with him, possibly to a local hotel. The Tempest transaxle was basically a Corvair Powerglide 2 speed transmission driven from the front instead of the rear. It was called a TempesTorque. And the term "rope drive" is a total misnomer- it is nothing like a rope. It is closer to a speedometer cable, but it is a solid shaft. Ever push a drill bit a little too much and have it bend while you drill? That is what it is like. Great presentation, just a few details to clear up.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

And all Lincolns from 61-69 had variable speed hydraulic wipers too. 61-62 Thunderbirds did not. Just a few more details. I'm also not convinced 58-60 Thunderbirds even had them (?)

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

I always enjoy your videos, Adam!

[@johnstapler5956]

Some VWs had gas heaters too

[@mileshigh1321]

Thanks! I was going to mention that! I had a friend with an early 60's VW and she pointed out the gas heater and although the car was fully restored, she said it was too dangerous and she was too scared to try it!

[@stuartyoung4182]

My father's VW 412 wagon had that feature, and it worked really-well - never any leaks or gas fumes. I believe that feature was introduced on the Type IIIs.

[@Primus54]

Interesting that my family owned two of the featured cars from your video at the same time. Our large family car was a 1960 Buick Invicta that my dad always said was his #1 favorite during his years of driving, and my mom and older siblings had a 1961 Pontiac Tempest to drive. It had the automatic which had an interesting small gearshift handle attached at the instrument panel. And even though I was pretty young at the time, I very much remember how that Trophy 4 vibrated, especially stopped at traffic lights. Great video, Adam. 👍👍👍

[@margaretbehler4935]

I think that the Imperial Mobile Director option is cool. It lets you and your secretary work to and from the hotel.

[@loveisall5520]

1) that paisley roof showing on a 'Gran Coupe' name badge here obviously has the rear door seam of a 4-door; why? 2) the 1961-69 Lincoln Continentals also had the variable hydraulic wipers. There's a film clip of President Kennedy in Ireland here on YT in the SS-100X with its wipers going extremely slowly. 3) another weird one was the simulated woodgrain that Mercury had for at least one year in the late sixties, and I think Chrysler offered it for the Newport convertible for a year or so. Great video!

[@boblozaintherealworld3577]

that would have been my second choice. just weird.

[@61rampy65]

I wondered about that Gran coupe thing, too.

[@gregt8638]

You have a sharp eye! Good observation!

[@neil6958]

I like ford's tailgate scheme. I grew up with this, and thought it was more stylish and more modern in function! It's a shame these clever inventions are no longer wish us!

[@Dac54]

The closest thing there is to the Ford 2-way tailgate nowadays is the tailgate that's been used on the Honda Ridgeline pickups since they were introduced for the 2006 model year that can be flipped down or opened sideways. I'm not sure if any other vehicle manufacturers have copied this idea yet.

[@josephgaviota]

I always liked the Ford "two-way tailgates."

[@markus833]

@@josephgaviota - GM as well. Our 1970 Pontiac Bonneville station wagon had the 2-way tailgate, which served us well.

[@fourdoorglory]

Very cool video…one of the best this year in my opinion.

[@Sundancer268]

I remember the Vacuum Wipers in my 61 Ford Fairlane 4dr Sedan. I use to set it to wipe very slow when there was mist in the air and an occasional wipe was good enough to keep the windshield clean. Next best thing to the modern intermittent wipers.

[@jeffogden2982]

I had a 89 Crown Vic that had the heated windshield and loved it but no replacement was available when it had to be replaced.

[@DSP1968]

Of the options you feature, I like the Imperial Mobile Director best, by far. FYI, it was only Chrysler that offered the floral and paisley vinyl tops. Ford offered houndstooth vinyl tops on 1970 Cougars and 1971-72 Comets; they also offered a tweed pattern on the Comet. On the 1970 Mustang, a "Western tooled vinyl top" was offered in addition to houndstooth vinyl tops. I don't believe GM or AMC ever offered patterned vinyl tops on any of their cars.

[@danielulz1640]

You are right. I had forgotten about the tweed and houndstooth tops. Rambler had textured vinyl side panel inserts, in camera grain and tooled leather patterns, on the Briarcliff and Westerner 67 Rebel station wagons.

