Vehicle "Must Have" Option
- Thread starter Dennis The B
- Start date
In my 20s I wanted the biggest, baddest stereo. Now in my 60s AC is king!
OFT II
US Veteran
I'm old enough to remember when the must have options were an AM radio and a cigarette lighter.
My must have options. A winch and a battering ram.
ChattanoogaPhil
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I hear ya and agree.
I wouldn't want to go back, but missing is the satisfaction of accomplishemt from opening the hood and being able to diagnose the problem whether it be points, plugs and condenser... cap, rotor, wires or coil. Or a Rochester Quadrajet that needed a rebuild kit. Or just doing a scheduled tune-up and the feeling that it ran a bit smoother even if it didn't. See.... I did that. It felt good.
New is better on the measuring tape... but there's a measure that's missing.
You have hit on a very good point. People have become complacent with many things that are now standard equipment like power brakes and steering, and are clueless as to what to do if they fail. I suspect this was an issue in the Toyota and GM throttle and ignition problems. People panic an either don't know how to react, or over react.
Mal Cap
Member
All of these advance are great. I have an "older" Nissan 2010 Xterra, Blue Tooth, I-Pod connection, Sirius FM, Garmin GPS included, Cruise Control (Standard of Course). I think quite a few of these gadgets are distracting mostly and if they are not...forget the repairs bills. My next car will probably be driving itself and making coffee in the commuter mug.
labworm
US Veteran
I depend on me while driving rather these new gizmos.
I have been using a manual transmission since 1973, so I have been shifting for the past 43 years.
I have been using a manual transmission since 1973, so I have been shifting for the past 43 years.
I depend on me while driving rather these new gizmos.
I have been using a manual transmission since 1973, so I have been shifting for the past 43 years.
Do you by chance mean you are SHIFTY?
All kidding aside after 25+ years of owning manual transmission Vettes I bought a auto trans in my last one. Its much easier on my damaged left leg, the new sticks are now 7spds.
Mr Pokeyman
US Veteran
My first cruise control device was homemade. I had a 58 Chevy Impala when I was in the Navy in 1965. My ship was in Norfolk so I flew home to get it. I cut a piece of 2x4 to fit between the front of the seat and the accelerator. I could go faster by pushing it down with my shoe and release it by pulling it up with the toe of the shoe. I used it on the highways where there wasn't much traffic. What could go wrong with that? 
The title of this thread is Must have Options I would most certainly like a vehicle that I could get that has option deleteS available.
GM (and probably others) use to have that option. You could order cars and trucks without radios, and even without heaters. Everything was an option, including power steering, power brakes, even seat belts. Then the auto's wised up to the fact they could make more money by making those items standard on every car, and increasing the cost of each car, while reducing the per item cost to them. A win-win for them, lose-lose for us. Later, they discovered they could make more money by requiring you to order a "package" if there was a certain option you wanted. Like that fancy grill? You need the "appearance Package, which instead of costing the $200 the grill costs, costs $2,000 and includes a bunch of stuff you may or may not want.
OP
Dennis The B
US Veteran
I worked at Ford for over 38 years, the first thirteen at two assembly plants. During the last four months of each model year, we were almost entirely in the police/fire/FBI/military/Federal car business. And, each order had a number of Dealer Special Order Options. You could get almost anything; bucket seats, special wiring for sirens and lights, paint jobs, tires, radio wiring harnesses, delete radio, higher capacity cooling systems, etc.My first cruise control device was homemade. I had a 58 Chevy Impala when I was in the Navy in 1965. My ship was in Norfolk so I flew home to get it. I cut a piece of 2x4 to fit between the front of the seat and the accelerator. I could go faster by pushing it down with my shoe and release it by pulling it up with the toe of the shoe. I used it on the highways where there wasn't much traffic. What could go wrong with that?
One of the most ordered options by police departments, was the manual throttle control. The purpose was to set up the idle while the unit was stopped with lights on. The higher idle would keep the battery charged, and move coolant. However, a lot of officers used the manual throttle control as a "poor man's" cruise control.
and bumpers!
Wonder how remote sensors work under a layer of or cruising through
a cloud of love bugs in Glades county on a summer's eve?
+1000 there, although I like my GLK. It is only a V6, but it has 300hp and is probably one of the last naturally aspirated engines left.
Something that I absolutely cannot stand about my work vehicle is that I cannot turn off the dome lights. There are times when I really think it's a hazard I don't want people to see me sitting in that car I don't want people to see me getting out of that car. In my personal vehicle I don't think the dome light as a light bulb in it because I don't use it ever
True, but years ago it was an option also. My 1963 Chevy II didn't have one, although there was capped hole in the dash where one went if so ordered.
I depend on me while driving rather these new gizmos.
I have been using a manual transmission since 1973, so I have been shifting for the past 43 years.
I've continually had a manual transmission for about the same number of years and enjoy rowing my own gears especially with a really nice gear box but some of the new automatic transmissions I've had a chance to try are truly impressive: the dual clutch, the multi-gear (9 speed in the automatic I drive now), the continuously variable, and with launch control at the high performance end.
