posted
That just doesn't seem right, because the 70s don't seem that long ago. Maybe it's because I have vague memories of the 70s when I was 3-4. But at age 9 when BTTF came out, the 50s seemed ancient, like 30 years was forever. But if BTTF came out today, 1975 just wouldn't seem old enough. I'm assuming belbottom jokes, disco stuff, 8-tracks, and maybe Marty would sing...She's a brick.....houuuuuse????
Posts: 1251 | From: Anaheim, CA USA | Registered: Jun 2002 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ive thought about this a lot too, (not that I dont have anything better to think about you understand), but I dont think it would work either, its just not a big enough culture shock, I still wear flares now, and the morals of the 70's were totally different to those of the 50's, which is largely what gave BTTF some of its charm. Ive also thought al lot about how the future in BBTF is getting pretty close.....and roads....where we're going....we STILL need roads!!!! ....disappointing, when I was a kid, I kinda thought we'd at least have a flying car, expanding pizza or self drying clothes....but no.
Jimmy.......this is your cousin.....Marvin Hendrix...you know that new sound you lookin for.....well listen to this.............FOXY....FOXY.....FOXY LADY!
Posts: 981 | From: If they dont kiss, they dont fall in love | Registered: Sep 2004 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
The film wouldn't have anywhere near the resonance that it does. The world changed more from 1960-1970 than at any time. It changed in every sphere of life, from the idea of 'nation' and patriotism, to civil rights and equality, to technology, everything had shifted.
BTTF was set at the end of 1955, it's fair to say that even Rock 'N' Roll hadn't exploded yet. So the films timing is impeccable. Not only is the past set just before the first explosion of youth culture, but the 'present' is set just after the explosion of the ultimate expression of youth culture - MTV!
It really was perfect timing.
Posts: 3383 | From: England | Registered: May 2003 | Site Updates: 21
| IP: Logged |
posted
The 50's are one of my favorite decades aside from the 80's. That is my parents generation, and I grew up listening to their music and liking it too. My mom still loves the music, she just bought a Doo Wop DVD Collection from Time Life- and I can't wait to see it too, cause I loved those songs too. That's when songs had meaning. I love the fashion-the poodle skirts, and bell bottoms, and saddle shoes, and leather jackets-all the hair styles for guys are so much better than today's "style-?" It was a great time for TV, and the Drive-In, and malt shops, and being a kid. I loved the cars of the 50's. We watch the Barrett Jackson's auto show/auction all the time, and watch some of those cars sell for over $100,000. Those cars were so awesome and so well designed, and they were made so solid, when I look at where we are now with cars...I don't think we progressed-I think we went backwards. The style in cars and the colors they used, and some of the cool features on them, today's stuff has no comparison, so what that you can put a DVD player in it, should you really be driving and watching TV?? I find it hard to believe too that we are almost to where they were in the Future in Back to the Future, the only thing I see that has come true is the scary stuff...like Biff's night club/casino, and his mom wandering around with implants.
Posts: 13484 | Registered: Aug 2003 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
when I look at where we are now with cars...I don't think we progressed-I think we went backwards. The style in cars and the colors they used, and some of the cool features on them, today's stuff has no comparison, so what that you can put a DVD player in it, should you really be driving and watching TV??
quote:
ISIS,i to love cars from the 50s,my favorite is a '51 Mercury,i almost bought a custom one last year the guy wanted to much$$$.As for cars going backwards i can give you over 100 examples of how they have Improved .
the only thing I see that has come true is the scary stuff...like Biff's night club/casino, and his mom wandering around with implants.
posted
Hmmm.....good luck giving me the improvements, that's what my husband does for a living.. so I don't think you can tell me something I don't already know, and my Grandfather owned an antique car business, and owned some pretty cool classic cars. So, cars are 1 thing that I know the pros and cons on from new vs. old.
Posts: 13484 | Registered: Aug 2003 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
auto accident were more than four times what they are today, based on fatalities per miles driven. Better roads, improved medical aid, and tougher drunk-driving laws helped create that safer environment, as have safer cars.
