History "Remember the old curb alarms"?

Somebody driving with big wsw tires in the late 40's must have been the inventor of these inexpensive auto accessories. They sure did the trick tho, kept everyone that had them from getting too close to the curbs, ruining those whites. (then you had to clean with SOS pads).
Only draw back was from continuing scraping the curbs, the small 1/4 inch "ball" on the tip of the alarm would get ground off, leaving a sharp pointed needle to injure an ankle or ruin the girls nylon stockings.
As time went by, there were different renditions of the original single wire model, some were made a spiral type with the end more ovaled, & some were even made with doubles, one set higher than the other, in case one curb was a different height from the other.---------Don

 

My Dad called 'em curb feelers.
I remember my grandma's 50 Ford had them.

 

You don't see those anymore. They also made electric ones.

 

The og type is desirable and mostly "well made", the ones you buy today are crap, and disintegrate in your hands while mountin them, or if you manage to put them on the car they will fall off in pieces as soon as you reach 60 mph........for most manufacturers, some are better, but a real tniy %age

 

i just bought a set of those for my galaxie for the simple fact that you dont really see them anymore

 

I have a bunch of NOS electric ones with the buzzer

 

Got em on my lowrider. People would ask if they were an antenna. I said sure, for low band stations...................

 

^^^ thats a good one!!!! ^^^
i got asked too, i had one on my chopper bicycle for pure cinema factor, and a dumbass asked why i had an antenna on the bike ???? wish i had answeerd that way!

 

WTF!!! Interesting use of a newspaper box though

 

Yep. "Curb Feelers". J.C. Whitney,
among others, used to sell them. To my
mind, they are just about the ultimate in
"Dork" accessories! LOL. I remember once
when I was kid back in the early '60's,
seeing an old Nash Rambler with mudflaps.
extra reflectors, safety tape etc.....and
'four, count 'em, four'(!) curb feelers,
fitted on *both* sides!!!

Mart3406
================

 

Yeah we called them curb feelers. My buddy puts them on all his cars. Not because he parallel parks alot but just because he thinks that they are cool. While I was scraping my floor pan, I discovered a curb feeler base still on the rocker panel flange. The wire was long gone but the base was still there on my current 56 project. I wonder how many years it was there? I never could bring myself to put them on any of my rides. If I see any in a flea market I always point them out to him.

I can't remember the last time that I parallel parked. It was such a big deal in you passing the drivers license test. I bet they have discontinued that part of the test. It was OK to rub the curb but if you bounced up on it you had to come back later for a new test.

 

-----------------
Please, please, please.....tell me the
whole thing is 'photoshopped' or that
I'm having a nightmare!

Mart3406
--------------
P.S. Please excuse me...I have to go
and throw up now.
========================

 

Lotsa love for curb feelers in this past thread.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=546987


I'm kinda hoping the pic of the Vette was photoshopped also...but probably not. Some people really are that stupid.

 

That vette is hideous! it looks funny, the pic i mean, buti bet is real, some people shouldnt be allowed near a car.

 

Another item you don't see much anymore is people running those rubber straps that dangle down to supposedly ground the car better in case if a lightning strike.

I still see them on cars and trucks every so often. The owner is always a really old geezer-75+ year old guys who have their pants pulled up to the chest and wear suspenders....and I mean every time.

 

I think the guys with big estates called them curb alarms. They were curb feelers to the rest of us. Don't forget the mud flaps with the screw on reflector dots, too. Gary

Jeez that Vette sucks.

 

They're called static straps, and they have nothing to do with lightning. Haven't you ever gotten a shock when you get out of the car and your feet hit the ground? They are to bleed off the static electricity that builds up as a car is driven. They can also eliminate the static that causes car fires at the gas station when the nozzle get's close to the car.

 

I agree......should have red wheels,hahaha! The hood ornament and the port holes,are a nice touch....

 

Static straps were on every car in europe in the 70s. Every car. I was told they were to prevent fires in crashes and in gas stations like Ebbsspeed says. Early fiats, bimers, triumps and MG's had them when shipped to the US. I think it was mostly Wives tales.
Joe

 

Yes I do. My dad called them curb feelers.

 

Who posted that Corvette picture, now I have to eat breakfast again.

 

Does anyone remeber the people that had CURB feeler also usually had four rubber straps hanging off the bumper? My dad always said they were for static electricity.

 

I think you dont see them much anymore because thier ugly !

 

Have not seen a set in action for a long time. But I still remember the sound so very well, both inside and outside of the car. I loved as a kid watching my parents freind come over and park, it amazed me how that kept them from rubbing there tires.

 

OlSkoolRodzzzzzzzzzzz called, they are looking for their next cover car and would like to talk to the owner of that Corvette.

 

I remember curb feelers. Always thought it would be a great name for a custom car club. "Kurb Feeler Kustoms". What do you think? All the members would be referred to as just the "feelers".

 

I remember them too.

 

i think whatever it is youre drinkin you should stop.

 

We called them curb tickler's and were meant to scrape along the granite curbs of so long ago. Most granite curbing has been a thing of the past,or is sunk so far in the road from so many re paving's that they wouldn.t { the ticklers] even touch the curb.

 

Whoever screwed up that Vette should have their ass removed...