John B. Marek is a storyteller with dirt under his nails who weaves tales inspired by a lifetime immersed in nature. His insightful essays and award-winning fiction delve into the complexities of sustainable living, the heart of rural communities and the thrill of outdoor adventure. You can find more of his writing at johnbmarek.com.
In a world of push-button start and semi-autonomous vehicles, it’s easy to forget that driving a car was once a more involved process. While you didn’t need to be a master mechanic to drive in the 1960s, getting behind the wheel required a set of skills and knowledge that might surprise modern drivers.
One of the first challenges a 1960s driver faced was starting the car, especially on a cold morning. Unlike modern vehicles with computerized fuel injection systems, cars of the ’60s relied on carburetors to mix fuel and air. To get the right mixture when the engine was cold, drivers had to use a manual choke.
The choke was typically a knob or lever on the dashboard. Pulling it out would restrict the air flowing into the carburetor, creating a richer fuel mixture needed for cold starts. As the engine warmed up, the driver had to gradually push the choke back in. Forget to do this, and you’d waste fuel and potentially foul your spark plugs.
Conversely, carburetors could quickly flood if not adjusted correctly or if the float became stuck. This would cause too much fuel to enter the engine, making it difficult or impossible to start. Drivers often had to wait for the excess fuel to evaporate or manually clear the carburetor. The cure for a stuck float involved removing the air filter and its large circular cover and manipulating it by hand.
While cold weather had its challenges, hot weather brought its own set of problems, chief among them being vapor lock. This occurred when the fuel in the lines would vaporize due to high heat, creating bubbles that prevented fuel from reaching the engine.
Vapor lock could leave you stranded on the side of the road, often on hot summer days. Experienced drivers learned tricks to deal with this, such as keeping a cloth to wrap around the fuel pump or even pouring cool water over the fuel lines to condense the vapor back into liquid. Ultimately, gasoline was reformulated to increase its boiling point and eliminate the problem. Still, it was a significant issue for mid-century drivers in hotter climates.
While automatic transmissions were available in the 1960s, they were often considered a luxury option. Many cars came standard with manual transmissions, commonly known as “stick shifts.”
Driving a stick shift required coordinating three pedals – clutch, brake and gas – along with the gear shifter. Mastering the art of smooth gear changes and hill starts was a rite of passage for many drivers. It wasn’t uncommon to see (or hear) novice drivers stalling at intersections or rolling backward on hills.
Beyond these major issues, 1960s drivers had to be familiar with a host of other car quirks:
- Constantly monitoring electric and oil pressure gauges that are essentially decorative on modern vehicles
- Double-clutching for smoother downshifts
- Manually adjusting the timing to prevent engine knock
- Losing your brakes on long, steep grades
- Pumping the gas pedal to prime the carburetor before starting
Driving in the 1960s was, in many ways, a more engaging and hands-on experience than it is today. While modern cars offer unprecedented levels of comfort, safety and convenience, there’s a certain romance to the era when driving required a bit more skill and a deeper connection with the mechanical workings of the vehicle.