Do you remember these automotive "gimmicks"???

Klasse Act

Klasse Act

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So I was talking to my fiance yesterday about weird things in the automotive world that never took off, some I can understand for sure, let me share a couple and maybe you guys can bring up some too, enjoy:

Michelin's "Dura Black" tires...said to keep your tires looking newer longer, hmmm, guess that didn't make it because I haven't heard too much about it in quite a while.

BFG and their colored tread patten, aimed at the import scene. Not a horrible idea but when the gangs got ahold of them they'd mark their territory but what about the yellow ones....wait I know, regular people could've bought those and marked their neighborhoods to show they're scrared of the gangs!

Lavender scented tires, forgot the mfg of those but it would throw that scent for about the first 10k, surprised Martha Stewart didn't jump on that, imagine the possbilities, LOL!

Cam2 oil w/graphite....great idea for lubrication but what happens when all that graphite builds up....EXACTLY!!!
 
Popular Mechanics magazines from back in the 60s talked about the flying car being available in about 5-10 years.

Nobody ever figured out how they would be managed. If you think people are nuts with 4 wheels on the ground...imagine those same people ...with flying cars.
 
silverfox said:
Popular Mechanics magazines from back in the 60s talked about the flying car being available in about 5-10 years.

Nobody ever figured out how they would be managed. If you think people are nuts with 4 wheels on the ground...imagine those same people ...with flying cars.
Click to expand...

I heard on the news there's an actual flying car coming out in 2015 and costs about $280k.....God help us all!
 
Klasse Act said:
Cam2 oil w/graphite....great idea for lubrication but what happens when all that graphite builds up....EXACTLY!!!
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You must be too young to remember ArcoGraphite, a great oil, but people didn't like it because it was black on the dipstick so you couldn't tell when your oil was "dirty", and leaks and spills looked really bad, not to mention if you got it on your clothes. It also seemed to eat fuel pump diaphragms, back when there were mechanical fuel pumps...

Great oil though, every car I put it in I had to turn the idle speed down because it decreased the friction in the engine so much the idle RPM's would go up by a couple of hundred (this was back in the day when we had a thing on the engine called a carburetor, that had adjustment screws and what-not).
 
built a show truck in the 90s with bfg scorcher tires. yellow in the treads. matched the interior and pinstriping. cool brother
 
What about that horrible colored window tint? Pink, purple (neon purple not faded tint purple), yellow, red etc.

The "pep boys" double windshield wipers with the "spoilers" or wings on them...

100,000 mile spark plugs were always my favorite! Same with all the multiple electrode plugs that magically made multiple sparks from one... I can't remember the name of those!
 
Setec, I'm 43 but remember my Uncle's Town Car needing a new engine after a couple years of that Cam2 garbage!

Colored window tint, almost got it done to my 78' Caprice back in 88', LOL.

100k plugs....ummm, I think a lot of cars have those from the factory nowadays.

Keep em coming guys, love the double wipers but don't forget about the colored chrome covers that came with them, LOL! I also like wipe new too!!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
This is before my time but glitter product in tire shine, made the tires sparkly until it rained.
 
Michelin still lists Durablack on their site. Could be they use it and just don't promote it anymore, kind of like radial tech, everything is that now so you don't hear them talking about the "X" anymore.

Tire Glossary | Michelin Tires


I just saw some scented tires from a new company somewhere the other day.

Kumho has them as well as colored ones for colorful burnouts.

Kumho obviates need for scented tree air fresheners with new tires

http://www.kumhotire.com/tire/tire_detail.jsp?prdt_id=13
Scented fuel additives are popular among racers or others burning some racing fuels that can be very foul.

DOuble wiper blades

SCRUBBLADE - The Clear Choice in Windshield Wipers
 
How about the little pills you could put in your gas tank to stop burning oil and improve gas mileage by 10-15%
 
JLWinter said:
How about the little pills you could put in your gas tank to stop burning oil and improve gas mileage by 10-15%
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This reminded me of the Tornado that went in your intake tube, creating a vortex of air, LOL!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
Dealer / Pep Boy's installed moon roof

Cadillac 4-6-8 engine

Cadillac diesel

Graphic equalizers

Car bras
 
swanicyouth said:
Dealer / Pep Boy's installed moon roof

Cadillac 4-6-8 engine

Cadillac diesel

Graphic equalizers

Car bras
Click to expand...

Well Swan, since you brought up Cadillac:

-Cimmaron aka "Cavalac"

-1980 Seville....yuuk!

-1976 Seville, built on a Nova chassis and powered by a fuel injected Olds 350, what a ####### child that was!

-any mid to late 80's Seville, especially the 2 doors, horrible looking!!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
Klasse Act said:
1976 Seville, built on a Nova chassis and powered by a fuel injected Olds 350, what a ####### child that was!
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I guess you never saw the Seville project car that C/D did in the late 70's. However, you are correct that hump-trunk version that came later was hideous.
 
2BlackChevys said:
100,000 mile spark plugs were always my favorite! Same with all the multiple electrode plugs that magically made multiple sparks from one... I can't remember the name of those!
Click to expand...

Klasse Act said:
100k plugs....ummm, I think a lot of cars have those from the factory nowadays.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but the 100K plugs have platinum pads on the side electrode. There were a lot of gimmicky plugs. I used to run Bosch Platinum; my car had a 30K plug change interval. I decided since I was using "platinum" plugs, and that some new cars were coming with 100K platinum plugs, that I was safe to run my plugs a little longer, to 45K. I forgot to mention what a great deal those Bosch Platinums were, they were only a buck a plug, when a standard AC or Champ were $1.29. Anyway, I found out why the Bosch were so cheap when I ran them for 45K and half the center electrodes were gone and there were holes worn in the side electrodes...and that's why the 100K plugs cost $5-6-7-8 ea.
 
Klasse Act said:
Well Swan, since you brought up Cadillac:

-Cimmaron aka "Cavalac"

-1980 Seville....yuuk!

-1976 Seville, built on a Nova chassis and powered by a fuel injected Olds 350, what a ####### child that was!

-any mid to late 80's Seville, especially the 2 doors, horrible looking!!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
Click to expand...

I remember one from the 1970s that had powder blue paisley interior.
 
The Cadillac 4-6-8 was ahead of its time and why GM now uses cylinder deactivation in order to offer better MPG's. I rented a Tahoe recently and it had a similar offering on the dash and showed when it was cruising with 4 cylinders and then reactivated with push of gas pedal.
 
Back in the mid 50s, Chrysler Corp introduced the "swing out swivel seats." Didn't stay around long. Same with their "Push Button Drive" automatic transmission.
 
Anyone remember "Cobra Lights"? The lighted windshield washer fluid squirters?

Sent from the mind of a madman.
 
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