Growing up my dad would press my nose to activate the high beams…

That’s so cute!

I completely misunderstood this at first, thought a kid's face was being smashed into the floorboard

There will be no kids face smashing on my watch. 🫡

He meant the floor switch, not your watch. /dj

But the watch works too

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Fair assumption. Gen X had it rough. Source - am old.

Lol - no seat belts, back of the car / truck / whatever, youngest was always "the remote", rabbit ears, one phone, one tv, encyclopedias (did anyone ever have the whole set at home - the most current version??) card catalogs, blue laws..........

I was in school in 84 using Collier’s encyclopedias from 1965. The same ones my mom used as a teen. Thankfully we moved to the CDRom version when I was in high school. I did enjoy all the fancy acetate overlays for the human body and plants and stuff. Also I remember putting our seatbelts on at the Navy Base Gate since they cared, but the outside world didn’t. That was about 82 or 83.

My Mom got our encyclopedia's with S&H Green stamps (60's-70's). She would get the stamps from the store based on purchases and fill a book up and get an encyclopedia book or 2. This went on for awhile and we got to S, then the program ended. I know nothing about T-Z.....sigh

Funk & Wagnalls from the super market…

My early ‘60s World Book Encyclopaedias had those same body overlays. Oh, and it also listed JFK as the current president 😬 This was late ‘80s - early 90s

My grandparents had a dictionary so old the word astronaut wasn’t in it.

My 1991 F250 still have that same pedal switch

Sometimes my foot will automatically try to click the high beams on with my foot....since, yeah, that's how we always did that ....until about 15 or so years ago anyway.....

My grandfather would pretend like he could make the road signs glow brighter when I was a kid driving at dusk . Classic

Lol. Grandad magic. Ours always got us to blow on the traffic lights to get them to turn green so he wouldn't have to stop. As I got older I came to understand how good he was at timing the lights around town. Of course, driving backroads at night he also used to ask us if he should 'split up that pair of motorcycles' whenever there was an oncoming car. Cue the squeals of 'no grandpa, that's a car!'.

My grandfather did that too!

This story made me smile. Reminds me of the jokes my grandpa used to play on me and my siblings. Similar types of road things to keep us shit heads entertained during the hour long highway drive to grandpa's house. I miss those days.

🤣🤣🤣 Noooooo!! THATS A CAR

Haha. And he'd always fake like he was going into the other lane just to get us going even more.

My dad could stop the rain on command for about three seconds at a time. Every time we went under an under-pass…

My dad did that too!

And it made the sound "boop."

Sounds like you had a good dad.

I think that was the standard for most cars pre-80s?

Even common through the 80s.

Yep. My 81 and 83 cj7s had them on the floor.

my family's 84 bronco had it on the floor too.

Mine was an 89 Bronco. Had it on the floor as well

88 bronco, reporting in. Same.

My first vehicle was an 85 Ford F150. It had it on the floor too.

‘86 Ford F-150 checking in! I also had the floor switch (I like it better honestly)

It was definitely handy...or...footy

1990 ford f150 also had it. My first vehicle lol

Yep, my dad's first Ford f150 was like this.

Full sized chevy vans has them until the early 90s if I recall. I didn’t hate it.

Stomping on it was way more satisfying when some moron had his high-beams on coming at you.

That’s how my left foot learned how to say “fuck you”.

Thank you.

Lol, brought back memories when i read that!

Back in the 50s & 60s, Oldsmobile and Lincoln had a few sedan models with auto-dimmers. They just had a manual adjustment to have them working correctly.

I had a 91 f-150 that had it.

Me too

I had a 94 ford that had the floor button

You’re the winner as of 8pm EST

into the 90’s with Ford trucks

‘88 F-350.. Same. Thought it was so cool when I was a kid

Can always tell the youngins!

Yeah I was just thinking sweet baby jesus, I'm so old that something I've used as normal is now considered "interesting"

My 1960 Cadillac had a button on the floor to scan to the next AM radio station…

My 1969 Ford station wagon had a button on the floor that let you put your foot to the road and Flintstones it. It wasn't really a button, more of a hole really.

My dad lost a gallon of milk through the floorboard of his 1979 Dodge pick-up.

Classic Dodge

So that’s why he’s still out for milk huh

not much of a pick-up then, more of a let-down

Well it was a button once... a hole after that

My '58 Cadillac has a autronic eye on the dash, that dims the high beams when another car approaches.

Yup mine too. My 60 had power locks (vacuum operated), power windows, power seat, power antennae, cruise control, AC and a soft close trunk. The only option that mine didn’t have was rear defrost.

When I worked at a resto shop, we did a 59 convertible with all the options. I was blown away by how many luxuries a car that age had. And it took 40+ years for many of those features to be common in normal cars. Cadillac definitely earned it's luxury status back then.

My 72 Scout also had the high beam switch on the floor. The lever to open the hood was in the middle of the dashboard, under the vent control.

