The days before blinkers & stop lights.

Shaker
I see it all the time, they merge back into the lane as they give 1 blink , a pure waste of time but I guess they think the 1 blink justifies and say's ..... well I've indicated

They were called "trafficators" & worked electromagnetically, often had to give the pillar a thump to them get to pop out & sometimes another thump to get them tp drop back down!

The first VW had that prob, amongst others!.

Axle

They sure were fun times. Received my first broken thumb cranking the bloody things.

My old girl was really into manually operating the wind screen wipers when it rained.

Going around to the back of the truck to switch on the tail lights.

Petrol through the mouth (always looked forward to that).

Being stuck in the bush until the old man returned with some help

We should of course mention English technology and reliability. A gear box back then required a high degree of simplicity from the user.

Electric and fuel systems were also a thing of absolute joy.

Thing I have a problem with.... why do you think it's a big laugh?

Regards

Kim

Those "trafficators" were still used by old ladies driving Morrie Minors right up till the 80's (that's those old girls who hadn't already been wiped out with their driving habits). They'd blithely pop out their trafficator, thinking that the drivers around them could see it and just turn the corner, regardless of the traffic situation. And then drive for the next 10km with the thing sticking out. Scary stuff!!
Another Lucas invention, I believe!!! Wonderful British engineering....

And on the topic of those truck hand signals, in the early 60's, I recall a mate had an old FJ ute which had the most bizarre mod; a vacuum-operated hand signal which was fitted under the bonnet. It was a long vacuum piston with a hand on the end which poked out thru an opening in the rhs of the bonnet. Came out far enough to work like the truckies signal. Was operated by a valve on the dash. Got a laugh, if nothing else.
Gerry

Joc - truckies signal? I now recall Dad getting a big hand for thr truck which could stick out or turn up to signal. Now that WAS hi-tech.

The flip out thingies the VW's and some Pommy cars had were called Semaphores. :-)

John R ... I was about to say you are wrong calling them Semaphores, but luckily I checked & believe it or not ... we are both right!
See here " target="EOF" class="lbg">www.answers.com/topic/trafficators

:))) Thanks Doug!!.

They actually nearly stopped with full throttle, but when you backed off they went ballistic!

Hi Shaker

Your right, I started thinking about that car last night and a lot of memories came back, hard vinyl seats that every time dad braked or went around a corner to fast we all ended up on the floor or hard up against each other.

We should have all died, lucky the old man was a fair driver.

Have fun

Craig

I find most indicators are silent until I put in my hearing aids.

Maybe that's your problem too Footy?

But it was important to make sure the "clipper clopper" as my younger siblings called the indicator came in - you could burn out the coil if its out too long!

:-))

Max, not much wrong with my hearing yet. It's only when there's a gentle purr from the sports exhaust (!) that I can't hear em. If it's just idleing I can...just.

Never a truer word spoken.......lol

My dear old aunt, used to stop.... Then put her hand up!! That was in a ford prefect, the back of that thing looked like you know what."))).

That was keep it the same as a motor vehicle, be pretty hard to stick your arm out the left window for a left turn.

Stick your left arm out for left turn on a pushie!, fine as long as there are no
powerpoles, bus signs, trees, :))).

Probably would Ray, but i still use hand signals rather than nothing when the indicators have failed (rear indicators on tray back Cruiser are always getting wires damaged). I'd rather cop a fine than a truck running into me when turning. We need to re-design them - my son set his back further under the tray and they seem to last longer.

they may actually still be a legel means of indicating. certainlythey were in the road rules i learnt in the mid 80s

Your right, in NSW you would get done for the arm out of the window and no blinkers, under no circumstance are you to put any part of your body out of the car.

Have fun

Craig