I'm so old I remember when...

[Captain Goddammit]

I was a radio-head back then, with CB gear modified to be louder, lots of illegal extra frequencies, big illegal power amplifiers, all that shit.
Now I find out the whole time I probably had the parts on my bench to unscramble the good channel? Fuck!!

[FIGJAM]

I'm so old I built my first stereo out of two AM tube radios by disconnecting the tuners and using the amps for the two channels.

Park-n-swap purchases.

Radios- 2 for $2

8" speakers- $2

Old record player- $2

Stereo styles- $7.50

Total= $13.50

[Captain Goddammit]

Wow, I didn't know Edison wax cylinders were ever stereophonic...

[FIGJAM]

Little known limited editions!!!

[Ratty]

We had several tv channels and vhf got bullfights and hai-li from Tijuana. We had crystal radios that hooked to our bunk beds with alligator clips. No battery required.

[DoctorIknow]

We had crystal radios that hooked to our bunk beds with alligator clips. No battery required.

I'm so old....I was listening to my crystal powered Rocket Radio at recess, alligator clip attached to the grade school chain link fence, and heard the news that The Big Bopper, Richie Valens and Buddy Holly died in an airplane crash.

I had a paper route to save money to buy a "transistor radio," but the crystal radio was the beginning of rock and roll for me and I never looked back. Doubtful I'd even go to BM without rock and roll, or even it's bastard spawn: EDM

rocket radio.JPG

[^Rhino!]

I'm so old that I remember shen cowboys carried guns in a holster on their belt instead of cel phones.

Not to stray off topic but
they still do in Virginia City and not just the street actors shooting blanks. Go into The Bucket of Blood saloon on just about any Saturday and there may be several people/cowboys with a revolver on their belt. Usually .357/.38 special or .45 long colt. Western style single shot six. No blanks here.
Open carry is legal in Nevada though you rarely see it except maybe in some out of the way place like Tuscarora or Montello. Ione. McGill. Unionville. And VC etc.


Isn't open carry was legal in Missouri?

Sure is, my buddy Craig from the Friday night dinner group eats pancakes with a .45 ACP clipped to his belt. He had to get a conceal-carry permit so that he could put on a coat on cold days. Craig threatens NO ONE and is a law-abiding man. Waffles and wadcutters....now who woulda thunk it?

[^Rhino!]

I'm also so old I remember cutting my own Hollerith cards in high school. (Extra credit for age if you know what a Hollerith card is???)

[BeeWeeDee]

That and the micro confetti they made. The custodians hated sweeping it up after a big win. Oh the joy of computing pi to 10 digits.

[DoctorIknow]

That and the micro confetti they made.

Confetti?

You don't have to be old to know the confetti's had a real name which came into mass consciousness in recent history:

[Eric]

I remember when they just sort of scrambled the xxx channel, but you could still kinda' see it.

Yeah, and all the cable company did to allow you to see it is send you a filter box that would remove the noise. People would make their own to descramble the video too.

Back in 1980(ish) my brother was making good money selling CutCo knives (go figure) and bought us an HBO descrambler that you put on your TV antenna for about $150 (my first car was a used Chevette for $800, so that $150 was real money).
We lived in the far out boonies in the mountains east of Phx, north of Mesa, and there was no physical cable, so HBO had to send it's signal through the air for customers out there (now a freeway goes nearby & the desert has been buried under homes and golf courses). We got bored when we realized that Jaws was on what seemed like every night.

[^Rhino!]

Eric, a few years before that I bought a used VW squareback for $300. Those were the good old days.

[Patsh]

Eric, a few years before that I bought a used VW squareback for $300. Those were the good old days.

My trike has the engine and tranny from a 1979 VW squareback! (Ha!! Automatic tranny, no less...)

[Ratty]

I bought matching carmen ghias for $800 each.

As a kid we each had 3 pair of shoes. School, church and plastic thongs.

[Captain Goddammit]

Karmann Ghias...

[DoctorIknow]

Karmann Ghias...

I was so hung up on lusting after Corvettes that I didn't even notice how beautiful Karmann Ghias were until much later in life (why did old men own Corvettes, when I, fifteen years old and soon to get my driver license, deserved one much more than they did?)

karmann ghia.JPG

[Eric]

I loved Karmann Ghia's, but my serious lust was for the early 60s Karmann Porsche's. Sadly, all I could afford was a Chevette. At least it had pick-up like nothing else, and could turn on a dime.

