So, what do you really think?
That reminds me of the movie “Sleeper”, with Woody Allen. He has an operation and wakes up 200 years later. Him and Dianne Keaton discover a VW Beetle in a cave or somewhere with the keys still in it. It starts right up!
The heater in my chevelle still works pretty good. nice hot air from the engine comes pouring into the passenger compartment no problem. Drum brakes aren’t so bad, as long as you drive accordingly
Someone needs to switch to decaf…
“Pretty soon you miss one payment 1 uno ONE O-N-E Payment and they stop your car from moving”
That’s any easy one to solve. Just pay cash for your cars as I do!
Also, the Hill Holder still exists, but probably only on Subarus. It is possible that other makes have that feature, but I am only sure about stick-shift Subarus coming with that equipment. And, if I recall correctly, at least one model of the Lexus has headlights that turn with the steering wheel, ala Tucker. So, some of the old ideas have survived or resurfaced–like center-mounted brake lights.
When I was a kid, back in the '50s, it was pretty much of a sure thing that someone who kept his car past 50,000 miles would have to do a “valve and ring job” as a result of the high rate of oil burning. And, the rotted out rocker panels of that era are firmly etched in my memory, as well as the cold weather problems associated with carbureted engines and the difficulty in braking with wet drum brakes. And, let’s not forget about the massively higher death rate from accidents back in those days and the extremely high pollutant output of the engines of yesteryear.
Are today’s cars more complex? Sure.
Are they safer, longer-lasting, less polluting and more economical? Definitely.
All-in-all, I vote for modern technology.
And, guess what? Even if we don’t like modern technology, we have to deal with the reality of it unless we want to spend huge amounts of money to keep old cars running. And, even if we do keep an old car running for many years, it will still not be as safe as one with the latest safety features.
Hill holder: Left Foot.
If you have a manual clutch, it’s all part of the fun and challenge to engage the clutch successfully before you drift into the guy behind you. If that yutz is just a couple of feet behind, there is a real feeling of accomplishment in making that maneuver.
Yup, I’ve never owned, or understood the point, of a hill holder. It might have helped me for the first two weeks of driving my first car. Just one more useless gimmick to fix someday. KISS!
Anyone who misses a “hill holder” has never had one refuse to release late at night in a Washington down pour.
~Michael
I had 3 different cars with the underseat heater–a 1947 Pontiac, a 1955 Pontiac and a 1954 Buick. These worked very well. The Buick had a signal seeking radio with a little button on the floor so that one could advance the radio to the next station. Of course, this was an AM radio. The rear shock absorbers were the lever action that could be rebuilt. By 1954, Buick had gone to the airplane type shock absorbers in the front.
It seems to me that some things have become needlessly complicated. For example, on the 1947 Pontiac, stepping down on the floor starter pedal meshed the starter gear with the flywheel and closed the switch. Today, we have all sorts of solenoids and bendix springs to do the same thing. My 1965 Rambler had a mechanically operated windshield washer. There were no electric pumps or switches and it seemed to me that this worked quite well. The heater controls on this car were mechanical rather than vacuum or electrically operated and these mechanical controls never gave a problem. Another feature that was on your 1948 Buick was a radio antenna mounted above the windshield with a knob so that you could turn it to the side when driving it into a garage with a low roof. This was simpler than a power driven antenna mast.
Couple of things you don’t see any more. Drinking water bags hanging from the grill - evaporative cooling when traveling in the desert in the summer. Swamp coolers (pre modern HVAC) that looked like the old “floor model” vacuum cleaner hanging above the passenger window. Venitian blinds in the back window - usually on the aforementioned 48 Buicks.
Agree about the caffein. Disagree with the writer’s point - anyone who thinks modern vehicles are less reliable than cars 40-50 years ago is cherry picking. No comparison in my experience.
In the summer of 1970 before my senior year in High School me, my brother and a couple friends drove from Doylestown, Pa. to California just for kicks. On I-80 in Wyoming we started noticing these water bags on the front bumpers of cars occasionally. “Cools by evaporation!” August. Incredible heat, especially for us guys from back East. Near Needles, California it was like 110 at 8 o’clock PM. Oh well, back to the thread.
