# Car options that you don't need **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 3, 2001, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630 "2001-03-03T16:30:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![unixrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3ec8ea/32.png) [@unixrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unixrat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630/41 "2001-03-05T17:13:27Z")
A few years back I borrowed a buddies late-80’s Dakota pick-up truck. No power brakes on that baby. (No power nuthin’, really) Rolling around with a full load was a breath taking experince for a power-brakes nancy boy like myself. 🙂 [Fuzzy memory engaging…] The wife and I were recently looking at new cars. I could care less if I have nothing more than power steering, rear defrost, and power brakes. She wanted an automatic transmission, cruise control and A/C. Neither of us wanted things like power windows, power locks or power mirrors. And we absolutely, positively, did not want a car alarm. However, you couldn’t really select many things that you want, we were only given the option of ‘packages’. Package ‘A’ had A/C, but also lots of useless gunk like power mirrors and a cassette player. Package ‘B’ would have CC, but also a car-alarm and other whatzits. Package ‘C’ would have rear-defrost, but also complete junk like a CD player with ‘Bose’ speakers and “On-Star”. We opted to fix her current car (a zero-frills '91 Escort) and have put on another 25k with no problems and no car payments either. 😉 Yeehaw! And I have to reluctantly admit that I am good friends with a man who just dropped $$$ on a Ford pickup with leather seats, 6-CD players, some sort of tarp covering the bed, extended cab and 4x4 to name a few. (He lives in Suburbia, USA and commutes on an interstate to work in St. Paul, MN.) When I asked him if he had taken it out ‘mudding’ or offroading yet, he shot me a look of complete shock and said “Oh, no, I would _never_ do that…” _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630/42 "2001-03-05T17:47:17Z")
Power steering is highly overrated. My car has: Manual steering, manual 4-wheel drum brakes, no a/c, manual windows and locks, a single gauge (fuel), vinyl bench seats, manual-adjust seatbelts…and a V8 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630/43 "2001-03-05T18:13:17Z")
But just think, **Gunslinger** , you could have my car: Power steering, power brakes, climate control, power windows and locks, lots of gauges, leather seats…and a V8. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630/44 "2001-03-05T21:12:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by unixrat \* > \*\*And I have to reluctantly admit that I am good friends with a man who just dropped $$$ on a Ford pickup with leather seats, 6-CD players, some sort of tarp covering the bed, extended cab and 4x4 to name a few. (He lives in Suburbia, USA and commutes on an interstate to work in St. Paul, MN.) When I asked him if he had taken it out ‘mudding’ or offroading yet, he shot me a look of complete shock and said “Oh, no, I would _never_ do that…” _sigh_ \*\* If it weren’t for the part about St. Paul, you could be talking about my husband…damn 4-wheel drive truck and he hates to get it dirty! ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630/45 "2001-03-05T21:14:58Z")
Yeah, I’d like more gauges (not knowing what’s going on scares me)…the late Wagoneer had _everything_…leather…power windows, locks, seats, steering, brakes…big V8…a/c…am/fm/cassette radio (currently being duct-taped into the Nova)…I miss that Jeep ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630/46 "2001-03-05T21:40:14Z")
[hijack] > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gunslinger \* > \*\*Power steering is highly overrated. My car has: Manual steering, manual 4-wheel drum brakes, no a/c, manual windows and locks, a single gauge (fuel), vinyl bench seats, manual-adjust seatbelts…and a V8 😃 \*\* Is this the Nova you mentioned? I miss my Nova; best cars ever made, IMO. Lots of guts, built like a tank, _really_ fun on the highway, and you can move into it if you lose your house. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630/47 "2001-03-05T22:02:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > **Is this the Nova you mentioned?** Yep, that’s his Nova. 🙂 I would like to reiterate my hatred of digital dashboards. Grrrr. I have: - fuel gauge - tach - something with a picture of a battery next to it - oil temp - oil pressure - speedometer - outside temp - odometer Of these, the following work the way they are supposed to: - odometer - oil temp - possibly the thing with the battery next to it Fuel gauge is a total loss, oil pressure is BLANK (the sensor MELTED), tach is off by 2000, outside temp is sometimes within 10 degrees, and the spedometer is off by 3 mph. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630/48 "2001-03-06T15:44:08Z")
[sort of a hijack, sort of related] I have a burning hatred for whoever decided that the parts of cars that bump each other should be made out of a material that looks really pretty and can’t take a hit. Remember the good old days when cars had metal bumpers that could hit things and get nothing more than a dent? When “fender benders” usually meant nobody exchanging insurance information because it wasn’t worth it for a little ding in a metal bumper? When cars had railings on the doors to take a hit from another car’s door? When replaced a dented-up fender meant either a trip to the auto junkyard or a cheap repair at the autobody shop (not the $$$ fix that it is now)? I suspect the autobody shops and insurance companies were in bed together with the auto manufacturers on this moronic decision. [/sort of hijack] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-options-that-you-dont-need/56630.md?page=2)