It’s Time To Start Restoring Older Vehicles And Appliances

Lurch came out and said that FJB is going to be mandating changes to cars and both light and heavy trucks because Climate Bullshit.

This is on top of them already going after gas stoves and now air conditioners.

The newer refrigerators and washing machines are already very expensive running jokes compared to the ones made even twenty years ago.

so here we go with everything else.

Every time the government sticks it’s collective nose into consumer goods everything turns to absolute shit.

Anybody else out there remember what a real toilet looked like before CONgress decided they used too much water?

And remember when the dirty cocksuckers banned conventional lightbulbs last year?

Basically if something has a proven track record and works, we can’t have that anymore.

Screw these assholes I say.

Now would be a good time to get ahead of the game and start looking around for some of these older things that still have life in them. The average price of a new car has got to be over $35 grand by now.

If you can find a decent rig from fifty odd years ago, spending half that much restoring it will get you a rig that will last for years and you will be money ahead.

Even if you have to get it from another state and have it trucked in you will be money ahead.

There won’t be a kill switch in it either.

Same goes with refrigerators and laundry machines.

There are guys out there who specialize in restoring old refrigerators and there are still plenty of outfits around that can repair old laundry equipment.

Screw these new computer controlled/ energy and water efficient pieces of shit.

They don’t work worth a damn to begin with and they have a life span measured in months, not years anyway.

I personally don’t give a damn what the Joneses next door think and never have to begin with.

Not to mention everything at some point comes back into fashion as being RETRO anyway.

48 thoughts on “It’s Time To Start Restoring Older Vehicles And Appliances

  1. well, I was told by a appliance repair guy back in 2012 or so. that was what he was doing. buying up old washers and repairing them. he told me to look at estate sales
    where they selling off the grands stuff cheap as the best wat to find one in good shape. he was there to swap out the compressor in my “new” fridge after it was less than 2 years old. about 10 years ago, a machine shop was closing down that I knew the guys very well. they had old round top fridge there with rotating shelfs
    in it. I could have got it for nothing. didn’t have a place to store it. it weighs about 3 times what my “new” one did too. stuff made today is a lot like Bic lighters. you use it for say 5 years and then you need a new one.
    and old cars like the ones above are not cheap around here. saw a 1993 Toyota pickup for sale at 12 grand. the old 22re engine with auto trans. body looked okay
    but painted rat rod black. stupid 33 inch tires on it. some kids off road toy.
    but anything from the 1970’s. you looking at 30 grand and up.
    guy on route 53 got his uncles 1970 chevy pickup out of his barn. he was asking 40 grand for it (??) small block V8, auto trans short bed. body good sound but the it needed new paint bad. no one wanted to pay that much and now he driving it with short pipes sticking out after the cab. and cheap tires on it.
    deals on old cars/trucks are hard to find these days. you got lucky with your pickup.

  2. Yes, indeed! I recall the 1952 Gibson fridge I purchased in 1970. It worked beautifully, and was still working in 1976 when I sold it. I’d bet it would still work today, because it embodied one of the key ideas in good design: simplicity.

    I drive an older-model car. I’ve toyed with the idea of replacing it with something new, but have resisted precisely because of those “kill switches,” to say nothing of all the stories about hackers breaking into newer cars through their WiFi. This will lead us nowhere good.

    • And the black boxes that are now in cars only to be used against you in traffic incidences. I think I will just drop a new engine in, cheaper.

      • driving a 97 merc gr marquis
        has never refused to start, no garage, minus 20 degrees. starts every time
        was hit from the rear by a small car. its hood was wracked up
        not a dent on the marquis. it is a tank
        14 mpg but worth it

        • Mt grandmother had a Frigidaire refrigerator that was 30 years old when I was 6. She still had it 20 years later when she died.

    • My garage fridge was my wife’s grandparents 1950 “General
      Electric Refridgerating Machine”. It’s never had any service
      and it’s still running strong after 73 years!
      Bubbarust

  3. Finding, repairing and restoring old appliances and other things is great. If you can get the parts. Many manufactureres of such items have gone out of business. The rest quit making the necessary parts long ago. Even older automobiles are harder to restore as parts are becoming more scarce. Some of this scarcity is planned….most is simply economics. There’s a bigger profit margin in selling new stuff than in making parts to keep old stuff working. Any “workaround” we come up with to thwart the criminals in power and their efforts to destroy our freedom and limit our “carbon footprint” they will quickly identify and legislate against. The solution is the eradication of the criminal class in political power. Nothing else will stop them.

