I agree that the early versions were not the greatest, but subsequent models , those with the rounded edges, got better all the time. The 3 speed 4cylinder models were the best, and a great deal more relaible than FWD GM models of the time. The 4 speed with the doctored up Mitsubishi V6s were bad news, as was that same drive train in the minivans.
I guy down the street still has one of the 4 cylinder ones; his son drives to school. It starts in all weather and just soldiers on.
I remember the K cars and Omni’s well. I used to work in a factory that molded fiberglass and urethane bumpers and grills. We had the contract on the K car bumpers and the Omni bumpers. I’ve molded literally thousands of them. Been years since I remember seeing a K car or an Omni on the road. Even the 1st generation Escorts which were the best selling small car for years is seldom seen on the roads anymore. I have two of the Escorts, but other than mine I can’t remember seeing but one other 1st generation Escort in the past year and that was only a few weeks ago.
I caught up to a Brass radiator Model T Ford this morning. IIRC, they quit making the brass radiator Ts in 1915. That means that the car I saw was at least 97 years old. I paced him at 35 MPH, which surprised me. I doubt that the car is a daily driver, but there it was, looking good, in much better shape than most of us will be at that age.
“In much better shape than most of us will be at that age”.
Probably in better shape than I am at 52!!
"Probably in better shape than I am at 52!!
Are you saying that you’re due for a complete restoration FordMan1959?
I think so. The biggest problem is I have chronic back pain and the doctors say there’s no surgery (restoration) they can do to improve it. Almost anything I go to do I can only do for a short time without having to stop and let my back rest for a few minutes and if I overdo it I pay by being in severe pain for the next week. Also since my back injury that left me disabled I’ve been diagnosed with severe depression. I think lots of that comes from the fact I’m not able to get out and work or do many of the things I used to enjoy doing. Before my back injury I was used to working 50-70 hours a week at construction then come home and work on things around the house. Now I can’t even keep up with the things that need doing at home.
To GeorgeSanHose- Where are you going to get your cheap electricity from? Right now we use all the electricity we can generate just to run our air conditioners on hot days. Also electricity is not a power source, it has to be generated by using a power source. You can generate it by burning fuels, hydropower, wind turbines, nuclear fusion or tidal power. The vast majority of our electric power is made by burning things.
You can’t come out ahead by burning things to generate electricity to use to generate hydrogen to make electricity to drive your car. You are only transferring the pollution from the car to the generating plant.
My 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ chalked up 630,000 miles as of three years ago. The car was bulletproof; good power and held the road like you were on rails. Rust was catching up to it–but it was a tree, falling on it in the driveway during a storm, that did it in.
Oldtimer. You are right that making electricity requires a power source. Burning coal, natural gas, and nuclear are the sources most used to generate electricity in the USA. It turns out though it is a little cheaper and produces less CO2 – partly because of economy of scale – to burn stuff, turn it into electricity, send it over wires to your houase, and use that electricity to charge up your battery in your electric car, than it is to burn gasoline directly in the car. The economics depend on the price of oil to the price of the sources of electric power, and the costs of the pollution from each. These vary depending upon where you are located, and change with time. Currently electric cars are less expensive to drive than gasoline cars, but part of that reason is that electric cars are not taxed for driving on the roads. That advantage will hve to end eventually, as road taxes from gasoline are the primary source of funding for building roads.
Using electricity to make hydrogen? You may be right about that. I don’t think that is economical yet. The plans I’ve seen for hydrogen are to get it mostly from chemical treatment of oil, rather than from electrically powered water dissassociation. H2 powered cars at this time at least doesn’t make as much economic sense to me. I think H2 has some advantge in big trucks though, as higher horsepower is available.
It is cheaper right now because our gasoline is more highly taxed than electricty. In my area the cost for my monthly electric bill is about 16.5 cents a killowatt hour. I sure wouldn’t want to be stuck in a blizzard in an electric car unless it also had an I/C engine.
