Given how pink that truck is now, just think how gloriously red it must have been 60 years ago. My Mom believed that pickups should always be Fords, and Red.
This is my girl, “Lulu”. You pry the door open, pull the choke out, hit the key, and va-room! 345 cubic inches of Cornbinder power roars to life – even if it’s 15 below.
I imagine there are a lot of ‘non-Pluggers’ who are asking what is a ‘choke knob’. It was something that was ‘delight’ to ‘play’ with in order to get a vehicle to operate—just a small amount of movement would provide wonders or you ended up ‘flooding’ the engine.
(Chorus from “Rusty Chevrolet”, sung to the tune of Jingle Bells, in honor of our mechanical friends, past and WAY past):
Oh, rust and smoke, the heater’s broke The door just blew away I light a match to see the dash And then I start to pray, hey! The frame is bent, the muffler went The radio, it’s okay Oh what fun it is to drive This Rusty Chevrolet
The old 47 Plymouth coupe with the flat head 6 had a Throttle knob in it….just hit the freeway and pull the throttle knob out and she would cruise at 65 mph just like cruise control. I could stretch out with my legs across the seat and glide down the highway!
IGoPogo4: Other than conformity with Europe (let them change, back then US made more cars than the rest of the world), I never could understand why the change. I had to dim for oncoming traffic far more frequently while turning than while shifting (and with a bit of skill, one could hit the dimmer while the clutch pedal was down). Now the left foot is becoming vestigial.
My hubby drives a Toyota pickup. After years of driving Ford company cars, I bought a Subaru, And, we have a Saturn Sky Redline.But,over the years, we have had a lot of British cars: Sprites, MGBs, a Morris Minor.I still have an MGA coupe (a real luxury model with roll up windows) I bought it cheap with a spare motor in a box. Since I really wanted a convertible and my A wasn’t a drop top, I got a Datsun 2000 convertible..(600.00 – the guy had been told by some repair shop that it needed a clutch and transmission, turned out it just needed a master cylinder rebuild.)Now there is a strange car. It dates from the time when Japanese cars were sort of copies of British cars. Hondas were styled like Minis. The Datsun 2000 was styled after an MGB, except it came with a 5speed. Mine has a deep sump and two Solex carbs and a radical cam. It was almost impossible to start up from a stop in first gear without smoking the tires, so I learned to start off in second. Hubby pulled the smog protection stuff off of it. If going downhill when the fuel tank was full, gas would splash out of the overflow tube onto the manifold and start a little campfire. I always carried a fire extinguisher and learned never to fill the tank completely.Both cars were retired years ago. Like good pluggers, we rarely ever got rid of our cars. Those two are hidden on a friend’s farm in PA. Last I heard, they were in an old chicken coop.Hubby still has his HP Bugeye race car, and he has a Jag XKE stashed in another friend’s barn.
You’re also a plugger if you remember yanking all that electric choke off your 70’s smogged carburetor and installing a manual choke because it was easier (and better) than trying to get the original one working properly. I did this with several of my first cars (1978 Trans Am, 1980 Formula Firebird and 1985 Ford Thunderbird 3.8). I also remember the floor mounted high beam switch (the ’78 T/A had it, as well as my ’66 Galaxie 500). Also had a 3-on-the-tree tranny in my old ’80 Silverado C10. That was a learning curve…
donpar almost 11 years ago
Hehe— brings back memories!
SCOTTtheBADGER almost 11 years ago
Given how pink that truck is now, just think how gloriously red it must have been 60 years ago. My Mom believed that pickups should always be Fords, and Red.
pcolli almost 11 years ago
My father used to have a blue Austin pick-up (or Ute as we called it in OZ) when I was a kid and I loved riding in the back.
PoodleGroomer almost 11 years ago
Or the fast idle knob on a diesel.
flyertom almost 11 years ago
This is my girl, “Lulu”. You pry the door open, pull the choke out, hit the key, and va-room! 345 cubic inches of Cornbinder power roars to life – even if it’s 15 below.
IndyMan almost 11 years ago
I imagine there are a lot of ‘non-Pluggers’ who are asking what is a ‘choke knob’. It was something that was ‘delight’ to ‘play’ with in order to get a vehicle to operate—just a small amount of movement would provide wonders or you ended up ‘flooding’ the engine.
gargoils almost 11 years ago
It wasn’t just trucks. I had a Tempest four banger ( I think that was a Dodge) and four banger means four cylinders; the choke was very tempermental.