[@MickeyMousePark]

after market of astroturf or real grass car tops...faux fur roof, oops that was for the inside of the Chevy Van "Love Machine"

[@jonathanjohnson1339]

The Cougar and Mustang (1968?) could also be had with a paisley top, IIRC. Might have been a dealer-install option.

[@DSP1968]

@@jonathanjohnson1339 Alas, no. Such a top was considered for the '67 Cougar, but never produced. There is a factory photo of the trim prototype floating around out there. The only non-standard vinyl top textures Ford produced were houndstooth and tweed styles until the faux-convertible top phase of the late '70s and early '80s.

[@dmandman9]

I think they sometimes called it "Insta-clear" . I remember seeing that in the Chilton repair manual. They had certain instructions listed as "all except Insta-clear" and with Insta-clear

[@TruthNTime]

You're exactly right about the 3.Imperial Mobil Director, replace that typewriter with a Laptop Computer and you've got a cool feature that can serve any number of creative possibilities - work station, video editing, video meetings etc. on the go!

[@harriettanthony7352]

Does OP really think the current Nanny State would allow this feature? The answer lies in the new Kia EV. In Europe you can get rotating 02nd row seats. But NOT in the USA.

[@reggieparkhurst563]

My Mom had a mod top on a 1968 Mercury Cougar and I thought it was really good looking. The print matched our kitchen chairs. No joke, true.

[@realshady16]

Looking at that Thunderbird reminds me of the '76 Ford Gran Torino Elite. My Dad bought one,,,I was 18 when he got it. Oh the nights I had when he let me drive it. Good times!!

[@eyerollthereforeiam1709]

The Corvair gasoline heater was perhaps ahead of it's time. Many big highway trucks have a heater like this installed. It runs off battery power, and burns a very small amount of diesel to heat the interior of the truck when it's parked and the driver is sleeping.

[@charlesb7019]

Didn’t Chrysler offer gasoline “instant heaters” in the 50s?

[@eyerollthereforeiam1709]

@@charlesb7019 I don't know about those.. But it just occurred to me that old school VW Beetles had that back in the day.

[@jimhurtle5984]

Wow! I remember my Uncle's 1960 Corvair gas heater! Instant heat in the cold Michigan weather. Another quirk was a "hybrid" AM Radio tube and transistor - it had four vacuum tubes and a single power transistor that drove the loudspeaker. The first tubes were the "RF" - Radio Frequency and Intermediate Frequency (IF), and detector were stages with low voltage plates since the current requirements were low for the first stages and hence no high voltages (B+) were required. Thus, the typical "Vibrator" found in all-tube car radios and high voltage regulator vacuum tube could be eliminated. The only stage that had a need for a lot of power was the audio amplifier that drove the loudspeaker - and I believe it was an early power transistor (perhaps a DS503). The radio almost instantly came on with little warmup time and no vibrator buzz. I wonder if all GM AM radios were hybrid sets that year (and into 1961) My parent's '62 Olds Dynamic 88 radio was all-transistor.

[@MarinCipollina]

Thanks for this one Adam.. Inheriting cars is always nice..One of the first cars I inherited was a 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix with the 428 cubic inch V8. That car was scary fast.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

The next generation model SJ's were also very quick (I can't remember if they had 430 or 455 engines, perhaps you do?). I think Pontiac took the extra model 'J' and model 'SJ' from the terms used for the Duesenbergs 40 years earlier, to denote a special model.

[@paulz5531]

The Corvair heater is just like a Webasto diesel heater and all the Chinese copies of it made today.

[@darrellmortensen9805]

When I graduated nursing school a friends father gave her a new thunderbird as a graduation gift. Lipstick red it was. Sadly she totaled in a month later avoiding a darn squirrel running across the road. Squirrel and my friend lived but my friends father was just livid with her. With the insurance money she bought a horizon and saved the rest of the money towards buying a nice home.

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

I liked how the side glass curved around the back of the '71-'76 clamshells - made them really unique! When the clamshell first came out, my dad thought they would be troublesome over time but as far as I can tell they seemed to have worked pretty well - anyone want to report their "clamshell experiences" and their reliability record, I'd be curious to know.