Back then, the typical sedan rode on tires that wore quickly and stopped--eventually--using four primitive drum brakes. Crash protection was nonexistent. Today, all vehicles have radial tires, front- or four-wheel disc brakes, and at least two air bags. They also have lap-and-shoulder belts and head restraints, along with more-protective body structures and less-hostile interiors. Consumers Union has been a vital part of today’s safer vehicles (see CR’s focus on safety).
SHORTER STOPS, SAFER HANDLING
Fifty years ago, braking often required more than 100 pounds of pedal force when the brakes got hot. "We had to stomp with both feet," recalls Bob Knoll, former Consumers Union auto test director. If a brake line leaked, you lost all four brakes.
Better brakes. Power brakes were common options by the late ’50s and reduced that effort; even today’s heaviest cars or trucks require no more than about 30 pounds of force for the same stop. Split brake systems, which preserve partial braking ability if there’s a leak, arrived in the early 1960s. They were among the safety improvements required for 1968 as part of the landmark National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.
Front disc brakes, which dissipate heat better than drum brakes, were available on some imported cars in the late 1950s and optional on Detroit models by the early 1960s.
Four-wheel antilock brake systems (ABS) were the next major braking advance. While Chrysler introduced an early version of ABS in 1971, it wouldn’t catch on until the late ’80s. A related advance: The system’s electronic wheel sensors form the backbone of today’s electronic traction and stability control.
Grippier tires. Bias-ply "balloon" tires with inner tubes were the norm in 1953. They helped cushion the ride, but their primitive design and tread limited their braking, cornering grip, and wear. Tubeless tires appeared on 1955 models, though longer-lasting and ultimately safer radial-ply tires were rare until the 1970s. Consumers Union has urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to toughen the safety standards for all tires as part of the first update since the 1960s.
BETTER CRASH PROTECTION
In a crash, keeping occupants safely inside the vehicle is essential. Several components help today’s vehicles do just that.
Safer windshields. In 1953, cars had a "safety glass" windshield that could break without shattering. But as we noted then, safety glass could be lethal to someone whose head crashed through it. High-penetration-resistant windshields made their debut on the 1965 Thunderbird and were required on all cars by 1968.
Collapsible steering columns. Before 1968, many cars had rigid steering wheels and columns that could crush a driver’s chest. Occupants were ejected as doors flew open or injured as they hit bare metal dashboards and protruding knobs.
Consumers Union was already calling for collapsible steering columns in the ’50s. Ford addressed some of those concerns for 1956 with its "Lifeguard" safe-car program. The company’s cars included standard double-latching doors and collapsible steering wheels with a recessed hub. A padded dash and sun visors were options, as were lap belts. But in the ’50s, safety didn’t sell, and the public didn’t bite. Fortunately, that would change.
Better belts. Consumers Union pushed for better safety belts in the 1950s after two-thirds of those we tested proved inadequate. Volvo pioneered the first true lap-and-shoulder belts for 1959, a decade before carmakers were required to provide them. While belts would improve with lockable retractors in the 1970s and pretensioners in the 1990s, Volvo’s original concept remains a centerpiece of safe cars.
Less-intrusive metal. Body structures could be lethal in 1953. Footwells would collapse and crush lower legs in a crash, while hoods sliced through windshields like guillotines. Safer car bodies designed to crumple around the passenger compartment were also part of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Air bags arrive. Consumers Union advocated air bags even before General Motors offered the first versions in the mid-1970s. But a high price (about $250) and resistance from automakers helped limit their success. Dual air bags weren’t required on all passenger vehicles until 1999. NHTSA credits air bags with saving more than 8,000 lives between 1987 and 2001.
SAFER VEHICLES TO COME
Most current air bags can tailor their deployment force to the severity of a crash at two levels. A growing number of them monitor belt usage, seat position, and occupant weight to tailor the appropriate level of deployment.
Automatic crash-notification systems, which contact a call center that alerts 911 if an air bag deploys, are in models from Acura, GM, Lexus, and Mercedes. Many models now provide head-protection, side-curtain air bags that also help prevent ejection in a rollover. Ford and Volvo are studying four-point belts.
