bl1300
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,678
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Sept 12, 2013 9:40:54 GMT
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When I think about the number of different makes and model of cars on this forum I just thought it would be interesting to see how many different bits of cool unusual or just weird bits of design that the manufacturers have put into their cars over the years. For instance my Triumph 1300 had fold away window winders a design feature ive never seen on another car since. To be honest I know why they might have looked cool but they were a right pain in the bum to operate.  Not the best picture I apologise but it does show the window winder. I remember hearing about a car that has removable panels in the floor pans for ice fishing but can't remember what it was called. The dashboard of the Citroen CX with its rolling dials is pretty cool.  On the Mercedes 508d Dad used to own the horn was a button on the floor set behind your foot and controlled with your heal. The citroen SM didn't have a brake pedal instead it had a foot operated button.  |
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Current fleet.
1967 DAF 44
1974 VW Beetle 1303s
1975 Triumph Spitfire MkIV
1988 VW LT45 Beavertail
1998 Volvo V70 2.5
1959 Fordson Dexta
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Sept 12, 2013 9:46:57 GMT
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The handbrake in my dad's DS operates off a fourth pedal. Not great for hillstarts.
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8tee8
Part of things
Posts: 288
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Sept 12, 2013 10:20:58 GMT
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The car with a fishing hatch was the Zaphrozets (sp?)
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cianha
Part of things
aka VDubbin
Posts: 923
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Sept 12, 2013 10:22:49 GMT
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Strip Speedo in the Rover P6, though probably not unique to the model, is something I've never seen elsewhere.
The security pad in the otherwise spartan Peugeot 106 Rallye.
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Sept 12, 2013 10:35:39 GMT
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Citroen Synergie, Fiat Ulysse, Peugeot 806, as well as early Dispatch, Expert and Scudo vans, have a handbrake that if you pull put the button when engaged it allows the whole lever to lower to the floor but handbrake still on. Its to allows front seat to swivel in MPV versions that got carried over to other models.
I used to drive a LHD diesel Merc in Belgium that has foot operated handbrake. Was PIA in traffic as you had to use your clutch leg to operate so neutral had to be selected before handbrake could be engaged.
My Mahindra MM540 has a handbrake under the dash and impossible to reach from drivers eat when belted up !
Paul H
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Sept 12, 2013 10:50:44 GMT
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I love the 'airflow' vents on the rear edge of the roof of my Toledo...  I believe other Triumph saloons had these also...?! Quirky design should always (well almost always) be applauded... |
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***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
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kens
Part of things
Posts: 90
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Sept 12, 2013 11:24:42 GMT
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I believe other Triumph saloons had these also...?! Quirky design should always (well almost always) be applauded... That panel rusts like curse word on the Michelotti (sp?) design cars! |
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'85 900i 4dr
'88 900 Turbo8 3dr
'72 99 cm4
'83 99 gl 2dr
'93 900 lpturbo 5dr
so many doors
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morrisoxide
Part of things
It's just a question of style
Posts: 444
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Sept 12, 2013 11:30:30 GMT
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On my Oxford estate the front seat moves forward, and the back seat folds out to make a pillow for sleeping in the back. Which would work but I can't move the front seat  |
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Sept 12, 2013 15:24:06 GMT
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The Jag XJS had a similar funky handbrake to the Citroen, Fiat, and pug mentioned by composimmonite
Located between the drivers seat and the door, you'd pull it up to engage, but then it dropped back to the floor (still engaged mind you) so you could climb in/out of the car.
Simply lift it back up to the point of engagement, then release as normal
Very simple, but looked lovely, and just made the car "feel" better
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You're like a crazy backyard genius! |
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Quirk of design.accord83
@accord83
Club Retro Rides Member 51
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Sept 12, 2013 16:21:58 GMT
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The PB Cresta/Velox had a strip speedo which was green to 30, then orange to 60, then red from there onwards. Never seen another like it.
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74 Mk1 Escort 1360, 1971 Vauxhall Victor SL2000 Estate.
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OVY871
Part of things
Owner of Austin A35 Saloon
Posts: 321
Club RR Member Number: 66
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Quirk of design.OVY871
@ovy871
Club Retro Rides Member 66
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Sept 12, 2013 18:06:22 GMT
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you'd pull it up to engage, but then it dropped back to the floor (still engaged mind you) so you could climb in/out of the car. Wish my handbrake like that, on an Austin A35 it's in the same place but works as a normal handbrake that stays up. I always somehow manage to clip it with my foot and knock it off as I'm getting out the car. |
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Sept 12, 2013 19:13:49 GMT
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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EmDee
Club Retro Rides Member
Committer of Autrocities.
Posts: 5,922
Club RR Member Number: 108
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Quirk of design.EmDee
@emdee
Club Retro Rides Member 108
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Sept 12, 2013 21:26:03 GMT
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My old motor had a DASHMONKEY innit  |
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Sept 12, 2013 22:24:12 GMT
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Maxis had a bench seat back which could fold either way.* A quirk made possible by lack of coil springs.  Our Cube has a foot operated hand brake. Makes sense with an automatic, particularly when you have a bench seat in the front. The shifter is on the tree with a button for overdrive. It does also have a lever between the seat and the door, but it's just for ratcheting the driver's portion of the seat base up or down. I can't remember what car it was, but Japanese possibly early eighties and quite posh had a digital drum clock mounted centrally in a recess under the windscreen. I only mention it as I thought it was well cool at and I would quite like to get my hands on one of the clocks now. Anyone know what car it might have been? Like this: -  * Many years ago when I was small and rear seatbelts were yet to become socially accepted, I found myself rudely deposited in the boot of Maxi I was riding in after it was shunted by a Transit. The flimsy seat back locks either side had sheared in the impact. |
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Last Edit: Sept 12, 2013 22:40:19 GMT by Clamity
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Sept 13, 2013 4:53:06 GMT
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On my Cadillac, the high/dip beam switch is a foot operated button. Not something we're sued to over here but common enough in US cars. No idea why, it's not at all convenient.
