Question about 1950's cars. What's with the button pushing after you turn the ignition key?

[raccoon]

I watched TERROR IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE (1958) last night, and the heroine did this.

[bluedave]

1. the button

was used to activate the starter motor

[dimbear]

16. Very useful when you're stuck on the railroad tracks. Use first gear, roll right off.

Used to happen all the time in the old days.

[FBaggins]

2. It wasn't a manual choke? n/t

[HarveyDarkey]

3. If it was a Plymouth or Chrysler

the gears were changed by buttons on the dash instead of a stick on the steering column.

[pipi_k]

6. First hubby had one

in 1971. Plymouth or Dodge, I forget what kind, but it was champagne colored, convertible, had Thrush mufflers and white leather seats.

Gears were changed by pressing buttons on the dash.

[MiddleFingerMom]

8. MiddleFingerMomMom had a '64 Dodge Dart convertible with a push-button transmission.

[Arkansas Granny]

10. I had a '56 Dodge Coronet with a push-button transmission.

My folks had a'55 Dodge Coronet that had the gear shift sticking out of the dash instead of being on the column.

[raccoon]

11. Must've been a mofo to shift gears on THAT one....

I used to could drive a straight shift, but I can't stand them.

I think being a lefty makes it more difficult.

[Arkansas Granny]

13. It really wasn't bad at all. It was an automatic transmission and the shifter moved up and down

in a track. It came out of the dashboard and then turned 90 degrees to the left so it was easy to grab hold of. I've never seen another one like it.

[RebelOne]

14. I had one of those and yes, the button

was there to change gears. It was a lot more convenient than the gear shift transmission,

[mulsh]

9. some DeSoto's had button transmissions too.

n/t

[sendero]

15. Or a Rambler.

.... on ours the buttons kept fallout out and I had to put them back

[CBGLuthier]

4. There was a 50's or so model with a push button automatic transmission.

Weirdest damn thing to consider after 50 plus years of either column or floor shifters.

[pinboy3niner]

5. Interesting fact: That was the first Hollywood film to use subliminal images

At different points in this film, a skull is flashed to inspire terror, a snake to inspire hate, two hearts to inspire love, and large letters spelling out "blood" to create fear.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychorama

[raccoon]

7. Thank you! I keep seeing stuff flash up, and thought someone had monkeyed with the film. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

12. I can't remember for sure which car it was, but my folks had one with the starter button on the

floor under the clutch pedal. The idea was that you had to have the clutch fully engaged before the car would start. That might have been on the Studebaker, which was the last standard shift car they owned. It was a beauty.



Ours looked a lot like this except it was maroon in color.