The Dale! I lived near the company "headquarters" back in the day, in Studio City California. I still have a  perfectly preserved promotional poster of that fine vehicle.  ... View more

Thanks for this posting. I have forwarded it to my own children, now in their thirties. It is a stark reminder of just how oppressive communist governments are, and how desperate people were to escape from their grip. We all need  to be reminded of this in today's world. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.  ... View more

Dad was an Oldsmobile factory service representative in the later '50s and onward. He and his fellow reps drove long hours between calls on remote dealers. GM made sure to always equip their company cars with all the bells and whistles- he drove a/c equipped cars as early as 1956. The a/c vents in these cars were hollow cast aluminum  spheres, louvered at the front, open at the back. When swiveled all the way around, the open  end of the vents would hold a can of beer perfectly. These guys would drive all day with a can of beer chilled in the passenger side vent, ready for icy consumption at the end of the day. One of the few perks of working for GM. ... View more

And here I thought that flat spot on the wheel of my '64 Studebaker GT Hawk was a custom feature to provide clearance for the original owner's generous girth.  ... View more

Lest we forget, Oldsmobile (and probably other GM divisions) In the late '60s and '70s, sported an ordinary looking steering wheel with a unique feature: The inner diameter of the wheel has a continuous rubber or vinyl insert that activated the horn when pressed. The driver needed to merely squeeze his fingers tighter around the wheel rim at any point on its circumference to advise a pesky pedestrian to vacate the roadway.  ... View more

For collecting and recycling engine oil I have installed Fumoto valves in place of oil pan drain plugs. These industrial strength valves accept a plastic tube on their outlet end, allowing you to drain oil directly into a milk jug for recycling. They have a very positive locking feature to prevent inadvertent opening of the valve. Our area has curb-side recycling and requires fluids to be in milk jugs. The Fumoto valve eliminates the need for a catch pan, and the associated task of cleaning it.  ... View more

Inspired by this article, I pulled my old stereo out of the cabinet where it had been stored since we moved 3 years ago. Yes, the Bose 301 speakers are kind of clunky by today's standards,  and the Sony 5 CD carousel player is obsolete. The Harmon Kardon Receiver dates to the early '90s. But with the speakers installed high on the wall and the components placed on the food storage shelf nestled next to my hot sauce stash, what's not to like?  ... View more