Hell ymeski, mine doesn't ping at 15 1/2*......

 

Could you elaborate on this?

 

Once upon a time you could make these adjustments right from the driver's seat on a Ford.

 

Thats all good except the Blowmasters. LOL.. Just giving you crap.

 

Thats just crazy. I can't believe they had it that way back then.

 

That was the only way you could make adjustments to the spark those days. Centrifugal and vacuum advance mechanisms in the distributor weren't invented then.
BTW, the early Model T's didn't even have a gas pedal. That's what the throttle lever was for.

 

My negihbor actually has an old 30' Ford model A pickup with the hand throttle and spark advance on the column. It does however have a gas pedal (so to speak because it's a rod protruding through the floor) but the hand throttle works good too. You just have to be careful when you hit the gas that you don't accidentially engage the starter because it has mechanical linkage right around the same area because they didn't have solenoids yet. LOL! Just a big rod running to the started to engage the connection. That thing is a blast to drive though and you get all sorts of people staring at you.

 

Sorry if I've taken this thread off the topic slightly...
Most cars up until 1950 did not start straight from the the ignition key. You additionally either had a starter button on the floor or dash.

Interesting fact, recently the push button start feature has been reintroduced on some cars.

 

Being a chronic looser of key's, I miss seeing them in the ignition!

 

I blame it on windows 95, it restarted the start button craze. Now it's cool to have a start button. I think my sister has one of those on her saab. I guess I'll check next to I get out to CA.

 

The whole start button thing is stupid. Is turning a key really that difficult? No. My big rig has a "Key on, push button start" and I hate it. The only advantage to it is being able to remove the key from the ignition to be able to lock the doors and leave the truck running while making a pit stop. But I don't take that chance w/ my rig as it's a company vehicle- unless I'm at a terminal, if I leave the truck, the key goes with me and the engine is off.

There was one night I had to drive a different truck to be swapped out at our corporate terminal, and the way to start this thing was to hold the key in the on position, and then flip the diagnostics switch!

There's nothing wrong with a key. If you can't keep track of your keys then you're too absent minded to be driving anyway!

 

I don't think they do the push button start thing because it is easier,but more pf a coolness thing these days.

 

I dunno... I'm of the opinion that a lot of the safety features and luxuries of some of today's vehicles are just more excuses for people to be lazy drivers.

Take some of the crash avoidance features that [I think] Lexus is adding to their cars. If the car is doing the work of avoiding a crash that can give the driver the impression that they can screw around because they don't have to worry about it.

I drive my big rig every night from about 9 PM to around 6 AM, and I see some incredibly stupid drivers. People that are texting/screwing with their phones, speeding excessively, tailgating at 75 MPH. On one occasion I saw some ******* with his laptop IN HIS LAP while driving. One 2, that's TWO different occasions I've seen people READING BOOKS while they're driving.

I will be the first to admit my driving isn't perfect, but I at least try to keep the distractions to a minimum. If I get a text then I call the person back, even if it's just a simple yes or no answer.

It's my feeling that as these technologies progress, many people will be continuing to decline as drivers.

I guess this was kind of a tangent for the topic- that happens to me sometimes.

 

Well as long as we're already there. The latest option that's over the top for me is your vehicle alerts you by phone regarding your vehicles vital signs. Overheating, low oil, ect...

 

I do not like the push button start on the newer cars at all. I think its stupid. I also think that if its all electronic, can't someone just transmit the code to it and get in and push the button and off they go?