You know you're old when...

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I installed quite a few Vibrasonics back in the day.

LOL. Somehow I think this may have veered off the original subject.

[translux]

Originally Posted by rwheels

But were they Jensen's, with a woofer, midrange, and tweeter, all in one?

[dscabra]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

The '61 was a vast improvement over the '60. It was the first year of the synchronized 1st gear, an upgrade in horsepower from 36 to 40, and an upgrade from 6 to 12 volts. I loved my bug.

My 1965 VW Bug was still 6 volt, but I did have a fuel gauge. The worst possible driving scenario was in the dark with snow or freezing rain. The 6-volt system would make the headlights feel like candles when the wipers were on at the same time, and the defroster was based on ducting heat from the engine through thin metal flex hose that never had a shortage of holes effectively reducing the flow of warm air to the windshield.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by dscabra

My 1965 VW Bug was still 6 volt, but I did have a fuel gauge. The worst possible driving scenario was in the dark with snow or freezing rain. The 6-volt system would make the headlights feel like candles when the wipers were on at the same time, and the defroster was based on ducting heat from the engine through thin metal flex hose that never had a shortage of holes effectively reducing the flow of warm air to the windshield.

I sit (in my la-z-boy) corrected! Thank you. I don't know why I remember my '61 as having 12 V system. Clearly it didn't. No that I think about it, I don't even remember where the battery was on that car. Since I never had electrical issues, I guess I never even looked. Thanks for straightening me out!

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by dscabra

My 1965 VW Bug was still 6 volt, but I did have a fuel gauge. The worst possible driving scenario was in the dark with snow or freezing rain. The 6-volt system would make the headlights feel like candles when the wipers were on at the same time, and the defroster was based on ducting heat from the engine through thin metal flex hose that never had a shortage of holes effectively reducing the flow of warm air to the windshield.

Sounds awful. I lived in So Cal so the snow and freezing rain wasn't an issue. But, we did get standing water on the freeway when it rained hard. I remember having to apply the brakes lightly in turns so the front wheels would turn.

I think its a bit humorous how some of us (me included) whine about issues with our current cars. Compared to the cars of the 60s, we absolutely have it made!

[flybigjet]

You know you're old if you understand (and have experienced) why the windshield wipers on a car would slow down to a crawl when you were at a stop or going up a hill.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

You know you're old if you understand (and have experienced) why the windshield wipers on a car would slow down to a crawl when you were at a stop or going up a hill.

I've never experienced that because I'm so young... But I would guess a weak alternator/battery. (?)

[dscabra]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

I sit (in my la-z-boy) corrected! Thank you. I don't know why I remember my '61 as having 12 V system. Clearly it didn't. No that I think about it, I don't even remember where the battery was on that car. Since I never had electrical issues, I guess I never even looked. Thanks for straightening me out!

The battery was under the rear seat.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I've never experienced that because I'm so young... But I would guess a weak alternator/battery. (?)

Cars from roughly the '20's to about the '60's used a vacuum manifold system on the wipers. High vacuum at high throttle = working wipers. Low vacuum at idle throttle or throttle under a high load (i.e. climbing) = slow to no wipers.

The old Ford Custom that I learned to drive on had these. Not a huge amount of fun in the rain.

https://itstillruns.com/vacuum-winds...k-5010098.html

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I've never experienced that because I'm so young... But I would guess a weak alternator/battery. (?)

Get off our lawns, kid! It's because wipers back in the day were vacuum-powered.

My favorite engineering choice was how VW over-inflated the spare tire in the frunk, and attached a hose to the spare tire valve to use it to run the windshield washer sprayer.....

[3798j]

With cars back then not having the abundance of horsepower like today's, steep hills would require wide open throttle which created very little vacuum...and the wipers would actually stop. In a driving rain the driver would continually let up on the throttle while climbing (just momentarily) allowing the wipers to take a few swipes, then as he reopened the throttle the wipers again would start to slow.

[M_Six]

When you have trouble attaching a couple of wires to a terminal because your hands won't stay still. WTF is that all about?

[translux]

Originally Posted by dscabra

My 1965 VW Bug was still 6 volt, but I did have a fuel gauge. The worst possible driving scenario was in the dark with snow or freezing rain. The 6-volt system would make the headlights feel like candles when the wipers were on at the same time, and the defroster was based on ducting heat from the engine through thin metal flex hose that never had a shortage of holes effectively reducing the flow of warm air to the windshield.

