FYI FORD - MustangSteve's Ford Mustang Forum
The Internet's Most Knowledgeable Classic Mustang Information
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CLASSIC FORD MUSTANGS, YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!
MustangSteve has over 30 years of Mustang experience, having owned 30 of them and restored several others. With the help of other Mustangers, this site is dedicated to helping anyone wanting to restore or modify their Mustang.... THERE ARE NO DUMB QUESTIONS!!!!!
Visit MustangSteve's web site to view some of my work and find details for:
FYIFORD Contributors' PICTURES - Power Brake Retrofit Kits for 65-66 Stangs - Classic Mustang FAQ's by MustangSteve - How to wire in a Duraspark Ignition - Mustang Ride Height Pictures and Descriptions - Steel Bushings to fit Granada Spindles to Mustang Tie Rods - Visit my EBAY store MustangSteve Performance - How to Install Granada Disc Brakes MustangSteve's Disc Brake Swap Page - FYIFORD Acronyms for guide to all the acronyms used on this page - FYIFORD Important information and upcoming events

You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

  • Index
  •  » FYI Ford, Classic Mustang Tech Discussion
  •  » sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    • 1 of 1

       

    1/13/2022 4:33 PM  #1

    6sally6
    Hyper FYIFORD ADDICT

    Offline

    From: Surfside Beach,SC
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 6,852

    sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    Remember back when knobs (and interior trim) were made of metal and real chrome plating was on them?
          (Mid 60's I tink)
    That's when some penny-pinchin  exec. figured they could cut cost by a cent or two by going to plastic (chrome plastic!!)  yuuuuk!
    Now if you polish it regularly.......by the time the warranty is gone....sooo's the shiny chrome!

    My Dad's first new car (1963 Galaxy) still had shiny knobs long after the warranty was gone.
    (you remember...when they had 50,000 miles on them, they were ready to trade off)

    My 64 Falcon (I tink!) was the same way. I bought it in 66 and it still had shiny chrome knobs and trim!
    (you remember...those death-traps with no seat belts/steel dash/"spearing wheels"/drum brakes
    How did any of us live-to-talk-about-it?)

    BUTT.......metal trim & knobs that had chrome plating!
                         Polished knobs.I loved them....EZ Don!

    Is there ANY chrome plated METAL on new cars now?! (interior OR exterior)

    I sure miss the old days.......mumps/measles/polio/ no AC/drum brakes/single pot MC's....not so much
    How bout  chaw'll?
    6sal6

    Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
     

    1/13/2022 4:52 PM  #2

    rpm
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

    Offline

    From: Bakersfield, Ca
    Registered: 9/17/2013
    Posts: 3,654

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    Hollywood made a movie about you Sal, just can't remember the name of it. Might have had the words Old Men in the title.

    But seriously, I too miss a lot about the good ol days. Smaller towns, less traffic... But we all wouldn't have met if not for Algore inventing the internet. And I've grown fond of some of y'all.

    Bob. 69 Mach 1, 393W, SMOD Toploader, Armstrong  steering, factory AC.
     

    1/14/2022 8:05 AM  #3

    TKOPerformance
    Hyper FYIFORD ADDICT

    Offline

    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 7,498

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    Pretty sure the shafts on struts are still chromed. 

     

    1/14/2022 9:48 AM  #4

    Rufus68
    I FYI 24-7

    Offline

    From: Knoxville, TN
    Registered: 4/26/2017
    Posts: 889

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    The current trend in cars is even worse than missing chrome.  The paint colors look either "muddy" or "milky" to me.  Add to these poor colors the lack of nice trim and I expect the appearance of these cars to age badly.  Even shiny and new they look bad to me.

    1968 T-code Coupe with a 302.  Nice car, no show stopper for sure, but I like it.
     

    1/14/2022 10:47 AM  #5

    BobE
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

    Offline

    From: White Plains, NY
    Registered: 4/04/2013
    Posts: 2,642

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    Hate to sound like my father, but today's cars all look the same to me.  
    With that said, I pleased that my daily driver, a 2010 Nissan Murano with 165K miles is rust free, has the original exhaust system, changed the spark plugs at 90K miles, Nissan replaced the failed transmission at 117K miles (warranted to 120K), I just replaced the front-end bushings, runs great at highway speeds, typically I only need to raise the hodd to add washer fluid.  All in all, I don't think I could ask for more for a daily driver.  

    65 Fastback, 351W, 5-speed, 4 wheel discs, 9" rear,  R&C Front End.
     

    1/14/2022 10:50 AM  #6

    6sally6
    Hyper FYIFORD ADDICT

    Offline

    From: Surfside Beach,SC
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 6,852

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    Rufus68 wrote:

    The current trend in cars is even worse than missing chrome.  The paint colors look either "muddy" or "milky" to me.  Add to these poor colors the lack of nice trim and I expect the appearance of these cars to age badly.  Even shiny and new they look bad to me.

