lrc@ucscc.ucsc.edu (Larry Colen esq) (02/09/90)
one of the neatest things about my Austin Aspargus was the speedometer, It was a bar indicator, like a thermometer on it's side. One amusing story about it, my Sr. year of high school, I left early 3 days a week to take a course at the local University. One day a friend who had never seen my car before, saw me pulling out of the parking lot. While we were chatting, he razzed me about lighting up the tires and the like, implying of course that my car didn't have the huevos to do so. Being the adolescent male that I was, when he turned away I felt obligated to rev the engine, pop the clutch and smoke the tires. I was greatly amused by watching in the mirror as his spun around and his jaw dropped about 3 inches. A couple of days later we saw each other again and the conversation went something like: "Larry I couldn't believe it, the other day I was walking away and I heard your car lighting them up. But I looked at the rear tires and they were just sitting there." "Carl, it's front wheel drive." "Oh"
"Ralph E. Droms" <droms@perseus.bucknell.edu> (02/09/90)
one of the neatest things about my Austin Aspargus was the speedometer, It was a bar indicator, like a thermometer on it's side. As I remember, the end of the bar indicator was slanted at about 45 degrees, so that the "end" really spanned several MPH on the speedometer. I never knew which reading to believe... - Ralph
larry_schwarcz%q0@hp6600.desk.hp.com (02/09/90)
>> one of the neatest things about my Austin Aspargus was the speedometer, >> It was a bar indicator, like a thermometer on it's side. >As I remember, the end of the bar indicator was slanted at about 45 >degrees, so that the "end" really spanned several MPH on the >speedometer. I never knew which reading to believe... > >- Ralph My fathers '67 Volvo had the same type of speedometer. The top edge showed a faster speed than the bottom edge. He thought that the top edge (i.e., the higher reading) was the correct reading. But, then again, Volvo drivers usually aren't the speeding type (at least, not the four Volvo drivers in my family :-) ). Later... Larry Schwarcz HP Cupertino, CA lrs@hpindwa.hp.com
phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier) (02/10/90)
> > > one of the neatest things about my Austin Aspargus was the speedometer, > It was a bar indicator, like a thermometer on it's side. > > As I remember, the end of the bar indicator was slanted at about 45 > degrees, so that the "end" really spanned several MPH on the > speedometer. I never knew which reading to believe... > > - Ralph Of course it was. The "bar" is really a horizontal cylinder behind the slot in the gage face. My dad's 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Safari had one like that. The cylinder is painted two different colors, the dividing line being a helix which makes just one revolution. phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov > > -- Login name: phile In real life: Philip J Ethier Phone: 298-5324
kent@wsl.dec.com (02/10/90)
My folks' Mercedes 190D (circa 1959) had the same sort of gizmo. Must have been a craze at the time.