Hold your horses buddy… If you think that todays cars are way better then yesterdays, try working on them. Another great point, I had a recent discussion on is the cost of all the computer equipment, accessories & sensors. For the price of a few computer controlled sensors you can find a rebuilt engine that will last longer then the sensor that is merely a couple resistors, capacitors and relays in a box the size of your index finger. GARBAGE
I’ve worked on cars for about 40 years, as recently as last weekend. you know what the real point is? YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORK ON THEM AS OFTEN AS YOU USED TO. They last much longer. They go much farther on a gallon of gas. As for your recent conversation, it’s anecdotal and hogwash. Sensors aren’t that expensive.
TODAYS CARS ARE GARBAGE!!! Pretty soon you miss one payment 1 uno ONE O-N-E Payment and they stop your car from moving. The dealer can stop your car while your on the road to the hospital with your father in the car having a heart attack GARBAGE… TODAYS CARS ARE GARBAGE!!!
So the car company can enforce their contract that requires the car be paid for. They can disable a car if a lowlife can’t be bothered to pay for it. And you consider this a problem? Why?
Pretty soon we will have no control over the speed or direction of the cars we drive. We will be forced to input a destination and a computer will only start the vehicle after you are buckled in a secured fashion for the time and it will drive the vehicle GARBAGE… TODAYS CARS ARE GARBAGE!!!
Speculative, and unlikely in the extreme. Certainly has nothing to do with current technology, which, unless I’m mistaken, is what this poost is about.
I have worked on cars for years and maybe it hasnt crossed anyones mind but if AMERICANS dont do it someone has to (CHINA) and honestly I dont appreciate having to work on all this CHINESE GARBAGE Americans are bringing into the states. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Hell with it is what I hear most mechanics say. I know because I am still working in the shops. It’s bleak no one wants to touch a car that has more computers in it then moving parts. GARBAGE… TODAYS CARS ARE GARBAGE!!!
The Chinese garbage being brought into the states is being sold to willing consumers because of the lower price. It’s called COMPETITION. Anyone that thinks the lower price of the cheap imports translates to quality equivalent to the higher priced domestics, or higher still priced imports is delusional. And I suspect the “mechanics” you’re talking about are of the “shade tree” variety without enough training to understand the new technology, since this board is populated by a great many true mechanics and we’ve heard no such complaint from them.
Here’s a good one we’ll take the GM HYWIRE or HIGHWIRE or HIWIRE >>?? Who knows who cares? The thing is the whole thing is a computer on wheels. The only engine is the size of a starter moter in the wheel well area. Can you fix that JayWB, I know I sure cant and I’m one of those a–holes that is a good samaritan and tries to help Americans by giving them discounts and deals when they are in a bind or on the side of the road and no one else stops. THE CHINESE ARENT GOING TO COME TO YOUR RESCUE YOU DUMMIES GARBAGE… TODAYS CARS ARE GARBAGE!!!
Well, let’s see. If it’s truly only an engine the size of a starter motor inthe wheel well area, it shouldn’t be too difficult to troubleshoot motor problems, should it? As for the rest of the electronics, I don’t know, how complicated can it be to drive a starter motor?
Doesn’t anyone stop to think S T O P 2 T H I N K MAYBE JUST MAYBE I AM A SLAVE TO MY CAR PAYMENTS. I havent paid a dime in years on my 1989 Chevy Cavalier Z24 5 speed 6 cylinder FWD @ 35-40 mpg AND I hauled a-- past some idiot in a Lexus this morning. So as far as how great the power from the newer cars are is absolutely nothing compared to the power of my freedom from payments. GARBAGE… TODAYS CARS ARE GARBAGE!!!
Here’s a news flash for you, your 89 Cavalier with its 6 cylinder 5 speed wouldn’t get its astonishing 35 to 40 mpg without the assist of the electronics that run it. And those electronics are the new technology we’re talking about. It’s the same garbage you’re ranting about.
I have a good idea think about it like buying a computer. Once the car has a glitch of some kind you not only need a mechanic but you will also need a computer geek. Yes this is the stage we are entering. You people who are slaves to your car payments now will more then likely be unable to afford a repair. The part that really s–ks is because of governmental mingling I too will be subject to the same dreaded outcome because of all the other idiots mistakes in America.
