Cartman
Producer
Posts: 4,026
Online Status:
|
Post by Cartman on Oct 13, 2021 7:15:20 GMT
Looking through the old, 1978/9, car mags I've collected from ebay, I'm reminded of stuff you used to get which I haven't seen for years.
A few I remember using were
Decosol, upholstery cleaner, it was orange jelly type stuff in a glass bottle, it was very good, and also smelt nice too. Jenolite, a rust converter, rust went a blue/black colour Another anti rust stuff, rust eater. That was a kind of pink gel Mastermist, stuff that you applied to the inside of the Windows and it supposedly stopped condensation Waxoyl, think this is still going, it was a kind of waxy stuff which was a rust preventative
Probably more
|
|
Del Boy
Moderator
Posts: 9,904
Online Status:
|
Post by Del Boy on Oct 13, 2021 9:50:05 GMT
Jenolite is still going Carty, although it's owned by a bigger concern as a brand rather than the original company. I'll add windscreen wiper deflectors. Very Mk2 Escort rally style
|
|
|
Post by Sam Tyler on Oct 13, 2021 12:37:29 GMT
A few I remember but never bought: - Anti-static straps from the underside of the car down onto the road.
- Paddy Hopkirk universal fit plastic parts like spoilers
- Leaf spring jack-up kits
- CB radio and whip antennae
- Stick-on rear screen heater
- Stubby rubber aerials
- Nodding dog/tortoise
- Beaded seat covers
I think Del's Capri Ghia had most of those didn't it?
Sam.
|
|
Nightfly
Screenwriter
Posts: 908
Online Status:
|
Post by Nightfly on Oct 13, 2021 13:08:32 GMT
A few I remember but never bought: - Stick-on rear screen heater
- Beaded seat covers
Ahem... (coughs embarrassingly) - I might have bought those for my first car back in the 80s. I managed to make a real hash of sticking the screen heater to the rear window, but surprisingly it still worked. Also a Motorworld fit-it-yourself centre console for my MKII Escort as the shelves on my model wouldn't hold much and seemed to be made of reinforced cardboard. Faux leather steering wheel cover and 8-track player, anyone ?
|
|
Palmer
Cameraman
Posts: 396
Online Status:
|
Post by Palmer on Oct 13, 2021 13:29:48 GMT
What a ruddy great topic!!
Where to start...?!
I think that cars are so well specified now that there is no need for any accessories at all!!
Can you buy a new car today that doesn't have a passenger door mirror, sunvisors or a heated rear windscreen...??!! I very much doubt it...
Look at a basic specification Ford Cortina (newly launched Mk3 if you don't mind?!?!) from 1971 compared to a basic specification Ford Mondeo from 2021... Mind boggling!!!
I just wish you could still buy those glorious Feu Orange air fresheners (manufactured by Polco no less!!) without having to resort to eBay!! Have you seen the prices of those?! Crikey...
|
|
|
Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Oct 13, 2021 16:32:21 GMT
Aftermarket gear lever knobs
Headrests that sat on the top of the backrest, and could be adjustable.
Charcoal grey spoked style wheeltrims which were lookalike of alloy wheels, (Think Brown and Geeson made them)
Parking light conversions kit for the middle section of the edge of offside of the cars roof, just above the doors. (Safety feature when the car was parked).
Webasto slide back sunroofs.
Glass pop top/tiltable sunroofs
Bullet shaped door or wing mirrors
Chrome Side exhaust pipes
Windscreen top sundymmers - often with some lettering/slogan advertising a Rally team, or sponsorship that the race/rally cars used or the names of the owner and his girlfriend (!) or often seen in my area - Capital Radio 194......
|
|
Cartman
Producer
Posts: 4,026
Online Status:
|
Post by Cartman on Oct 13, 2021 18:41:54 GMT
A couple of other things, not really car related, but used to be advertised in car mags were power drill based.
The first one was a thing called a drill pump. It was an impeller, which had two attachments for hose pipes, one at each side, and the impeller was fitted to a power drill. Quite what this was supposed to do I'm not sure as the water would be under pressure from the tap anyway.
The other was the Roto Stripper, which was another power drill attachment with metal fingers radiating outwards like spikes. This was apparently for removing rust and scale, but it looked like something which could do quite a bit of damage
|
|
Nightfly
Screenwriter
Posts: 908
Online Status:
|
Post by Nightfly on Oct 13, 2021 19:15:48 GMT
I just wish you could still buy those glorious Feu Orange air fresheners (manufactured by Polco no less!!) without having to resort to eBay!! Have you seen the prices of those?! Crikey... Wow ! You weren't kidding Palmer - a few hundred quid plus for something that doesn't work as an air freshener anymore. I did a quick search and there's even groups dedicated to Feu Orange collectors ! Had to laugh at one post I saw when a guy posted a photo of those pine tree hanging air fresheners and got a roasting for going off topic. Anyone use Krooklocks anymore ? I had one of those heavy bar lock things up until a few years ago just as an extra deterrent to the demobiliser. I had a whole collection of rubbish years back picked up from the Halfords and Motorworlds. I would go in for oil or some antifreeze and come out with stick on digital clocks, cheap plastic holders that would clip into the air vents that were pretty useless and one of the little floating compasses the you can attach below the mirror !
|
|
|
Post by John Steed on Oct 13, 2021 19:54:32 GMT
I remember seeing those full width rear window stickers with manufacturer or model names, usually in red I think. Also a lot of the Fords eg Mk4/5 Cortinas, Mk3 Capri's etc had dark headlight covers which were advertised as only suitable for daytime use
Steed
|
|
Cartman
Producer
Posts: 4,026
Online Status:
|
Post by Cartman on Oct 13, 2021 21:17:19 GMT
Those stick on plastic sheet on the rear window, which was supposed to act as double glazing and stop at least part of the window steaming up. I think they were a 60s thing, Dad had one on his first car, a 1963 Morris 1100. They weren't very effective and tended to come unstuck. The stick on heated rear window elements replaced them.
My A40 had one of the DIY heated rear windows when I got it in 79, but it came unstuck and the silver paper type stuff they were made of split so it stopped working. I didn't bother to fix it and took it off.
|
|