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Penny Paper
Dec 31, 2012

Arrath posted:

It looks like every grandparent car I've ever seen. I can even smell it.

I'm so glad you remember, because that looks similar to the interior of my grandmother's cherry red Cadillac that she had back in the mid-1980s (around the time I was very young). That photo brought back a lot of memories.

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PhotoKirk
Jul 2, 2007

insert witty text here

Dick Trauma posted:

Speaking of obsolete car tech do cars still come with vinyl seats? I can remember as a kid wearing shorts in the Summer and then having my flesh practically melt onto the rear seats of our lead sled. I was happy when cloth/mouse-fur became the basic option for car seats.

My '68 Volvo had black vinyl seats.

In Texas.

In the summer.

You could hear your legs sizzle when you got in the car.

Krispy Wafer
Jul 26, 2002

I shouted out "Free the exposed 67"
But they stood on my hair and told me I was fat

Grimey Drawer
Our old Aries K had separate keys for the driver and passenger side door. Which is what happens after the repo man breaks the lock. :(

UnfortunateSexFart
May 18, 2008

𒃻 𒌓𒁉𒋫 𒆷𒁀𒅅𒆷
𒆠𒂖 𒌉 𒌫 𒁮𒈠𒈾𒅗 𒂉 𒉡𒌒𒂉𒊑


strangemusic posted:

You totaled your car on the span of Lions Gate? Not in the causeway? Ouch.

Yeah, someone slammed on their brakes to watch a suicide jumper and four of us rear ended each other. Good times.

JediTalentAgent
Jun 5, 2005
Hey, look. Look, if- if you screw me on this, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine, you rat bastard!

Dogan posted:

Is this it?



I could not find any pictures on the internet so I just took one myself. This device is called the "Rooster", apparently. It has two jacks in the bottom for plugging into your modem and phone line. This particular one belongs to my coworker, and the way he describes it working is that you would "register" the device with your ISP, and then whenever a new email reached your address, the ISP would send a special call....tone?, or pulse (or something) to your home phone line, which would get picked up by the Rooster, which would increment the displayed number by 1 to tell you how many unread emails are in your inbox. I think it also makes a sound whenever you get a new email.

I'm having a hard time thinking of a more obsolete and useless 90's technology than this.

No, the thing I was thinking of was pure phone only. I tried going back to my old emails I still have on my Yahoo account from the late 90s to see if I had anything like a message about it, but I don't see one.


However, that looks like how 90s futurists predicted things like in that ATT commercial. I almost can see Tom Selleck in my head going, "Imagine a world where you don't even have to turn on your computer... To see you've got email"

Cut to a woman coming home to a future version of that thing flashing.

Sunshine89
Nov 22, 2009

Krispy Kareem posted:

Whenever I rent a F-250 from the Home Depot they have pleather seats, so it must be an option somewhere.

Vinyl usually comes standard in the base trim of pickup trucks because it's easier to get construction site / farm dirt out of than carpeting.

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002

I'm pretty sure vinyl seats are used where durability is an issue. Almost every taxi in my country has it; leather and cloth gets too worn by passengers.

Collateral Damage
Jun 13, 2009

Pilsner posted:

I'm pretty sure vinyl seats are used where durability is an issue. Almost every taxi in my country has it; leather and cloth gets too worn by passengers.
It's also easier to get puke out of vinyl seats after a saturday night.

Zopotantor
Feb 24, 2013

...und ist er drin dann lassen wir ihn niemals wieder raus...

Captain Trips posted:

Clarkson had an interesting take on those nubs on Top Gear a couple years back. You get out of the car, close the door, and it locks as you walk away. But then you think "Did that really work? Is it locked?" so you walk back to check, and the door unlocks as you walk up to it.

That sounds like a nightmare for someone with OCD.

ILL ON PZONES
Oct 13, 2013

Zopotantor posted:

That sounds like a nightmare for someone with OCD.

To be fair; so does everything.

