The Misadventures of Our Dodge Dart

Mishaps, pranks and minor accidents meant a storied life for the family car.

Mark Steffen

In 1964, when living in Richmond Heights, Ohio, our family had a new Dodge Dart fourdoor sedan. It had a push-button automatic transmission and an interesting feature that only a teenage boy would discover: The windshield washer nozzles were small metal tubes that could be adjusted upward or downward to control the direction of washer fluid. My approach to this unique feature was a bit more creative than the designers probably intended. One evening, while driving my younger brother to the store, I decided to try my theory with the washer nozzles. Getting out, I adjusted the tubes to the extreme upper position and then pushed the “wash” button, which does not activate the wipers. Success! Two streams of water shot across the top of the car and landed well…

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Good Old Days (Digital) - 1 Issue, March/April 2025

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