Car Features That No Longer Exist!

[@richardgillette5759]

gas tanks in the back behind the license plate were great, never park on wrong side with that

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

Been There....Done That!

[@privatelyprivate3285]

lol where I used to live, the fuel pump tube was always long enough to reach over / around the car so you didn’t have to go around and/or lose a free spot over gas tank sides.

[@stevecovey1758]

I miss the cowl vents. A little pull knob on each side of the dashboard that would allow fresh air to freely come in directly from the windshield cowl.

[@alisteeaiken7667]

I'm from N Ireland and own a 60 impala it has those vents, wish modern cars could have these

[@MrShadowpanther3]

You can turn the A/C button off, turn the temp to full cold (no added heat), make sure the RECIRCULATE option is not on, and just turn on the fan. Instant outside air to all vents. Now of course it lacks the charm of the vent windows, but you can still get the same effect.

[@SuperBooboo02]

@@MrShadowpanther3 exactly the last 15 or so cars, all have had a vent setting on the a/c...i hated those flow thru flow vents...

[@paulsto6516]

With the lower side vents, the first on to open the vent in the spring got a face full of dust!

[@highlanderknight]

Clearly the vent window is the one I think is most missed, it's usually the only feature I know gets mentioned constantly.

[@DOI_ARTS]

And the side gills, I dont know what the use of that 😊

[@highlanderknight]

@@DOI_ARTS Side gills?

[@Daehawk]

Ya I grew up in the 70s and my grandma had them on her Coronet..vroom vroom ...I loved them.... open them all the way and they'd cut the air so good it was like having a hurricane in yer face. And ya she had no ac..would die of heat stroke with out them.

[@uncle_spanky]

Before AC, cars had side vents (under the dash or in the area in front of the doors), and the vent windows in the door. All disappeared once Air Conditioning became standard.

[@gonefishing3644]

I remember when most service stations had uniformed attendants who pumped your fuel, washed your windshield and checked your vehicle's oil level at no extra change and did not expect a tip. And when fuel stations were in hot competition for customers, you also sometimes were given a prize such as glassware or green stamps that could be collected and redeemed for prizes if you told them to fill up your vehicle's fuel tank. Those were the days when fuel was so cheap, it was a typical entertainment for a family to take the car out on a long Sunday drive to do local sightseeing. And if you took your car to a drive-in restaurant or a drive-in movie theater, your tray of food would be fastened to the driver's side door.

[@JustMe99999]

I'd love to see the vent windows come back.

[@stevedeleon8775]

There is a shop here in Arizona that custom installs side vent windows..it's not cheap but looks & functions like a factory assy.

[@patjones2082]

My '67 Mercury Cougar XR7 has those, and manual side vents down at the floor. Got to keep the floor clean for those! 🤣

[@MarkWhich]

Why wouldn't you even want them, if you want air flow you just open your main side window.

[@tonsssedell4318]

@@MarkWhich That makes a direct path for debris to hit one's face. Having said that I don't want vent windows. It's always a nuisance not having a one piece fully opening window and having a useless piece that either swivels around or is fixed. That's not how I want the front doors.

[@robertgoidel]

Where in Arizona is this contractor to install side vent windows. What city or town? Thanks for the info. Robert G.@@stevedeleon8775

[@mcorleonep]

One feature which wasn’t all that common but worth mentioning were the steering column manual shifters which all but disappeared in the 70’s.

[@questionmanga3963]

Usually on pickup trucks and had one in the early 80s.

[@hjacobs8972]

"Three on the tree"

[@TooLooze]

@ericdonner7199 I know Mercedes had 4 and maybe volvo.

[@GeeEm1313]

It seems like an odd place for a manual shifter.

[@LythaWausW]

My German husband recently drove my sister's Ford truck and had no idea what to do with the steering column shift. It's a new truck so I guess this is still going on.

[@stanford-nf4jk]

Something that even younger drivers want back are knobs, buttons, and switches for A/C, music, and defroster. Touch screens require you to dangerously look away from the road and require tactile (not tactical) precision. It’s easy to miss whatever setting you want to change. Knobs and switches made it easier in that all you’d have to do is reach over and feel whatever knob or switch and adjust it without taking your eyes off the road (or in some cases pull over to make adjustments).

[@dawnelder9046]

As my husband can no longer drive for health reasons I put him in charge. If he is not with me I end up pulling over somewhere.

[@whiteshadow1771]

My 2013 Santa Fe has few knobs for radio. All buttons and I don't like it.

[@billhagebusch7797]

If the display goes out, all the touch screen controls are unavailable.

[@erintyres3609]

My Honda Civic's climate controls are a touch screen menu. The controls disappear after a few seconds if you don't touch them. On my older car the controls were simple, easy to see, and easy to reach.

[@paulne1514]

@@dawnelder9046same here. My wife is my co-pilot. She handles the phone, radio, heat and ac controls and maps. I drive and use the CB.