Consumers Union has long petitioned for a dynamic rollover test for SUVs, which, as a group, are more rollover-prone than cars. Congress recently directed NHTSA to develop such a test. Buckling up is still the most vital safety step in any vehicle, however. NHTSA estimates that safety belts could save more than 9,000 lives per year if everyone used them.
I can go on and on!!!
Posts: 434 | From: nevada | Registered: Sep 2004 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
WOW!!! ISIS no reply i thought you knew it all on this subject....Another fact the most influential cars did not come from the 50s,maybe your husband should reply
BMW 2002 1969 BMW 2002. 1969 BMW 2002
The BMW 2002, introduced in 1968, laid the groundwork for the modern sports sedan. It offered nimble, sports-car-like handling and strong performance in a conventional two-door sedan. When CR first tested the 2002, in July 1970, we said "the BMW’s quick acceleration and nimble handling make it a car that’s fun to drive--well worth considering." The successful 2002 is the grandfather of the current BMW 3-Series, a car that other automakers have been trying to emulate for years with competitors such as the Audi A4, Lexus IS300, Jaguar X-Type, and Infiniti G35.
Chevrolet Corvette 1953 Chevrolet Corvette. 1953 Chevrolet Corvette
Notable for its styling, performance and longevity, the Corvette, introduced in 1953, set the tone for future American sports cars. With its familiar formula of a long hood, swept-back rear, and powerful engines, the Vette’s influence can be seen in a variety of models--from the 1955 Ford Thunderbird to today’s Dodge Viper. Ironically, it was the need to compete against the T-Bird that convinced Chevrolet to continue building the Corvette after low initial sales. This year also is the Corvette’s 50th anniversary, which attests to its long-standing appeal and reinforces its reputation among enthusiasts as "America’s sports car."
Although some might say that Volkswagen’s microbus (a favorite of the flower-power generation) was the inspiration for today’s minivan, it was Chrysler’s 1984 models, the Caravan and Voyager, that gave the concept its modern shape, styling, and configuration. Those minivans provided a flexible, easy-to-drive alternative to the large vans and station wagons of the day. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, GM, Ford, and Toyota tried to put their stamp on the category with models such as the Chevrolet Lumina APV, Ford Aerostar, and Toyota Previa. However, those models were eventually replaced with versions that more closely resemble Chrysler’s minivans, cementing Chrysler’s influence in the category.
Ford F-Series 1973 Ford F-100. 1973 Ford F-100
It’s hard to argue against the F-Series as the most influential truck of the past 50 years. In 1982, it was one of the first trucks to outsell any passenger car in the U.S., and it has been the highest-selling vehicle ever since, as well as the best-selling truck for the last 26 years. It’s true that in some years the combined sales of the Chevrolet and GMC C/K twins exceeded sales of the F-Series. It’s also true that the Datsun/Nissan truck line introduced to the U.S. the concepts of a compact pickup, an extended cab, and a personal-use crew cab. But the Ford F-Series has been the dominant single model line, setting the pace for other domestic truckmakers as well as for Toyota and Nissan, the first two import brands to produce full-sized pickups.
Ford Taurus 1986 Ford Taurus. 1986 Ford Taurus
The 1986 Taurus was a groundbreaking design for a mainstream family sedan. With its rounded, aerodynamic styling, it made most other sedans look dated almost overnight and introduced a look that other automakers quickly followed. The Taurus wasn’t the first car to use rounded styling. CR likened it to the Audi 5000 when we tested it, calling the Taurus "Audi-like in its rounded body style," and "the Ford in Ford Motor Co.’s future." But the Taurus popularized the design and initiated an era of aerodynamic styling that is prevalent today.
