Pluggers by Rick McKee for May 08, 2016

But as a plugger, a lot of those things sound great (but beyond my budget).

Intelligent key. One of the worst rip-offs of the customer going. $400-$800 to replace the ignition key, instead of about $5-$9.

And a steering wheel. No joke. It was an option on a car I was looking at.

That’s more than we paid for this house!

That’s also why they push leasing… they put so many “mandatory options” into these things, that the only way someone can drive one is to “lease” it.

My first car cost $6,000, and had a AM/FM radio! It had a manual transmission, and the A/C worked by rolling down the windows!

Fully loaded way back when was radio and heater

Just more things to go wrong. I wish I had power steering. It’s getting harder and harder to park.

ONLY $37,999? Wow, not even $38,000. The car for two classes of people . . .those who can afford it, and those who THINK they can.

First car: 67 Chevy 4 door with a small block V8. $500 even!

My ‘67 Lotus didn’t even have a radio, but who wants one in a performance car with the top down when you can’t hear a radio anyway? The car also cost $3,500, and today’s version starts at $79,000!! What’s really scary is that they’ve already replaced the driver in too many vehicles with automatic braking etc, and a distracting dashboard with electronics you don’t need, and shouldn’t even be there!

I can remember when power brakes were also a big item on new cars as well as cruise control. Remember when the headlight dimmer switch was on the drivers side on the floor?

I wonder if you can get a car without all that extra weight and uselessness.I recall the last time I went car shopping I was looking for a car that had unassisted steering and the salesmen all had that eyeroll.Fortunately power steering isn’t as bad as it once was. The ’66 Ford I once owned had absolutely no feeling for the road.

The nice thing, though, is that when you turn in an old car for a new one, even the cheapest, low-end model feels like a luxury upgrade.

My first car was a 68 Pontiac Catalina Canary Yellow. But what was amazing that the clock worked! That was a used car!

And a side mirror !

More of “the stuff” you thought you’d never need or want… until you get “the stuff” and later find you can’t or don’t want to live without “the stuff”!

SilversummerA much more sensible place for it. You are much more likely to need to dim when your hands are occupied turning onto a side street than when hitting the clutch (remember those?) to shift gears. Now people drive with their brights on all the time and the left foot is in danger of becoming vestigial.