I used hand signals with my old truck till I got the signal lights wired. I even used the brake sign which, if I am correct is with the arm straight down the door with the palm flat facing backwards. One of my neighbors that is about 70 years old was behind me and later mentioned that it brought back memories. He said he had just about forgot about them altogether. Wasn't it one of the old Vdub beetles that actually had a hand of sorts that you could pull a lever to show it if you were turning? Gater
Hand signals I grew up in New Zealand (first drive a Holden) where the hand brake signal was the other way around - hand up palm forward. This kinda made sense as it looked just like we saw in the cowboy movies when the cavalry officer at the head of the line brought them all to a stop by hauling on the reigns with one hand and holding up the other. I think we used to shout whoa (jeez - how do you spell that!) as well for even more effect. Our turn left hand sign (obviously difficult in a right hand drive car) was supposed to be sticking you arm out the window and waving it around in a big circle, but every one just used to point over the roof. Easier and probably safer too. Now it's so much simpler with turn lights, why doesn't everyone use them?
Yeah, our left is just straight left and our right is arm up with hand cupped with fingers all pointing across the roof. I lived in Chicago for a while where there were a lot of four lanes going in the same direction. The first time I had a Chicago native with me and I put on my signal to change lanes he said, "What are you doing? You never let them know where you are going cause they will close the gap and cut you off!" When I first moved back to my small home town I made a lane change without a signal and felt really bad. When in Rome I guess you do as the Romans. Gater
No Excuse It matters not , you have a responsability to always signal your intentions , I grew up Down East and I was often told not to signal as it gives the other drivers notice and they'll cut you off , it makes no matter , you can always cut in behind . I find that courteous driving is infectios so I always yeild and allow others to pull into crowded traffic etc. " Doing the right thing is sort of like pi$$ing your pants whilst wearing a dark suit ~ it gives you a warm feeling but nobody really notices " Carry on men .
Hand Jive For the 8 years I've been teaching, every last class I had learned hand signals for safety! I only have one or two students who know what the heck I'm talking about when I ask about hand signals... No doubt they learned them from their "gramps".
I've noticed a lot of things in my time! Number 1 is that the more expensive the car, the less likely it is that they actually use the turn signal. We're supposed to see that they spent a King's ramsome for their car and are supposed to read their mind that they want the lane you're in! Number 2 is "Houston's Finest"! I wish I had a nickel for every Houston police office who made a lane change in front of me and NEVER even thought to signal! If I did, I'd be retired and living large driving every AD I could find without turn signals, window rolled down and arm out the window! BTW, I wussed out and will install a cheap Taiwanese turn signal on mine, but will still have the window down and use the genuine turn signals on mine!
Infectious courtesy It is true! Well worth the slight wait time...doesn't hurt me one bit. I particularly notice it when I go to bigger cities. Some are more infectious than others...go figure. Bob
Aftermarket Turn Siglan Switches Ken ; If you hunt in the older FLAPS , sooner or later you'll find a Signal-Stat model 900 (or older) add on turn signal switch . I found mine Lord remembers where and took it all apart , carefully scraped all the overspray off with my fingernail then polished up the chome to nearly new , polished up the little plastic indicator lenses with Meguiar's plastic polish , sat down with a test light and battery and figured out what wire is for what then installed it and ran a second wire for the passenger side rear taillight and now I have turn signals and brake lights , all spiffy & bright , cheap too , I think the dirty old switch was $5.00 or less , might have been _free_ as I like trashpiles I occasionally see the original Guide switches (copied in Taiwan now) and have one I rescued but they require seperate , stand alone signal lamps and I like having combined stop/turn lamps . BTW : Signal-Stat still makes a model 960 (I think) switch , it's changed and looks bad on oldies IMO . -Nate
If anyone is lucky enough to find a Signal -Stat I have installation instructions and can provide a copy-- there were 2 different systems and installation is different so instructions will make it much easier (don't ask how I know!). Keep on truckin'.
Signal-stat Anybody remember the old type with the little green light at the end of the lever? I wouldn't mind finding one of those. Bob
Yep, I remember them! Do you remember the ones that were "self cancelling" and had the huge rubber grommet that would make contact with the steering wheel and spin with the steering wheel until it automatically reset itself? Now they were cool
Had one of those on my first car, a '40 Olds' coupe with an inline 8 in it. Man, that whole car was cool. Wish I still had it now. Andy
They repro the one with the little green light at the end....look in most large hot rod parts catalogs, they usually have them.
Green light signal lever I'll have to start looking for the little green light just for nostalgic reasons, but never had any experience with the self canceling ones. Did they work OK? Another item that is a real handy thing to have is the old dash tray that fits up next to the windshield. Bob
Self - Cancelling Turn Signal Switch yeah , they worked O.K. but I found they turned off to soon so I always loosened the clamp and slipped it down 1/4" so the rubber wheel didnt touch the flat underside of the steering wheel that GM (Generous Motors) so thoughtfully provided . All these and MORE turn signal switches are re-popped by our Chinese freinds , go to _any_ hot Rod show and they'll be there for sale and pretty cheap too so no worries of you later decide it looks cheesy or you find a better , original one .
Kens 50, take a look at Bill Hanlon's second picture about 6 messages in. Does that two tone '48 have the twisted right mirror on it? Steve O BTY I love old original shots of these new trucks simply for the fact that the hoods are not alligned any better than mine.
It definitively has a passenger side mirror! One of the first original pictures I've ever seen with a passenger side mirror. Look at the angle of it. It does not appear to go backward toward the grille, but rather angled toward the back. Now guys, don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying that the mirror arm that everyone sells is not original, I'm just saying that I've never seen one on an original truck or in pictures. I've got one and will put it on mine when it gets near completion (which, btw will be soon).
S curve Yes, a unique thing about the S curve is that it is designed to be viewed through the windshield, not the side glass like most other passenger side mirrors. Bob
' Reverse ' Arm Rear View Mirrors Were a fad that never really took off in the 1950's , I have some that were made for VW Beetles and clamped into the rain gutter ~ they're actually very good and safer too as you move your head & eyes _less_ to look into it but it does take some getting used to . Anyone who went to Japan (indeed anywhere in Aisia) after '56 or so , saw all the cars had thier side mirrors mounted way forward on the front fenders so you could see them without turning your head . Great Britan too utilized this idea to good effect , I like it and still have some of these fine old Lucas acessory mirrors from my MG days .
Wing Mirrors Now that brings back memories, I'd forgotten all about those way out in front mirrors. With fenders being called wings here they were of course wing mirrors. They must have started to get replaced with door mirrors in the 70's I guess. One thing for sure, getting the one on the passenger side to line up was a two person job.