Speaking of VW Bug bugs.
A million years ago a girlfriend told me that she had to stop and fill her spare tire up to get the windshield washer fluid to spray.
I couldn't stop laughing as I didn't believe her. It wasn't funny when had to sleep on the beach as I had no way home and when I found out I was wrong.

https://jalopnik.com/the-spare-tire-...wag-1829875552

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by M_Six

When you have trouble attaching a couple of wires to a terminal because your hands won't stay still. WTF is that all about?

I thought that it was just me! I have found myself having to two-hand cups/bowls of liquid recently. Yesterday, I was trying to pour between two bottles and made a mess all over the kitchen counter.....

[sygazelle]

You know you are old when you find an infinite number of ways to screw up making a simple cup of coffee in my Keurig. I grind beans and use a reusable K cup so I should get some points for that. Here are most common mistakes:

1) Starting without remembering to put an empty coffee cup in place.

2) Starting without remembering to put the K-cup in the slot.

3) Remembering to put reusable k-cup in slot but forgetting to put coffee into the k-cup.

4) Putting the k-cup in place and empty coffee cup below, but forgetting to press the start button.

5) Successfully making a great cup of coffee, going and sitting down to enjoy it, reaching for it on the side table, and realizing that I left this nice cup of coffee on the kitchen counter.

There are more, but these are the top old person tricks regarding me and coffee.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by flybigjet

Cars from roughly the '20's to about the '60's used a vacuum manifold system on the wipers. High vacuum at high throttle = working wipers. Low vacuum at idle throttle or throttle under a high load (i.e. climbing) = slow to no wipers.

The old Ford Custom that I learned to drive on had these. Not a huge amount of fun in the rain.

https://itstillruns.com/vacuum-winds...k-5010098.html

I found it to be just the opposite. Low throttle (throttle barrel closed, or near closed) = fast wipers; high throttle (throttle barrel open) = slow wipers.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

You know you are old when you find an infinite number of ways to screw up making a simple cup of coffee in my Keurig. I grind beans and use a reusable K cup so I should get some points for that. Here are most common mistakes:

1) Starting without remembering to put an empty coffee cup in place.

2) Starting without remembering to put the K-cup in the slot.

3) Remembering to put reusable k-cup in slot but forgetting to put coffee into the k-cup.

4) Putting the k-cup in place and empty coffee cup below, but forgetting to press the start button.

5) Successfully making a great cup of coffee, going and sitting down to enjoy it, reaching for it on the side table, and realizing that I left this nice cup of coffee on the kitchen counter.

There are more, but these are the top old person tricks regarding me and coffee.

Don't feel bad. I microwaved a whole bunch of empty air the other day for 4-1/2 minutes.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

You know you are old when you find an infinite number of ways to screw up making a simple cup of coffee in my Keurig. I grind beans and use a reusable K cup so I should get some points for that. Here are most common mistakes:

1) Starting without remembering to put an empty coffee cup in place.

2) Starting without remembering to put the K-cup in the slot.

3) Remembering to put reusable k-cup in slot but forgetting to put coffee into the k-cup.

4) Putting the k-cup in place and empty coffee cup below, but forgetting to press the start button.

5) Successfully making a great cup of coffee, going and sitting down to enjoy it, reaching for it on the side table, and realizing that I left this nice cup of coffee on the kitchen counter.

There are more, but these are the top old person tricks regarding me and coffee.

I load my coffee maker the night before, so in the morning all I have to do is push one button. Prior to my first cup of coffee, that's about all I'm capable of doing.

[flybigjet]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I found it to be just the opposite. Low throttle (throttle barrel closed, or near closed) = fast wipers; high throttle (throttle barrel open) = slow wipers.

It was a loooong time ago in my early teens/tweens and I remember my grandfather teaching me to drive in my father's old Ford Custom-- it was raining cats and dogs and whenever we stopped at a stopsign in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the wipers would aaaaalmost stop.

And since there really wasn't much in the way of defogging in that old beater, it made for an interesting learning experience.

But, as it was more than a few decades ago, my memory may be off on that one.

R.

[3798j]

"Because the function of the windshield wipers depended on the amount of vacuum created in the engine, the wipers would stop working entirely when the car was in a situation that lowered the pressure, such as when the driver was trying to navigate up a steep hill."

https://itstillruns.com/vacuum-winds...k-5010098.html

[sygazelle]

You know you're old when the TV character named Penny for whom you had lust in your heart wasn't on the Big Bang Theory but rather on Sky King. Top that children!

[3.0L]

Or not.