Vehicle "Must Have" Option

[Tom S.]

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.

 

[Dennis The B]

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?

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.

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.

 

[soFlaNative]

I'm old enough to remember when the must have options were an AM radio and a cigarette lighter.

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?

 

[JayFramer]

AC/heat, cruise control, a cup holder, and some sort of music. And of course modern safety things like airbags and anti-lock brakes.

All I need.

 

[johngalt]

MY vehicle must haves are......A V8 engine......150 on the speedometer &.....Dual exhaust.........Life's TOO SHORT TO DRIVE A WIMPY 4 CYLINDER WEENIE MOBILE.

btw.....We drive Mustangs....have since 89.

+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.

 

[Brasky]

Give me an older car with a manual transmission, good gas mileage, and as few options as possible. I'll fix it myself and save the $300-600 a month for guns and other **** I don't need

 

[tcon]

Rear camera, Sirius radio, handsfree Bluetooth wireless phone connectivity.

 

[Smoke]

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

 

[Tom S.]

I'm old enough as well....

Today you pay EXTRA for a cigarette lighter and ashtray. Not standard equipment anymore.

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.

 

[g8rb8]

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.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I just don't feel like I want to trust a computer with my well being.

It's not about "trusting a computer", i.e., letting the computer drive the car; it's about modern technology and its advantages. If you read the original post, Dennis, the OP, was reacting to the Acura which pulled in front of him...his car, however, reacted more quickly than he could, and initiated braking before he would have. In my mind, that's a good thing...

 

[Beemerguy53]

I just want a good stereo with a CD player.

I felt the same way...for a while. But then I had this experience with my motorcycle's Tire Pressure Monitoring System...

http://smith-wessonforum.com/137957299-post1.html

 

[Bkreutz]

Having worked as a technician on high end cars (Porsche/Jaguar/Land Rover/Lexus)until I retired a few years back. I've had to work on the various latest upgrades. In my mind they were just more stuff to break. Especially the adaptive cruise control, works fine until a big bug hits the lens of the sensor and the system shuts down. Some of the other stuff I don't mind, and some of the stuff I scratch my head and wonder why. (like keyless ignition, how much work is it to put a key in the ignition?) You have to have the key on your person anyway. Now when they have the car recognize my DNA they will be getting somewhere.

 

[Squarebutt]

Of all the"improvements" they've added over the years, the one I'd most like to ditch is ABS brakes, at least in the winter. More than once I've had it roll me right through an intersection when it detected a slippery surface. Having grown up driving on ice and snow, I can handle skids and stopping on snow and ice, even going sideways if necessary. Some motorcycles have a switch to shut off the ABS system. I'd love to have one in the Silverado.

 

[marvin the martian]

Are side-winder vehicle to vehicle missiles an option yet? Those would be my "must have" option!
Until then, give me my seat heater an I'm a happy driver!

 

[USMCHEROS]

To me the Vehicle must haves are...Factory Navigation/3D landscapes, Sirius XM and factory leather.

 

[soFlaNative]

Now when they have the car recognize my DNA they will be getting somewhere.

Had to laugh. A spit sensor?

 

[tarsam]

A steering wheel and go pedal!

 

[Rivoak]

I just don't feel like I want to trust a computer with my well being.

Every time you get on an airplane, your life is in the hands of Air Traffic Control Computers, on board Collision Avoidance Computers, GPS and fuel consumption instruments which are basically computers, and on at least some Airbus and Boeing models, the whole plane is driven by computers even when the pilots turns, all he is doing is feeding instructions to a computer. Now, that really ought to give ya some pause for thought.


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[BUFF]

Editors and writers at CAR & DRIVER magazine have had a couple of instances where cars they were driving with the auto-adaptive cruise/anti-crash systems just suddenly slam the brakes on and stop the car with no other vehicle anywhere near them.