12 thoughts on “Make cars simple to work on again!”
REV’R’ND!!!
Won’t happen until the entire federal bureaucracy is reduced to what the constitution specifically allows.
I have a 74 Stingray that I rescued from a storage unit. It was driven 7 years and the owner died. The wife could not drive a stick and got a friend to drive it to a storage unit. It has 47k miles on it and I have been going through all the systems the past couple of years replacing a lot of parts because it was not properly prepped for storage. All that is left is the brake system. I just received a Wilwood caliper/rotor set, all hard and rubber brake lines, new booster, and master cylinder. My guestimate is I will have this on the road sometime in August.
I agree, my wundercar (Mercedes S class) was stuck in 3rd gear so I limped home at 4,000rpm and 36mph! The problem is that one of the tone rings ($9 each at Rock Auto) had rusted, which destroyed the speed sensor. Once the computer saw a disagreement between the transmission output speed and the front wheel speed it locked the transmission in the 3rd of 7 speeds. I now have it on the hoist with both front hubs removed.
My next car will be a Mercedes from the ’70s or ’80s with no electronics except the radio.
The pic looks like the Ford Model N assembly shop.
I started out young on Ford Flatheads and WD Allis Chalmers motors and went from there to racing with small block Mopars. The vehicles I own now, own me and they go to a good mechanic for repairs.
One of my in law relatives has a ’25 Model T Pickup and he taught me how to drive that planetary gearbox. It was actually pretty cool. They say that in the heyday of the Model T there were all kinds of parts like transmission bands, tires, and radiators available at general stores all over America. Simple cars with common parts also make for simplified parts distribution. Also I like those Ford wrenches cars used to come with. Back then there was some expectation that men ought to have some mechanical sense. Nowadays it’s man buns and lattes.
Ain’t gonna happen, unless they get rid of fuel injection, front wheel drive, and A/C. Basically, anything requiring computer chips, sensors, and/or belt-driven pumps under the hood.
There were mechanical fuel injection units before they became computer controlled(GM Rochester), and FWD(Early Olds Tornado) isn’t necessarily bad – but I agree that anything requiring a processor to operate is a bad thing.
my first was a 54 F100, 6 volt positive ground and a GENERATOR, nothing to break. the only problem i ever had was if it backfired on a cold morning i would have to raise the hood and put the fire out on the oil bath air filter. i kept an old towel under my seat just for that.
i crossed many state lines in that old truck at 60 mph at top speed. it was only 12 yrs old when i got it, and gave 200 bucks for it. i wonder what it would go for now. those were good times.
My steeds are an 89 SHO and an 85 Beaver motor coach with a 427 normally-aspirated TRUCK engine. My wife’s 03 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a partly-rebuilt motor in it now, I see absolutely NO need to get a newfangled oversexed roller skate with a stoopid Infotainment System and all kinds of add-on crap that breaks after 20 years.
KISS is not just an acronym, it should be taught to every newbie Engineer that thinks they are gonna take the world by storm!
Musk gets it – “The best part is NO part!”…
If only we could get rid of those iron moths our trucks in the Great White North would last a few more decades…
REV’R’ND!!!
Won’t happen until the entire federal bureaucracy is reduced to what the constitution specifically allows.
I have a 74 Stingray that I rescued from a storage unit. It was driven 7 years and the owner died. The wife could not drive a stick and got a friend to drive it to a storage unit. It has 47k miles on it and I have been going through all the systems the past couple of years replacing a lot of parts because it was not properly prepped for storage. All that is left is the brake system. I just received a Wilwood caliper/rotor set, all hard and rubber brake lines, new booster, and master cylinder. My guestimate is I will have this on the road sometime in August.
I agree, my wundercar (Mercedes S class) was stuck in 3rd gear so I limped home at 4,000rpm and 36mph! The problem is that one of the tone rings ($9 each at Rock Auto) had rusted, which destroyed the speed sensor. Once the computer saw a disagreement between the transmission output speed and the front wheel speed it locked the transmission in the 3rd of 7 speeds. I now have it on the hoist with both front hubs removed.
My next car will be a Mercedes from the ’70s or ’80s with no electronics except the radio.
The pic looks like the Ford Model N assembly shop.
I started out young on Ford Flatheads and WD Allis Chalmers motors and went from there to racing with small block Mopars. The vehicles I own now, own me and they go to a good mechanic for repairs.
One of my in law relatives has a ’25 Model T Pickup and he taught me how to drive that planetary gearbox. It was actually pretty cool. They say that in the heyday of the Model T there were all kinds of parts like transmission bands, tires, and radiators available at general stores all over America. Simple cars with common parts also make for simplified parts distribution. Also I like those Ford wrenches cars used to come with. Back then there was some expectation that men ought to have some mechanical sense. Nowadays it’s man buns and lattes.
Ain’t gonna happen, unless they get rid of fuel injection, front wheel drive, and A/C. Basically, anything requiring computer chips, sensors, and/or belt-driven pumps under the hood.
There were mechanical fuel injection units before they became computer controlled(GM Rochester), and FWD(Early Olds Tornado) isn’t necessarily bad – but I agree that anything requiring a processor to operate is a bad thing.
I remember in the ’70’s, the Pinto was advertised as a car that was simple and reliable like a Model A.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vintageads/comments/17fihqp/1972_ad_introducing_the_ford_pinto/#lightbox
my first was a 54 F100, 6 volt positive ground and a GENERATOR, nothing to break. the only problem i ever had was if it backfired on a cold morning i would have to raise the hood and put the fire out on the oil bath air filter. i kept an old towel under my seat just for that.
i crossed many state lines in that old truck at 60 mph at top speed. it was only 12 yrs old when i got it, and gave 200 bucks for it. i wonder what it would go for now. those were good times.
My steeds are an 89 SHO and an 85 Beaver motor coach with a 427 normally-aspirated TRUCK engine. My wife’s 03 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a partly-rebuilt motor in it now, I see absolutely NO need to get a newfangled oversexed roller skate with a stoopid Infotainment System and all kinds of add-on crap that breaks after 20 years.
KISS is not just an acronym, it should be taught to every newbie Engineer that thinks they are gonna take the world by storm!
Musk gets it – “The best part is NO part!”…
If only we could get rid of those iron moths our trucks in the Great White North would last a few more decades…