What ever happened to the new features of the 90s?

[mik]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

Leaver action shocks rock

yes i can remember those on our Austin A40, quite exciting in the corners .

[The Yeti]

Still running them on the 38

Along with cross plys points and drums

Really let's you know your driven

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

Yes I miss vacuum wipers, crossply tyres, drum brakes, lever action shock absorbers, points and condenser ignition , valve radio, crank handle for starter, seat belts ??....Ahh I think I may have gone too far back ??

I could be wrong but i'm pretty sure them great wall utes have drum brakes??? alot of that stuff i havent seen for a while

[The Yeti]

I think the great wall are drum rears like a lot of commercials

[XR Martin]

All the non-Aussie utes have rear drums, as do alot of small hatchbacks.

[2011G6E]

Cost, and because Joe Average either didn't know, didn't care, or didn't know how to appreciate what was actually a good idea?

I drove a four wheel street Prelude after being wowed by the TV commercial with it driving around on a huge white floor leaving it's tyre tracks, showing clearly what was going on...but I never actually felt like it was doing anything, and I love a car that handles. The enthusiastic salesman was going on about how it helps with lane changing...but I couldn't see how it was any different to the VK Calais we owned at the time. He said it helped with parking, but a Prelude was not a big car...it was pretty easy to park as it was without the extra complexity.

I would also like to know what they would be like over the years with the obviously more expensive repairs and servicing costs the four wheel steer system would have to incur. At least the Prelude was a mechanical system, where as the Mazda one was hydraulic.

The air conditioner one is very interesting...no idea why that was dropped, it doesn't seem like that bad an idea, and with modern electronics it would not be that big a deal.


Our 1984 VK Calais had some nice touches, but the biggest issue was that the air conditioning controls and some other things were all run off vacuum...meaning a part of maintainance in later years was to remove the bits from the dash and cut off the perished ends of the tubes and push them back on again when they stopped working...

[FG50T]

The current BMW 5 and 7 series have 4 wheel steering as an option

[Yellow_Festiva]

Anyone remember that VW transporter ute that had a lowering hydraulic floor? The add mentioned that you could load 2 palets into it with a hand jack, allowing you to not use an electric forklift.

I think it was a 1 hit wonder, hardly see any on the road. Think it was called a Razorback or something.

[Nikked]

Infiniti still use the nissan HICAS 4-wheel steer system

[Brent]

Ah, the benefits of hindsight. I recall most of those gimmicks from the 90s, and yep, most were rubbish. But then I wonder what real benefit we get some current day gems such as auto headlights and auto wipers..........personally, I am reasonably adept at being able to tell when its dark or when its raining. Never really had a problem with that, but I'm evidently gifted though. And the new auto reverse park feature that turns the wheel so that an orangutan can parallel park a car. Good lord. Is this really necessary?

And not to mention that tailgate feature on Audi Q7s which closes the tailgate via a series of electric motors......like closing the tailgate on a 4WD hatch is such a chore. Spare me.

Are we really any better now? Hmmmmmm......

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Anyone remember that VW transporter ute that had a lowering hydraulic floor? The add mentioned that you could load 2 palets into it with a hand jack, allowing you to not use an electric forklift.

I think it was a 1 hit wonder, hardly see any on the road. Think it was called a Razorback or something.

I've seen a couple of those as specialist motorcycle transporters, meaning you don't need to load something expensive like a Harley or European exotics with a wobbly ramp on a ute, not to mention being inside a covered and secure "box".

[XR_Strider_GuY]

My Chevy has a digital speedo, digital fuel level, cornering lamps that turn on at the side you indicted. What else same bilstein electronic suspension as used on the F40. Oh to top off the nineties gadget an Alpine mini disc player, full climate control with outside temp (all climate I believe are nonsense and work no better than manual controls).

Amazingly all of these gizmo's still work and the car is over 20 years old.

[GT0132]

Wipers on the headlights as fitted to the VB SL/E Commodore...what a joke

The moving a/c vents were in my XF Ghia I recall.