[@Sly88Frye]

5:30 I actually usually prefer the manual crank windows Because if you spin it fast enough you can actually really open and close a window really quickly. But on top of that it's practical because if there's an issue with the automatic one you'll not be able to do anything with your window, But the crank is far less likely to have a problem

[@capnjohn7455]

I wish they had an emergency hand crank option. If your car gets stuck in the water and starts to sink, the electric windows will fail. You either have to break the window or wait for the water to fill up the cabin so you can open the door to escape.

[@danontherun5685]

Actually electric windows work underwater, same as the lights and all other electric components.@@capnjohn7455

[@SDWNJ]

Hand cranks still exist. I have a 2016 Nissan Versa (bought used) that has them. One annoyance with them is that you can only control the window you’re next to. With motorized windows, the driver can control all windows. When I’m alone in the car on a hot day, I like to have the front passenger and rear driver windows open for ventilation without it the wind blowing directly on me.

[@Not_Always]

The actuator on my window broke so my window wasn't even rolling up or down. That sucked

[@privatelyprivate3285]

THIS!! Forget easily opening it if ever (god forbid) submerged in water!

[@caroleroseburgh1344]

Good Afternoon Rhett. 🙋🏽 I love it when the dimmer switches were on the floor. ALL My Dad's car's were like that. Thank you for inviting me to watch your video ‼️🙋🏽

[@lobster4501]

Curb Feelers!!! That metal spring rod that would scrape against the curb while parking

[@IamSnowbird]

I'm so old I remember all of these.

[@ZMAN_420]

Outstanding Content! My 1985 Buick Riviera, 2 door had 4 cigarette lighters and ashtrays. 1 center front dash, 2 passenger side door, 3 and 4 in back seat on both sides. Bring them back!

[@kimerleviccaro1957]

I think the side air vents should come back. Sometimes it’s nice to turn your ac off and use the air vents.

[@mistertor]

I would love it if they came back, too. Sometimes when I have the heat on in the winter, I want to have a little bit of fresh air hitting my face lest I get drowsy. It would be nice if I didn't have to freeze my passengers to accomplish this.

[@kensmith5694]

Yes and you could get air without any noise.

[@markchapmon8670]

Vent windows would extract air from the car and would keep the windshield relatively fog free. Keep in mind that even into the mid-50's or so, the heater / defroster was an option on most cars.

[@marvindevera9804]

The last vehicles to feature those side sail vents were the 89-95 Toyota pickups

[@kimerleviccaro1957]

@@marvindevera9804 why do they take away nice car features?

[@michellejoy6752]

The chrome bumpers, rims/hubcaps, window trim, side view mirrors, and hood ornaments were like the jewelry of the car. It was a glamorous time for automobiles and fashion.

[@jmi5969]

I don't need chrome but please give me back real steel bumpers that could actually bump into things.

[@kensmith5694]

Today they could bring back the look at least without adding weight. The bumper is the first bit of "crumple zone". To save weight it could be plated aluminum. Since it is plated you can't see the base metal.

[@ToyInsanity]

Please give me back my catalytic converter

[@markchapmon8670]

I like bright shiny chrome, polished aluminium &/or polished stainless steel trim! Our 1990 Buick doesn't have chrome bumpers, but it has polished aluminium trim around the wheel openings and side windows along with chrome plastic insignias and front grille opening and a standup CHROME hood ornament. It sparkles in the sun. IMHO, a lot prettier than these cars and SUV's with body color (almost) everything visible and the matte black alloy wheels. They just look depressing to me, and yet they must be the current rage.

[@oldsalty3d122]

I miss the dimmer switch on the floor. I’ve always hated the high beam switch on the steering column. It was so much easier to just tap with your foot instead of lifting an arm to switch the lights.

[@RhettyforHistory]

Thank you for watching oldsalty3d122!

[@sandybruce9092]

Absolutely!!!

[@ghostface3655]

Man, I absolutely love this channel! The content is always fun, and I truly appreciate the info you pass on! Thank you very much!

[@RhettyforHistory]

You're welcome and thank you for watching ghostface3655!

[@ghostface3655]

@@RhettyforHistory My pleasure!

[@goodguy4342]

Great video. I remember all this stuff. I loved the side vent window.

[@RhettyforHistory]

Thank you for watching goodguy4342!

[@JustAllinOneResource]

Every time I watch your videos I just want to go back to that time which made so much more sense.

[@brianhdueck3372]

The column shift was started in the 30’s to save space for the centre passenger. Later us hot rodders would change these out to floor shifters for faster shifts. Good old days! Love channel,

[@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish]

Another great one Rhetty! I enjoyed every part of this. I still own a car with two gas tanks you switch between on the dash. Antenna still goes up and down. Tons of ash trays. Pop up folding mirror when you open the so called “glove box.” The hood ornament is in its original box I keep in the trunk as it arrived from the show room as at that time an impalement concern was a CA law. You had the option to drill out a hole and install it.

[@sheldondyck8631]

My favourite thing about old cars is the mechanical aspect of everything. Switches and knobs make a satisfying click when you engage them, doors close with a solid thunk, but by far my favourite things out old cars is the sound. I love the low burble of primitive horsepower.

