1971 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser

Looks like full power options (and cornering lights), but that fender is kinda crunchy looking. :confused:

http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/3908259124.html

 

I remember this one from awhile back and how rough the panels looked. It looks like the back part is full of body filler. The steering wheel is hideous in that car.

Nice wheels though... those are the type of wheels that our old '72 Delta 88 Royale 2dr hardtop had.

 

This '71 is totally loaded! It looks like it even has NightWatch. And I think those seats are brocade cloth. Sure hope this one is bought by someone that will bring it back to it's former glory. It's pretty special IMO.

David :2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

OK....I'll bite....what's Night Watch? :confused:

 

lol look around that drivers front wheel well

 

That was an option on the headlight system where, as a safety feature, the headlights would stay on for a minute or so after you locked the car and walked away. That's more common on cars nowadays.

 

Like Jaunty said, it is a form of Twilight Sentinel, my '71 98 had it. I loved the novelty of having it on the car, but was scared to use it. I think Rube Goldberg designed it. It relied on engine oil pressure to activate a switch keeping the headlights on after you turn off the ignition, the oil pressure slowly bleeds down and thereby allows the switch to open and turns off the headlights. Riiight. Trying it once cured me of wanting to ever take a chance on it again. Came out to a dead battery.
Most any Olds that has it tends to have many options. I'd bet this also has the rare fingertip wiper control, judging by the high level of options on this one.

David

 

I didn't know this. What a nightmare.

But I can understand about being nervous about walking away without making sure the headlights really do go out. I have this feature on my '02 Dodge truck, and even now, when it's activated, even though I might be at the other side of the parking lot or at my front door, I don't let the truck out of my sight until I'm sure the lights have turned off.

 

I have no idea how Cadillac's Twilight Sentinel worked, but I think that was first offered in 1963. In '64, Cadillac ran a nice ad that said something like "When a man walks away from his new Cadillac, he often steals a glance back." I bet he did, waiting to see if those headlights went out! For once, truth in advertising.

David

 

Our HHR has the 'auto-on' headlamps. Don't see any need for this at all. I pull into the garage in daylight, headlights go on. :confused: I rotate the knob and shut them off.

 

Maybe not for you, but not everyone has a garage and not everyone parks their car in daylight. It certainly could be valuable to some.

 

From the 1972 Olds brochure:

 

I had the Auto-Lamp system on my 89 Grand Marquis, plus a few others. On the Ford, there was a light sensor on the top of the dash, and the delay was adjustable from a few seconds to a minute. It worked perfectly! At night, it was a wonderful thing to park the car, and have light to guide me into the house. Can't wait to have it again, just like cornering lamps. One of those things that, when you need them, is a wonderful thing to have.

 

That's exactly how the Twilight Sentinel works on my Eldorado. It really is a useful feature as are the cornering lamps which, sadly, Cadillac no longer offers on any of its current models - have no idea why. :confused:

 

I had completely forgot about this "Nite-Watch" option on these cars. I was unsure of how it worked. I wonder why they just didn't put the "Twilight Sentinel" like the Cadillac used in them instead?

Yeah, as far as I know, there are not any makes that still offer this unless it is one of those super fancy $100K+ cars that I am unaware of. I have had several cars over the years with a similar option. My '95 Lincoln Town Car is the only car I have now with the feature, as well as cornering lights.

Its true that cornering lights have went by the wayside, I am not sure of any new vehicles that have them, which is sad. I have found them useful on the cars that I had that were equipped with them. There was a time when most all makes offered them as options, even some foreign cars like the Nissan Maxima, Altima and Quest vans. My aunts '01 Altima has cornering lights. I guess for some reason the automakers all of a sudden thought they were no longer useful?