Car Accessories

[Austin Maxi]

The 1970s and '80s in particular was a time when car add-ons of the like you just don't see these days were popular.

From manufacturer-added stuff such as a vinyl covered roof (as often seen on Ford Cortinas and Granadas), to those 'C'-shaped clear plastic wind deflectors that could be attached to the driver's side window. Then there were strips which would hang down from the back of the car to the road to prevent the occupant's car-sickness, furry dice (naturally), 'Go-faster' stripes. I even recall the 'Knight Rider' cylon light from the front of 'K.I.T.T.' was available in the '80s, although I can't help feeling it looked better on a black Trans-Am than it would on a Talbot Horizon.

Then there were the essential bodges. Radio aerial missing? try a coat hanger instead!

What else was there?

[Trickyvee]

I remember lots of cars having those horns like the one on the General Lee in the Dukes of Hazzard. Also remember those things hanging down to the ground I never knew what they were supposed to be for, and little reflectors added to the edge of the doors. What about those green sun shade stickers for the wind screen with, for example, 'Dave' and 'Tracey' written on them, and yellow head light stickers for going abroad.

[sixtyten]

Lightning conductors apparently.
I made my mum put them on our car

[Paulos]

Feu orange air freshener anybody?

[Jacqueline]

Feu orange air freshener anybody?:eek:

[Trickyvee]

I had a plastic Esso man key ring (they are collectors items now) that I hung on the rear view mirror of our car. That very night our car got stolen and set on fire. I remember the police coming to the door in the early hours of the morning to tell us and I was devastated, not because of the car but because my poor little Esso man had been burnt alive!

[Austin Maxi]

There's some great stuff already. I forgot about the '80s trend for those small rectangular car window stickers with stuff like 'My other car's a Porsche', 'Honk if you bonk', 'If you can read this you're too damn close / someone's knicked my caravan', 'This car may be old, but it's paid for and in front of you', etc. etc. as well.

[sixtyten]

Aftermarket Sunroofs, whiplash aerials, CB radio

[stuckinthe80's]

Feu orange air freshener anybody?

My Dad had these in his car. I remember it came with a pin to keep stabbing the back for more smell. I quite liked the smell!

[Trickyvee]

Window stickers from places like Alton Towers. Always got one wherever you went. Back passenger windows were covered in them.

[Richard1978]

Stripy red stickers on the rear window spelling out the model name seemed to be around a lot in the 1980s.

Stickers of the owner's local radio station seemed to have a peak in the 1980s, but can still be seen today.

[ratboy]

My dad had a sticker that read "keep clear - this car runs on prune juice". As I recall, as already mentioned above, they had a whole range of these stickers in the Jack Dusty range. I think the most popular was "0-60 in half an hour" but reading any of them made me chuckle.
Also, does anyone remember the old Arthur Daley stickers you could get, the one you stuck on the back window, and it looked like a proper garage sticker. You also got the tax disc holder with it.

[Trickyvee]

One from the 90's...those beaded seat covers with brown and cream wooden beads meant to help with circulation or whatever. I only remembered them as I saw one for sale in Halfords today!

[Bronzegreen]

those plastic wind deflectors are still available for 4x4's the inlaws have boot long bought some. Who remembers the home made suspension lift kits on the rear of escorts and capri's or the black plastic louvers on the back window. The 3 way speaker pods and graphic equities with flashing lights. How about the fake fur seat and steering wheel covers and the odd furry dashboard. 12 inch mountny steering wheels. Weber carbs were common as were stickers saying gti turbo gl coupe and such. Hope these bring back a memory or two of fun cars and fun times

[Bronzegreen]

sorry about spelling errors my phone is being bad again

[Powdered toast man]

My dad had a horn fitted to his Sierra that consisted of 3 blue plastic trumpets. They played 3 notes in a loud musical sequence and at the flick of a switch, all 3 notes as a continuous chord.

[Richard1978]

After the Dukes of Harzard came on TV a lot of cars were fitted with air horns that could play tune the General Lee made (I think it's called Dixie).

About the same time a lot of cars were fitted with gun-metal hub caps (not yet wheel trims!) that looked a bit like alloys. A sort of multi-spoke with a yellow badge. Around 1982-3 they were everywhere, but had faded away by the end of the decade.

Can you still get those coloured plastic air fresheners shaped like a tortoise on wheels? They were near omni-present in 1986-7.

[memoman]

I can remember when CB Radio was a craze.With those long wiplash ariels or little mag mounts.

[Llamarama]

My mate's Capri has one of those jelly jewel traffic light air fresheners it it still. Doesn't smell any more but it's in very good nick. Probably from the late 80s/early 90s as the car was laid up from 92 until a month ago. There was also an old OS map and a mix tape of random things recorded off the radio! :D

[sf1378]

Krook Loc - my Dad had one for his car that looped round one of the pedals and the steering wheel to prevent theft. He used to put it on before getting out so eventually the yellow plastic part around the lock would break off because his leg would give it a good battering as he'd get out of the car...bless.

[Sly]

Can you still get those coloured plastic air fresheners shaped like a tortoise on wheels? They were near omni-present in 1986-7.

The first car I bought my Dad put one of those on the dash. When I removed it it took about 2 hours to scrape all the glue out using solvents. I use the traffic light ones now that hang from the rear view. I bought a load of them from a £1 shop. All the packaging in in Polish I think.

I think the main ones I remember are the fingers trapped in doors, the sucker teddy stuck to one of the rear window and the guy that used to moon at the car behind. Those and horrible seat covers. What were the point in them?

[Richard1978]

I remember the Mr Moonie, which seemed almost as popular as the Garfields around 1988-90.

[Trickyvee]

Krook Loc - my Dad had one for his car that looped round one of the pedals and the steering wheel to prevent theft. He used to put it on before getting out so eventually the yellow plastic part around the lock would break off because his leg would give it a good battering as he'd get out of the car...bless.

Lol this flashed a forgotten memory of the crook lock my dad had for our car. It seemed quite flimsy and had red plastic covering the loopy bits that went around the steering wheel and pedal. I had a stop lock when I got my first car in '99. Big fat grey plastic covered bar with bright yellow lock to go around the wheel.

[Trickyvee]

Not seen cars with odd coloured body panels for a good few years. It seemed standard to nip to the scrap yard to pick up any old wing or door if you had a bump and needed a replacement. I wonder if its harder to replace panels yourself now, unless people have become more vain and want pristine vehicles.

[Richard1978]

I do see the odd car with a non matching panel, but not nearly as many as I used to.

[escorteclipse1990]

I remember seeing alot of cars in the mid to late 80s with a green sticker on the back window saying " My car runs on unleaded", you got these stickers from BP i think. Not seen one in years, but they always seemed to be on the rear windows of mk1 Vauxhall Carltons.

[Richard1978]

I remember seeing a lot of cars in the late 1980s-early 1990s with green coloured filler caps, as a reminded to put unleaded in.

[themilkman]

My mk3 Cortina didn't have built in headrests on the front seats so I bought some that just slotted over the seats 3762....................oh, and I remember the turtle smelly's that you stuck on the dash.