Ford Mustang 1965 Ford Mustang. 1965 Ford Mustang
The original 1964 1/2 Mustang was a sleek, inexpensive sports coupe that gave birth to the "pony car" segment, which included the recently deceased Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. With the original Mustang, Ford also popularized the concept of offering a large number of options to help buyers personalize the car. "At one extreme," we said in a July 1964 report, it is "a personal car," and at the other, a "‘competition’ machine." Later Mustangs with more powerful V8s helped fuel the muscle-car category of the late ’60s and early ’70s. The upcoming 2005 Mustang is being redesigned with cues from the ’60s versions.
The 1984 four-door Cherokee was one of the catalysts in the transformation of the sport-utility vehicle from a niche 4x4 truck to an everyday family vehicle. At a time when most American SUVs had only two doors, the compact Cherokee blended the utility of a station wagon with a 4x4’s ability to handle off-road and adverse-weather conditions and a cabin that was more carlike than most trucks. For our July 1988 test, CR said the Cherokee was designed to function as a "family-sized passenger car" as well as a "go-anywhere four-wheel-drive" vehicle.
Toyota RAV4 1996 Toyota RAV4. 1996 Toyota RAV4
As the first car-based sport-utility vehicle, the small Toyota initiated a new movement in SUV design that has since become the fastest-growing segment in the auto market. Instead of using a conventional truck platform with body-on-frame construction and live rear axle, the RAV4 used a carlike unibody and fully independent suspension. The RAV4 was quickly followed by the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, BMW X5, and Lexus RX300. Car-based SUVs provide much of the utility of a conventional SUV, along with better ride comfort, handling, access, and fuel economy. All of CR’s top-ranked SUVs are now car-based models.
The Rabbit popularized the small front-wheel-drive hatchback design, which became prevalent in the ’70s and has been revived in the last couple of years. The GTI version also initiated the "hot-hatch" niche of small, sporty cars, a segment that has influenced the current sport-import segment and its related industry of aftermarket performance parts and tuner shops. In addition, the Rabbit was the first vehicle from an import manufacturer to be built in the U.S., a practice now common with many foreign-based automakers.
The introduction of the Beetle to the U.S. in the 1950’s was the humble beginning of the import invasion that changed the face of America’s auto market. VW’s original "Bug" was a small, economical, easy-to-maintain car that offered buyers a distinct alternative to the large American cars of the era. In CR’s November 1957 test, the editors noted that "with General Motors’ decision to market its English Vauxhall and German Opel in this country, it begins to look as though the small imported car has come to stay." CR rated the Beetle as "an unquestionable Best Buy in the foreign small-car class." The success of the small European models eventually led Japanese automakers to export similar cars to the U.S. and forced the Big Three to introduce smaller models in their lineups.
I CAN KEEP GOING JUST LIKE SEX Posts: 434 | From: nevada | Registered: Sep 2004 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hmmm.....good luck giving me the improvements, that's what my husband does for a living.. so I don't think you can tell me something I don't already know, and my Grandfather owned an antique car business, and owned some pretty cool classic cars. So, cars are 1 thing that I know the pros and cons on from new vs. old.
posted
No Rhodes, I was not talking safety features!! I am talking coolness!! There is no car as cool as an old Mustang or an 57 Chevy. That is where we have gone backwards...the cars of today are crap-and cost more than my 1st house did.
Maybe if people didn't drive drunk, or drive 85 mph talking on the cell phone, or weren't watching the Tv/DVD player while driving, or they were wearing their seat belts, there wouldn't be as many bad accidents on the road today.
Posts: 13484 | Registered: Aug 2003 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
McFly you got Noms and Rhodes confused with each other, it is an honest mistake, I do it all the time- Posts: 13484 | Registered: Aug 2003 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
PS...thanks for copying and pasting all that info. from your latest Motortrend magazine- Posts: 13484 | Registered: Aug 2003 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
actually Isis you did mention improvements and not coolness. Cars have improved as far as safety features go. Lot of the cars from the past didn't even have seat belts. Granted theres a lot of people who die in todays age because they weren't wearing there seat belts BUT theres a lot more in todays age that survive an accident because they were wearing a seat belt and would probably have perished back in the 50's or 60's because they wouldn't even have had a seat belt to be wearing.