[@Ericstrains]

I think the strangest feature of 2024 cars has to be the boost mode on the new Fisker Ocean, which can only be activated 500 times over the life of the car. An incredibly weird idea. Great video!

[@OwenOReilly-d2w]

Sounds like another manufacturer doing that "buy extra features while driving" shite like BMW are doing..

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam, Did you start this video using a Saturn as an example of 'today's' vehicles? 🤔 In regard to the strangeness of Paisley or Mod tops, did you see the jacket Lindsey Nelson was wearing when commenting for NBC at the 1971 All-Star game? 😁

[@fourdoorglory]

Yes…the game played at the shamefully now demolished Tiger stadium. Don’t get me started on how it could have been saved, renovated, and restored like Wrigley and Fenway were. One of the few mistakes made by Mike Illich and family.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@fourdoorglory I agree. The subject of this video is strangeness, how strange is it that Dodger Stadium is now the third oldest park in the Majors?

[@JohnnyAloha69]

The Pontiac timing gear set up on those four bangers they had a spring loaded tensioner to prevent the slack slide of the chain from slapping.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

That puzzled me too.

[@2packs4sure]

My dad had a 1966 Scout with that 4 cylinder and I remember when he got rid of it in the early 70s it having a 160 something thousand miles on it... I can still remember him and mom talking about getting rid of it and me bursting into tears,, I think I was 7 years old.. lol

[@carlbeamon1343]

Liked this video never expected it to end on a car almost no one owned during this period but I did love the Lincoln from Connecticut which I actually drove in CT during those years as a company car not owned because my car was an MGB of the same year. I’m now a SoCal resident and have been for many years. Thanks

[@John-i3t9o]

As usual, a great piece of automotive history. I pride myself in odd auto trivia, but I always learn something new watching these videos.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

You might want to research Ford's hydraulic wiper history on your own. Just saying ... LOL

[@billiebobbienorton2556]

Cool ! Thanks ! FYI - I heard (but can't verify) that another drawback on the "Insta-Clear" windshields is radar detectors would not work thru them.

[@ragtowne]

The 67, 68 and 69 Mustang and Cougar had a vacuum operated “tilt-away” steering wheel option - when you open the drivers door the top part of the steering wheel would unlock and tilt up to the right giving you greater room to enter or exit the vehicle.

[@lgbpop]

Two inventions were not mentioned but certainly deserved to be. One that made it into mass production was Studebaker's Wagonaire roof design. The rear half of the station wagon's roof could be unlatched and slid, forward, into the front half of the roof - allowing unlimited height potential for tall or bulky loads. It was a popular option, and surprisingly enough for rubber seals of the early 1960s the Wagonaires' roofs rarely leaked. The other, which never saw mass production, was AMC's "Ramble Seat." Designed in part to enlarge the tiny market share of its pocket-rocket AMX two-seat coupe, it featured a fastback rear window which flipped upward about 60° and a reverse-hinged, cushioned trunk lid which when opened would create a small rear seat with its own windscreen. AMC should have borrowed Studebaker's rubber seals; but, as the Terror of South Bend had closed its doors for good in 1965, that wasn't possible. (Studebaker of Canada still soldiered on in Ontario for another 18 months before shutting down as well.) Even with unit-body construction, the sheer power output of AMC's V8 engines still produced some body flex in the AMX...and as a result the Ramble Seat leaked like a sieve. Not to mention, sitting behind the rear axle could change the two-seater's handling, drastically and not for the better. Look up "polar moment of inertia" for a good explanation.

[@pcno2832]

15:13 The VW Type 3 (Squareback, Fastback, as well as the Notchback and the Kamen Giha, which were not sold in the USA) also had an optional gasoline heater, though my parent's car seemed fine (at least from my perspective as a child in the back) without it, in the Boston area. I think those VWs took some of the cooling air and ran it through heat exchangers in the exhaust system, and with heating outlets in the back, that car seemed to warm up fast. I've read that when they dropped the gasoline heater for the Corvair, they upgraded the standard heating system, perhaps making it more like that of the Type 3, but the additional ductwork eliminated some of the luggage space behind the rear seat.

