Hooniverse Asks- With What Automotive Accessory Kitsch are you Enamored?

Robert Emslie

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Hula

When I was a kid one of the family cars that I remember most vividly was my mom’s 1960 Cadillac sedan. It was big, and white – my folks actually had it painted by the Earl of Scheib, I kid you not – and it had swoopy fins in the back. But what I remember most about my mom’s old Caddy was that in the very back, on the parcel shelf where today you might find the government mandated third brake light, she had a dog.

It wasn’t a real dog of course. First off it was way too small for that. At little over 8 inches long it was too tiny to even be one of those Chihuahua dogs with the bugged-out eyes. It was actually modeled to look like a German Shepard, and was made of either heavy plastic or perhaps some sort of ceramic. Covering its surface was a thin fuzzy layer which was black and brown, just like the real deal.

But the best part was the head. It had been hung from the top of the inside of the neck hole and was balanced in such a way that with even the slightest movement from the car, the head wold nod up and down, up and down. It was mesmerizing. It’s been a long time since we had either the car or the fake but agreeable dog, but I will always remember it with great fondness and perhaps someday will get a back window dog of my own. That’s a kitschy little auto accessory that helps express your personality through your car, and one that I dearly love. Which kitschy cool accessory do you really like? 

Image source: nobestofs via Flickr

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Robert Emslie

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64 responses to “Hooniverse Asks- With What Automotive Accessory Kitsch are you Enamored?”

  1. Kris_01 Avatar
    Kris_01

    <img width="600" src="http://forums.aaca.org/attachments/f117/85471d1303077727-15-inch-whitewall-tires-mint-img_3649.jpg"&gt;
    On most 1961-on cars.
    <img width="600" src="http://image.minitruckinweb.com/f/tech/engine/1003mt_hot_rod_parts_buyers_guide/31911435/1003mt_04_%2Bhot_rod_parts_buyers_guide%2Bwhitewall_tire.jpg"&gt;
    1960 and earlier ONLY, folks! That means you, car show douchebag with '66 Impala! _/rant

    Reply
    1. BЯдΖǐL-ЯЄРΘЯΤЄЯ Avatar
      BЯдΖǐL-ЯЄРΘЯΤЄЯ

      White walls are not kitsch. They are necessary!
      <img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1077614_10201703732984820_1829982713_o.jpg&quot; width="600">

      Reply
    2. pj134 Avatar
      pj134

      I don't know, they can work on a mid 60's vehicle in my book.
      <img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b54/way2lo2/caminoc10c10/2013-08-06044434_zpsaa9e9fb4.jpg&quot; width="500/">
      If anyone want's to test the reserve…

      Reply
    3. ptschett Avatar
      ptschett

      I'm partial to RWL tires, till sidewalls got too short for them.
      <img src="http://i50.tinypic.com/nrtid.jpg&quot; width="500"/>

      Reply
  2. DonFehlio Avatar
    DonFehlio

    I bought a roof rack when I had my old Mercedes, but now I have a car which can easily carry my bike in the trunk. I still put the rack on, because 1) I don't want to put a dirty bike in my trunk, and 2) I like how it looks
    <img src="http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/7987/galantvr4009in9.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      Just be mindful about parking garages. A friend told me a story once about going to a long-distance ride, and watch one of the competitors destroy two bikes, and damage their SUV, when they forgot.

      Reply
  3. VolvoNut Avatar
    VolvoNut

    I am quite fond of my dashboard buddah. It's mounted with a square of velcro so I can move him between cars. Helps me to accept the check engine light, which is the same saffron color as his robe.
    <img src="https://sphotos-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/544354_10200279804773566_1595483997_n.jpg&quot; width=400>

    Reply
  4. stigshift Avatar
    stigshift

    Fender skirts. I think they were gone from American cars after the '78 Chrysler New Yorker, until the redesign of the Cadillac Fleetwood in '89.

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      <img src="http://www.autotrucktoys.com/300/images/GBC300FS_4.jpg&quot; width="600">

      Reply
      1. stigshift Avatar
        stigshift

        Those are wrong on every level. I should have stated 'factory' skirts.

        Reply
        1. mdharrell Avatar
          mdharrell

          Well, they were probably built in a 'factory.'

          Reply
  5. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    <img src="http://people.umass.edu/blaylock/p190Q/images/FuzzyDice.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  6. mkep819 Avatar
    mkep819

    <img scr="http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc156/556308/KGrHqZk4E66-TY7NBPsmQ87Sg60_12.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
    1. stigshift Avatar
      stigshift

      Welcome to my world of posting pictures on this site…

      Reply
    2. pj134 Avatar
      pj134

      <img src="http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc156/556308/KGrHqZk4E66-TY7NBPsmQ87Sg60_12.jpg&quot; width="200/">
      … courtesy embed?

