A couple of indications of how automobiles are fading from modern times.

[Leif in Calif]

18 hours ago, 31nash880 said:

Started by taking away dip sticks.

Cars are becoming like refrigerators. No maintenance required (or possible). I have a 2018 Chevy Volt. It's a hybrid but because the engine doesn't run all the time, I've got almost 90K miles and I've only changed the oil 3 times. Only had to go in the shop once, and that was for a software update. 

[zepher]

Although the service intervals on newer cars are being extended, I still service all my modern cars well before the recommended service interval.

I don't run spark plugs to the full 100k miles or more, they come out at 70k miles.

Oil changes are done every 4k miles with full synthetic.

Air filters are changed when they fail to pass the visual test or when I notice a drop in mpg.

 

My maintenance practices are probably why I have a 2002 Nissan with 250k miles that still runs and performs like new. I wouldn't hesitate to jump in the car and drive it anywhere.

[Rivguy]

I agree that the general public only cares about a car as transportation, a means to an end. That has been the general case for decades. I've read that people interested in vintage cars back in the 1950's were considered to be somewhat embarrassing and odd. Growing up in the 1960's most of the guys that I knew were interested in the newer performance cars that had come out; the Corvette, the Jaguar XKE, Shelby Cobra, Sunbeam Tiger, etc. In high school more became interested in older cars as they were going to become drivers and car owners in a few years. Honestly though, it was only a small number that were really interested.  Not to be chauvinistic about it, but girls had almost no interest in cars at all, maybe in their boyfriend's car, or the one that their Dad bought them. 

The Millennial generation grew up being driven around by their parents, unlike us, who walked, rode our bikes, or took the bus. All by ourselves! No wonder they don't care to drive. My youngest Daughter doesn't care to drive, even though we gave her a Mustang. She will take Uber, or ride the train to SJ when she visits. My Son, on the other hand is a real gearhead. We spent a lot of time playing with my cars and motorcycles when he was growing up. We shared an interest in classic Datsun Z cars, I  got into those because he really liked them. He became a hardcore motorcycle rider also. He commuted to SF every day that it wasn't raining cats and dogs. He likes cars, though the ones he likes are different from me. He's had a couple of Acuras, now has an older Porsche Boxster, and just bought his first new car, a Tesla. 

I'm not surprised that the number of books about cars is declining. The younger generation doesn't have much interest in reading once they get out of school. It was a sad day for me when the Petersen publishing company killed off all their magazine titles. It's kind of funny to think that this is a community of mostly older people that have learned to use and cherish the Internet, as a way to build and maintain a community. Who would have thought!

I won't complain about the increased reliability, reduced need for routine maintenance and increased life span of modern cars. This even extends back to the years of the "Vintage Lite" cars that I now own. I plan to keep on enjoying owning and driving cars for the years that I have left

[Frank DuVal]

11 hours ago, Pfeil said:

The only time to go to YouTube regarding car repairs is for a good laugh.

While there is some humor with people trying to get a lot of viewers in order to get paid, there are really good how to's on there. Separating the wheat from the chaff is similar to listening to a group of friends or car club buddies. You soon know who to believe.

 

I recently saw a video of how to straighten a lawnmower crankshaft. Yes, after 60 years of mowing I bent a crank.🙁 Using a pipe as shown in the video I got the crank within .010" and the mower runs great again. 

 

Why do the sqiggly lines on a Encore dashboard show up and what to replace? Watch youtube, coil pack is bad, but lights the slippery road symbol. One part (yep, all four coils, COP in one epoxied assembly) and daughter back on road. Five minute diagnosis via Google. What's not to like? 

[Frank DuVal]

Double post, Submit button never went away, so I hit it again.

Edited December 10, 2022 by Frank DuVal (see edit history)

[marcapra]

27 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

Five minute diagnosis via Google. What's not to like? 

I agree Google has some good stuff.  My AC quit last summer in 100 deg. weather.  A video on Youtube told me to replace the big capacitor and that fixed it.  Saved me a service call which would have taken a week or two.  Also just a take one example Eric the Car guy has good mechanic videos.  And even wild man Scotty has some good ones along with his usual advice.  

[Rivguy]

San Jose, like a lot of bay Area cities is encouraging the building of ADUs Additional Dwelling Units, on existing residential properties. Though there were always garage conversions, i believe that they had to have parking for the additional unit. San Jose has different public transportation options, besides regular busses, there is light rail, and BART ends at the new Berryessa terminal. I never used these options because I only had a short commute within the City itself. Getting people out of their cars is a good idea to reduce congestion and pollution. Just this month I had occasion to ride AMTRAK from SJ to Martinez, and I rode BART from Fremont to SJ. I knew several guys that rode the ACE train to commute from the Central Valley. Public transportation is good if it can work for you. 