Oh yes the Aries and Reliant K-Cars,dont give Lee too much credit,he condoned raising our gas prices to European levels back in the eighties.Seems to me like the" bulletproof 2.2 engine had some expensive quirks on the EGR system that little old ladies who couldnt afford ,got saddled with some expensive repair bills.Any way I’ve around several 49 and 62 model fords ,good cars if well maintained,but Grandpa had a 62 Galaxie-352-“3 on the tree” had a problem with detenation if you lugged it.It was pretty much scrap when it was parked,as I remember Grandpa liked the old " green can.non detergent oil and didnt really believe in frequent oil changes either.That car produced copious amounts of blue smoke.Funny about the whistling valve covers,in 63 PCV was introduced.But what really made me sick was about 4 yrs ago we we were doing some clearing for a guy and there was 49 Ford 2 Dr,flathead six,sitting in the woods.the guys grandad had used it for his pulpwooding work car. What some old timers didnt realize was the old non- detergent motoroil(pretty amber color) was used in the old vehicles because there was little else availible and there was no good reason to use the ND oil in a fresh rebuilt 8N or anything,just because it was old.When we get our duplicator,extruder made the sky will be the limit on old parts.I love to watch the restoration shows on TV,amazing what skill and common sense can fix,if you have money and are sentimental there is no reason you cant run a vehicle 60 yrs-Kevin
Oh, about the Hydrogen,it only makes sense right now as an incidental supplimental fuel, like biodiesel or alcohol.Petrol is the perfect fuel for our infernal machines.But if you think about it,there are many ways to produce H2,we are just beginning to scratch the surface,if something as crude and cantankerous as the Otto cycle petrol burning engine can reach this level of refinement imagine what the future holds for other forms of motive power and you can be sure that we are not done on the ICE yet.Hydrogen dangerous? In comparision to what?Everything has its caveats,but of course one bad experience is all it takes.things do get better-Kevin
i have a '74 Beetle, as well as a '63, a '70, a '72 and am looking for another van to rebuild, and run…i have an arsenal of 6 motors, and a garage full of parts to supliment builds…my main ride is a '82 Rabbit pick up…i enjoy driving it, even tho its much to small for comfort…as far as economy, i get an honest average of 59 mpg…out on the road i get about 63/64 mpg…and to quote some guy i heard on the radio once “0 to 60 in just three presidential elections”…
I have the car in my garage. A 64.5 mustang 632K miles and counting. The car has survived being totalled 3 times and had a garage burned down on it once plus had a raccoon living in it at one time. It does not have the original transi (what it was in the garage for) but will get a rebuilt C4 as soon as I can afford it. I’m currently rebuilding the whole thing. It is a NY car so the floors are made out of an old washing machine and has several other refinements. The straight 6 has never been bored out but probably will be on the rebuild. Just to open the hood and see that vast open space with the tiny single barrel carb to worry about is a mechanics site to behold. I can still get it going and when the wife gets mad that is the place I go.
I like those 64 Ford Mustangs. Very cool design.
If Ford offered that car new, with the same design, but with a modern fuel-injected engine, front wheel drive, and strut suspension, that car would be a winner. With an EPA of 40 mpg, it would sell like hot cakes!
I wonder if any hobbiest out there has taken a 64 Ford Mustang body and put a Toyota Corolla power train in it? That’d be the cat’s meow for putting around town!
The recent Mustang is basically that, just rwd. Many folks wouldn’t go for a fwd Mustang (Ford almost did that with the Probe). But just wait and see what’s coming in 2014 for the 50 year anniversary all-new design.
I don’t think the 2012 Mustang looks much like the 1964 at all. The 64 Mustang has cool, unique lines. Not exactly straight, but not rounded over either. That rounded over look is boring. True, it gives some extra fuel economy at higher speeds, but I’d rather have a car with a cool look than get an extra 1/2 mpg at 65 mph.
You could in 1964, and still can now, pick a 64 Mustang out of a pack iof cars right away. The 2012-- it doesn’t looks much different than the other newer cars on the road. There’s no reason Ford can’t produce an identical looking and sized Mustang, identical in size and appearance to the 1964, but w/a Toyota Corolla-like power train and suspension. That’s what would sell. At least it would appeal to me. And I expect it would appear to a lot of folks.
Another thing: The 2012 has 300+ HP. I don’t see the need for 300+ HP. I’m like Tommy in this respect. HP is over-rated once it gets above 125 HP or so. Anything with a 0-60 in less than 10 seconds is fine.
With a modern engine design, and light-weight materials used in cars these days, 125-150 HP is plenty of power. My ideal version of the Mustang for today isn’t to make it functionally the was in 1964 – i.e. a muscle car. Muscle cars aren’t practical any more. For today we 125 to 150 HP, front wheel drive, good fuel economy, and handling, and great snow and ice performance for safety. Add to that the sexy lines of the 64 Mustang, and Ford would have a best seller. That’s my opinion anyway.
If you didn’t get a chance to hear the NPR story broadcast yesterday about the lady with a 567,000 mile 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente, give yourself a treat and listen to it online or on a podcast, or read the transcript. Link below.
Her way of thinking is the way of thinking of this thread. She’s in her 80’s, and has owned and the driven the sane car for close to 50 years, There’s been no major parts swaps. The engine and air-conditioning system are original to the car. Her secret to keeping it on the road all these years? She says buys oil by the case, and she changes the oil & filter every 3000 miles. She says she insists to stand right next to the car and watches while the mechanic changes the oil and filter, just to be certain it’s done correctly! She parlayed the lifetime guaranteees parts vendors offer for big savings, getting three sets of shocks, eight mufflers, and 18 batteries all for the price of one. I say, good for her!
Anyway, if you have a way to listen to the story, do that, as she’s quite enthusiastic on this topic. Either click “listen to the story” to listen on your computer, or for a podcast just click the download link at the top right of the page. She’s fun to listen to, with her enthusiasm for her “Chariot”!
I’ve read stories about that lady and her '64 Comet “Chariot”. Last time I read a story about her and her car I think she said she still took trips of several hundred miles in it.