But I will agree with you that the cars were cooler then. My choice would be a '67-'69 GTO or maybe even an old Vette.
Posts: 4742 | From: Cell Block 6 | Registered: Aug 2004 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
The style in cars and the colors they used, and some of the cool features on them, today's stuff has no comparison,
that's what I said...
and it is so true too.
When I was a kid my parents never made me wear a seat belt, but the seatbelts were in the car, you never thought about being in a wreck back then you weren't bombarded with the news.
I know people today that put their children in the front seat of a vehicle with an airbag in it, that is more dangerous than anything, and they do it and there are warnings right on the visor, I know tons of people that still don't wear their seat belts. I see people driving down the road holding babies in their laps, and I see people constantly on the stupid cell phone talking away with their kids in the back seat.
There are a billion more cars on the road now than there was in the 50's.
I can still remember the 70's, and going to the college campus my aunt was at, and all the students hitchhiked, nobody could afford gas or a car or insurance, and some people still can't but you don't see people hitch hiking anymore that's for sure.
Alot of people have over 3 vehicles in their house hold, and there are more younger drivers on the road than ever before, so you can not compare crash statics from now to then because it was completely different scenarios.
My Dad had a GTO. He also had an El Camino. He had a ton of old classic cars. One of the coolest cars I ever was in was a 1966 Corvette Stingray-it was a light powder blue-that car was wicked-it was completely restored with a fresh paint job, and my best friend in High school had a 1969 Mustang it was black and blue, and her liscense plate said 1BAD69, and we use to cruise in that car, it was awesome. My old Babysitter, had a 1980 red corvette with the t-tops, we use to cruise to the mall in the summer with the top down, it was so fun.
A car today is a way of getting around, I drive an Oldsmobile Intrigue and a Town and Country LX Mini Van, but my husband has thought about trading the van here lately and I have looked and looked at vehicles, and the only new vehicle I think is cool is a Black Lincoln Aviator, but they are so hard to find used one, and I'll never ever buy a brand new vehicle ever.
Some day we will have an old classic car...I would love to own an old Jaguar or an old Mercedes Benz...those to me are cool cars, today's stuff is boring. If you look at car wrecks, cause I have been in a major one, and I know alot of people who have, that walked away, and I know people who didn't, and the main reason for walking out is wearing a seat belt, the fatality rate in accidents, almost 80% weren't wearing a seat belt, it didn't matter what they were driving either.
Posts: 13484 | Registered: Aug 2003 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
posted
Isis it seemed to work for John Travolta. Of course, they ended the movie before he fell of the horse they were riding. Sorry that's a Valley ending, I always wondered what happened after he left the plastic bubble.
McFly I don't think Back To The Future would have worked any other way. It was an excellent movie that was released at the perfect time.
Posts: 7845 | From: Smiling and glancing in awe in the back of a limo | Registered: Mar 2003 | Site Updates: 22
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, Lees, it seems the two go hand in hand. Noms was mocking me while Rhodes...well, let's just say I picture Rhodes walls pasted with your picture Posts: 1251 | From: Anaheim, CA USA | Registered: Jun 2002 | Site Updates: 0
| IP: Logged |
Valley Dated Julie From 'Valley Girl' (allegedly!)
Member # 1322
posted
McFly you forgot to mention what Rhodes nickname was....ha.
Steven "Bubble Goof"....Isis will think it's an honor. What a goof. Posts: 7845 | From: Smiling and glancing in awe in the back of a limo | Registered: Mar 2003 | Site Updates: 22
| IP: Logged |
valley and isis, why don't you 2 get married already and have little goofy, rewind-addicted twins named randy and julie. then you can brainwash the little goofers into thinking that they were born in the 80s and they can only like music, movies, and television from, 1980 - 1989. now i know that would make you happier than ever.
i think you've been mistaken. i bet valley has an isis shrine in his place, with his walls covered with her pics. ya, that makes more sense.
Posts: 4807 | Registered: Oct 2002 | Site Updates: 39
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Karate Kid]](graemlins/kkcirc.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