[@zlinedavid]

1:25 The person who thought those tops were a good idea were definitely on acid.

[@compu85]

Our 04 Touareg had continuous variable wipers too. It used the rain sensor. It would go from intermittent, then into the variable speed mode, then low and high. There was no way to access variable mode by the driver, the switch only let you pick a few delay options, low, and high. When we got our Tesla model 3 in 2018 it had that feature too, but it was removed with a software update a few months after we got the car. That Touareg had a diesel fired heater too!

[@stroudcuster4483]

Re the Corvair gas heater... I had 68 VW Fastback with a gasoline heater. The engine was so effectively cooled by the large axial fan that it didn't produce enough heat to supply a decent amount of heat to the cabin. The gas heater would have the car toasty in less than two minutes on a frigid day. Safety-wise if the car was tipped, as in a rollover, the fuel supply would be shut off.

[@issyparrish]

Another great video, Mr. Wade. Your details on the GM manual clamback tailgate was exactly as I remembered our neighbor’s ‘72 Chevy wagon worked. Also, your mention of the insurance cost for the Thunderbird windshield was something I remembered hearing about at the time. Similar to how insurance companies today usually tack on a premium for a panoramic moonroof.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

Ford did use the "Gold" glass deicing system on the windshield for a couple of years in the 80s..for sure on the Lincolns and Mercury Sable...I think it was optional on the Taurus as well. Speaking of windshields, GM added a safety layer of a pliable membrane on the Pontiac 6000 STE...I think that was for one year only.

[@I-Libertine]

On the director, you were supposed to have your assistant do the typing while you drove and did dictation.

[@winstonelston5743]

1:55 What was really funky is that this car was badged from the factory as a _GRAN Coupe_ (hidden in the paisley, but you should be able to spot it) but the badge is on a four-door hardtop sedan as you can see from the cut line for the back door.

[@rumplestilskin5776]

Don't forget the Gucci Sevilles with the Gucci logo all over the top.

[@WhittyPics]

Nader gave the Corvair a bad wrap. NHTSA did a study and determined that it was no more unsafe than other vehicles of the era. My dad had a 61 model. They did have an issue of blowing oil out of the back, probably caused by throwing off the fan belt and overheating the engine. Most owners kept a spare belt in the Frunk.

[@lorieandpatrickdavies7483]

A few odd/interesting inventions spring to my mind: the "Highway Hi-Fi" in select Chrysler vehicles, a special record player that player special 7 inch records, mounted below the dash. I recall seeing a photo of Elvis Presley sitting in a car, with records scattered on the passenger seat. The Liquid Tire Chain option on 1969 Camaros. RPO V75, there was a dispenser in the trunk for a rattle can of de icing fluid. GMC Envoy XUV with its unique retractable roof, to allow transport of tall items (like fridges). The Plymouth Prowler with its cool optional trailer, with color and wheels matching the car. And the 1972 Buick Skylark Sun Coupe, with its huge sunroof, covered by a vinyl sunroof panel.

[@61rampy65]

Don't forget that Studebaker had that sliding roof waaaay back in 63.

[@Wiencourager]

I have one of the records , it has 13 songs on it. They used a smaller size needle than a regular stereo record.

[@marko7843]

I think they also ran at 20 RPM to help with the stability.

[@Wiencourager]

@@marko7843 the records were 16 rpm. That and the smaller needle and grooves was how they got a full album on a 7” disk. So few records were produced it didn’t go anywhere. I’m a lifelong record collector and have only seen 2 of the records. Later RCA developed a changer mechanism for cars, that played regular 45s. You put a stack on the spindle and it played them upside down, then they dropped into a drawer below when finished. It actually worked pretty good. Philips(Norelco in USA) also made a single disk 45 player for cars.

[@stroudcuster4483]

The Studebaker Wagonaire also offered a retractable roof.

[@madmike2624]

As usual Adam, great and super interesting content!!!

[@robertlee9395]

Always interesting and informative. Thank you for all your time in research.

[@gregoryward93]

A modern example of the Imperial work surface (at least thru the 2019 model year is the Jaguar XJ with drop-down tea tables in the rear seats. Jaguar, Benley and Rolls Royce all had the tea tables.