    • absolutely
      the only cure
      you cannot leave a cancer in a body and expect health
      cancer must be eradicated entirely

    • Never mind the fact that Ol’ Puddinpants wants us all to heat with… wait for it… ELECTRIC FURNACES!!!

      …You can’t fix stupid, neither in the transmitter or receiver…

  4. My everyday driver, is a ’86 Toyota truck. My newest “truck”, is a ’93, 4×4, GMC Suburban. My old truck, is a ’75, F-350, 460 c. i., with 4:10, limited slip, posi rear end, converted to duelly, It got 4 to 5 mpg hauling my severely overloaded 22′, enclosed car hauler with all the heavy, valuable stool (good shit) from Commiefornia to Tennessee. Did I get enough commas in there? Too many?
    Nothing but the latest and greatest for me.

    • Tree Mike- I bet you were pleased when buying TN tags. most of TN is easy on registration. Unless you live in memphis nashvill or chattanooga; there are few restrictions. stay the hell away from those cess pits

      • Chestnut, no shit! My last Ca, registration for the Toy was over $120/year in 2014. Here it’s $27ish in my county, unless you have to get a new license plate, then add 10 or 15 bucks. The best part? No smog every two years!
        Over an hour away from Nashville at 75 mph.
        Those LEO suv’s in the center divide are looking for front license plates, not speeders! I have to go to Nashville VA semi regularly in our worthless but reliable Hyundai. Took awhile to get it registered, so every time I went by the cops, they would be pulling out before I got to them. Then they would pace me till they finished their records check. Once they figured out I was a bad asset forfeiture candidate, they take the next exit. After I figured out my STOP ME sign, I removed the front plate and I was never checked again.
        LOVE Tennessee!

  5. I’ve heard the low-flow toilets we have now are there because a bunch of states were coming up with legislation on gallons per flush and it was looking like they’d have to make a bunch of different toilets. The industry begged the feds to set one standard they could meet.

    Sometimes the problem isn’t DC, it’s the green neighbors.

    • Yeah… Those low-flow toilets… The nannies in Commifornia mandated these a while back. The trouble with low-flow toilets is that less water is pushing the same shit down the line to the septic tank. That means it and its associated paperwork piles up in the line and clogs it… So… to keep that from happening, I need to flush at least twice… But LOOK AT THE POLAR BEARS I’M SAVING!!!

  6. Let’s not forget old motorcycles. My son found a junk 1980 Honda 750 CB with a seized engine that he got for free and totally rebuilt. They built so many of them that all kinds of parts are available. He could afford any vehicle he wants but he likes rebuilding the old stuff. By the way – he’s a millenial. They’re not all the same.

    • Your’re lucky to have a son like that. Mine is a total waste of the sperm I contributed. That wad would have had better sense being wiped into a tissue or old sock.

      • that is a very good way to say you son is worthless shit.
        don’t feel bad about it, mine is the same way.
        for some reason, he thinks anything I have is also his (??)
        he used to “help” himself to my ammo, cash or anything else he could get his hands on without me catching him.
        he does not know where I live or even the phone number here. he never had time to help me out with anything, but when he needed something , he was right at my door.
        BTW, he is not in my will either. in case you might be wondering. stupid kid would drink my 18 year old scotch and fill it back up with water thinking I couldn’t tell the difference. yup. he is that fucking stupid and thinks he is a genius too (?)

        • Sorry you guys have those issues with your sons, I’m not trying to rub abybody’s nose in how my sons are even if I sound that way. We are all up against a society that has decided that boys are worhtless shit and should be thrown aside just like a disposable appliance and a lot of them get that message loud and clear. What I see going on with most young men in todays world is nothing short of tragic. Just know there are exceptions out there.

    • That’s the ticket; to buy and drive something that were made in the millions and retain popularity. Jeeps and pickups immediately come to mind. Parts, both used and aftermarket, will be available for them until long after we hang up our keys!

      A millennial that can rebuild an engine??? LUCKY YOU!!! My kid came up from working out in the barn and said “Dad, the lights are on on that …green… thing… in the barn.” He was referring to the lawn tractor… Where the HELL has the TESTOSTERONE gone???

  7. I’m putting together a one ton farm truck (Ford, of course). Well it’s one ton in the back with a 3/4 front drive axle. Big topped out 460 I built 25 yrs ago (holy shit)

    Question is, what year to make it? The options are many.
    I got a 71 f100 it’d be a shame to break up. Same for the 68.
    Besides, those are tight cabs. I got various 78 and up, which might be less conspicuous. ;o)
    Jess has a few Broncos, well 5 or 6. Two of the old one but I doubt he’ll part with them. I also have a seventy mustang and a 68 Montego (just bodies)
    Sacrilege?