[EFFalcon]

Voice Notifications in my 83 Thunderbird

[Vesper Martini]

From wiki
In 1987, Road & Track published a test summary that shows the 1988 Honda Prelude 2.0Si 4WS outperforming every car of that year on the Slalom, including all Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Porsches. It went through the slalom at 65.5 mph (105.4 km/h), an amazing result for the time. For reference, the 1988 Corvette took the same course at 64.9 mph (104.4 km/h).

The Prelude was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1987.

But I agree they felt wierd to drive

[JG34JA]

Just got a shock when my 1990's ED gave a warning light for... washer fluid reservior being low!

Ah, the 1990's

[aualright]

Oscillating air vents may be redundant due to dual climate control, I figure. The Telstars of the 80's went totally digital with the speedo, etc and I thought that would be the norm after that.

Apparently people still prefer analogue when it comes to time, speed, etc. I must say some luxo models with an analogue clock in the centre dash looks classier.

I have an '03 Merc that allows you to display a digital speedo, despite the analogue one that is alongside that. Is more accurate if you are worried being slightly over the speed limit but really only a gimmick.

****

[TC200six]

Originally Posted by aualright

I have an '03 Merc that allows you to display a digital speedo, despite the analogue one that is alongside that. Is more accurate if you are worried being slightly over the speed limit but really only a gimmick.

****

Kind of like the FG Falcon. You can display a digital speedo despite the analogue one right beside it.

[fordOwner]

I often wonder if the mechanical and design engineers get annoyed when Ford advertises its new cars and spend the whole 30 seconds raving on about it's stereo and Bluetooth capabilities.

[Pursya]

I owned a Eunos 800M with 4WS. Magnificent car and the 4WS was fantastic on sweeping bends.
I never felt at all unsettled by it when lane changing or parking. In fact. Always hated jumping in to a car without 4WS as I found that I expected sharper handling than that non 4WS car could deliver.
I would welcome it back.

[Pursya]

Originally Posted by wildrider

I could be wrong but i'm pretty sure them great wall utes have drum brakes??? alot of that stuff i havent seen for a while

Current Ford Fiesta. Drum rears.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Pursya

Current Ford Fiesta. Drum rears.

1088Kg FWD car, 80% of the braking is done in the front wheels, so makes sense to have drums on the rear when they do 2/10th of F all.

[Pursya]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

1088Kg FWD car, 80% of the braking is done in the front wheels, so makes sense to have drums on the rear when they do 2/10th of F all.

Last car was an SRi Barina. Discs all around.
I know what I prefer.

[CMGLX]

Originally Posted by JG34JA

Just got a shock when my 1990's ED gave a warning light for... washer fluid reservior being low!

Ah, the 1990's

Yeah my EL did that too i thought it was great! wish my current ranger had it! saves me dry wiping the screen by accident!

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Pursya

Last car was an SRi Barina. Discs all around.
I know what I prefer.

Isn't that the sporty version? If it was like the older Opel Barina the GSi had 80kw with discs compared to the next model down with a whole 44kw with drums.

You would expect better brakes for a more sporty car.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Isn't that the sporty version? If it was like the older Opel Barina the GSi had 80kw with discs compared to the next model down with a whole 44kw with drums.

You would expect better brakes for a more sporty car.

Even then the WS Fiesta has 88Kw and it brakes better than my TDCI Focus with its all discs. Weight I guess.

[AC/DC]

SUBARU VORTEX ! Need I say anymore !

[Pursya]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Isn't that the sporty version? If it was like the older Opel Barina the GSi had 80kw with discs compared to the next model down with a whole 44kw with drums.

You would expect better brakes for a more sporty car.

Yes, the best Barina ever.
It was way more sportier than the Zetec Fiesta, but also a much harsher ride.
Short shift gears, 1.8ltr, 92kw/159nm. Even V8's struggled against it off the lights. (They soon caught up, but my god they were ****ed off!)
I'm still not "up to speed" overtaking on the open road in the Fiesta, so used to the push in the seat that the Barina delivered between 80-120 kmh. The Fiesta is loosening up and getting better, but my confidence still isn't there yet.

[fordlova8]

isuzu piazza, now that was ahead of its time.

[XL Falcon]

I had an XF Spack with digi dash it was great. I always use the digital speedo on the FG never look at the dials.