[@Rick-S-6063]

Older cars were much easier to work on and maintain than today's look alike, motorized jelly beans.

[@sheldondyck8631]

@@Rick-S-6063 you got that right

[@SamMaass-s5h]

I love the sound of dual Hollywood mufflers.

[@dvet91]

My dad had a 65 Cadillac with an automatic headlight dimmer. You could set the sensitivity to be so sensitive that street lights would dim your headlights. We need this brought back more than anything in my opinion. My aunt has a 52 Chevy with the starter button on the floorboard. My 85 Chevy has the vent window, bench seat and cassette player. Believe it or not, my 05 Chrysler has a cassette player too. Thanks Rhetty! I ALWAYS enjoy your content.

[@lainiwakura1776]

I agree with this because I've been blinded by LEDs countless times because they were aimed too high up.

[@wurly164]

I still own a 65 cadillac

[@kenc2386]

More like vehicle inspections. If 1 headlight is pointed to eye level rather than both to light the road: the owner would be denied registration.

[@baldeagle5297]

@@kenc2386 Those were easy to get around if you knew the inspectors.😉

[@stenic2]

My 2020 renault captur has an automatic high beam function

[@mikegoff7506]

I really miss those dimmer switches on the floor. It was way more convenient than being on the column. Besides it's hard to keep your foot from getting hung up in the steering wheel, trying to hit that switch on thd column

[@kirkmorrison6131]

I miss vent windows and floor mount high beam switches

[@danl4238]

Cornering lamps are the feature I miss. They were typically available only on upper end brands (Cadillac, Buick) but so useful.

[@privatelyprivate3285]

Never even heard of this, but i LIKE it!!!

[@jarlrise]

I have them on my 2012 Ford Mondeo

[@hey_thatsmyname]

I had that idea when I was young and my dad told me they used to exist and I was like well why did they stop?!

[@6panel300]

Many cars have them now.

[@TheSpritz0]

I ordered them (they were an option) on my 1982 Dodge Mirada...

[@sonhuynh8222]

Great video, I was around for most of these classic features ❤

[@bangfi1865]

My old dodge valiants had 1/4 vents of course, but also had little vents down by your legs you could manually open in hot weather. Never needed air-conditioning. Tail gates you could lower or open sideways is another feature long gone.

[@Rick-S-6063]

The Valiant was a Plymouth, not a Dodge. Maybe you had a Dodge Dart?

[@jmichna1]

I've been driving since the '60s and the earliest car I remember riding in as a small kid was a '47 Plymouth (remember the vacuum-manifold driven windshield wipers?). The one feature I really, REALLY miss is the vent window. It was eminently useful, whether your car had A/C or not. I'd bet if auto manufacturers offered it as an option today, it would become very popular once again.

[@twofiveb]

I agree with the idea of bringing ash trays and cigarette lighters back! Like you said they can be useful storage space for non-smokers. It’s also safer for smokers to light up with a car cigarette lighter instead of being momentarily distracted by a flame lighter. I’ve never heard of a smoker quitting because their car doesn’t have this feature. So what good does it do? Maybe it just saves car manufacturers money, lol. But the danger of lit cigarette butts starting wild fires is very real. Especially in the mountains during dry summers.

[@Justdave1472]

I’ve seen some smokers throw their lit cigarettes out the window even when ash trays were a feature in cars, so…

[@sidsimon5963]

It's just another way for the big three to save a few pennies and not admit to it.

[@wwciii]

@@sidsimon5963 They saved a lot more than a few pennies. The ash tray was one of the most expensive feature of cars since they had to be made by master craftsmen.

[@JobyJoby-iw2wr]

Anyone remember the vacuum operated ash trays of the late 50s to early 60s?

[@travelingwithmikeandpam9074]

I remember all of those stuff! Thanks for the memories Rhetty!

[@kirkmorrison6131]

So do I , even side doors on friends hot Rods

[@freddieconway4155]

You're absolutely right about the audible turn signals I couldn't count how many times I've seen or done myself forgetting about the signals being left on

[@nickimontie]

I had a 2005 or 2006 Ford Taurus wagon that would buzz if you left your turn signal on too long. It should be required equipment on all cars!

[@tractorsold1]

I found the difference between loud and quiet turn signals was in how the flasher was mounted. Our Chevys had it clipped to a bracket, and the whole instrument panel acted as a sound board. But the quiet Oldsmobile just had it hanging loose on the end of its wires.

[@SuperBooboo02]

had a 87 Oldsmobile Cutlass if you left your turn signal on more than a block or 2, it would chime at you as a reminder

[@tractorsold1]

@@hayloft3834 Not unless you go around a turn, and then not if it isn't sharp enough.

[@Rollin_L]

One interesting feature I recall from a couple of 1960s Chrysler models was the automatic transmission buttons on the dash board. The Dodge Lancer and Plymouth Valiant had these at one time. (My mom drove a white Lancer.) Imagine my surprise when, in the spring of 2023, I rented a full size pickup truck on a visit to Texas. The bloody thing had not only the modern, push button start/stop feature, but the transmission controls were also on the dash, in the form of a rotating knob. Talk about something coming back into fashion!