I moved to SJ in 1985 and have chosen to stay here after I retired in 2020. I've been fortunate that things have turned out okay for me, I like the weather here, just a bit warmer than Oakland, where I grew up.  Yes, there are a lot of people here.

[kfle]

On 12/8/2022 at 5:28 PM, 1912Staver said:

Just a couple of data points that struck me as I did a few errands today. Not directly Vintage car , but the perception of Motor Vehicles in general in the current world. 

 Dropped in to my local new car dealer today to pick up a part that they had ordered in for me. Good sized dealer, I am sure they sell a lot of cars in a year. I could barely find the parts dept. The Service receptionist said go over to that little wicket at the side and ring the bell. A parts person responded quickly enough, I expect from the Parts counter serving the Service area. 

 Point is there wasn't even a Parts Dept sign , just a small counter with a bell. Perhaps I am showing my age , but I clearly remember the later 1970's when I worked in a Dealer parts dept. Saturday especially , the public, walk in  parts counter would be staffed with 4 or 5 countermen and often several customers would be waiting in a take a number line up for their turn. A serious volume of parts sales on a typical Saturday.

I guess very few private owners actually do their own work on their cars these days. And those that do find most of what they need online.

 Second stop took me to my local public library. I decided to have a look at the Automotive section. I have noticed the selection of Automotive books at the library has been slowly shrinking over the last decade or so. At one time there were lots of Automotive books , and manuals.  Today the selection had shrunk beyond anything I could have imagined a decade or two ago.  Not one single book ! Not even a Consumer reports book. 

 Has the general public really turned its back on motor vehicles except to view them as a necessary evil ? Hold your nose and use one, but no more interest than you would have in your kitchen toaster ?

 Feeling a bit out of step with the world. 

I really don't think these two anecdotes can really be indicators on automobiles fading from modern times. 

 

1. People really dont work on their own modern cars anymore so why would you need to go buy parts for yourself?  Also, who goes to the dealer to buy parts?  Way overpriced.  There are five auto parts stores within 8 miles of me, plus you have lots of online auto suppliers.  So if there is someone who wants to do their own work there are better options than the dealer. 

2.  No one goes to the library anymore as people dont read physical books.  I find the information I need on autos from online or places like youtube.  You can pretty much find anything you need on how to fix a car on any model for the last 20 years.  

 

Here in Florida, there are more cars than ever as traffic is way worse and they have to widen just about every road and there are still traffic jams.  I sure wish more people would stop driving!

 

On another anecdotal point of how people still love cars.  I went to the Sarasota Cars and Coffee yesterday morning and over 600 cars.  I am about 50 years old and I felt older than most people that brought cars there and the crowd that came to see them.  Here is a picture from facebook that someone captured of me driving my Cobra out and you can see the younger looking crowd that looks a lot different than the typical car show that we post about on here.  Also, a partial aerial shot of the gathering for this monthly event.  

 

[1912Staver]

The only reason I was at the dealer is that the Vancouver area  jobber warehouse was out of stock on the cam belt idler bearing I needed. I am in Canada so the next day service those of you in the U.S. get becomes a couple of weeks and a big fat shipping charge on things that are not in local stock.  The dealer was no doubt a bit more expensive than having one special ordered through my local jobber , but like I say 2 weeks at least rather than the next day from the dealer.

  Canada is a lot different than the U.S. even though I am 5 miles from Washington State. I could have bought the bearing in the U.S., but the border is still a bit of a post covid hurdle  { coming back to Canada }. Pre covid I was back and forth 3 or 4 times a month.

You would pay to have someone do a simple job like a cam belt change ? {2010 Hyundai }  I am retired so $ is way more in short supply than my time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

For no one working on their own cars, some of the parts stores stock sure has been doing well. I would think that there is a correlation to parts sales and people working on their vehicles and the companies stock prices.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Billy Kingsley]

Just another "the sky is falling" thread that we will still be rehashing 25 years from now... probably some of the same people will post in that one too.

[8E45E]

32 minutes ago, Billy Kingsley said:

Just another "the sky is falling" thread that we will still be rehashing 25 years from now... probably some of the same people will post in that one too.

It won't be me!    I'll consider myself fortunate to still possess a driver's license 25 years from now!!

 

Craig