El Estrago Bonito
Dec 17, 2010

Scout Finch Bitch
I do a lot of work on Arcade Sticks, as I've mentioned previously in this thread. And one thing I really like is that, for the most part, control interfaces have remained pretty standard in the meat and potatoes departments. It's nice that if someone brings me a stick they bought in 1989 for their NES that they are really attached to I can make it work on their PS3 with like 20-30 bucks of parts, work and solder. I really can't wait for home PCB fab equipment to come down in price. I've talked to some guys who live in Shenzhen, PRC and apparently there are a lot of guys who just have setups they've cobbled together in apartments and storage units from random old pieces of equipment they have bought cheap or salvaged. 3D Printing IMHO is kinda masturbatory and not terribly useful these days on a "have one in my home" scale but a PCB fab that could actually make really cool stuff would be straight up awesome.

Shugojin
Sep 6, 2007

THE TAIL THAT BURNS TWICE AS BRIGHT...


Zopotantor posted:

That sounds like a nightmare for someone with OCD.

Tell me about it. One of my friends is a bit OCD about his apartment door being locked. There is a ritual of running back to it and jiggling the handle and pushing on it to make sure it's actually locked. Several times. Leaving his apartment takes like 5 minutes after you leave the door.

If he had this he would never get away from the car.

Slanderer
May 6, 2007

Shugojin posted:

Tell me about it. One of my friends is a bit OCD about his apartment door being locked. There is a ritual of running back to it and jiggling the handle and pushing on it to make sure it's actually locked. Several times. Leaving his apartment takes like 5 minutes after you leave the door.

If he had this he would never get away from the car.

As someone who often does this, I can say that part of the issue is that once you start performing these dumb rituals out of habit you stop thinking about them at all...which means that you probably aren't paying attention closely enough to actually check that the door is locked.

Speleothing
May 6, 2008

Spare batteries are pretty key.
The reason for a separate key* is so that if you give your key to the valet (or some other service person), they can't get into the trunk or glovebox.


(*as I was told when I asked about it when I was young)

Pilsner
Nov 23, 2002

Speleothing posted:

The reason for a separate key* is so that if you give your key to the valet (or some other service person), they can't get into the trunk or glovebox.


(*as I was told when I asked about it when I was young)
You were told right, I've read car manuals where it says that the service key is specifically for that. No valets in Europe though, but the mechanic for example.

PhotoKirk
Jul 2, 2007

insert witty text here

Speleothing posted:

The reason for a separate key* is so that if you give your key to the valet (or some other service person), they can't get into the trunk or glovebox.


(*as I was told when I asked about it when I was young)

Yep, my Accord has a valet key that only works in the door or ignition. The master key can be used to lock the glovebox, remote release for the trunk/gas door, back seat.

Exit Strategy
Dec 10, 2010

by sebmojo

El Estrago Bonito posted:

3D Printing IMHO is kinda masturbatory and not terribly useful these days on a "have one in my home" scale but a PCB fab that could actually make really cool stuff would be straight up awesome.

I don't know about this one - I print magazines to go to the range, and I printed the prototype for a hand for my dad after he lost his in a Medical Problem. Limited utility for some people, sure, but hardly 'masturbatory'. I mean, unless you're being overly literal.

MRC48B
Apr 2, 2012

Pilsner posted:

You were told right, I've read car manuals where it says that the service key is specifically for that. No valets in Europe though, but the mechanic for example.

Which is funny, because the mechanic will come back to ask you for the real one when he needs to access something under the trunk/behind the glovebox/wherever that key won't go.

If you can't trust your mechanic to not steal your stuff, how can you trust him to do quality work on your car?

tacodaemon
Nov 27, 2006



eh, n/m

tacodaemon has a new favorite as of 02:29 on Apr 5, 2014

Coffee And Pie
Nov 4, 2010

"Blah-sum"?
More like "Blawesome"
I don't get the point of the key not opening the trunk, don't all cars have a release button/lever somewhere for it?

Speaking of cars, do new cars still come with a cigarette lighter/ash tray? I can't imagine much of a need for that nowadays.

Shugojin
Sep 6, 2007

THE TAIL THAT BURNS TWICE AS BRIGHT...


Coffee And Pie posted:

I don't get the point of the key not opening the trunk, don't all cars have a release button/lever somewhere for it?

Speaking of cars, do new cars still come with a cigarette lighter/ash tray? I can't imagine much of a need for that nowadays.

