They don't make 'em like they used to

General Discussion
21

Every time I hear “they don’t make 'em like they used to”, I think to myself, “Thank God”.

I agree that the repair cost of a 5 MPH bump is ridiculous, and something should be done to fix it, and I agree that cars are becoming encumbered with too much technology that is meant to compensate for people’s idiotic driving habits. I’ll also be happy if I am never forced into owning a car with xenon headlamps.

That said, I think fuel injection carries more mystique than it deserves, and I wonder if auto repairmen take advantage of people’s ignorance of how it works. The carbureted engines of the late '70s and '80s stunk!

I also remember a '67 vs. '97 Corvette test where the '67 Corvette was slower through the 700 ft. slalom than…a Chrysler minivan!

22

“I also remember a '67 vs. '97 Corvette test where the '67 Corvette was slower through the 700 ft. slalom than…a Chrysler minivan!”

A few years ago, the guys on the Top Gear TV program compared the performance of an Aston Martin DB-4 and a Jag XK-E from the '60s with the performance of a modern econobox. Both of the expensive British sports cars had been restored to the point of being equal to their condition when they were new. The modern econobox might have been a Honda Civic, but I am not sure of that detail.

Anyway–the handling of the late-model econobox was far superior to that of those expensive sports machines of the '60s, and it even accelerated to 60 mph faster! Additionally, the brakes on the econobox were better.

Yup! Time and technology march on.

23

"Also, I take exception to the following being unmitigated “improvements”:

  1. recycleability: Old cars use proportionally less plastic and more steel, making them easier to recycle. Higher recycling in the modern era has more to do with gov’t mandates, plus higher scrap value of metals.

  2. Engine diagnostics: Sure, a carb’ll act up more, but it’ll do so in a manner that is (somewhat) straightforward, whereas a computer’s shenanigans are only straightforward if your last name’s Gates.

  3. HP per unit displacement: honestly, if I’m not racing it, I care little how many ccs it takes to make 1HP: I’d be more concerned about HP per pound curb weight, per $ purchase price, or per MPG given up to get it."

But those are some of the things that have made significant fuel economy improvements over the last 40 years. Are you willing to get 15 MPG on the highway in a Corvette instead of 26 MPG?

24

I am lucky enough to have enjoyed the best of the muscle cars and sports cars of the 50s and 60s, and the evolution to OBD II, ABS, etc. And from my point of view the best that is currently available is a matter of opinion, but isn’t that always true? Years ago I commuted to work in Oakland CA and if I were doing that today I might splurge and buy a sedan loaded with every safety and convenience option available and trade every few years. But living in a decidedly mundane and sedate community with the wherewithal to repair and maintain whatever I drive but no need or desire to get anywhere faster than whenever I find it quite satisfying to continue to maintain and drive vehicles that are very familiar to me, that are cheaply and easily maintained, and parts are plentiful and available everywhere. Everything I own is capable of exceeding 90 mph, comfortable to drive to the mall or across the country, require minimum insurance and don’t draw any attention. I could leave the key in the ignition at the mall and it is likely that it would be waiting for me when I returned. I rarely, if ever go to the mall though. And if I were in the market for a car to commute to work in Oakland I might consider the Hyundai Sonata. But there were several cars in my past that are more appealing to me than anything currently offered. But as they say, opinions vary.

25

@VDCdriver


26

My dear old dad (72) thinks cars in the 1950’s were the BEST EVER no matter what personally with few exception I’m glad they don’t make cars like they used too. When people look at old cars today they’ve been restored to the point that they are much better they were when they were build. Chevy used to paint the valve covers after the engine was in the car and wired up. Body panels didn’t fit right, they leaked oil, they had trouble starting when it was cold, maintenance was a nightmare every 1,000 miles you had a laundry list of things that needed checked or replaced.

I remember at a car show someone after looking at a restored 1957 chevy said “They don’t make them like they use too.” The judge said “and they never did. Had they build cars to this standard in the 1950’s nobody would have ever bought a foreign car.” .

I disagree on a few points, Connectivity one more thing to distract a driver. Climate control: I have automatic climate control and find it more of a pain then a help. But all in all I’ll take todays car over a 19 whatever, even though I love the look of cars from the 1930’s.

There are three types of people in the world, sheep, wolves and sheepdogs who protect the sheep, be a sheepdog.

27

I am pushing 70 years old and I really like the cars of the 1940s through the mid 1960s to look at at car shows. However, I have no desire to own one and have it for my only car. I don’t want a car that doesn’t have air conditioning. Disk brakes are an improvement over the old drum brakes. The steering is much more precise and quicker on today’s cars than the cars from an earlier period.
Thirty four years ago in 1977 I bought a 1948 Dodge to restore as a daily driver. I had the engine running really well and was using the car. However, it needed body work and when someone offered me more than I paid for the car, they had a Dodge. I currently have a 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2 that I purchased new and if anyone makes me a reasonable offer, the Oldsmobile will have a new home.
I remember that the clocks in the cars in the earlier era were never accurate. I would disconnect the clocks in these cars so that the clocks would show the correct time twice a day. The center hub of the steering wheel protruded way beyond the rim. One family friend had an accident in a 1930s Ford and this friend’s chest showed that the friend was a V-8 for a long time after that.
My brother owns a restored 1954 Buick. It’s fun to drive around the block, but I wouldn’t want to drive it on the interstates.