Satiricat almost 11 years ago
Thank you, IndyMan! I had no idea what that meant.
I Go Pogo almost 11 years ago
…not to mention stomping on the metal button on the floorboard to the left of the clutch pedal to activiate high beams…
VICTOR PROULX almost 11 years ago
When my grandfather got a 52 Plymouth, he got some wire and a knob and installed a manual choke. This was back in 59 or 60.
PoodleGroomer almost 11 years ago
The fast idle knob increased the engine speed so it would smoke less and not break the engine mounts while cold idling.
dirgis3 almost 11 years ago
My first VW had a choke. I still miss not being able to use one. I also miss shifting gears.
piloti almost 11 years ago
The choke on an SU lowers the main jet to enrichen the mixture, and also sets the fast idle cam.
Troy almost 11 years ago
….and you even know what a choke is to begin with.
dogday Premium Member almost 11 years ago
(Chorus from “Rusty Chevrolet”, sung to the tune of Jingle Bells, in honor of our mechanical friends, past and WAY past):
Oh, rust and smoke, the heater’s broke The door just blew away I light a match to see the dash And then I start to pray, hey! The frame is bent, the muffler went The radio, it’s okay Oh what fun it is to drive This Rusty Chevrolet
Da Yoopers – Rusty Chevrolet Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Ricky Bennett almost 11 years ago
Last time I used the choke, the horse died…
rhol55 almost 11 years ago
The old 47 Plymouth coupe with the flat head 6 had a Throttle knob in it….just hit the freeway and pull the throttle knob out and she would cruise at 65 mph just like cruise control. I could stretch out with my legs across the seat and glide down the highway!
Whoo hoo what an awesome ride!!!
hippogriff almost 11 years ago
IGoPogo4: Other than conformity with Europe (let them change, back then US made more cars than the rest of the world), I never could understand why the change. I had to dim for oncoming traffic far more frequently while turning than while shifting (and with a bit of skill, one could hit the dimmer while the clutch pedal was down). Now the left foot is becoming vestigial.
Radical-Knight almost 11 years ago
That looks sorta like my brothers ’52 Ford F-100… I especially liked the starter button.
ellisaana Premium Member almost 11 years ago
My hubby drives a Toyota pickup. After years of driving Ford company cars, I bought a Subaru, And, we have a Saturn Sky Redline.But,over the years, we have had a lot of British cars: Sprites, MGBs, a Morris Minor.I still have an MGA coupe (a real luxury model with roll up windows) I bought it cheap with a spare motor in a box. Since I really wanted a convertible and my A wasn’t a drop top, I got a Datsun 2000 convertible..(600.00 – the guy had been told by some repair shop that it needed a clutch and transmission, turned out it just needed a master cylinder rebuild.)Now there is a strange car. It dates from the time when Japanese cars were sort of copies of British cars. Hondas were styled like Minis. The Datsun 2000 was styled after an MGB, except it came with a 5speed. Mine has a deep sump and two Solex carbs and a radical cam. It was almost impossible to start up from a stop in first gear without smoking the tires, so I learned to start off in second. Hubby pulled the smog protection stuff off of it. If going downhill when the fuel tank was full, gas would splash out of the overflow tube onto the manifold and start a little campfire. I always carried a fire extinguisher and learned never to fill the tank completely.Both cars were retired years ago. Like good pluggers, we rarely ever got rid of our cars. Those two are hidden on a friend’s farm in PA. Last I heard, they were in an old chicken coop.Hubby still has his HP Bugeye race car, and he has a Jag XKE stashed in another friend’s barn.
up2trixx almost 11 years ago
You’re also a plugger if you remember yanking all that electric choke off your 70’s smogged carburetor and installing a manual choke because it was easier (and better) than trying to get the original one working properly. I did this with several of my first cars (1978 Trans Am, 1980 Formula Firebird and 1985 Ford Thunderbird 3.8). I also remember the floor mounted high beam switch (the ’78 T/A had it, as well as my ’66 Galaxie 500). Also had a 3-on-the-tree tranny in my old ’80 Silverado C10. That was a learning curve…
I'll fly away almost 11 years ago
Brings back memories of my dad.