Mine came with an ashtray cupholder insert that is in under the trunk floor along with the spare tire. They're not gonna go away entirely as a lot of people still smoke.

At least in America, dunno how it is in other countries.

old bean factory
Nov 18, 2006

Will ya close the fucking doors?!

Coffee And Pie posted:

I don't get the point of the key not opening the trunk, don't all cars have a release button/lever somewhere for it?

Speaking of cars, do new cars still come with a cigarette lighter/ash tray? I can't imagine much of a need for that nowadays.

There are several devices that can plug into it and utilize the 12 Volt, like coolers or fans. It is a rather odd installation thinking back on it, though. Very 50's, gotta be able to light a cig at any time! After a 10 second wait.

Kwyndig
Sep 23, 2006

Heeeeeey


Cigarette lighter outlets are not going away, ever, because there are far too many devices that use it.

Jabor
Jul 16, 2010

#1 Loser at SpaceChem
If you don't have a cigarette lighter, where else are you going to plug in your cellphone charger?

And don't forget your cigarette lighter splitter so you can plug in both your (incompatible) cellphone chargers at once!

Humphreys
Jan 26, 2013

We conceived a way to use my mother as a porn mule


My work car had 3, one in the boot/trunk (guessing for 12v fridge) and two up front. Although they are only the outlet and don't have the push lighter. Just a door over them stating '12 Volt'.

My new personal car has an outlet inside the armrest cubby, and is meant for GPS or mobile phone chargers as there are a number of cabling channels leading out of the flip up arm rest.

JediTalentAgent
Jun 5, 2005
Hey, look. Look, if- if you screw me on this, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine, you rat bastard!
Have built-in USB ports become a standard in new cars, yet? It seems like it'd be a thing they could put a couple in a few spots so everyone could keep their stuff charged up no matter where they were in the car.

Platystemon
Feb 13, 2012

as a person who never leaves my house i've done pretty well for myself.

mng posted:

There are several devices that can plug into it and utilize the 12 Volt, like coolers or fans. It is a rather odd installation thinking back on it, though. Very 50's, gotta be able to light a cig at any time! After a 10 second wait.

Some early computer consoles had built‐in cigarette lighters, like this SAGE unit:

Pham Nuwen
Oct 30, 2010



Shugojin posted:

Mine came with an ashtray cupholder insert that is in under the trunk floor along with the spare tire. They're not gonna go away entirely as a lot of people still smoke.

At least in America, dunno how it is in other countries.

My parents had an 80s Cadillac with lighters and ashtrays in each back-seat door.

My Studebaker has only one lighter, but there's an ashtray under the radio, one in the center console, and one on the backside of each front seat. drat.

mints
Aug 15, 2001

Living on past glories
I think with most modern cars you have to specify you want a smoker's package in order to get the actual lighter and not just a cap that goes over the port.

I'd love for USB chargers to become a thing spread out around the car to charge everybody's poo poo.

The release for the trunk is a fairly modern thing, I know on my first car I had a separate key for the doors/ignition and one for the trunk and it didn't have an indoor release (85 Aries).

dissss
Nov 10, 2007

I'm a terrible forums poster with terrible opinions.

Here's a cat fucking a squid.

mints posted:

The release for the trunk is a fairly modern thing, I know on my first car I had a separate key for the doors/ignition and one for the trunk and it didn't have an indoor release (85 Aries).

The 1983 Holden Camira (which I'll add is fairly far up the running for worst car ever) my parents had when I was young had an electrically operated trunk release located in the glove compartment - pretty much the most inconvenient place imaginable.

Japanese cars have had them for longer though, even the early Ford Laser that my mum had had a normal cable operated release by the drivers seat.

JediTalentAgent
Jun 5, 2005
Hey, look. Look, if- if you screw me on this, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine, you rat bastard!
I'm reminded now of a Japanese car that was designed with a spot in it for a compact folding 49cc scooter called the Motocompo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57lDauqtpzc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X3vPNZZrCo

JediTalentAgent has a new favorite as of 05:12 on Apr 5, 2014

Ultimate Mango
Jan 18, 2005

Pham Nuwen posted:

My parents had an 80s Cadillac with lighters and ashtrays in each back-seat door.

