Are all manufactures terrible now?

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by ATex7239
Originally Posted by honeeagle
any of you remember the days of old ,when you lent your car to a friend?
there were questions that needed to be addressed - how to start it .
yes back then it was -pump the gas twice and twice only ,then 1/2 way down before you crank it, that's from cold ,hot was a completely differant book.
and
never mind if it keeps running after the key is off ,it will stop eventually.
almost infinite variables
we got it good today


This posted cracked me up. I had a ‘79 Powerwagon like this...

You had to put it in neutral and rev the rpms while stopped if it was too cold outside. And it choked out with too much throttle during a turn... not the ideal time to lose power steering.




I knew someone who had a Dodge Dart with the old slant six. The engine died every time you made a left turn while moving. Back then you could put the auto transmission in neutral and turn the key to restart.

It was a known quirk with that engine. Today it would be blasted over social media.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by tiger862
Cars today have air bags so if in accident car is toast and older days I hooked car between 2 trees with come a long. Pulled until gaps looked good and drove for years. We used string and level to do the alignment and was able to get parts at the junkyard. I miss those days.

Were any of those the one that had the missing radiator off the boat?





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[tiger862]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by tiger862
Cars today have air bags so if in accident car is toast and older days I hooked car between 2 trees with come a long. Pulled until gaps looked good and drove for years. We used string and level to do the alignment and was able to get parts at the junkyard. I miss those days.

Were any of those the one that had the missing radiator off the boat?





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Laugh if you want to it happened and was a Toyota pickup that was missing radiator

It was a Ford Fairmont that I trusted a friend to get me home and he hit tree head on. We pulled frame and junkyard parts to get it running. Now we are lazy ...œ and use eBay. We loved junkyards as we could buy a 50.00 truck then go to junkyard to get parts to repair for next to nothing. Being poor had its benefits.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted by billt460

It's no different than forcing your kid to eat all his vegetables, or study and do his homework, instead of watching TV. They'll scream and whine, but in the long run they'll turn out better. Government mileage standards have given us HEMI engines that get 20+ MPG on the highway, instead of 8. With more horsepower, better dependability, and smoother performance.



I appreciate the stainless steel exhaust that comes from the 8+ year catalytic converter warranty.
"They" invented platinum/ iridium/ ruthenium plugs to make it past ambitious milestones without tuneups, and the price dropped eventually.
When they plan obsolescence, they'll go for fewer acceptable failures in the powertrain/ emissions systems. So your elderly car will have bad power window regulators, leaky sunroofs, etc but still run, in theory at least.

 

[SeaJay]

I have driven many cars from the 60's and 70's. There are several good descriptions of the problems those "classics" had. Today's cars have more features, have eliminated many of the issues with the old classics but are more expensive to fix.

Adding it all up, I'll take today's cars. And it isn't even a close call.

Knock on wood, but my current ride is 6 years old with 70K miles. The only failure I had is a seatbelt sensor and one exhaust bracket needed some beefing up. I just fill her up with gas (cheapest brand), change the oil at the manufacturer's recommendation, replace the maintenance items (tires, battery & brakes from mostly stop and go driving) and go wherever I want whenever I want with no problems starting the car and getting there. A four cylinder motor in a 3,500 pound car has enabled me to cruise at 80MPH up and down the east coast on the interstate, often with a loaded down roof rack with plenty of heavy cargo inside on a number of trips. Couldn't be happier.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Part of the problem is not OEM related. Much of the complexity comes form Government interference. The OEM's have to increase the complexity beyond what is actually needed to meet the demands laid on them by government agencies. And there is no way to get around this... the more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain. So while it is easy to blame the vehicle makers themselves, don't forget to throw some of that blame where it deserves to be put.

I lived thru the 60's and 70's. My first vehicle was a '66 Chevy C-10 283. My second was a '72 Chevy Nova 307. Pretty darn reliable, both of them. I actually have had pretty good results from all the vehicles I have owned. Not only GM products, but Ford. Had a '76 Ford Mustang Cobra II 302, a '79 Ford Bronco and '90 Bronco (both full size), '98 Chevy 2500, 2006 Jeep Liberty Diesel (sold to my son later), and the list goes on. Currently have a 2006 Cadillac CTS, '15 Chevy 2500, and '17 Chevy Equinox. All doing quite well. In 50 years of vehicle ownership, I have never had to get a warranty repair. Even on my several heavy commercial trucks. Recalls, yes. Warranty claims, no.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I definitely blame the government for the way cars look now. The regulations regarding pedestrian safety have ruined the modern sedan. The regulations that mandate structural rigidity, restraint & stability systems bear the blame for the porky weight. But the manufacturers are most to blame for the cost-cutting measures they choose when selecting the vendors of their electronic components. Modern cars are stuffed full of components from China and Taiwan that embody the definition of planned obsolescence.

While I appreciate the value of non-Takata airbags, and would prefer not to drive in rush-hour traffic without one, I wish it were possible for manufacturers & the government to draft a liability release for consumers that want a simple and light vehicle devoid of most of the safety equipment that cars are now brimming with. Equip it with just enough computing power to run the engine and meet current emissions standards, install a couple of front airbags, and send it to market. Ideally, it would be a lot like my '86 Civic Si, with bare bones SRS installed. Goal weight: 2300 lbs.

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by WylieCoyote
I definitely blame the government for the way cars look now. The regulations regarding pedestrian safety have ruined the modern sedan. The regulations that mandate structural rigidity, restraint & stability systems bear the blame for the porky weight. But the manufacturers are most to blame for the cost-cutting measures they choose when selecting the vendors of their electronic components. Modern cars are stuffed full of components from China and Taiwan that embody the definition of planned obsolescence.

While I appreciate the value of non-Takata airbags, and would prefer not to drive in rush-hour traffic without one, I wish it were possible for manufacturers & the government to draft a liability release for consumers that want a simple and light vehicle devoid of most of the safety equipment that cars are now brimming with. Equip it with just enough computing power to run the engine and meet current emissions standards, install a couple of front airbags, and send it to market. Ideally, it would be a lot like my '86 Civic Si, with bare bones SRS installed. Goal weight: 2300 lbs.


Terrific post!

I've been pushing for just that. I'd also allow customers to forgo airbags as well. I'd love to have a brand new version of my fantastic old 1984 Rabbit GTI. Unloaded weight 2100!