[@kensmith5694]

Yes, I remember the push button automatic. The interesting thing is that it was all mechanical. Those weren't electrical buttons. There was a thing like the brake cable of a 10 speed bike in behind the button assembly.

[@Rollin_L]

@@kensmith5694 That Lancer was gone before I was old enough to drive, but I remember the fascination of pushing those buttons. I can remember the feel of them, definitely mechanical in nature. Not that I would have thought about that detail at that age. It was just cool to me. That Lancer and my dad's Corvair Greenbrier are the vehicles from my childhood that I remember most.

[@garyradtke3252]

So did rambler! Also had a park lever on it.

[@tractorsold1]

Those push button mechanisms were well know as failure prone.

[@robertcongdon6296]

I rented a car several years ago that had a rotating knob on the panel between the seats that controlled the transmission. I hadn't seen that before, and it took me about 10 minutes to finally figure out how to drive the car. I've been driving stick shifts my whole life and now they're disappearing. I don't consider that progress.

[@gjd424]

Bring back the bench seat for when you go on a “date”!!😅

[@privatelyprivate3285]

You’d think with the disappearing gear shifts would have made them even more prominent!

[@gdtyra]

Lol, I'm concerned why date is in quotes

[@Rick-S-6063]

Bring back "big old boats" like the 1969 Imperial LeBaron with a rear seat so wide and comfy you and your date could do your thing and then cuddle with room left over.

[@glennso47]

Some people just throw their cigarette butts out the window whether they had ashtray or not.

[@jayjaynella4539]

Very true. I always wondered why the smokers were never smart enough to swallow their butts.

[@bubbalo3388]

Dad had a 77 Buick LeSaber back in the day. Loved that thing. It was comfortable to sit in and drove nice on the road comfort wise. Front and rear bench seats were nice. No humps or anything. Not great for taking a corner too fast though. The ride was a different feel than today's vehicles. It was something like a fluffy ride compared to a soft ride today's vehicles.

[@clwomble]

We had a ‘74. Great car, fair fuel economy, huge bench seats, huge hood, hand crank windows, manual locks. Rode fantastic. It would a great car to have now, old classic.

[@Plaprad]

The crank windows are great. My first car with electric windows was an old Mustang convertible. Both my rear windows stopped working halfway up at the same time during the Texas Monsoon season. Turns out the gear from the motor was cheap plastic and tended to break after a few years. Took them out, and had a buddy in a machine shop make me a pair of brass ones. Never had another problem.

[@Redbird_Girl2010]

I remember the seats didn't lock and would come forward if you had to slam on the brakes. Everyone in the back would push everyone up front into the dash. Ugh!

[@joelstein4657]

I really miss the ventilators. Most of the time you didn't need A/C if you could just get outside air flowing through the car.

[@JeffDeWitt]

Have you ever lived through a summer in the southern US in a car without AC? Vent windows won't take the place of AC, but what they WILL let you do is turn them all the way open so they scoop air, so when the car had been sitting in the sun for a while you can blast out that hot air pretty quickly.

[@baldeagle5297]

@@JeffDeWitt Yes I have. Heat never bothered me that much. Even today, my fishing truck has no AC; well, it was broken when I bought it, and I never bothered to fix it.

[@davinp]

vent window also called the smoker window to let smoke out

[@alexanderschonfeld5879]

Some cars of the late 60s and 70s had the gas filler neck in the center back behind a hinged license plate, rather than on a side

[@crankyyankee7290]

Not a great place if the tank is full, on hard acceleration gas can come pouring out(I have seen it in test videos)-not a good thing.

[@Rick-S-6063]

The first car I remember having the filler behind the license plate was the 1952 Ford sedan.

[@chanelnumba_5]

The headlight dimmer switch was by far one of my absolute favorites. I’m almost fifty, still pretty young, but old enough to remember driving a few cars with them. Loved it! I was told that they stopped making them because where I lived it snowed a lot and the salt they used on the roads would rot the switch out…eventually you would have a rusty hole in the floor where the switch once was. I remember a buddy stomping on it and putting the front of his foot through the floor LOL!

[@pcno2832]

They did tend to jam after enough salt to sand got into them. The first car I owned had auto-dimming, so you could often let the car do the switching. That was discontinued in the late 1980s when car headlights had come out in so many shapes that the auto-dimming sensors no longer worked reliably.

[@RecordingsofaReader]

@@pcno2832 My 2018 Jeep has auto dimming. I love it.

[@carltonlhulings3815]

One did not have to take your hand off the wheel to activate it. Imports were encroaching on US manufacturers and they had dimmers on columns so they had to follow suit. Thusly we're stuck with them.

[@Thumper68]

Mine still works great they last along time if you take care of your vehicles. Mine’s only been changes one time in 50+ years and the old switch still worked it was just getting finicky so I changed it they’re cheap.

