Quote:
Originally Posted by 3798j
Early VW beetles didn't have fuel gauges...they had that lever to select an auxiliary gallon to get you to a gas station.
"These bags (1900-1960s) were used on road trips especially in the desert. The bag was soaked first, then filled and hung on the car’s hood ornament or from the bumper. As water seeped slowly to the surface, it evaporated and cooled keeping the water about 12 degrees cooler than the air. As both air conditioning and coolers for cold drinks were both unavailable to drivers, these offered a somewhat refreshing drink on a long drive."
Additionally, if hung in front of the radiator, cooler air was passing through it and if overheating still occurred there was the water in it to replenish the boil over.
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I had this lever on my first car, a 1961 Volkswagen. No gas gauge, just this lever. I loved it. My girlfriend* at the time hated it. Every time the engine sputtered, I would reach down and turn the lever. It worked like a dream. I just had to remember to put the lever back to Position #1 when I filled the tank. I never once ran out of gas.
*On a funny note: That girlfriend ended up sticking with me, funny fuel lever and all. We married in '72 and just celebrated our 52nd anniversary. To this day, she whines when the gas gauge goes below a 1/4 tank, fearing that we'll run out.