My Studebaker has only one lighter, but there's an ashtray under the radio, one in the center console, and one on the backside of each front seat. drat.

My 2008 bmw has two cigarette lighters and an ashtray for every single passenger. I think two for each backseat smoker actually. Ashtrays freaking everywhere. Strangely it also has two or three twelve volt outlets that are separate and distinct from the lighters. I still take one of the lighters out to plug in my phone charger.

Devyl
Mar 27, 2005

It slices!

It dices!

It makes Julienne fries!
I've got an ashtray and two lighter ports in my '06 Infiniti. I also don't have a way to use a key to open my trunk. It's opened by either a small button on the trunk its self, or a rocker switch by the driver's left leg. Of course the rocker switch is right next to the button to disable traction control, and they're both "reach down and feel" distance, making it a bit of a stupid design idea... But that's more of an AI discussion than anything :v:

Lazlo Nibble
Jan 9, 2004

It was Weasleby, by God! At last I had the miserable blighter precisely where I wanted him!

Coffee And Pie posted:

I don't get the point of the key not opening the trunk, don't all cars have a release button/lever somewhere for it?
Yeah, but on at least some (our '97 Civic) that release lever is lockable too, and requires the primary ignition key. As does the lock/switch to fold down the back seats, which opens the passthrough to the trunk.

Not that it really helps, given that the whole damned car can be stolen in fifteen seconds by any idiot with a shaved key.

Mooktastical
Jan 8, 2008

JediTalentAgent posted:

I'm reminded now of a Japanese car that was designed with a spot in it for a compact folding 49cc scooter called the Motocompo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57lDauqtpzc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X3vPNZZrCo

This would give Xzibit an aneurysm.

Humphreys
Jan 26, 2013

We conceived a way to use my mother as a porn mule


I cannot believe I completely forgot about some of the obsolete tech in one of my old cars

The Toyota Sera wanted to be the beacon of the future.


(Not my old one)

It's name was devived from the french word for 'Will Be'

It had it all:

> Gullwing doors

> A really fancy Stereo:

quote:

Super Live Surround Sound (SLSS)

One major internal option came in the form of an advanced car audio system known as the Super Live Surround Sound or SLSS. The SLSS comprised a total of 10 speakers; 3 x 10 cm tweeters in the front console (left, right and centre), 2 x 10 cm door-mounted cones (left and right), 2 x tweeters and 2 x cones contained in a single, tube shaped unit mounted on the rear parcel shelf, and a boot fitted 'Acoustic Resonance Woofer' (subwoofer). The SLSS came with a three mode Digital Sound Processor (DSP) which cycled through 'off', 'Casual' or 'Funky' mode by use of a button labelled "WARP" on the CD/Radio or CD/Radio/Cassette head unit. These produced slight differences in sound quality through preset values for settings such as bass and treble, as well as rotating the speakers in the rear unit to either project directly into the car or bounce off the rear window. A complete and functional SLSS is one of the most highly sought after options by Toyota Sera enthusiasts, but by being factory fit is quite hard to retro-fit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Sera


> Air Filtration/Fragrance Systems

> AAAAAAAND the option for a fax machine that was in the glove compartment (I don't have photos of this anymore)

There were soo many random things about this car that as a teen I was overwhelmed and MUST HAVE (and must ruin modifying it more).

ElwoodCuse
Jan 11, 2004

we're puttin' the band back together
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1rsuroTf_Q&t=1m47s

fix the cigarette lighter

Collateral Damage
Jun 13, 2009

If you have Google Earth installed, enable 3D buildings and zoom in on the East 95th Bridge in Chicago.

Jedit
Dec 10, 2011

Proudly supporting vanilla legends 1994-2014

Collateral Damage posted:

If you have Google Earth installed, enable 3D buildings and zoom in on the East 95th Bridge in Chicago.

Why?

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TITTIEKISSER69
Mar 19, 2005

SAVE THE BEES
PLANT MORE TREES
CLEAN THE SEAS
KISS TITTIESS




Gives a whole new meaning to "Cal Sag" (locals will get that).

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