Skoda Felicia Fun, the whole rear bulkhead lifts and extends into the pickup bed, and two dixie seats fold out so you can carry four.
Skoda Estelle, a quirk of re-design: the lever for the (rear) bonnet was inside the drivers door shut on the LHD coupes, but by the time they were producing RHD saloons and hadn't altered the design, the lever ended up inside the passenger rear door. Inconvenient much?
Also if you slide the seats forward and remove the headrests the seats fold flat and make a rudimentary bed.
It usually doesn't work any more but if you lift and hold up the locked door handle on a BMW E32 or E34, it sets off a handle warmer to thaw ice so you can get into your car in winter.
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Sept 13, 2013 5:03:30 GMT
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Maxis had a bench seat back which could fold either way.* A quirk made possible by lack of coil springs. Our Cube has a foot operated hand brake. Makes sense with an automatic, particularly when you have a bench seat in the front. The shifter is on the tree with a button for overdrive. It does also have a lever between the seat and the door, but it's just for ratcheting the driver's portion of the seat base up or down. I can't remember what car it was, but Japanese possibly early eighties and quite posh had a digital drum clock mounted centrally in a recess under the windscreen. I only mention it as I thought it was well cool at and I would quite like to get my hands on one of the clocks now. Anyone know what car it might have been? Like this: -  * Many years ago when I was small and rear seatbelts were yet to become socially accepted, I found myself rudely deposited in the boot of Maxi I was riding in after it was shunted by a Transit. The flimsy seat back locks either side had sheared in the impact. Think it was the mk1 prelude with that clock. |
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Toyota mk3 supra. retro goodness.
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kens
Part of things
Posts: 90
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Sept 13, 2013 9:35:32 GMT
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Saab 99 (and 900) Ignition key fits in centre so that your knee doesn't smash into the key in a crash and which locks the gearbox into reverse which would make stealing it fun:  Clamshell bonnet which slides into bolt holes underneath the A pillar so that in a crash it bends in two rather than hitting the windscreen:  it also folds right over the front and looks damn cool when it's up:  |
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Last Edit: Sept 13, 2013 9:38:46 GMT by kens
'85 900i 4dr
'88 900 Turbo8 3dr
'72 99 cm4
'83 99 gl 2dr
'93 900 lpturbo 5dr
so many doors
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Sept 13, 2013 11:01:18 GMT
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On my Cadillac, the high/dip beam switch is a foot operated button. Not something we're sued to over here but common enough in US cars. No idea why, it's not at all convenient. Foot operated dip switches were common on UK cars at one time. Not too bad once you get used to them. Early MKIII Cortina had a foot operated windscreen washer together with single wipe switch. Humber Hawk, Imperial & Super Snipe had petrol filler hidden under the rear refector. My 1976 Saab 95 estate had seatbelts without a clip to insert into a buckle. Instead there was a little lever that you simply hooked the webbing through and then locked the lever closed. Also the Saab had a freewheel gearbox (little lever deep in middle of bulkhead / footwell) that enabled downchanges at any speed without the clutch. When freewheel operating there was no engine braking. Legacy of the two stroke because if you tried to use the engine for braking on a long downhill it'd seized due to no lubrication as it was a petrol oil mix. Paul H |
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Smiler
Posted a lot
I no longer own anything FWD! Or with less than 6 cylinders, or 2.5ltrs! :)
Posts: 2,492
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Sept 13, 2013 11:08:11 GMT
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My parents old Volvo (DAF) 66 had it's petrol filler centre rear hidden behind the spring loaded bottom pivoted rear number plate. Great for busy periods at the petrol station. My Scimitar has it proudly on show and the old jags had one each side (along with a fuel tank each side and a change over cock in the centre concole!).
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www.Auto-tat.co.uk'96 Range Rover P38 DSE (daily driver) '71 Reliant Scimitar SE5 GTE 3.0ltr Jag V6 Conversion '79 Reliant Scimitar SE6A 3.0ltr 24valve Omega Conversion '85 Escort Cabrio 2.0 Zetec - Sold '91 BMW 525i - Sold '82 Cortina 2.9i Ghia Cosworth - Sold '72 VW Campervan - Sold '65 LandRover 88" - Sold
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bl1300
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,678
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Sept 13, 2013 11:40:50 GMT
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My parents old Volvo (DAF) 66 had it's petrol filler centre rear hidden behind the spring loaded bottom pivoted rear number plate. Great for busy periods at the petrol station. My Scimitar has it proudly on show and the old jags had one each side (along with a fuel tank each side and a change over cock in the centre concole!). All B body DAFs are the same unfortunatly they do cause problems as the plastic hinges are getting fragile and breaking in their old age leaving you with a rear number plate that keeps falling off Another quirk with all DAF cars is that neutral is for servicing only and if the car is started in neutral neither forwards or reverse can be selected until you switch and let the clutch drum stop spinning. The variomatic also causes engines revs to rise when the brake pedal is pressed. |
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Last Edit: Sept 13, 2013 11:44:05 GMT by bl1300
Current fleet.
1967 DAF 44
1974 VW Beetle 1303s
1975 Triumph Spitfire MkIV
1988 VW LT45 Beavertail
1998 Volvo V70 2.5
1959 Fordson Dexta
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