Im done with cars, I done being a mechanic, Im going to Bermuda to drink myself to death.
Ok, you’re done being a mechanic. From the sounds of your rant, the automotive world won’t miss you.
Left foot? I always used the parking brake if I really needed to keep from drifting back. But, as I’ve already said, an experienced driver can handle all but the steepest hills with no trouble at all.
Subaru’s Hill-Holder is a pretty neat little deal. It’s usually trouble-free and most problems, if they occur, are caused by an out of adjustment or worn clutch.
I believe the new Subarus are using an electronic variant of the Hill-Holder mechanism.
The old ones allowed a ball to roll onto a seat in a hydraulic cylinder. When the brake pedal was released the residual brake pressure would be maintained by forcing the ball back onto the seat even harder. When the clutch pedal was released a rod would push the ball off the seat and this would release the brake pressure.
You should try a hand-shift motorcycle with no front brake on a steep hill with someone behind you! One foot comes up on the clutch pedal while dropping the other off the brake, while moving the tank lever into gear, and praying you’re not leaning too much or the wind is not gusting too strong from the side.
“You should try a hand-shift motorcycle with no front brake on a steep hill with someone behind you! One foot comes up on the clutch pedal while dropping the other off the brake, while moving the tank lever into gear, and praying you’re not leaning too much or the wind is not gusting too strong from the side.”
Sounds like fun. When I was a kid, a friend of my dad had a perfect pre-war indian chief (with a suicide shift). Some day I’m going to buy myself one of those to play with.
Cars are definitely much cheaper to acquire(adjusted for inflation) and if you look at an ownership period significantly cheaper to run. You can keep a vehicle over 150k miles/8years without serious repair and if you happen to neglect usually without serious consequence.
The comfort is many more time better with simply better sound insulation, lack of wind/noise leaks due to better construction(panels that actually fit), modern climate control (standard AC), and aerodynamics.
Also they don’t have horrid carbs that simply get more finnicky as they age and require adjustments. Fuel injection systems last the life of the vehicle
Given a choice, I’d prefer old fashioned vacuum wipers because the speed could be adjusted to run them very slowly as needed. Our 1958 Pontiac had an auxiliary vacuum pump that was part of the engine block mounted fuel pump to keep the wipers going while accelerating the motor.
Consumer Reports did a value comparison between today’s cars and those in production before all the CAFE and environmental/safety stuff was added. They put a value on long equipment life, and the standard equipment that was optional back then. In total terms of value, today’s cars have nearly 100% more value than those of 50 yeras ago or so.
I remember a Car & Driver report on a Chrysler 383 sedan in California that had travelled OVER 130,000 miles!! without major repairs. That type of thing is routine now even with econoboxes.
A fellow down the street found a 1955 Chevrolet 4 door in Nevada (no rust)and is in process of restoring it. This car is a mid level (210?) with no accessories whatsoever. The list of standard items on a new Impala that this car lacks would fill several pages.
They are a blast. I’ve got 2 of them and once you spend a little time on one it’s not bad at all. They’re often referred to as “suicide shift” bikes but that’s not quite accurate.
About anything with a hand shift is godawful expensive nowadays. Indians are even more pricy than old Harleys for the most part. Some Indians have been bringing a 100 grand and a first year (1936) OHV Harley knucklehead has brought 250 grand. A bare 1936 frame only will bring 10 grand and up. And to think these bikes used to sell for 400 dollars new.
Harley still used the hand shift on their 3 wheeled bikes (Servi-Cars) until the end of production in 1973. Most were used by police dept. meter maids and it allowed them to keep a hand free for marking tires with a long chalk stick. I used to own a 1941 Servi-Car. Vastly underpowered but then again they were not built for the highway, only for puttering around city traffic at slow speeds.
Glad I bought my stuff way back when. They’re priced me out of the market.
Modern cars have an electric analog tot he vacuum pump. There is a rheostat on the stalk in all 3 of my cars that allows the driver to control wiper speed. The newest one even slows when I stop to account for slower rain impingement at stop lights.