What Antiquated Automotive Tech Should Come Back?

"J. Drew Silvers" (drewcoustic) 09/23/2014 at 09:30 • Filed to: Opposite Blog, OppoBlog, Classic Cars, Car Tech

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When my Mercury Comet was delivered to the original owner back in the summer of 1962, what he received was the most bare-bones model available at the time.

Asthmatic inline six engine? Check.

Thirteen inch wheels? Check.

Three speed on the column? Check.

Air Conditioning? Nope.

Bucket seats? Nope.

Seatbelts? Nope.

Exterior mirrors? Nope.

My favorite aspect from the real bare bones era has to be this:

A full bench seat.

Zac Estrada wrote an article two years ago about the demise of the bench seat in passenger cars via the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

My Mustang rides on the same platform as my Comet, but it was optioned with bucket seats:

This is great and fitting for a sporty, pony car, but for something more practical, I have really been sold by the idea of a solid bench across the transmission tunnel.

Since every car currently comes with bucket seats, you'll notice they also have permanent center consoles full of little compartments to hold all of your iCrap. Now, I do own some iCrap myself, and since there is a seat where the console would be, I picked up one of these:

When I park the Comet somewhere shady and don't want any of my stuff to be stolen, I simply pick up my console and lock it in the trunk. You can't do that with a built-in console, so if someone wants to see what you have in there, they'll break a window and steal your iCrap (or your lipstick, snot rags, parking tickets, whatever). If someone wants inside my car, they can just open the door anyway because I don't lock any of them and leave the windows down unless it's raining or cold no matter where I am. What car thief would know how to drive a three on the tree these days, right?

Seat cover? I don't have to spend $300 on a set of custom bucket seat covers or buy the cheap set from AutoZone that are "universal" and never fit.

Tuck in a $15 Mexican blanket and call it good:

The best part though, isn't known by many in my generation, but it really should be.

It's called the S.O.B. or the "Slide Over, Baby". Try that with a console in the way...

So, being a minimalist type of guy, the bench seat works out perfectly for me and I wish more people would appreciate them.

What piece of old automotive tech/design would you like to see make a comeback?

-Drew

http://www.jdrewsilvers.com

*Shout out to Renee and Jason for snuggling up in my car so I could take that last picture.

Brian Silvestro > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:33

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Manual transmission.

505Turbeaux > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:36

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vent aka smokers windows. The best thing that never is anymore

Sweet Trav > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:37

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http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/top-ten-best-o…

spanfucker retire bitch > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:40

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I'm glad they've died out for the most part. I even like the vehicles that have rear bucket seats ala the Volt. Classy as fuck in my opinion.

As far as antiquated tech that I'd like to see...hmmm. I don't know if I'd call it tech, so much as it's a design choice, but I'm really sick of seeing such ridiculously large wheels combined with thin tire walls. We don't all drive on smooth track surfaces. In the real world (especially up north) we have to deal with crappy pavement and a shit-ton of pot holes.

Sure, 18" wheels look great even on compact cars, but the sacrifice in ride quality just isn't worth it.

CalzoneGolem > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:44

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My wife wants me to buy a truck because of bench seats.

J. Drew Silvers > spanfucker retire bitch 09/23/2014 at 09:46

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I still have the stock, 13" steelies and it had current-day low profile rubber on those wheels when I bought it. I'm wearing that out before I buy some with thicker meat as it came with stock, but they're really expensive. Kinda sucks.

ly2v8-Brian > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:47

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One of the best parts of bench seats, to me, is they make the interior feel larger, more open. At least full size trucks still have them.

Alfalfa > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:49

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Bucket seats have all got to go.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:52

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Straight 6 engines...they are naturally balanced (no flywheel counter weight jiu-jitsu)...better for producing torque which is usually more useful than HP...and with engine downsizing all the rage I'd love to see these start replacing V8s as the primier engine option. there's a reason BMW still uses them...yes they are longer but they are also narrower...why they don't just run it under the dash a bit (not like anyone would even noticed center consoles are huge these days and you can barely see an engine in anything you pop the hood on anyways)

crowmolly > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:54

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Bench seats: good for fooling around, bad for hooning around.

What do I miss?

Repairable bumpers.

I would LOVE IT if there was a way to disconnect a damaged/scratched bumper and get it repaired without having to send the entire car to the paint shop to get it matched and fitted.

J. Drew Silvers > 505Turbeaux 09/23/2014 at 09:56

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That was almost my main topic. People have no idea what they're missing with these.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 09:57

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This is a point on which the Comet didn't down-option quite as low as the Falcon. The lowest, most miserly-optioned Falcon had - *gasp* - a horn BUTTON and not a ring.

J. Drew Silvers > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 09/23/2014 at 09:59

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Ha! I was wondering how it could go lower.

quarterlifecrisis > 505Turbeaux 09/23/2014 at 10:02

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This. All of this. Vent windows and floor vents make driving things with vinyl seats and no A/C enjoyable.

505Turbeaux > quarterlifecrisis 09/23/2014 at 10:05

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100%. Seriously miss these

boobytrapsandtreasure > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 10:08

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Bench seats = Increased birth rates.

cnessel27 > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 11:02

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Foot operated high beam switch. No practical reason just cuz.

cnessel27 > 505Turbeaux 09/23/2014 at 11:04

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Part of the reason I recently bought a Bronco. Can't wait to drive it around in this lovely fall weather.

J. Drew Silvers > cnessel27 09/23/2014 at 11:13

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Both of my cars have that and I love it. Even though I rarely use the hi-beams.

quarterlifecrisis > 505Turbeaux 09/23/2014 at 11:20

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I put 200 miles on the Super Bee one day when it had to have been every bit of 95 out, with some of the real nice Midwestern humidity...didn't bother me at all.

Except when the car ran out of gas.

505Turbeaux > quarterlifecrisis 09/23/2014 at 11:21

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lol then you dont have the moving air to keep you cool! damn

nermal > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 11:29

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I'm gonna go with smaller wheels. It seems like everything is on at least 18s, which makes for poor ride and increased risk of pothole damage. Plus tires are much more expensive.

zadtheinhaler > 505Turbeaux 09/23/2014 at 13:10

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Dude. I miss the quarter windows in the Suburban I had. Keeps the heat in during winter, still allows me to tip the ashes from my smoke, and my hair isn't all over the damn place.

These really do need to come back.

Captain of the Enterprise > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 13:16

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My vic has a bench seat in the front and its a 2005.

J. Drew Silvers > crowmolly 09/23/2014 at 16:11

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True. If you get a ding on a chrome bumper, you can just yank it off and beat the shit out of it until it levels again.

crowmolly > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 16:29

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If it's bad you can just replace the entire bumper. And that might be something you can do at home vs. at a body shop.

ranwhenparked > J. Drew Silvers 09/23/2014 at 19:52

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Bench seats, absolutely. Consoles are just a waste of space in anything with an automatic.

Also, straight sixes. I think there's been more lgreat/famous I6s than any other engine configuration, even V8s.

J. Drew Silvers > ranwhenparked 09/23/2014 at 20:49

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They seems to be the most reliable as well. At least from what I have noticed.

Dake > J. Drew Silvers 06/06/2015 at 16:09

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I love that the early “bucket seats” were mostly just a bench cut into thirds. You’ll still slide right off the edge while cornering, but I guess the transmission tunnel keeps you from going all the way to the other side.

MRF95 > J. Drew Silvers 06/07/2015 at 13:32

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Mid-70’s Ford power mini-vents