[@whatsamattayu3257]

You used to be able to order your car from the dealer in the exterior and exterior colors you wanted. And there were tons of options and accessories you could add. Now most cars come pre-optioned and colors are very limited.

[@video99couk]

Not so much in Europe. The options and configuration lists for many cars is so vast that some combinations are almost certainly unique to certain cars.

[@Primus54]

Yup. Go online and search for late ‘50s and ‘60s sales brochures. The exterior and interior colors options were amazing. And one could special order unadvertised options, as well.

[@MrShadowpanther3]

You can still custom order a car. Of course the dealer doesn't want you to. They want to sell what they have in stock. However, custom ordering may take a loooong time depending on when the factory is again building that particular model. A couple decades ago I had the temerity to want a Ford Ranger with a stick shift AND a tachometer. Apparently that was an "upgrade" dash option that only came with the automatic transmission. I also wanted the much larger power mirrors. Took like 6 weeks for the vehicle to come in.

[@patjones2082]

I ordered interior and exterior colors, and all the options with none I didn't want from Ford at no extra charge. The new car I wanted was 8 hours away and had a $400 subwoofer I didn't order. They ate it on that and just gave it to me as it was cheaper for them than shipping another car from further away. Papers and payment was already a done deal. 🏁

[@dawnelder9046]

Most cars come in car accident grey. Blends nicely with the roads.

[@bhushanharripersad5716]

Good features will always be cut to save the manufacturer money, especially if they can charge more to add them back. The recent controversy over heated seat subscriptions where the car had all the hardware for heated seats but you had to pay a subscription to use them.

[@javicr2570]

Really ridiculous is that, in my country is not necessary the heater seats but is prohibited by law than the dealer request and charge payments for the cars features, the only one which tried to made that was closed and cancelling by the gov some years ago

[@Rick-S-6063]

And then the vehicle manufacturers and the stealerships wonder why they get such bad raps.

[@karenmiller2642]

Another great walk down memory lane. Love your videos.

[@jamesbusjahn6962]

An issue at 1:33. Harstop convertibles and pillarless hardtops were two very different things. Pillarless hardtops were not retractable into the trunk of the vehicle. They simply did not have any upright supporting members between the front and rear sections of the passenger compartment. When all four windows were down it created a wide open space.

[@bennemer489]

The one thing I remember was a manual foot-bulb pump for spraying water on the windshield. It worked by manually pressing the ball of your foot multiple times on the rubber pump that was located to the left of the brake pedal.

[@dottiegillespie8067]

Thank you sir. Your videos are invaluable to me! I'm 58 and my fondest memories are about the 70s when I was a kid!!!! Your amazing!

[@RhettyforHistory]

Thank you for watching and leaving a comment dottiegillespie8067!

[@Mach5Johnny]

The T-Top and Pop Up Headlights need to make a comeback!

[@LittleRedIrishRover]

Good for you for calling out the manufacturers! When my car got a flat, I had to use that spare wheel for a week before I could get the tyre fixed. Perfectly impractical in every way. That's interesting about the lack of ashtrays meaning more forest fires, I'd like to see a study on that! My dad's custom 2007 truck has manual window cranks and locks. A good workout for the arms! I never liked the push button start for some reason. Shame cars don't even come with CD players anymore. Hard to believe my Camry will be 10 next year! Can't wait to own a classic!

[@tractorsold1]

When my rear fender got bent in, the sheet metal lined up with the center of the tire, and would have cut into it if I drove it that way. The miniature spare was the workaround that let me drive to work, the insurance adjuster, and eventually to the body shop.

[@wardharrah55]

Those wing windows were great for cigarette smoke…they could be angled to create a vacuum. I even had a power wing window on a Lincoln Town Car once!

[@JohnEasterling-e7b]

How about the vents by your feet that were opened by pulling a knob.

[@kensmith5694]

Yes, they were a great idea. The control for them was at the center of the dash so the driver could open the one on the far side when driving alone on a hot day.

[@tophorn7348]

I wish they would still have those! I want one in my current vehicle. When it's chilly outside & I want heat on my upper torso, but not on my feet, which get too hot. But with my current vehicle, it's either/or. Either warm or cold, but I can't stand hot feet. It could be 10°F outside, I got my heat on full blast, but not down at my feet. But it STILL blows whatever is blowing everywhere else on my feet! 🤨🧐😠😤

[@bombfog1]

Many full-size trucks and SUV’s retain a full spare.

[@robert_813]

three things .. A Knob on the dashboard for actuating the manual choke by steel cable. This was usefull for cold starting and keeping the engine running until it warmed up. Most early front hoods were opened entirely from a release lever in the front grill. Interior Hood release was probably the early 70s. Gasoline filler door was usually behind the rear license plate rather than a on a rear panel. This was usually spring loaded door and a little space that fit the gas cap, to prop the license plate door open during filling. (most gas was full-service and included check the oil and wash the windshield.)

[@kensmith5694]

Where the filler was varied a lot. My very old car had a flap beside the license.