      Reply
      1. mkep819 Avatar
        mkep819

        Thanks!

        Reply
      2. racer139 Avatar
        racer139

        I want that for my rear window or a rabid stick pitbull.

        Reply
    3. jeepjeff Avatar
      jeepjeff

      I see what happened. You spelled "src" wrong. Computers are the worst grammar nazis. Jerks.

      Reply
      1. Felis_Concolor Avatar
        Felis_Concolor

        "Computers are like Old Testament Gods: lots of rules and no mercy."

        Reply
  7. pdb Avatar
    pdb

    <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2216/2330940318_aca68a7544_z.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
    1. monkey_tennis Avatar
      monkey_tennis

      Just the sort of thing you need on mornings when your 3rd Level (Riley) Elf needs to "roll 3d6 to save against traffic jams".
      It never works though.

      Reply
  8. mkep819 Avatar
    mkep819

    <img src="http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc156/556308/KGrHqZk4E66-TY7NBPsmQ87Sg60_12.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  9. OA5599 Avatar
    OA5599

    Bobbing head dogs aree indeed high on the kitsch scale, but trumped by fuzzy dice.
    <img src="http://www.littlebeasts.com/assets/fuzzydice/beasts-fuzzy-dice2.jpg"&gt;
    My Eldo is starting to rust around the leading edge of the hood. Rather than replacing the hood, I'm tempted to fill the bad areas with fiberglass, spraybomb it, then mount a set of longhorns to distract from my repairs.
    [youtube bJ9r8LMU9bQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9r8LMU9bQ youtube]

    Reply
    1. DonFehlio Avatar
      DonFehlio

      God, I love hood-mounted longhorns, but I'd get weird looks if I put them on my Mazda 6, or anywhere outside Texas.

      Reply
      1. FЯeeMan Avatar
        FЯeeMan

        That would be awesome on a Mazda!! Just make sure they don't stick out past the fender flares, you don't wasn't to get pulled over.

        Reply
        1. Modeleccentric Avatar
          Modeleccentric

          Somewhere in our boxes of stuff in the garage, my wife has the Mack Bulldog..That chromed bulldog is destined for the hood of her 88 Corolla..Full size..Chromed. Dang, i gotta find that.

          Reply
          1. Vairship Avatar
            Vairship

            Full size, i.e. the size of an actual bulldog? That WOULD be awesome on a Corolla 😉

  10. $kaycog Avatar
    $kaycog

    <img src="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/10000/nahled/296-1253387032G3hX.jpg"width="500"/&gt;

    Reply
  11. mdharrell Avatar
    mdharrell

    <img src="http://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/16913_10151610536314495_1937402172_n.jpg&quot; width="600">
    Grille badges.

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      This reminded me to look up those new badges on Subarus.
      "Subaru Badge of Ownership" http://www.subaru.com/enthusiasts/badge-of-owners…

      Reply
      1. Modeleccentric Avatar
        Modeleccentric

        Jeez…Merit badges. I've never seen one on a WRX. I see "Rally"..No "Hoon?"

        Reply
      2. Dean Bigglesworth Avatar
        Dean Bigglesworth

        I would buy a Love Cooking Animals badge. Or maybe Mechanical Environment Cooking.

        Reply
        1. Vairship Avatar
          Vairship

          I want the bicyclist chasing/about to run over the running guy.

          Reply
  12. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    <img src="http://cdn.rockabilia.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/300x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/AIRFRESH/19158F.JPG&quot; width="600">

    Reply
  13. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    Louvers.
    <img src="http://www.amcarguide.com/wp-content/gallery/mustang-c3/1979-ford-mustang-cobra-rear.jpg&quot; width="500">

    Reply
  14. Tim Hogan Avatar
    Tim Hogan

    Fuzzy dice and beer can radiator catch cans.

    Reply
  15. jeepjeff Avatar
    jeepjeff

    <img src="http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp248/RiponredTJ/5BallInstalled.jpg"&gt;
    Pool Ball Shift Knobs! SO AWESOME.

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      A guy on ebay will drill and tap one for $30.
      I'd do it if I had a press, and a tap, and a ball.

      Reply
      1. jeepjeff Avatar
        jeepjeff

        There's a dude on JeepForum who sells 'em for $15+shipping. OTOH, it's easy enough to get the nut, drill and epoxy the nut in. I haven't done anything to the interior, yet, though, so it's still down the list a bit.