[Captain Goddammit]

I Sadly, all I could afford was a Chevette. At least it had pick-up like nothing else, and could turn on a dime.

The Chevette? Great economy & transportation value, but you could be remmbeing it a little extra fondly!

[Ratty]

It was fun to have 2 red ghias but you couldn't give em to me today. I drove an old vw about 10 years ago for all of a mile. I'm over them. Noisy, breezy, slow, uncomfortable and without any conveniences. (Except the ring where you hook your seat belt is perfect for handcuffs.)

I remember when you looked at how the dresser drawers were made to check the quality. AND when desk drawers were made to hold heavy objects. Now there is a warning that says for hanging files only. The bottoms are probably cardboard.

[Eric]

I Sadly, all I could afford was a Chevette. At least it had pick-up like nothing else, and could turn on a dime.

The Chevette? Great economy & transportation value, but you could be remmbeing it a little extra fondly!

The guy I bought mine from was a mechanic - I don't know what he did to it other than maintain it really well, but it really did have great pickup & turn radius. Being young & stupid (and not a mechanic), I of course ran it into the ground.

[Thecatman]

I remember full size spare tires, audible turn signals which I believe came from the turn signal relay, horn rings, steel dash boards.
My first vehicle, a 1957 Ford 1/2 ton (F100) pick up had a three-on-the-tree with OD and stock leaf springs in front. Got it in May 1978 for $750.

[Skuzzy61]

I remember when the following phrases actually meant something;

Don't touch that dial!
Carbon copy
You sound like a broken record!
Hung out to dry!
Hey! It's your nickel.
The milkman did it.
Darn it, the ribbon jammed again!
What is the baud rate?

Ahhh yes.

[ygmir]

I remember full size spare tires, audible turn signals which I believe came from the turn signal relay, horn rings, steel dash boards.
My first vehicle, a 1957 Ford 1/2 ton (F100) pick up had a three-on-the-tree with OD and stock leaf springs in front. Got it in May 1978 for $750.

ha~! mine was a 64 Ford F100 with the two speed auto, short bed, but still had the solid front axle. Got mine in 75 for 500.

[Captain Goddammit]

My first two pickup trucks were both '59 Chevys, first a couple-hundred dollar (don't recall exactly) fleet side, then an $800 stepside that ended up losing the Stovebolt for a 400 small-block and TH350.
Had the worlds worst steering and brakes, but it had 4.56 gears and regularly beat my girlfriend-at-the-time at stoplights in my own '67 Camaro (327/4-speed).

I still miss that crude, loud, scary thing. It was my daily driver for years. Although if I had it today I'd fix the scary parts!
Oh wait... I still do have my '55 Chevy from those same days and I haven't done anything but put bigger engines in it... but at least I don't drive it!

[Thecatman]

I remember full size spare tires, audible turn signals which I believe came from the turn signal relay, horn rings, steel dash boards.
My first vehicle, a 1957 Ford 1/2 ton (F100) pick up had a three-on-the-tree with OD and stock leaf springs in front. Got it in May 1978 for $750.

ha~! mine was a 64 Ford F100 with the two speed auto, short bed, but still had the solid front axle. Got mine in 75 for 500.

Mine had the solid front axle as well even though it was two wheel drive. Short bed as well with a wrap around rear window. And the gas tank behind the seat.

1964. That wasn't the year that the cab and bed were one piece was it?

[Thecatman]

Similar! Very similar to mine though mine was not so restored.

[unjonharley]

I'm so old I can't remember anything

[Captain Goddammit]

I'm so old I can't remember anything

Ha! Unjon wins!

[Ratty]

Jeeze! Unjohn always wins. I want a recount.

[ygmir]

I remember full size spare tires, audible turn signals which I believe came from the turn signal relay, horn rings, steel dash boards.
My first vehicle, a 1957 Ford 1/2 ton (F100) pick up had a three-on-the-tree with OD and stock leaf springs in front. Got it in May 1978 for $750.

ha~! mine was a 64 Ford F100 with the two speed auto, short bed, but still had the solid front axle. Got mine in 75 for 500.

Mine had the solid front axle as well even though it was two wheel drive. Short bed as well with a wrap around rear window. And the gas tank behind the seat.

1964. That wasn't the year that the cab and bed were one piece was it?

nope, two piece. I changed out the 292/2 spd auto for a 352/c-4, 14" wide rear tires on Craigers, chrome sidepipes, blue metal flake paint, and a camper shell, with crawl through rear window and purple shag carpet in the bed.........