[@baldeagle5297]

My 56 Chevy had the filler behind the left tail light. My old VW, I don't remember what year, had the filler under the hood. As a teen back in the 70s, I would buy old cars to repair and resell them, so I had a lot of different cars.

[@brendaholliday6866]

Rhett, I enjoyed your video about car features that no longer exist. I remember a lot of these features from my late parents cars over the years. One feature that I love that still exists is the sound of the turn signal. Have a fantastic weekend. Take care ❤🐎

[@ttop64]

Hi Rhett . My old '71 Malibu has a rear window defroster that directs warm air from the passenger cabin onto the window to clear it instead of the wire grid in todays' rear windows . Also has antenna in the windshield and manual set clock in dash .

[@pipedreamin]

I miss the little carpeted piece at the bottom of the door panel, now that area is just full of scuff marks.

[@moka-chan2000]

I have an old feature that sadly went away sealed beam and glass covered headlights. They never get sun faded and last a very long time. Another feature that also went away is pop open rear windows on vans/wagons and some hatchbacks.

[@Rick-S-6063]

I miss sealed beam headlamps. They were made of glass that didn't fade and were hellaciously cheaper than the aerodynamic kind.

[@Tony-r7v]

Learned to drive with a car that had a hood ornament. Dad taught me to line up the hood ornament with the white line so you knew if you were drifting either to the right or left.

[@steakdriven]

Push button ignition is a pestilence

[@queenbunnyfoofoo6112]

You got that right. I hate those things!

[@chuckymurlo5654]

My mother called the vent window a"no draft" window. I thought she said "nose"draft because it looked like a nose. Hey, I was 6

[@privatelyprivate3285]

😂

[@luisvelasco316]

Your pictures for "hardtop convertible" are all of retractable hardtops, which are not the same thing. Hardtop convertibles, later just "hardtops" referred to a top that was made to look like a convertible by deleting the B-pillar behind the front door glass, allowing for a completely open side glass area with the windows down. Probably the best execution of this was the early 1960s GM 2-doors which actually had stamped imitation convertible top bows above the rear glass. Incidentally, thanks for including a photo of a 1965 Chevy Impala dash (at 2:29) which triggered nostalgia for me!

[@gwzaiser]

I'm glad you brought that up

[@joemoore4027]

The one big thing I miss is the drip rail on the cars top above the windows. You could crack the window open a little for some fresh air and the rain would not drip down the door and you !

[@MelvisVelour]

I remember the old 45 RPM record player feature which scratched the crap out of disks if you were driving on a bumpy road as well as the problem of records getting warped in a hot car which made for some very strange sounding music. Looks like the idea morphed into the technology for in car CD players which are themselves becoming a thing of the past...

[@JustMe99999]

More like "have become" rather than "becoming" ... what new car has a CD player?! Where can you even buy a CD anymore?

[@toastnjam7384]

Way back in the mid 70's a friend had a 60's Cadillac that had the horn along the top of the steering wheel wrapped in leather that you would squeeze to honk. It stopped working and he could only get it to honk by biting down on it.

[@mistertor]

Wow, I had totally forgotten about that kind of horn actuator. Someone in my family had one of those at one point.

[@gkirms]

I remember the underdash 8 track or cassette / radio player. I had installed a Pioneer unit in my car. Back in those days you could run wires to your speakers in your car or manually add speakers. This was a huge thing back when I was driving and going to the audio store to pick out a unit to install. Back then you ran all the wires yourself. There wasn't such a thing as plug and play.

[@daleconnell5843]

Yep, I installed many radio, eight track and cassette players. My favorite were the Pioneer Super Tuners. They had superior tuners that would pull in weak radio stations. They matched up nicely whith a pair if Jenson coax speakers.

[@gkirms]

@@daleconnell5843 I installed the Pioneer Supertuner / casette in my girlfriend's (my wife now for 41 years) car for her. And Jensen speakers back then were the speakers of choice. Good memories for sure.

[@henryfurlott2222]

One thing missed is the vent down near the floor on each side. Essentially a simple door, which allowed air direct from a duct beside the engine. Boy did you ever get a lovely (quiet) blast of air through that!!!! Leaves and all, too. I have often complained that we no longer get good outside air into the cabin (sometimes that's all you want). The only way now is to open windows, which can be noisy and of course the side vent is gone, which also aimed bucketloads of air into the cabin.

[@bobbyvh786]

Bring the ashtrays back they prevent forest fires and littering, which is a modern day problem

[@RhettyforHistory]

Thank you for watching bobbyvh786!

[@BigJeremyBeyer]

The wing windows never should have gone away.

[@markhewitt4307]

I bought a barn find back in 1992. It was a 1963 chevy impala that had 72k original miles. It still had plastic on the seats from the factory. I only paid $2,000 for it. New battery and changed out the carburetor, tune up, etc. Put gas in and press on the gas pedal twice to prime the carburetor and she fired right up. The thing i remembered the most was the high beam switch on the floor, the front and back windows rolled down together made 1 giant opening, and found an oil filter in the trunk still in original packaging. It was from 1970 and was white with pink polka dots 😂. It reminded me of that movie "Christine" because at night the old stock AM radio only picked up a spanish station and an oldies station.