28

Lets not forget the vacuum assisted brakes either. That old Chevelle of mine scared me one day sitting at a stoplight. I had been driving around town a little bit and was heading home. I noticed a few times that while stopped for a little bit, the brake pedal would start going more and more towards the floor.

At first I thought it was my imagination, then at another light it was doing it again and finally went to the floor, then suddenly lurched forward. Quick thinking had me throw the car in park, which made a not so nice metal grinding sound, but stopped the car. I left it in park until I needed to start moving again; fearing what might be wrong. The next time I had to stop, the brake pedal felt normal, but would start slipping down after waiting a little bit.

Also, try counter steering an old car in a partial drift/spin with no power steering, talk about an adventure. I’m just glad no cop was around to see me do that, but it was a busy intersection and I know MANY people seen it happen, so I just played it off, trying to to look like I about crapped myself.

29

Newer cars are more safe and reliable, to a point. Remember adjusting the points every 3k? Sure that is gone but now everything is disposable. Alternator and starter motor rebuild, gone. No points, replace brainiac to the tune of $300. Turn rotors, not any more. It is give and take, but more like I give and they take!

30

“Sure that is gone but now everything is disposable.”

Unfortunately, if disposable items were built to last, they would cost too much. Also, starters and alternators are often rebuilt. I suppose we could do it too, but the cost for parts would be prohibitive, and I don’t have time to do the job. I need the car, and would ratehr just slap on a new or rebuilt unit and turn the old one in for the core charge refund.

31

I am one who thinks my 2002 Sienna is among the finest cars ever built. Not because it’s a mini-van, even because it’s a Toyota, though that is important to me. This car just plain works. When I turn the key to start it, it starts, period. When I leave my house on a cross-country drive, I can tell you where I will sleep that night, around 750 miles away.

I can drive and have driven 11,000 miles in 59 days, with nothing but oil and filter changes.

Year after year after year. No fiddling with points or condenser or distributor cap all the time.

Up hill at 70 mph in the Texas Hill Country at 3500 or 5000 rpm, and the heat gauge acts as if it is glued in place.

Change the plugs every 120,000 miles.

If you live in the US, the only time your wheels come off is to rotate the tires, for 60,000+ miles. No flats for most folks. (I had to donate a tire to the local kindergarten playground yesterday, I lose one about every 18 months, but that is not the tire’s fault.)

You men make it clear there are many models today which can do this. This isn’t the way it was in the past. Cars have much improved in reliability and driveability since my oldest car, a 1936 Chevrolet, or later 1950 Chevrolet, were built. Even better than my 1989 Caravan.

IMO, we are in the Golden Age of automobiles today. New Government rules will make the driving experience much less satisfying, at least that’s my guess. They, of course, will fly in business jets we have to pay for.

32

Aside from sludge issues (which I never encountered) I think the Toyotal V6 is one of the all-time great engines, smooth, powerful, and economical.

33

I did a lot of Googling on sludge issues, and almost all of them recommended synthetic oil as first measure to eliminate it. Yet, we have people who claim that no benefit from synthetic oil unless you run a racer or tow things.

34

it shouldn’t matter for day to day driving, as long as it’s changed frequently. Even the best synthetic won’t last that long if you never change it

35

Synthetic oil doesn’t sludge as easily as regular dyno oil.

36

It was only a 4 year span of sludge-prone Toyota engines.

37

irlandes: “…we have people who claim that no benefit from synthetic oil unless you run a racer or tow things.”

irlandes, I think you are oversimplifying what I and others say. In most cases, we are responding to questions about whether synthetic oil will make a normal naturally aspirated car last longer, or allow the owner to extend the oil change intervals. I usually include a caveat about sludge prone engines. I also usually include a caveat about turbocharged engines.

I still maintain that, on a naturally aspirated engine that isn’t sludge prone, if the owner’s manual and the manufacturer don’t recommend or mandate synthetic oil, it is a waste of money on a per mile cost basis for normal everyday driving. This flies in the face of synthetic oil marketing, and what several posters believe, but I stand by it.

38

I agree completely with what Whitey said.

And to add confusion…I use Synthetic oil…for a couple of reasons.

  1. It’s not unusual for winter temps here in NH to reach -15 or lower…Synthetic oil flows a lot better at these temps.

  2. I tow a camper about 10+ times during the summer.

  3. With the above…I also tend to keep my vehicles 300k+ miles…

39

I’m considering this winter running 0W-20 synthetic instead of the 5W-30 dino I normally use in my '06 Matrix.
Just to see if there’s any MPG difference.
I change oil every 6 months, 1500-3500 miles.

40

Like lots have said…Thank God they don’t make them like they used to. Granted, some of the old time vehicles were quite grand…and I agree that I would like to see them from time to time. To drive one daily would just be a hassle.
The safety features alone make my every day driver well worth the “plastic maggot” looking thing. I loved the old Chevelle…but what a pain in the kiester it was to care for! It handled like an apartment building in a mudslide, and was just about as safe! ;7)~
Thank you…I’ll keep the Vibe. Holds the whole shooting match when needed, and gets good mileage to boot. JCA