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tech Archive
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![Popular in Europe since the early ’30s, sunroofs didn’t really catch on in the U.S. until the 1970s, but that didn’t mean automakers didn’t periodically try. Way back in 1939, […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1939-LaSalle-Series-50-2SD-Beaumont-Blue-RM-Sothebys-front-3q-with-inset-115x115.webp "Sunshine Turret Top: Buick, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, And Pontiac Offered This Ultra-Rare Pre-WW2 Sunroof Option")
Sunshine Turret Top: Buick, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, And Pontiac Offered This Ultra-Rare Pre-WW2 Sunroof Option
Posted on March 21, 2026 | 12 CommentsPopular in Europe since the early ’30s, sunroofs didn’t really catch on in the U.S. until the 1970s, but that didn’t mean automakers didn’t periodically try. Way back in 1939, […] -
![In the late 1940s, Ford Motor Company began using a distributor that had no mechanical advance mechanism at all, relying solely on engine vacuum to provide advance based on both […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Galaxie-1-115x115.jpg "The Brain Is In The Carburetor? Understanding Ford’s Forgotten Loadomatic Distributor")
The Brain Is In The Carburetor? Understanding Ford’s Forgotten Loadomatic Distributor
Posted on March 12, 2026 | 20 CommentsIn the late 1940s, Ford Motor Company began using a distributor that had no mechanical advance mechanism at all, relying solely on engine vacuum to provide advance based on both […] -
![Since the mid-1990s, all gasoline sold in the U.S. has been required to contain detergent additives to control deposits on the intake valves and fuel injectors. Here’s how detergent gasoline […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Lubrizol-Ford-taxicab-test-showing-valves-with-and-without-detergent-660543-Fig-8-115x115.webp "Why Gasoline Has Detergent Additives, And Why More Detergent ISN’T Necessarily Better")
Why Gasoline Has Detergent Additives, And Why More Detergent ISN’T Necessarily Better
Posted on March 2, 2026 | 28 CommentsSince the mid-1990s, all gasoline sold in the U.S. has been required to contain detergent additives to control deposits on the intake valves and fuel injectors. Here’s how detergent gasoline […] -
![Remember automatic seatbelts, those weird door-mounted or motorized belts some automakers adopted in the early 1990s to meet federal passive requirements more cheaply than airbags? The first manufacturer to offer […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Volkswagen-VWRA-illustration-115x115.webp "Volkswagen Automatic Seatbelt System: VW First Offered These Door-Mounted Passive Restraints Back In 1975")
Volkswagen Automatic Seatbelt System: VW First Offered These Door-Mounted Passive Restraints Back In 1975
Posted on March 1, 2026 | 37 CommentsRemember automatic seatbelts, those weird door-mounted or motorized belts some automakers adopted in the early 1990s to meet federal passive requirements more cheaply than airbags? The first manufacturer to offer […] -
![(Updated 2/2/2026) Legend has it, “Let there be catalytic converters!” said GM’s Ed Cole, and »poof« the catalytic converter sprang into existence and evolved into the kind […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/monolithic_converter.jpg "The Dawn of the Catalytic Converter – Who Put the Cat Out?")
The Dawn of the Catalytic Converter – Who Put the Cat Out?
Posted on February 5, 2026 | 86 Comments(Updated 2/2/2026) Legend has it, “Let there be catalytic converters!” said GM’s Ed Cole, and »poof« the catalytic converter sprang into existence and evolved into the kind […] -
![In mid-1987, Honda rolled out its third-generation Prelude coupe with a high-tech new option: a complex four-wheel steering system that was supposed to improve handling and maneuverability. Honda 4WS was […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1991-Honda-Prelude-Si-4WS-Phoenix-Red-Bring-a-Trailer-31-front-3q-left-inset-green-115x115.webp "The 1988–1991 Honda Prelude Si Offered Four-Wheel Steering – Was It A Gimmick?")
The 1988–1991 Honda Prelude Si Offered Four-Wheel Steering – Was It A Gimmick?
Posted on December 17, 2025 | 17 CommentsIn mid-1987, Honda rolled out its third-generation Prelude coupe with a high-tech new option: a complex four-wheel steering system that was supposed to improve handling and maneuverability. Honda 4WS was […] -
![In my recent posts about the structural design of the Falcon and Fairlane and Mustang, Cougar, and Maverick, I mentioned that (until about 1971) all these cars used the top […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1964-Ford-Falcon-4SD-Wimbledon-White-Bring-a-Trailer-28-fuel-tank-115x115.webp "Here’s Why The Mustang, Falcon, And Fairlane Had “Drop-In” Gas Tanks – Were They A Fire Hazard?")
Here’s Why The Mustang, Falcon, And Fairlane Had “Drop-In” Gas Tanks – Were They A Fire Hazard?
Posted on December 7, 2025 | 39 CommentsIn my recent posts about the structural design of the Falcon and Fairlane and Mustang, Cougar, and Maverick, I mentioned that (until about 1971) all these cars used the top […] -
![In any given era, most cars are basically similar in both looks and engineering. Only a small handful are brave enough (or foolhardy enough) to swim against the tide and […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1963-Rover-2000-P6-white-Shannons-side-left-with-cross-section-circled-115x115.webp "The Peculiar Front Suspension Of The 1963–1977 Rover P6: “I Say, What If We Turned The Springs Sideways?”")
The Peculiar Front Suspension Of The 1963–1977 Rover P6: “I Say, What If We Turned The Springs Sideways?”