    • NO, simply look around for used mills to put in ’em, drive ’em ’till they drop, rinse, repeat.
      If I can put a 427 in a Vega, you can drop almost anything into anything. Just takes a basic knowledge of car electrical systems, and you’re good to go.
      If’n you want to fuel inject he engine, I suggest you go with MegaSquirt, it’ll run anything from 2 cylinders to 24 cylinders! And, you can pick your own power/gas consumption output!
      I’m doing my 427 truck engine in my RV, 630 CFM TBI and doing DUAL fuel/air ratoi tables for hill climbing vs flat road cruising.

  8. True story, two months ago the 8 year old Whirlpool washer main bearing goes out. Known failure point now. It can be replaced but takes a few special tools that can be made to replace bearing and seal. About an all day plus one waiting to cure sealant so call it a weekend in the garage project. I can fix it but won’t because the SOB doesn’t wash clothes worth a damn. NO CENTER AGITATOR on the damn thing and no water used in the cycles. Clothes rub against each other and wear out prematurely. Body smells aren’t washed out. Bacteria builds up because of lack of water rinses and causes machine to impart even more smells. Went to Lowes and purchased cheapest unit with a central agitator. Expect to get 4 to 5 years of life out of it. Had two older units but wife wore them out washing clothes. It’s what she likes to do. 3 loads a day, towels, sheets, undies, socks, shirts all done everyday. Even with that the clothes were never really clean. Now its like 1999 again.

    Spin Drift

    • Run each load twice and look to see if you (her) are putting in too much soap. Second time your looking soap bubbles. Over loading with soap will cause all kinds of problem. It’s a real common problem sometimes cause by the water in your area.

      • Water softeners do two things:- you don’t have to use as much water OR soap, and warm/cool cycles work better.
        Worth the $350 I spent ten years ago to convert the house.
        NOTE: make sure you don’t hook up the outside faucets to the treated water. Ask me how I know and how I fixed it… oops.

        • Not to much soap as she’s a frugal person by nature. I actually did appliance engineering for Whirlpool just before the no water revolution. And yes water hardness is an issue but not as bad here as central Illannoys.

          Spin

  9. It seems that there used to be 3rd or 4th hand cars readily available everywhere you looked that could be road worthy with limited repairs but no more.. I’m pretty sure that Obama’s “Cash for clunkers” put a huge dent in that. When I lived in New Englandistan a “winter beater/basic transportation” could be had almost any day from a gas station/repair shop for the money that was owed on them. Slap some tires on it or a muffler fix and you were good to go. It was an easy way to get back & forth to work and still cover your bills and buy some food.

    • We called those “station cars” on Long Island. They were sound enough to pass inspection and to get you to and from the train station. Up in Kodiak, they were called “Kodiak cars.” They were mostly older cars brought to the island by us Coast Guardsmen and left there when we transferred out.

  10. My 88 year old mom still has the fridge that came with their first house in 1959. Uses it as a spare in the garage. The primary kitchen fridge has been replaced numerous times, but that old white beast keeps chugging along.

  11. Get a horse or two.
    And as many old gardening/woodworking/mechanics tools as you can get your hands on.

    • “Get a Horse or two.” HAHAHAHAHAHA(cough,cough)
      My 2,000-pound, 4-legged Tick Magnet Runs like the last 1/4 mile in the Kentucky Derby when he sees me coming at him with a Saddle. It usually takes half an hour of Stalking him around the Field before I can get my Hands on him and drag him back to the Shed.

      As for Older Vehicles, get a pre-’95 Diesel with a Manual Transmission- or any Diesel with a Mechanical Injection Pump- they need NO Electrics to Run, except to Start if an Auto Trans. Diesels are IMMUNE to any Electromagnetic/Radio Frequency Attack, up to and including Nuclear EMP.
      Diesels will Rule the Wastelands when things go “Mad Max”. The 6 x 6 in the first Movie was an M-35 A2 with the M.A.N. Multifuel Engine – it can Run on the Engine and Transmission Oils from all the Dead Cars. Yes, I have one.

      • Maybe your horse thinks you’re an asshole.
        I can go anywhere on a horse, and quiet too. And when the power/gas runs out you’ll be jerkin off fat guys for a ride to town.