     
    Sorry Ruf......................that's called cataracts!! J/K

    I guess stuff changes like peeps.
    Who'da thunk flat black would go mainstream?!
    It COULD BE.......folks are just lazy-er  than we were back-in-the-day (or "busy-er") and just accept muddy/milky colors (and flat black) and no bright work to try and keep shiney...woo-nose!

    My original question (If I ever had one!) was when did it start with plastic"chrome"
    instead of metal plated chrome.  I'm guessing early 60's......
    6sal6

    Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
       •Thread Starter
     

    1/14/2022 12:31 PM  #7

    Rufus68
    I FYI 24-7

    Offline

    From: Knoxville, TN
    Registered: 4/26/2017
    Posts: 889

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    Probably there might have been some real metal trim in the early 70s, but I doubt there was much nor that it lasted much past that.  I'm sure the plastic chrome started in the 60s.

    In addition to the trim, we seem to be losing the manual transmission as well.  In reality it matters little to me.  I have no desire for a completely computer controlled car so the recent and forthcoming cars are out for me.

    1968 T-code Coupe with a 302.  Nice car, no show stopper for sure, but I like it.
     

    1/14/2022 3:45 PM  #8

    Greg B
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

    Offline

    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,697

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    Sal,  in my 1963 Galaxies, there are bezels like the metal key and wiper brawls in the Mustang that light up.  Two say air, wiper, lighter, and such.   Those are backlit and made of chrome plated plastic!  Except the key.  It seems to be exactly the same as the key switch in the Mustang.   

    The chrome plating wears off and they look blah.   In my four door hardtop, I painted all the bezels with Testors gray paint and then scraped it of the lettering.  In my convertible, I sprang the bucks and bought a repo set when Dennis Carpenter had a sale.   

    I do think its cool when they light up at night.

    If multiple things can go wrong, the one that will go wrong will be the one that causes the most damage.
     

    1/14/2022 4:00 PM  #9

    Greg B
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

    Offline

    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,697

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............



    Here is a 1963 or 64 with a custom dash, but look under it.   Here is what they look like when the chrome wears off!   The testors paint really worked well, and has held up well, except they are grey.

    If multiple things can go wrong, the one that will go wrong will be the one that causes the most damage.
     

    1/14/2022 5:01 PM  #10

    6sally6
    Hyper FYIFORD ADDICT

    Offline

    From: Surfside Beach,SC
    Registered: 4/02/2013
    Posts: 6,852

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    I LIKE that old dash!!!!
    My Dad's 63 didn't have all those gauges but the style is the same....sorta!
    Looks cool in the dark fer shore!!
    6sally6

    Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
       •Thread Starter
     

    1/14/2022 6:47 PM  #11

    Greg B
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

    Offline

    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,697

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    6sally6 wrote:

    I LIKE that old dash!!!!
    My Dad's 63 didn't have all those gauges but the style is the same....sorta!
    Looks cool in the dark fer shore!!
    6sally6

    That is some bodies custom dash.  Several companies are makes my dashes for that car now.  Here was s a stock dash at night
     



    Here is the latest custom gauge pod I was working on.


    rainy day hd images



    I finally got a hold of a dash wiring harness to fix the butchered dash in the convertible.

    If multiple things can go wrong, the one that will go wrong will be the one that causes the most damage.
     

    1/15/2022 8:42 PM  #12

    HudginJ3
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

    Offline

    From: Cedar Hill, TX
    Registered: 4/29/2015
    Posts: 1,249

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    There used to be a guy in Ft Worth that advertised in Hemings to rechrome plastic interior parts. A friend of mine turned looking like new. I think that guy is gone now, I havent seen any adds for many years

    70, ragtop 351W/416 stroker Edel Performer heads w pro flow 4, Comp roller 35-421-8. T5
     

    1/16/2022 8:12 AM  #13

    TKOPerformance
    Hyper FYIFORD ADDICT

    Offline

    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 7,498

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    Try thees guys:

    http://www.instrument-specialties.com/

     

    1/16/2022 10:21 PM  #14

    HudginJ3
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

    Offline

    From: Cedar Hill, TX
    Registered: 4/29/2015
    Posts: 1,249

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    TKOPerformance wrote:

    Try thees guys:

    http://www.instrument-specialties.com/

                             
                                

    70, ragtop 351W/416 stroker Edel Performer heads w pro flow 4, Comp roller 35-421-8. T5
     

    1/17/2022 1:34 AM  #15

    Raymond_B
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

    Offline

    From: Fort Worth, TX
    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 1,204

    Re: sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    I mean if we are putting up our dashes RacePack actually posted this as well, I was very happy It also has the 6S6 approved cam...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqVOjLk-kJw

     

     

    1 of 1

  • Index
  •  » FYI Ford, Classic Mustang Tech Discussion
  •  »  sometimes I long for the good-old-days............

    • Board footera


    REMEMBER!!! When posting a question about your Mustang or other Ford on this forum, BE SURE to tell us what it is, what year, engine, etc so we have enough information to go on.