        Reply
  16. BobWellington Avatar
    BobWellington

    <img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y205/rcmaster1029/WP_20130808_005_zps9bf1e6e5.jpg&quot; width="600">
    My rubber chicken. His neck isn't in the best shape, though. I had a smaller one, but his head fell off.

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      Man, they have pills for that.

      Reply
    2. jeepjeff Avatar
      jeepjeff

      Wow, that's enough dashboard to label your rubber chicken as "Free Range".

      Reply
      1. BobWellington Avatar
        BobWellington

        Oh my…you win BobWellington's Reply of the Year award. Congratulations.

        Reply
        1. jeepjeff Avatar
          jeepjeff

          <img src="http://i.imgur.com/xOM75.gif"&gt;

          Reply
    3. FЯeeMan Avatar
      FЯeeMan

      Is that the dash of a VLCC, or is that just the amount if oil necessary for all that plastic?
      Yowzers!

      Reply
      1. BobWellington Avatar
        BobWellington

        I'm not quite sure what you're asking. 😛

        Reply
  17. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_QXy4gjDrS0/TO1xYRC7weI/AAAAAAAABV8/gclLg79u0-E/s640/hula1.JPG&quot; width="600/">
    I do love me a Hula Girl. Yes, she's a Zombie Hula Girl, that's custom, yo! I actually owned this Hula Girl for almost 5 years before I could install her. (I was driving an IH Scout 80, and they notoriously have no horizontal component to their dashboard.) When I bought Steve The Unremarkable White Pickup it took a week or two before I realized I could install her! Sadly, Steve's 20 year old dashboard had become so brittle Zombie Hula Girl actually pulled the part she was glued to right out like a cork.
    I'm also a sucker for St. Christopher schwag. Mostly because he has been de-canonized and is more of a 'People's Choice' saint. A real American Idol. The '61 Scout had one of these clipped to the heater vent.
    <img src="http://www.patronsaintmedals.com/productimages/1019V.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
    1. Neen85 Avatar
      Neen85

      Dude, Zombies don't Hula. They break dance.

      Reply
      1. Batshitbox Avatar
        Batshitbox

        I can make her do the Brake Dance!

        Reply
  18. MVEilenstein Avatar
    MVEilenstein

    Did someone say little bobbin' dog?
    [youtube czjomds4Jq4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czjomds4Jq4 youtube]

    Reply
  19. Bret Dodson Avatar
    Bret Dodson

    I have been hunting for a vacuum operated dashtop hula girl. Has anyone heard of these? Under vacuum she stands up, open the throttle and she falls down.

    Reply
    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      Not a hula girl, but it's from the sexy minx on [REDACTED]: http://jalopnik.com/238353/if-you-cant-buy-it-bui…
      and http://jalopnik.com/5387975/make-your-own-animatr…

      Reply
  20. SSurfer321 Avatar
    SSurfer321

    I used to carry Marvin around in my rear seat, but can't remember what ever happened to him.
    <img src="http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/d/w225/m/mTEuvOtSO9GbhvNJvh9Etog.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  21. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    <img src="http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/2/3555/41/21385020022_medium.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
  22. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    <img src="http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g327/loco8181/IMAG0969.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
  23. mac350 Avatar
    mac350

    I'm not sure if you can get these accessories at Pep Boys. They might be a little over-kill.Do you need a carry permit to drive this thing?
    <img src="http://www.geekologie.com/2012/07/02/black-knight-hummer-1.jpg&quot; width="600">

    Reply
    1. e46christopher Avatar
      e46christopher

      I'm scared.

      Reply
    2. Neen85 Avatar
      Neen85

      Yes but only a "certified competent reproducer" permit…

      Reply
    3. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      No, because that's only a CONCEALED carry permit. Nobody will accuse this of being concealed, so no permit required…

      Reply
  24. monkey_tennis Avatar
    monkey_tennis

    No love for Garfield?
    <img src="http://www.moneysupermarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/garfield-window.jpg&quot; width="600">
    Anyone?
    Anyone?…

    Reply
    1. dr zero Avatar
      dr zero

      Maybe he hates Thursdays?

      Reply
  25. s.o.h.c. Avatar
    s.o.h.c.

    <img src=http://www.prettygreatfun.com/ebay/images/Shrunken_Head_Large3.jpg" width="600">

    Reply
  26. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    I'm partial to John Prine, but this'll do in a pinch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHf7TD4qwjk

    Reply
  27. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    [youtube GHf7TD4qwjk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHf7TD4qwjk youtube]

    Reply