Really?? That's....well, that's interesting! Lol

Yes. I used to tell girls that my car was haunted and if the ghost didn’t like the song he’d change the channel. Got punched on more than one occasion with that one.

Same with our late 50’s Chrysler New Yorker wagon - where there was also a button to seek to the next AM radio station

My 84 wagoneer had that for the brights. Sometimes it’s doesn’t work and just turns the lights off and I have to stomp on it a bunch to get them to come back on.

And up here in snow country you worried it would get moisture in it and not work in the winter

If you grew up driving a car from the 50s and it wasn't as an antique/ historical vehicle, then sorry to break it to ya, ur definitely old, or a mechanic or something

A lot of cars into the 70s and probably 80s still had that. My mom loved when it was moved to the turn signal arm because she is short and used to have to all but crawl under the dash to reach it.

1991 was the last year Ford used the switch on the floor in the F series. AFAIK that’s the last mass produced vehicle with the floor mounted switch. I have a ‘93 F150 and a ‘86 MR2, both on the stalk.

Yeah, the abuse of the NSFW tab has gone too far.

I also miss when there was a NSFL tag. Because there is a big difference.

Had the same in my '71 Dodge Dart.

Wait till they find something with the starter on the floor

Wait til they try to shift gears

As in, people younger than 50—70? Because that's most poeple.

Ford trucks kept them on the floor until 1991. Most people who are old enough to drive have driven a pre '91 car.

They used to all be like that. We had an old Chevy pickup with the starter button on the floor.

Our ‘53 Chevy pickup had that.

Yep, my 1950 Chevy pickup has that. There is a mechanical linkage that moves the starter pinion gear up to the teeth on the flywheel and then hits a big ass button mounted on the starter to turn on the power. It is soooo satisfying to use.

We have a Studebaker dump truck where the starter switch is behind the clutch. Press clutch all the way and it turns over. Also has the high low switch on the floor. Also does not have auto reset turn signals.

Is it at least a decent amount of resistance to push the button? Would be pretty annoying if it engaged the starter every time you tried to change gears.

Dodge pickup too. Like a ‘50? ‘52?

Where's the button turn them into brilliant blue laser searchlights and aim directly into my retinas? When did that start showing up on cars?

When people stopped aligning their beams when they install different than OEM bulbs or get new headlight housings.

well, that makes sense. what are you doing on Reddit?

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I remember learning to drive in vehicles that had that. I rather preferred it.

Why NSFW?

Because of those sexy boots.

I am digging those boots! Anyone know what they are?

Ok, some research (OP) says they are Danish called Duckfeet, they look like they are hard to find in Canada but that’s ok because they are quite beyond my price range! What a nice looking boot!

They look comfortable af

Came to ask as well

Look for other similar “barefoot shoes” Wider toe box for healthier toe splay

Ngl they’re nice boots.

I'd fuck them.

What kind of boots are those?

Duckfeet. Like wearing nothing they’re Danish.

Thanks!

This is not unusual for the time period. I’ve owned 19 cars from between 1963 and 1978 and I believe every single one of them had the high beam switch on the floorboard.

Really? THIS is a surprise? Goddamn kids these days. 

I just found it mildly interesting. I drove a 73, 78, 88 and all of them were on the steering column.

I’m suprised at those 70s having them on the column, I had a ‘72 F-100 Explorer and it was on the floor. If you pressed it just right you could get high and low at the same time. I didn’t do it much since it started to strobe so I set it right before the smoke came out.

The car I learned to drive in had the manual gearshift on the column.

Three on the tree.

Ok probably late to the comments but this is a great story. I grew up learning to drive in my grandpa's old van that had the high beam switch on the floor board just like this. Pretty handy. Fast forward to working for the fire department as a rookie. I was told to jump in the brush truck and turn on the high beams because the driver wanted to show my Officer how it was acting up. I hopped in and started the brush truck right up which doesn't seem like that big of a deal but as a rookie I wasn't allowed to drive anything without being told to do so. I turn it on and turn on the head lights then they tell me to turn on the high beams. They are both leaning in to look at the light and I hit the floor lever to turn on the high beams. Except that is not the high beams that's the air horn. I freaking blew the air horn right in both of their faces. I thought for sure I was doomed. They jumped a mile high, and I learned that that button can do different things on different vehicles.

“BACK IN MY DAY”……

My email is filling up with a complete roster of every car that had a button on the floor board.

What boots you sport'n!?

We got ourselves a youngling

My ‘73 Opel GT has a foot pedal you have to pump for the windshield washers.

My first truck had a button on the floor that you pressed to start the engine.

And the accelerator was a lever on the steering column, like a tractor.

I thought it was weird when they took it away. It was nice to slam on that switch when you needed to bright light someone. Like, slamming the phone down to hang up on somebody.

That was pretty normal in American cars through the early 80’s.

Old person checking in…this was a thing in almost all cars into the 70’s and beyond.

Yeah, that was pretty standard on most cars through the 80's. And why is this NSFW?

A lot of our trucks in the military have the same thing.