[@lancekussell278]

Hi Adam, another great fun-fact-filled video. A couple of notes: the "Big Bird" Thunderbird was introduced as a 1972 model; you can see the dictation option in action in the (second) pilot for Columbo, "Prescription: Murder"--in the capable hands of Gene Barry in his 1971 Imperial. I once had a neighbor who favored Mopar products, who tried to describe his favorite model that had a "scrolled top," which I had no idea what that meant at the time; now I understand that to be the paisley print you describe. Thank you for solving that mystery!

[@kevinkoepke8311]

The adjustable foot pedals option offered on GM cars in the mid 70's, as well as the swinging steering column offered on Ford thunderbirds. Thanks!

[@325xitgrocgetter]

One invention that was popular in the mid 60s to the 90s...and I think only Lexus uses today on the LS Sedan....the driver side articulated wiper. Not strange but practical way to increase coverage by adding pivot points to the driver's side wiper arm that will allow it to pivot closer to the A Pillar. I have memories of this on our Kingswood wagon...and notice the coverage difference compared to the 63 Impala we had at the same time.

[@pcno2832]

1973-77 Malibus had them, and they seemed to need them more because of the acute angle between the cowl and the A pillars. They also had that GM wiper linkage that made the wipers park all the way down when the motor reversed. Strangely, the 1980s FWD A-body cars (and maybe even the J-body) had wipers that parked all the way down, even though they were not hidden.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

@@pcno2832 If I recall the 82 to 96 A bodies had the wipers that would park at cowl level when not in use. We had a Pontiac 6000 LE and I do recall that. Also the N and L bodies....Grand Am, Corsica had a similar setup. I had a Grand Am that did that. N's and L's cowl design concealed the spindles and part of the wiper arms. Ford uses a similar design with their 69 and 70 full size Fords and Mercurys as well as the 82 to 87 Lincoln Continental sedan....funny how one remembers such details.

[@joshuagibson2520]

I can appreciate the mod and floral tops. I don't seenthem being overly gaudy. Now, how it weathers over time, etc. is a different story.

[@johngross1952]

My '67 Lincoln Continental had the hydraulic wipers. I believe they were in the Continentals from '61-"69.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

You are correct. My 61 Lincoln has them. I know the 61 & 62 Thunderbird did not have them. I can't find anything that says the 58-60 Thunderbird has them (?)

[@TestECull]

3 on the Tree is mine. I'm replacing my 2014 Challenger with a 1971 Chevy C10 and a large part of why is because the Chevy is 3 on the Tree. I find 3 on the Tree way more fun than 320hp ever was!

[@d.e.b.b5788]

My brother had an early 70's full size Chevy (Biscayne? Bel Air? Custom? I can't remember but it wasn't an Impala or Caprice) with 3 on the tree; it was fun to offer the keys to friends when going out for the night, and seeing them befuddled when trying to figure out how to even start the car! Eventually they'd get it, as most had learned how to drive a stick, but still had to get used to the H pattern on the steering column!

[@TOONMAN200]

Very interesting and thorough documentary, I'm 35 year retired mechanic actually worked on some of the engines you are talking about. Brings back a lot of memories, especially the engines that were troublesome, I was a fleet mechanic so I had no choice I had to work on the equipment that was purchased by the company, can't complain the pay was excellent.

[@steves9905]

always thought, even back then, that GM's Liquid Tire Chains must have been a noxious mix of chemicals, for the car, the roads, and the environment

[@dude7838]

Subscribed and liked. Have been watching your videos quite a bit. Thanks for the content, very informative and entertaining!

[@mrluckyuncle]

I never saw one of those paisley roofs in the wild - and I’m sure I would remember if I had :-D

[@MrSloika]

I'm a 70s kid and have no memory of such a thing. I'm guessing it was not a very popular option.

[@chuckpeterson3262]

I never once saw them as a 60s kid but have seen one in person at a recent car show. They do not look "mod" at all. They look more like "Grandma's shower curtain"

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

13:41 I love my rain sense wipers on my 2003 Lincoln Town Car.... Great video Adam!!