[@tophorn7348]

Ha! I thought you were going to say it reminded you of "Riding with Private Malone" by David Ball!

[@salemslotandmore8278]

Thanks for the List and Video (and the memories) 😀

[@RhettyforHistory]

You're welcome and thank you for watching salemslotandmore8278!

[@salemslotandmore8278]

✅@@RhettyforHistory

[@rixx46]

Not exactly a feature, but the transition hump that ran down the middle of the car. Many of us as kids ended up, having to sit on the hump in the backseat floor! Long before those pesky seatbelts!

[@billmadison2032]

transmission

[@privatelyprivate3285]

Made you feel TALL! Lol

[@jayjaynella4539]

Ha! We had rear facing seats in the back of 63 Studebaker wagon with the sliding roof. We sibs would fight for that back seat and on warm days the open top. AND NO BLOODY IDIOTIC SEAT BELTS BACK THERE. Cars now are like prisons, only prisons are much more interesting than the interiors of new cars.

[@stevendegiorgio3143]

They forgot to mention that some cars in the 70s had headlite on indicators mounted on the front of the front fenders.

[@paulwilliamson2370]

Another feature not mentioned is roof gutters. Also, very common on station wagons was built in roof racks.

[@user-qc7hr4my7r]

I believe you missed the vents in the kick panels too. Those with the vent windows worked really good on a hot day.

[@melaniebell8115]

It's so funny to me that we used to put faux wood panelling on cars. Why would we want wooden cars exactly? It was such a look though, I think it'll make a comeback one day.

[@Romiman1]

It should remind to real woodies, which are made until the early 50s because of steel shortages (WW2...). I still like it. American station-wagons, VANs and SUVs would look way more elegant with that.

[@queenbunnyfoofoo6112]

I had one of those old wagons with the faux wood that was mostly off. I put wood patterned contact paper on instead. Good times.

[@robertshawiv1513]

I wish they put the gas tank opening back in the center of the back car behind the license plate so you could use any pump for gas. Good ole days :)

[@MrDDiRusso]

Some old pickup trucks had external metal sun visors.

[@leesashriber5097]

I remember all these. My Ford Probe had the flip lights. Older cars were built to last. Many today are plastic or fiberglass. I remember full service gas stations and the gas tank was behind the license plate. The good old days. Thank you my friend. 😊

[@ivanleterror9158]

Don't forget the cars of the 50s where the gas cap was under or behind the flip up tailights.

[@rickyhurtt5568]

They might as well do away with the blinkers. Cause most damned fools don't know how to use em either way

[@privatelyprivate3285]

Agreed. People get so mad at someone forgetting to turn them off, but it shows they at least bothered to USE it! Lol I also really hate how quiet they are. Mine’s auto shut-off trigger is terribly dull and its sound is even duller - high speeds and rain alone bury it, so forget it if the radio is even on!

[@shnibby69]

Horn rings and powered antennae: I totally forgot about those, Rhetty! Great video, again!

[@here_we_go_again2571]

Those little windows on the doors used to be a thing. Some models had this type of window for the back too. These were great for ventilation, but noisy.

[@johnfranklin5277]

Yes, my 58 cadillac my parents bought in 1960 has the windwings in the front AND rear windows. It also has factory AC. The power antenna stil woks well, and all the power windows still wotk! So cal car, still going down the road. My 68 Mustang has windwings, but I believe the were eliminated in 1970.

[@baldeagle5297]

@@johnfranklin5277 I wish I still had my 64 Mustang. I bought it in 76 from my brother and paid $50.00 for it.

[@onemoremisfit]

Back when cars had vent windows we didn't go around calling something A tHiNg.

[@here_we_go_again2571]

@@onemoremisfit Haha! True!

[@here_we_go_again2571]

@@johnfranklin5277 There are sometimes when either having the larger windows rolled down or the AC on is impractical. The vent windows weren't much use on the highway unless it was really hot and you had no AC. But those were useful at lower speeds when a little ventilation was desired.

[@harrycallahan9733]

0:46 It's not because of the old cars were too wimpy they had 85mph speedometer. They just didn't want you to drive faster than that. 2:31 It was a safety issue not because you had to remove your hand to operate it, it was because in an frontal collision, the horn ring would act as a bayonet, and piece driver's lungs.

[@cs4451]

There was never any headrests until later on in yrs and we didnt have seatbelts for a number of yrs too

[@elwyrick]

My 1959 Ford Galaxie, 1967 Mustang, and 1969 GTO all had speedometers that went to 120. So did this spedometers of all my friends' cars.

[@Speeddemon3]

Just a correction if I may. 1:25 "Suicide doors" applied to front doors that were hinged at the rear and opened at the front. They were called that because seat belts were not a safety feature and if your were going around a corner on a bumpy road the doors would sometimes pop open and the passengers could fall out. The door shown are called "bible doors".

