Do you mean Vanden Plas?
That car company ceased to be an independent entity in the late '40s, when they were bought-out by Austin.
Since that time, the Vanden Plas name existed only as a special trim version of marques such as Austin, Rover, and Jaguar, and Jag hasn’t used that trim designation for about 15 years. Most likely the car in question was an old Jag with the upscale Vanden Plas trim designation.
Yes, that’s the correct name. I’m not sure what year it is but appears to be an early 60’s design just by looking at it.
Some of those ideas I concur with, especially the problems about too much complexity. But I don’t see much evidence for lower quality materials. To the extent plastic has increased, it is likely b/c the designers are trying to reduce weight, in order to improve the fleet mpg number, important for meeting gov’t regulations. I think a lot of the complexity is for offering functionality that buyer’s “think” they want. More transparency about the downside of this complexity would be welcomed by car buyers I think.
If it was from the '60s, I think that it could have been either a Rover sedan or a Jag sedan.
He did a segment on an f150 that had a cost of $60k not sure year, among much of what he mentioned had to do with the plastic feel of the interior at that price point and he specifically called out the rear tailgate handle which can get plenty of use and was on that vehicle he had on hand starting to detach.
Plastic feel and use of plastic for components that should be made of other materials like door handles, some console and dash pieces which suffer from drying, fading, scratching and cracking especially in hot climates or in areas where it gets cold like north east should be considered in my opinion.
Using epoxy, plastic or composite parts has become a thing due to weight vs mpg but I refuse to see that as an acceptable excuse. When you spend a lot of time in your vehicle it should feel comfortable and warm, not cheap especially when you pay a high price for it. Thats just me and thats why I see real value in used vehicles especially the older models.
As for complexity its a shame but true statement that they have to idiot proof cars because more than ever it seems people just dont know how to drive and yes selling them something they think they need when in fact they dont is also part of it.
Automakers should resist the temptation to roll out bells and whistles until they can perfect them, its an embarrassment to the company when they cant even get infotainment centers to work correctly but they seem to not mind and consumers seem to not mind paying through the nose to be beta testers.
I can buy an older model that is solid inside and out but has no BT or navigation, buy a BT/FM transmitter cigarette charger adapter for $15 and instantly have BT audio and mapping which is usually 100% solid with no map upgrade costs at all.
There will never be transparency on the side of the manufacturer or dealer because its counter to their objective which is why, even though you may not like them or always agree with them, we need people out there pointing out the shortcomings of vehicles so we know what we are walking into.
I just put new pads and rotors and tires on my wifes xc90 and tomorrow its going into the shop to have some body work done because of someone not paying attention to where they were driving. While its there I am going to have him do some maintenance, an alignment and replace some worn out parts to prepare for the winter.
On the ride to pick up the rental, I mentioned to my wife that as of yet I had little confidence in buying a used vehicle in the 2015 to 2020 year range that I felt wouldnt end up being a money pit. I pointed out that the xc90 has been very good to us and to my amazement she said that she might be open to keeping it for now…surprise surprise!
Now if I can get her to look at some mini vans we might bear witness to a miracle.
Yes, he’s a total hack who contradicts himself at least two times a week. He relies on scam/clickbait tactics for views. He’s also not into dissenting opinions or semi-knowledgeable people calling out his often ridiculous claims. Take a look at the comment section in his videos. 90% of the comments are singling his praises or blindly agreeing with him. Comments that point out his contradictions or where he flat out gets it wrong are deleted quickly. His shadowban list is lengthy.
Yeah, this one of his more infamous BS claims. In his videos will often mention being “a young mechanic back in the 60’s.” He was born in 1953. He wasn’t overhauling transmissions at his dad’s gas station at age 10.
Don’t worry, he’ll post another video in a few/days weeks telling why you should definitely buy * insert model here* because it’s a tried and true. That’s his entire M.O.
+1
Once in a while, the esteemed Mr. Kilmer might wander into saying something valid, but–overall–I think that he is a self-important hack.
[quote=“VDCdriver, post:61, topic:193226”]
Do you mean Vanden Plas?
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Update: Now thinking the car is question is late 70’s vintage. Allegro/Vandan Plas 1500 w/1.7 L engine.
Havent seen enough video to say he contradicts himself but as I said before even those who scream the loudest and say the least you can always find something useful if you listen. I have my own experiences, I grew up working on cars and pumping gas at my dads gas station during the 70’s (actually collected tips for washing windshields), did a stint as a chrysler, oldsmobile, and lincoln mechanic after high school, worked replacing rebuilt transmissions for a crooked company in west orange nj and dated a girl whose dad worked at the GM plant in southern NJ back in the early 90’s and saw the production lines first hand I can tell the good and the bad when I see it and most of what is produced today is not bad its lousy. However since I have been out of it for a long time and not observing first hand the atrocious product rolling off the line I like to hear varied view points and then do the math and have at the very least found Scotty’s observations and methods of evaluation and cautions to be useful as a baseline for what to look for and pay attention to. I dont attach personalities to it, hes not taking any money out of my pocket or pushing me into something that I do not want so there is no harm as I see it in listening. I find him to be an amusing distraction in an otherwise boring day which may or may not come with a side of useful knowledge.
You might want to read this, same chassis as the Armada:
For full size, there are two and only two options - Land Cruiser and Sequoia.
Feel free to ignore.
I agree - Scotty has been all over the place lately. You can’t produce literally daily videos without BS AND not boring indefinitely. Time to retire.