  12. My wife and I got married in 1970. In ’71, we moved into an apartment that had a refrigerator that the previous tenant wanted $20 for. It was probably 20 years old at that time. We bought it. We bought a house in ’76 and put that refrigerator in the basement. It’s been running in the basement ever since.
    We’re on our third refrigerator in the kitchen.

  13. When we moved into our current house in ’14, I bought my wife the full suite of new, matching appliances for the kitchen. It was what she always wanted, and after 21 years of following me around in the military, she deserved them. We’re nine years down the road now. The refrigerator and the microwave have been replaced. The dishwasher has been repaired no less than five times. The stove is the only appliance that’s still working as expected.

    We had to replace our washer/drier set a few years back. They were from the 80’s. The washer just plain wore and rusted out. We didn’t have time to sit and wait for a vintage replacement, so we went with new. So far, so good, but given the numbers of fairly new appliances I see sitting out on the curb for pickup, I have no hope that this set will last. Oh; and the “water efficient” feature should be called the “stinky clothes feature!” My wife has to use to the “Max Water” button on the thing for the clothes to come out clean! You KNOW the manufacturers build that feature in because they KNOW the washer isn’t going to work worth a damn using the amount of water MANDATED by the state nannies!

    Helpful hint for you fellow victims of the “climate change” fanatic nannies; almost EVERY new appliance, from the washer/drier to the dishwasher, uses a COMPUTER MOTHERBOARD to control the thing. PUT.ALL.OF.YOUR.APPLIANCES.ON SURGE.PROTECTORS! All it takes is one brownout or “flicker-clicker” blackout to take out half your appliances at a time! …It is what it is…

    • Yup. Had a brief power interruption running a fancy maytag neptune clothes washer. The machine shit the bed when it happened. Never could start it again. Wtf. Clothesline now make sense to me.

    • Any suggestions for what brand surge protector for refrigerators? I just had to buy a new frig last Sunday because my 25 year old Kenmore died and no parts to be found for it. My neighborhood gets the flicker-clicker bumps. It fried my desk top last year so now the computer is on an APC surge/backup power protector.

      • My current and previous houses have whole house surge suppressors. They are installed in the circuit breaker box and protect all the circuits. Mine paid for itself in the previous house when we had a series of lightning strikes across the ridge we were on. Everyone else on the block lost thousands of dollars of electronics, microwaves, etc. I lost a 150 year old tulip poplar.

  14. Good luck with insurance, they will start mandated removal just like Japan for older cars. Any house items too

  15. Lotsa great points made here. One I’d add is if you have no brand affinity (chevy/ford/dodge etc) buy chevy and buy a small block if you can. Parts are everywhere and there is some interchangeability. Also, if you’re unsure of your auto-acumen, buy the car then buy the shop manual and buy auto repair for dummies. So easy even a meat cutter can do it.

  16. I had my last washer for 19 years, which was kind of a miracle, since at the time I got it I was doing laundry for six people (two full loads a day, seven days a week). If I’d known that machine would last that long, I would have bought two of them and put one in storage. Instead I’m stuck with a new washer. It works okay, but it has one incredibly annoying “safety” feature that none of my previous ones had: once the spin cycle starts, the lid locks automatically and refuses to unlock until long after the spinning has stopped. (So far I haven’t found a way to override it.) I’m guessing all new top-loading washers have this feature, added by the manufacturers either in response to a lawsuit by some imbecile who stuck his hand in the basket while it was spinning and ended up with a fractured finger, or in response to new regulations by some stupid government agency. Back in the old days when manufacturers changed their products, it was to improve them. Nowadays when they change them it’s to forestall lawsuits or to comply with new government regulations, and the changes are almost never an improvement.

    • Speed Queen Classic TC5 is what you are looking for. Don’t get the more updated electronic version.

      No lid lock, fills to the top and regular cycle is 38 minutes.

      • I bought one of the Speed Queen TC5’s last year. Works like a champ but is noisy like one also. Cleans the clothing awesomely. I had to drive 65 miles across Houston to get one without waiting in line.

    • The story I heard was that a woman reached into a washer to move something, and her bra strap got caught on the agitator. The result was she got beat to death by head impacts before she could get loose. Haven’t seen confirmation of the story, though. Sounds weird enough that it’s probably true…

      • Crap, Will people die falling out of bed, next thing is ban beds… using equipment, tools and devices that roll, turn, agitate you have to be aware and take safety to a higher level, but crap, they are stupid or don’t care about their own safety but all us have to suffer because a few are Darwin award participants. Getting wounded or killed should be painful for them. Strengthens the gene pool.

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