Seniors: Remember when the car's windshield was split with metal down the middle of the window and?

Question

to turn on and off the headlights, you clicked this gadget on the floor of the car? My mom had a 1949 with these features.

Answer 1

The button on the floorboard was the dimmer switch. How about this blast from the past? Remember when seatbelts were optional and the UNPADDED steering wheel had this separate metal bar that was for blowing the horn?

Answer 2

My very first car was a 63 Beetle BUG...I am VERY short and had to reach SOOO very much to stretch my foot enough to hit that button to turn the high beams to the headlights on and off... If I had that car TODAY I'd be getting honked at all the time by angry drivers coming TOWARD ME because I would NEVER be able to click the high beams off fast enough.. (short legs)... I also remembered the split windshield and how easy it USED to be to get a coat hanger in there, grab the "lock" which always looked like a tall mushroom and pulled the lock head up and unlocked the door... I remember having to show my MOTHER how to do that on the family car when I was just a little girl--- Oh and remember those awful TAIL FINS on the back of cars???? we had a 59 CHEVY, fire engine red with those crome and red fintails....I think we had the only red car in town and to make matters worse it was a HUGE Station wagon!!!!

Answer 3

I remember when you turned on the key and then pressed a round pedal above the gas pedal to engage the starter. I also remember when windshield wipers were powered by a vacuum pump so that when you accelerated, the wipers stopped. At one time heaters and defrosters were optional! Air conditioning was known as "440" 4 windows down and 40 miles per hour. And that gadget on the floor was used to switch between high an low (headlight) beams.

Answer 4

The floor switch was for hi and low beams. I have a truck that way, still. Some cars had gasoline heaters for heat (Arvin brand), and vacuum operated wipers, which slowed down when you accelerated, and sped up when you slowed down. I think the split windshield was gone in the 50's sometime.

Answer 5

Yes indeed, my late husband used to drive us around in one like that - his pride and joy.

Can't quite remember whether he had to stick his hands out of the window or if it had indicators that flipped out on the side between the doors, may have been a different car.

Answer 6

Yes, I remember when. I also remember the side vent windows in the front. Every smoker kept that window open to pull the smoke out of the car and to tap ashes out of.

Remember running boards?

Answer 7

I remember because I had one. The button on the floor was to turn the bright lights on & off.

Answer 8

That's right. The button on the floor car in just for this job.

Answer 9

Ah, yes, I remember it well. I recall when a driver wanted to put on the bright lights, he hit a button on the floor with his foot. I almost forgot about that. Thanks for a stroll down memory lane.

Answer 10

Yes, I remember the divider. I also remember standing up beside my Mom or Dad while they drove with their shoulder holding me back.