[@andrewdavid9333]

Gas heater, got one in my 75VW Westfalia, never used it, too scared,just freeze instead

[@thomshere]

***My goodness, I think you have just the best car videos and come up with some of the greatest subject matter on KZbin or anywhere else I think. Also, you have a really great voice to do the voiceover work and I for one thank you for all your awesome informative videos***

[@automatedelectronics6062]

The add-on cassette tape recorder, which came with a microphone, was available in atleast 1968. I remember the ads when my parents bought a new 1968 Plymouth Fury III. VW offered a gas heater for years after the Corvair. In the VW Type 4, the heater was located under the front passenger seat. Gas heaters were common in European cars. Mirror speedometers were used well into the 2K's in Toyota and Lexus cars. My 2012 Prius had one. The Tempest automatic transaxle was called the "Tempest Torque". The Tempest equipped with the 215 aluminum V8 had a thicker "rope" driveshaft, including the next body style with the 326 V8.

[@luketmarx]

That supplemental heater in the Corvair is how almost every single piston twin airplane is still heated. Very common in aviation. Some turbine twins also use jet fuel to accomplish the same thing. However, like a recall in the Automotive world, these supplemental heaters have what are called airworthiness directives mandating inspections and tests at various intervals on the system to ensure safe operation. I had never heard of this system in car though, very cool. And very effective for heating!

[@christophejergales7852]

I absolutely love The Paisley prints and floral print tops on the cars, especially because they match the interiors. But then again I have five different colors of chucks that I wear. I'm abnormal.

[@davidmckinney6577]

I had no idea that they made floral vinyl top. Thats very interesting video Adam..you are the best 👌 Adam you have the best car videos

[@mikewynne7131]

02:10 I had one of these. Brown 1971 Grand Fury with the Paisley roof. I bought it for $175 while in college in 1985. It lasted me about a year and half before the undercairrage rusted-out and I had to junk it.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The 60's was the best decade for Automotive styling. And the 80's was the last good decade for Automotive styling

[@boblozaintherealworld3577]

agreed. also just weird stuff.

[@harriettanthony7352]

Good to great style; but they were rolling trash cans, there IS a reason why Ford had the nickname of Fix or Repair Daily, or Fiat, Fix It Again Tony. FIX these things is ALL you did. I hated them then and now. This writer leaped headlong into the world of the EV when they became viable. I NEVER want to fix a gas car EVER AGAIN>

[@davidnadig9611]

Nice finds, thanks. Here are 2 I have had: My father has a 57 Studebaker President with a rotating speedometer inside a little window. And I had a 2011 Chrysler 300 with heated and cooled cup holders- not essential but actually useful in cold MA winters and hot summers, and just cool.

[@Mr.Higginbotham]

Very interesting. I would love to have a Paisley vinyl top. I would rock it and my granddaughters would love it!

[@edwardpate6128]

My dad loved those clamshell wagons, he got a new company car every couple of years so he had a 71 Pontiac Safari with the manual one and later a 73 Grand Safari with the power one. My mom hated that manual one as she had a hard time hefting it up when it was closed.

[@Conn88]

Volkswagen offered a gasoline heater well into the 1970’s.

[@feedingravens]

Just wrote the same. Because of the air cooling the heating was via leading the air for the passengers over the exhaust, therefore you have a conceptual issue.

[@PatrickBaptist]

@17:25 I like this option LOL, I have used something similar, I put a little buddy LP heater in the cab of my van, the heat pretty much is useless in the van and we needed heat bad so I made a safe place right next to me and we all stayed very warm. Yeah it was dangerous, but no it never turned over he had a plan for that but thank God it was smooth sailing so it rode fine, and no the trip sensor never caused it to turn off.

[@MrJerobona]

And the windshield wipers on the 68 Corvette with that flange opening!

[@eddstarr2185]

Hey Adam, developed for use in commercial aviation, PPG Glass adopted the Sierracin Corporation's method of layering transparent, metallic gold-bearing film between layers of polyvinyl butyral and glass for both windshield and backlight applications. This "Quick Defrost" Windshield/Rear Window option was introduced in 1974 on the Ford Thunderbird and Continental Mark IV. Due to the high scrap-rate during manufacture, PPG was unable to supply replacement glass for chipped or cracked glass. Ford dropped the option due to PPG's production shutdown.