No need to worry about crank-up windows in this unit, which is a good thing, as that steering setup needs both hands and some muscle to manipulate it.
Power windows? Most of the time, more trouble than they’re worth, but they’re handy when it comes to rolling down the passenger side without having to unbuckle, lean, and reach. Remote power locks? They’re a nuisance when the batteries in the fob die or when the lock motors no longer have the power to move the mechanicals on the first button try, but they’re mostly easier than putting the key in the door. Recently, I’ve gotten used to steering-wheel-mounted radio controls and USB sticks loaded with music. This weekend, behind the wheel of Wally the work truck, I had to bust out the little CD binder and reach all the way from the steering wheel to the dash like some sort of Neanderthal. It also has crank windows, manually adjusted mirrors, and only two-way adjustment of the non-power bucket seat. Oh, the humanity! Being previously used to it, but having just forgotten that I’m used to it, I was fine. Rewind to over a century ago, and any automobile was a luxury. Even more of a luxury than the automobile itself? The steering wheel, amazingly not standard equipment on all makes and models.
We’ve all seen the vehicle with no steering wheel but rather a couple of pairs of Vise-Grips clamped onto the splined nub of the column. Maybe it’s a project, perhaps it’s in a junkyard, but it has happened more than a few times throughout history, and it’s always sketchy. More refined but still a bit sketchy was the tiller. What is a tiller, you ask? Well, basically, it’s a long lever that you push and pull to turn the car. There’s no real gear reduction, and honestly, it’s like steering a sailboat or pulling on the reins of a horse. Not only was it an intense workout, but it was also fairly hard to control. Think of how hard a go-kart is to control with a touchy steering wheel, but add the fact that a tiller requires the focus of a significant amount of leverage in one direction to keep it between the lines. Also, take into consideration that there were no real roads that long ago, but certainly, there were ruts and rugged terrain to add to the workout of reigning in the control of the automobile. As time went on, steering got better and better, as did steering wheels. Nowadays, there are endless buttons, heated grips, airbags, etc. Although lacking radio controls in a modern pickup seems inconvenient, it could be worse. Imagine taking several days to drive a modest amount of miles, wrestling rutted roads the whole way, with a gramophone riding shotgun. Some of that may be embellished a touch.
Have a question or comment for Kelly? Post it at lmtimes.ca/kirk
