Though I think it looks rich and beautiful, all the chrome trim in my interior is also a hand-burning hotplate when it's been in the sun.

Seatbelt parts are the worst, though the ignition's "wings" do a great cooking job, too. All the chrome trim just outside the lower edge of the window openings will keep your arm from touching the armrest, which itself has burning chrome bezels.

Oh, and right outside the lower edge of the windshield is a chrome strip at the "back" of the hood that reflects light like crazy, as do those flat half-inch-wide chrome strips that burn your arm outside the windows.

I don't think it's endemic to the last of the REAL Custom Cruisers, but as I sit here typing with my first-degree-burned fingers, I figured I'd start a thread about what now qualifies as "dangerous" yet was par for the course "back then."

I'm just glad she doesn't have vinyl seats. I like the skin on the back of my legs and want to keep it, so I've instinctually stayed away from cars so equipped. Boy, I had this Camaro once with a BLACK vinyl interior. Oh, the pain...

 

I drove my 65 to a cruise-in today, and as the sun reflected off of the hood ornament and windshield wipers blinding me instantly I was saying to myself man this is great....I love this car!!!!!

 

Well it's a mixed feeling. I like the styling of the older cars (most of em anyway), but I like the safety features, performance and creature comforts of the newer cars better. I find new technology relies more on computerization than mechanical parts. Also the fit and finish of newer cars/components seems to be way better than any of the older cars ever was (unless you get one off a bazillion samolian resto).

There are lots of things that may be detrimental about the older cars that would never be on new ones, but IMO that's what provides some of their enduring charms that I still wouldn't change.

I will say one thing about newer cars that I really hate, compared to the older cars. New cars with xenon or HID lights are a real PITA for oncoming traffic. They are way too bright. The LED taillights are so bright on some cars they are blinding, especially in the rain.

 

Not an Oldsmobile, but built at the Delta plant in Lansing, our '09 GMC Acadia has chrome finished bezels surrounding the a/c outlets. They're nice looking and enhance the appearance of the interior, but when the sun hits them just right (or wrong) the reflected light is very harsh.

 

I used to be very fond of the now-illegal row of identical unlabeled black ***** on the dash of my '61 Mercedes.

You couldn't drive that car if you didn't know whst you were doing.

- Eric

 

I lived in Vegas for 10 years, talk about a hot interior. You literally cant touch anything on the car after a few hours sitting in the sun. I think everyone owned one of those full windshield sun shades

 

I removed the wide window edge moldings on my 70 442 to keep them from burning my arm while driving in the summer. Heat can be a pain on a black car with a black interior...

 

While not Oldsmobiles. How about the tail lights and fins on the 1959 Cadillac or the fins on the 57' Chevy. Bumpers that looked like they had torpedos on them.

I love my Olds. When you drive it, you have to drive it. It does'nt drive itself like the new cars do. I was at a car show on Saturday about 45 minutes away from home. It was a great drive and it was out in the county so I got to let her go on some of the back roads. In an older car you really feel the speed when you are flying with the windows open and the dual exhaust singing at full song. You can't beat the feeling!

 

Amen brother!

 

I was just thinking, looks like you took your avatar pic here in Edmonton. That's exactly what it's been like the last month or so, pretty much non stop. Hope your car doesn't have any leaks! We're going to have to sell the house and buy a yacht to get around in. The storm water management lakes around here are up about 12 feet or so. The other day some nimrod dirtball stopped me as I was walking down a dirt (ok, mud) road close to our place. In front of him was a mother bejaysus of a puddle. So he asks "is it very deep?" "Naw" I said. So he drives in and his car sinks it up to the windshield. Out he climbs, pissed right off. "Thought you said it wasn't deep!" he screams. "Didn't think it was" I said. Pointing to my chest I finished off with "it only comes up to here on the ducks".