Sunday, February 21, 2010

Conundrum

Think back to the kids' magazines you had when you were growing up -- there was always a page dedicated to brain teasers. The mazes and word scrambles were okay, but what I really liked were the illustrations of everyday objects with the challenge to "find what's missing in this picture." Sometimes the cat would only have one eye. Sometimes a flower wouldn't have a stem. Sometimes a mirror would be without a reflection. On first glance, nothing seemed amiss. But after a careful study, well, I always felt like such a smartypants when I figured out those things.

So, in the spirit of mindbenders past ... find what's missing in THIS picture. (And, no, I didn't resort to Photoshop.)

17 comments:

TheChieftess said...

The dangling dice hanging from the rearview mirror???

Kim said...

Oooo, oooo, see my hand in the air? I know, I know! Call on me!!!! :-)
That's a sharp car. My mom had one way back in the day so of course when I saw it in the thumbnail I had to click. Wonder if we need to dive through the window to get in. . .
I'm sure the omission must be for aerodynamic reasons, right? :-). Love the sparkles on the tail, too, Laurie. Very sharp car!
-Kim

Dixie Jane said...

Kim nailed it. No door handle. I'd like to see how the driver enters this beautiful shiny blue vintage car.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Rubber and air. The tires are not vintage.

Judy Williams said...

WOW - I didn't even catch the missing door handle. I guess they just jump through the window, or reach inside to open it. I'm thinking a 71 Chevelle. My good friend Jan had one as she went off to school at Texas Tech University. These jewels are bringing some serious money at auctions, especially if they have the larger block engines. Hers was red and black. I'd have one today. I think they are mega cool. My dream car is still a 70 or 71 white GTO. :)

Anonymous said...

I got it, but only after you asked. (Highlights -- my very first magazine subscription. Wonder if that's still around.)

Bellis said...

Oh darn, I didn't spot it, and I used to love those puzzles when my age was in single digits. It looks as though the rear window is plastic, or is that an illusion?

Brenda's Arizona said...

I'm competing with Kim here. Pick me, pick me, PLUEZEEEE.
No door handles!
AH, I haven't thought of Highlights in Years! Now in 8th grade, some kindly old benefactor gave our class old 'Weekly Reader' issues. 10 year old news, but lots of fun with the puzzles!

Wayne said...

It's a customizing feature. Even when I was a kid guys were taking the door handles off customs like '40 Fords and Mercurys.

This one is probably electronic but way back when I recall there was a small button hidden in the trim that had to be pushed to release the door.

Good eye Laurie (and the rest of you hawkeyes)

Laurie Allee said...

You're all so terribly clever. Gold stars all around!

Highlights and Scholastic were my favorites. Oh, and Cricket -- my first "literary" magazine. Are any of them still around? The only time I see puzzles now are on the back of childrens' menus.

dbdubya said...

It took a minute, but I spotted the missing door handle. I was focusing on the rear when I remembered this was done sometimes and looked back to find no handle. I've always wondered if the amount of work and expense it must take to do this is worth it. That car's in beautiful shape and the owner should enter in this year's Cruzn' for Roses Classic Car Show.

Anonymous said...

I cheated. Mindebender puzzles make me crazy. If I can't get it right away, I flip to the back of the book for the answers. So... when I couldn't get it right away I "flipped" right to the comments. :) And then, of course, it's a forehead slapper. Once you know it, it's obvious!

Anonymous said...

I cheated. Mindebender puzzles make me crazy. If I can't get it right away, I flip to the back of the book for the answers. So... when I couldn't get it right away I "flipped" right to the comments. :) And then, of course, it's a forehead slapper. Once you know it, it's obvious!

Yakpate said...

This car looks like it has bucket seats. The custom cars of my high school days had bench seats, and there were no seatbelt laws... or seatbelts.

The correct way to cruise in a customized car was for the guy to have a girl nestled under his right arm, and steer with his left.

Most of these cars were "on a rake," i.e., the front end was much lower than the back. The custom work was done by teen-aged boys, as in "Grease," and a fantastic customized car made a local celebrity of the driver.

Petrea Burchard said...

That's a beaut. I just heard a story on NPR's "This American Life" about a guy who customized his car that way. I think he had the electronic kind Wayne mentioned.

Trish said...

based on the license plate, if it is CA original, it's about a 71/72.

saw the open window, which suggested to me either the owner has a GREAT alarm on it, or there was no handle---ala Dukes of Hazzard. Noticed the wheels and tires too, but so many were updated that isn't so abnormal.

Using the lifters is something a brother of a friend did---one of the harder things he ever tried on his old piece of Chevelle.

got to drive an old (70's) Porsche the other day...the smell of the engine just took me back a few years...some things, like the smell of a car, just never goes away from the mind. I can smell the interior of this handle-less car too.

keep on posting these great pix!

Pasadena Adjacent said...

a friends kid who lives near you does this sort of thing at his shop in Altadena. Could be his car.

So when are you coming over to visit the "adjacents"?. The Highlands can always use a little support from the sister adjacents