Not so long ago, using a car required a little know-how, to start in cold weather, or simply to drive without breaking down. Starter, carburettor, lubricator… So many elements which should have been part of your vocabulary and which have disappeared. Here is a small anthology of those things with which we had to deal and which belong to the past!
The choke
When cold, gasoline tends to be attracted by the walls of the cylinder, to the detriment of the ignition zone, where the spark plug is located. So, to be sure that there is enough fuel near the electrode, we increase its quantity, or rather, we reduce the quantity of air. This is the role of the choke, a component that is activated by means of a pull tab to choke the engine (that’s why in English, the choke is called “choke” which means “choke”).
Sometimes we insisted too much on starting and we drowned the engine (too much gasoline, not enough air, so ignition impossible), or we forgot to push back the starter lever, with the key, an exponential increase in consumption. Some devices were automatic, but they always ended up malfunctioning (especially at VW…).
Rust
Ok, it always ends up reappearing. But late, very late, which allows our cars to last much longer than before (the average age of the fleet is 11 years, and it is at 19 years on average that the cars leave for scrapping). Until the 90s, and especially the 70s, some models were capable of rotting, and therefore of ending up in the shredder, after a few short years. The sheet steel, which was too thin and badly treated against oxidation, tended to disintegrate, sometimes even before the car was delivered. We saw it at Renault, or even Alfa Romeo. It was biodegradable before its time! To counteract the phenomenon, some informed owners had them treated with Dinitrol. Since the beginning of the 3 millennium, the sheets are treated against corrosion from the foundry.
greasing
At present, everything is more or less greased for life, except the engine. But, until the 1980s, it was necessary to play the cruet to preserve the longevity of many organs of a car: wheel bearings, hinges, suspension joints, locks, distributor, and even chassis. Some models were even equipped with a pedal in the cockpit to simplify the lubrication operation. Something to keep in mind when buying an old one, to avoid premature breakage of parts. A Mini, for example, has grease fittings.
Carburetors
The carburettor is the part responsible for producing the air-petrol emulsion according to a predetermined dosage. This emulsion then entered the cylinders, the spark plug ignited it and the engine started. Only, the carburettor has a nasty habit of getting out of order. And there, be careful: if it no longer sends enough petrol (too lean mixture), this leads to overheating on the piston head which can in the long run be pierced. In the event of excess gasoline, in addition to excessive consumption, the engine oil is corrupted (the segments are never completely sealed), and after a certain time, a connecting rod sinks!
In addition, the carbs sometimes require repair before 100,000 km. And when there are two, they have to be synchronized: specialist work. Since 1993, all new cars have had to be fitted with a catalyst which, in order to function properly, needs a constant air-gasoline mixture. Impossible, or almost, with a carburettor. As a result, electronic injection, with much more constant operation, replaced it (and led to the disappearance of the choke). Cars are therefore easier to use.
R2 bulbs
For a long time, the main projectors were satisfied with simple double filament bulbs, the R2, often called “European codes”. Which didn’t shed much light! At night, you had to be extra careful, or equip yourself with additional lights, which were found in large quantities after-sales. Subsequently, halogen or iodine bulbs (H1, H4, H7 for the most common) appeared, which significantly improved the situation. Only, the R2s prevailed until the 90s. Kits existed to adapt the tanks of the headlights to the iodine bulbs, even if it was not completely legal to use them on the public highway…
Engine settings
In the era of carburettors, cars were often equipped with point ignition. And it required regular maintenance. Every 10,000 km, sometimes less, their spacing had to be adjusted, sometimes changed, with the capacitor. Then, the igniter head was turned along with a timing light to get the perfect fit. The transistorized ignition eliminated the breakers and the coals, then the integral electronic ignition (appeared on the Citroën LNA in 1978 in Europe) eliminated these tedious operations, which sometimes had to be combined with carburettor adjustment. A car could stall while driving due to bad adjustments!
Three lane roads
That was downright dangerous. Rather than 4-lanes, we have long built 3-lanes, which are less expensive. The central strip was used for overtaking. Only, it was very often usable from whatever direction you came from, without alternation. So that at the top of a hill, two cars could find themselves face to face in the process of overtaking. Frontal impact guaranteed! Very accident-prone, these roads have either disappeared or benefited from a development preventing two vehicles following opposite trajectories from overtaking at the same time.
Tube tires
In the 70s, even on high-end cars, tubeless tires were extra. As standard, there were chambered rubbers, like on bicycles. Only they were extremely sensitive to air pressure. If it was too low, the tube would start rubbing against the inside of the tire, then overheat and burst, causing the rubber to deflate almost instantaneously. Dangerous ! Today, all new cars are fitted with tubeless tires which are much safer, as they are much less sensitive to lack of pressure.
Tempered windshields
Until the early 1980s, windscreen glass could only be tempered. That is to say that at the first impact with a bit of coarse gravel, it shattered. Not very safe when driving at 90 km/h! It was then necessary to stop, remove the broken glass without cutting oneself, and set off again, without any protection against the wind or various projections. Dangerous ! Obviously, in the event of an accident, we let you imagine what happened. In 1981, laminated glass was made mandatory, to the benefit of safety.
Leatherette seats
Not so long ago, you had to choose the upholstery for your car with caution. The textile coverings were indeed fragile, and the leather very expensive. Between the two, there was leatherette, a synthetic material resembling skin and much more resistant than fabric or velvet. Only, in the sun, he had a mania for storing up heat, thus grilling the thighs of anyone who sat on them without precaution, after the car had been left in the sun for a day. Worse than leather, that is to say!
History being an eternal restart, leatherette is still on the move: we are now seeing the flowering of synthetic leathers (or “vegan leather”, depending on the brand), which are fortunately much more pleasant to use.