History "Remember the old curb alarms"?

You nailed this one, GMAN!
I remember in the early 70's, when I was a high school freshman, there was a car that passed my bus stop every morning. It would be a nice one to have now, but we used to laugh at it then. Maroon 65 GTO convertible. Nice looking car, but it had chrome fender skirts, hub caps that were made to look like fake slot mags, chrome mud flaps with 'flectors, gosh awful reflector tape stripes everywhere, and about an 18" high swan hood ornament with a lighted head!
YIKES!

 

A classic mudflap......this pair was found down inside the walls of an
old service station being razed......still in their original box. Have them
on the car now. No curb feelers or static strap though.

 

I was born in 71 and and seen "curb feelers" alot, and I do mean alot, as a kid, but this was in s. Dallas (pleasent grove) and the ONLY people that had them were the brothers.

Like someone said about the swan hood ornement? Yep, these were the cars that had them...along with plastic bug shields.

So they have a crappy looking 70's thing going on to me everytime I see them.

 

Dayum! You don't want them....I do!!

 

Funny this came up! I just bought some last week! Thought they were cool and look good on the shelf till the Nash is done haha

 

learn something new everyday!

 

The curb feelers were the first things to go when I was given my grand-father's Ford back in 1980. He passed away in the mid-70's and my mom drove it that way all those years until I got it.

 

I have them on my 53.....



These ones are called "egg beaters", they work very well.

 

I put a set on my brothers Porshe around 1980, I still catch hell for that one.

 

I remember curb feelers, we used to sell em at autozone.. they were right next to the fake cell phone antenna's lol

 

Normally, I won't comment on anyone's cars appearance--------normally. This ain't normal----

 

Fake cell phone antenna's... Was that a late '70's early '80's fad???

 

Here is one that I received as a gift for my '51 Hudson. It's called the "Automatic Curb Feeler" made by the Sutone Corp. in L.A.
Peace,
Chaz

 

I'll hazard a guess.. the reason curb feelers became popular was that cars got lower, longer and wider in the 50s. And in some big cities, sidewalks and curbs were much higher than they are now. Parking your new "boat" wasn't as easy and running over a curb could be costly. I remember seeing them on street driven customs that were lowered and had lakes pipes. Gary

 

From: www.urbandictionary.com

<TABLE id=entries><TBODY><TR><TD class=word>curb feelers</TD><TD id=tools_2947096 class=tools></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD id=entry_2947096 class=text colSpan=2>
Springy wire protruding from the side of a cutlass, sable, or lesabre. Used to alert the driver when the car nears the curb, to avoid scratching of the rims. Often seen in the ghetto.

Yo dog that mercury with the punched trunk lock be sportin curb feelers.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

Hahahahaha....

 

The "Doo Dadders" (those that adorn a perfectly fine looking automobile with cheesy Do Dads from J.C. Whitney would adorn their static straps with small round red reflectors similar to the mud flaps above. Quite often fake Buick port holes or chrome stars were included. I do remember seeing some ground straps on mild street customs in the 50s but most of us thought that they were cheesy.

 

FENDER FEELERS

There was a earlier version as I have on my 40 Plymouth ..
Back in the day most homes had skinny garages so they came up with these garage fellers... (some call them)

They also I think were a option on the 40 41 Cadillac's..

They where useless but look cool on the car.. buy the time you hit the side of the garage you probably hit your fender

But probably the idea came from these..

 

I don't think they are necessarily default stupid. They can serve a practical purpose, particularly when you consider what you have to shell out for whitewalls these days. I'm in the fortunate position of rarely having to parallel park, so I don't use them. But I think this guy below pulls it off okay;



Paul

 

All this chat about cubr feelers and mud flaps bring to mind those plastic rods clamped to the right front headlight,usually lighted on the tip. The were used to help find the corner of the car because the fender wasn't visible from the drivers seat. If you were really cool you had two,one on each corner. My brain is'nt working today and I ca'nt think of the name of those things. PLEASE HELP!!

 

They make larger ones for big rigs, like KWs, Petes, and other 'Conventional' type tractors.
The wide nose of the doghouse makes 'em handy...but they are large, 1/2" conduit size with the light at the top...don't remember what my Dad calls 'em...

 

fender guides or fender markers.

 

Thanks 54 fierro,simple enough answer I just couldn't get brain to work.

 

couldnt use them in my area, the ruts were too deep and would tear them off!!!!!

 

Grounding Chain?

 

our plymouth needed those back in the day. the old lady hit every corner she could in that poor car.

 

Seeing this, I wish I had my camera with me the other day... I was at the harbour getting some work done on our boat and I was headed to the washroom when I passed a PT Cruiser with lake pipes and curb feelers. I did a double take just to be sure, and felt sick the second time as well.

 

Did someone say PT cruiser?

 

something about those pimped out Mopars. : )

I think were taking this thread in the wrong direction. haha

 

Yes,and I apologise. I will now go stand in the corner and contemplate the consequences of my actions.
Paul