[@adamgh0]

Any door with a hinge at the rear is a "suicide door" whether it's in the front or the rear of the vehicle.

[@sandybruce9092]

Oh, and u still miss that button in the floor for lights - I’m short and had no problem reaching it - and honestly it would be safer than trying to figure out some of the stuff js,med in the steering column nowadays!!!

[@chrisdye5068]

I liked the vinyl bench seats. You could do a hard right and have your girl friend slide right over to you. Smooth for sure.

[@Jcmprofessional]

Some features that are no longer or soon to be phased out, DC generator's, sealed headlights, glass headlight lenses, chrome bumpers, CD stackers, single and double din head units, stand alone radio tuner, manual transmission, vacuum fluorescent display clusters, analogue clusters

[@Snake-ms7sj]

Oil pressure gauge, voltage gauge, transmission fluid dipstick and gas caps are things gone on most new cars.

[@girlgamergear3260]

I hate that! The synthetic oil in suv breaks down and uses so much oil between oil changes. I wish I had a gauge for it! The only way to check transmission fluid is to drain it! Don't forget to get it changed at 50,000 miles!

[@veramae4098]

I don't miss the gas caps but everything else, yes, I'd like back. My Ford Escape is my first "Microsoft car" and I really dislike the controls. Constantly looking things up in the manual. For example, how do I turn the heat off? Those central "horns" never work for me until I search for just the right spot, and by then there's no need. I really miss bench seats and the window vents; my old old Ford Falcon had "vent boxes" for heating too. And I miss the hand pulled throttle in my old Falcon.

[@d9918]

No gas caps? What do they use?

[@girlgamergear3260]

@@d9918 The vehicle we have has an "ez-cap". It has an internal gas cap and you just push the nozzle into it.

[@privatelyprivate3285]

No dip stick? EXCUSE ME?!!!

[@shawntyrrell5473]

Love your videos. Always amazing and fun to watch. Scary how much I remember. Keep up the great work

[@angelicagaldos]

Man almost all old cars looked so cool then today's cars

[@RhettyforHistory]

Thank you for watching angelicagaldos!

[@angelicagaldos]

@@RhettyforHistory You're very welcome

[@SuperVstech]

Another floor mounted control that disappeared from the floor is the old windshield washer button. Dodge vehicles before the 80’s had a pump button on the floor to squirt water on the windshield.

[@AJDIYNetwork]

Yes. Bring back that little ashtray…. When I was living in Texas, that’s all you see are little mini fires along the roadside

[@privatelyprivate3285]

Seriously?! wtf! Is it so hard to put a little tin box in there?

[@leehuff2330]

Manual transmission is next to impossible to find anymore- not one pickup truck is available with one. They were great for speed control, especially when driving off road back when people actually USED their truck as more than a macho version of a car. Also, lockout hubs were once common on 4 wheel drive trucks and sport utility vehicles, since they allowed the driver to disconnect the front axle from the wheels, saving a considerable amount of fuel by reducing drag when not using 4 wheel drive. The only one left on the market is the Ford Super Duty line of pickups.

[@Lemuel928]

They still want the open down windows function for drive thru services.

[@finkelmana]

When is the last time I saw a car with a full size spare tire? Pretty much every day multiple times a day. It is still extremely common - especially on SUVs.

[@LeftyStratPlayer]

Cars available with retractable hardtop convertibles currently on the market: Chevrolet Corvette Ferrari 296 GTS Ferrari 812 GTS Ferrari F8 Spider Ferrari Portofino M Ferrari SF90 Spider Mazda MX-5 Miata RF McLaren 765LT Spider McLaren 720S Spider Also, the metal horn ring was banned due to crash safety issues. I don't know about anyone else, but I wouldn't want a potentially sharp projectile inches from my chest or torso if it becomes fragmented during a frontal wreck.

[@Romiman1]

Mercedes kept them making until some years ago (SL, SLK).

[@privatelyprivate3285]

Agreed on the ring (and all types of alternative) horns.

[@daler.steffy1047]

After watching this video I sure feel old. My station wagon has wood grain, and an antenna that goes up and down with the use of a little motor; the radio has a cassette tape player built into it, and one fortunate feature is, if I leave my turn signal on for more than one-quarter mile, a bell comes on to remind me to turn it off. Thirty years later and 167,000 miles, my 1994 Buick Roadmaster Estate wagon is still happily moving along the open highways. And while it's hood ornament shines in the summer sun, my passengers and I still right along in the most wonderful and delightfully quiet comfort, as the ride is smooth and the steering is effortless.Thank you for this nostalgic look back to a time that I so clearly and fondly remember.

[@TammieR-B]

My car still has roll down windows😂😂

[@kensmith5694]

The hand crank window is really nice when you are camping or at the beach and it starts to rain. You can close up the car without the keys (the kids can do it before dad gets there) The vent window was a really good idea. You could get some air flow without adding noise. Horn rings are gone due to steering wheel mounted airbags. As good AM radio is a really nice thing when you are in the middle of nowhere. Today a lot of cars don't have AM radios any more. The full size spare should be required by law.