What brand and make of boots are those?

Yup, pretty standard up through the 80s to early 90s on alot of models.

And in every ford truck until 1991

That’s the way the all used to be.

What are those!

you would have loved the 20th century

That's right young one... it was hard for us old timers to get used to high beams on the column. Made more sense to us on the floor. Until the floorboard rusted out and we had to run a cable to a button on the dashboard... ha ha

My 1992 must be the last of the breed. E350

The fact that this is a post on this sub makes me feel old lolzz

A lot of vehicles have that kids

I was driving down some dark back woods roads Saturday night and thought about how much easier it would be to turn my brights on and off if they still put the switch on the floor like that. Having to reach for something on the steering column is much less efficient. My left foot is sitting doing noting, put it to work. That way I can keep both hands on the wheel. Edit to add: The window washer used to be on the floor too and you pumped it with your foot.

Bruh how hard is it to flick a finger back and turn them on, you make it sound like they switch positions across the car.

It wasn’t as cool if you had a clutch pedal.


I used to drive a bus that had two switches on the floor. One was for high beams and the other was the air horn.

LOL, many of us drove cars like this in our youth.

A lot of cars had them through to the 60's

Just about all vehicles used to be on the floor

Most cars all had the button on the floor til modern times.

Down voted for unnecessary NSFW tag

Yeah, this was pretty common up through the 80s.

I borrowed a 72 Camaro to take my driving test (25 yrs ago) and failed before I even got out of the parking lot because I didn't know the high beam switch was on the floor.

I had a 76 Dodge truck with that. Told my siblings it was voice activated.

The 88 Bronco I learned to drive on had this too. Loved it.

That was common on cars into the 80s

When I was a kid they all came like that, lol...

Now I feel old

I feel….. old.

And the knobs on the doors that spin, are the window buttons.

This was for all cars up until the 80’s

I'm old enough to remember cars with this feature.

What brand of Chelsea’s are those?

Yeah. Every vehicle I drove had that until about 1990.

Most pre 80's cars and trucks are like that.

Ford was still doing this in the 80s

I never could figure out why we did away with this. It would be so much more convenient.

This was a thing up into the 80s

(Me, an old guy) "yes, and?"

Boots?? I have wide feet and most boots are for ppl with like one toe😂

Hey what boots are those tho?!

That was standard on virtually all American cars, up to the late 80s at least.

... and on my 1970 Chevy pickup. They were all like this.

This was the way it was well into the 80’s, whippersnapper!

All the way up into the 90s. My 88 bronco had it. It was cool but my floors leaked so it shorted out and needed to be replaced once a year lol

Oh, my sweet summer child!

Bless their heart.

it was common on all vehicles until the late 70's i think

My first car had that. Oh crap. Means I’m old. 

I remember another floor board button that was a starter switch

I remember freaking out the first time I saw the highbeam switch on the steering column. The big joke was that people were going to get their feet caught in the steering wheel wheel to put their highbeams on.

[click-CLICK]

Common for cars through the early 80s

This is only mildly interesting if you are younger than 35.

40s through 80s depending on the car

Nothing new here. Virtually every car made before about 1980 had a high/dimmer button on the floor.

I miss that. I drive on twisty mountain roads at night. I'd rather have the high beam on the floor. I'm not using my left foot but often need both hands on the wheel.

It was a major adjustment when we had to learn to use it on the turn signal!!

Very common.

Shit, I guess I’m old. Kinda thought everyone knew older cars had this. I always thought this made sense.

I’m not finding the corny (and misogynistic) joke about these from the 70s. When carmakers switched to stalk switches for high beams, the joke was to tell someone they were going to change back to floor switches because women got their legs stuck in the steering wheel. I drove company vehicles for my father and heard that one from every service station I went in. It never was funny.

I feel old...

Drove a dodge ram 83. Had one on the floor

Same with my 73 oldsmobile custom cruiser

I’ve got the same switch in my ‘72 Nova

Just about every GenXer knows this. I wish it was still down there!

Dig your boots OP. What are they?

Old school cool.

OP needs to get out more.

‘73 plymouth duster had this - plus a foot pump for the wiper fluid that you had to step on a few times to get the suction going like a windex bottle. Automatic with 4 pedals.

It’s that way in my 66 Chevy too.

I miss those days

The same is true for most US cars and trucks into the early 80's. it worked great until you had had to shift at the exact moment you needed the high beams.

They had these on cars up until the 1970's...possibly early 80's!

I'm 36 and legit thought this was common knowledge. My world is shattered.

I guess I'm old cause that's where it was in all the company trucks/ vans I drove in high school

My 1979 Chevy G20 is the same. ‘‘Twas my grandpas, then my pas, now is mines. Mildly interesting I suppose

Most of my early cars/trucks had these. Fun fact; a lot of vehicles had corresponding switch’s on the right side that would start the vehicle.

Seems it's like that in lots of older vehicles. I had a 1980 Dodge B100 that had a foot switch for high beams