Posted on December 5, 2025 | 29 CommentsIn any given era, most cars are basically similar in both looks and engineering. Only a small handful are brave enough (or foolhardy enough) to swim against the tide and […] -
![Although it was introduced over 62 years ago, Ford’s 289-cubic-inch small-block still has a warm place in our hearts today, probably because of its indissoluble ties to Mustangs, Cobras, and […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/289-Ford-Heritage-Vault-115x115.jpg "Ford’s Famous 289 V-8: Four Production Changes That Could Ruin Your Day")
Ford’s Famous 289 V-8: Four Production Changes That Could Ruin Your Day
Posted on December 4, 2025 | 22 CommentsAlthough it was introduced over 62 years ago, Ford’s 289-cubic-inch small-block still has a warm place in our hearts today, probably because of its indissoluble ties to Mustangs, Cobras, and […] -
![Many auto enthusiasts are very familiar with the 1968 and later Chevrolet Nova, which was essentially a sedan version of the Chevrolet Camaro. In structure and engineering, the early Chevy […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1962-Chevrolet-Chevy-II-Nova-400-convert-Roman-Red-Mecum-Auctions-T117-front-3q-right-115x115.webp "CC Tech: Inside The 1962 Chevy II/Nova: More Like A Ford Falcon Than A Camaro")
CC Tech: Inside The 1962 Chevy II/Nova: More Like A Ford Falcon Than A Camaro
Posted on December 3, 2025 | 19 CommentsMany auto enthusiasts are very familiar with the 1968 and later Chevrolet Nova, which was essentially a sedan version of the Chevrolet Camaro. In structure and engineering, the early Chevy […] -
![In a previous post, I talked about the unit body structure of the early Ford Falcon, Comet, and intermediate Fairlane. The 1965–1973 Ford Mustang, the early Mercury Cougar, and Ford […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ford-platform-composite-1964-Mustang-1967-Cougar-1970-Maverick-1971-Comet-front-115x115.webp "CC Tech: How the Mustang, Cougar, And Maverick Differed From The Original Ford Falcon Platform")
CC Tech: How the Mustang, Cougar, And Maverick Differed From The Original Ford Falcon Platform
Posted on November 28, 2025 | 27 CommentsIn a previous post, I talked about the unit body structure of the early Ford Falcon, Comet, and intermediate Fairlane. The 1965–1973 Ford Mustang, the early Mercury Cougar, and Ford […] -
![This shot of the front tire of today’s featured 1960 Cadillac very graphically shows why automotive bias-ply tires have become essentially obsolete except for some vintage reproductions. Look at where […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1960-Cadillac-Fleetwood-60-Special-Glencoe-Green-Bring-a-Trailer-12-front-wheel-crop-115x115.webp "This Bias-Ply Tire Graphically Shows Just Why Radial Tires Are So Vastly Superior")
This Bias-Ply Tire Graphically Shows Just Why Radial Tires Are So Vastly Superior
Posted on November 27, 2025 | 37 CommentsThis shot of the front tire of today’s featured 1960 Cadillac very graphically shows why automotive bias-ply tires have become essentially obsolete except for some vintage reproductions. Look at where […] -
![In late 1959, Ford introduced a new lightweight unit-body compact called Falcon. As Paul has previously chronicled, the Ford Falcon “platform” survived in the U.S. through 1980, and spawned some […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ford-Falcon-Comet-Fairlane-Mustang-Classic-Auto-Mall-front-composite-115x115.webp "CC Tech: Ford Falcon, Comet, and Fairlane – How These Unit-Body Fords Were Alike (And Different)")
CC Tech: Ford Falcon, Comet, and Fairlane – How These Unit-Body Fords Were Alike (And Different)
Posted on November 23, 2025 | 39 CommentsIn late 1959, Ford introduced a new lightweight unit-body compact called Falcon. As Paul has previously chronicled, the Ford Falcon “platform” survived in the U.S. through 1980, and spawned some […] -
![If you’re a fan of unit-bodied Ford or Mercury cars of the ’60s or ’70s — Mustang, Cougar, Falcon, Comet, Fairlane, Montego/Cyclone, or Maverick — you’ve probably heard of a […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1966-Ford-Fairlane-torque-boxes-arrows-115x115.webp "CC Tech: What Is A Torque Box? What They Do – And What They Don’t")
CC Tech: What Is A Torque Box? What They Do – And What They Don’t
Posted on November 22, 2025 | 22 CommentsIf you’re a fan of unit-bodied Ford or Mercury cars of the ’60s or ’70s — Mustang, Cougar, Falcon, Comet, Fairlane, Montego/Cyclone, or Maverick — you’ve probably heard of a […] -
![If you ask the seasoned Mopar fan when Chrysler first offered disc brakes, there’s a good chance they’ll tell you 1966, which was when caliper discs became optional for many […]](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1954-Chrysler-Crown-Imperial-8-passenger-sedan-Everglades-Green-bnicetwo-via-Hemmings-front-3q-right-brake-overlays-1-115x115.webp "Chrysler’s Unusual 1949–1955 Four-Wheel Disc Brakes: A Very Different Kind of Disc")
Chrysler’s Unusual 1949–1955 Four-Wheel Disc Brakes: A Very Different Kind of Disc
Posted on November 2, 2025 | 37 CommentsIf you ask the seasoned Mopar fan when Chrysler first offered disc brakes, there’s a good chance they’ll tell you 1966, which was when caliper discs became optional for many […]
