Am I the only one who doesn't get the fascination with old cars?

[Balr14]

I think of old cars as from the 30s and 40s. I worked on a lot of them in my younger days and still have a warm spot for them. I had a 37 Chevy 2 door that was completely stock and in very nice condition. It was a lot of fun to drive... made you feel like you had time warped into the past. I also had several Packards (37 and 46). The quality and workmanship were outstanding and the lines were classic. They went to a lot of car meets. The last one I had was a 47 Buick fastback coupe with a 502. It sure surprised a lot of modern muscle cars. I wish I had them all back.

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[Strokerswild]

Although I love both old and new cars, I'll give the edge to the old stuff as far as styling and ease of working on them. And I have to admit I love the crudeness, the creaks and rattles, and the smells of gas, the exhaust, and all the critical fluids. It's raw and visceral, with so much more character.

Every time I have my '67 Cougar out (which I've owned since 1986) it's like I'm in a parade, and I get at least one or two thumbs up or honks and waves. Every time, without fail. The Mustang is invisible compared to it, although all other performance aspects are so much better.

 

[stanger1]

I am on both sides. being that I am 59 years young, I grew up in the post 57 Chevy's, etc, but they were everywhere still.
A walk in any used car lots and it was full of 67, 68, 69 chevelle's, camaro's, Mustang's, Mopar's. these were my Dream Cars.
I have had several over the years and technology is hard to beat. I have a 2017 Roush RS3, but i daily drive a 93 Chevy C1500, or my 2015 Yamaha Raider.
I just like Cars and trucks. Period!

 

[Jimmy Dean]

I think I would Partially disagree now with the ability to work on newer cars. I have had many many cars and until my last two I never worked on my own cars ever. Now due to the costs of people wanting 75 dollars to tighten a bolt or 350.00 to put a exhaust on that required no cutting or welding and was literally 3 bolts and and 3 hangers and would have taken 10 mins with 2 guys.... Ive learned to work on them myself.

Honestly they are not hard, Ive taken my front end off, do my own rotations, had the entire car apart from the front seats back for sound damping, Installed my own after market subs and tesla screen radio, tied a passenger side display into the body control module, figured out forscan installed my own lowering springs, installed the ford performance calibration kit, hand cut my own exhust and did the work for the new one and others on the mustang. On my other car ive traced electrical problems and did the head gaskets myself (older 07 focus). all with no garage and on a gravel drive with no lift or fancy tools.

I am saying all this because one I dont think working on new or old cars is hard actually parts availability i think makes working on new easier. But I do understand wanting to work on or restore an old "classic" and can appreciate the work and pride in it. I just dont want to own one and something in me just is totally uninterested in them. Like I said ill go to shows youll find me over at the new cars I hardly look at the old. I am 48 so no young whipper snapper so its not because im a kid I cant explain it I just have no interest in them. What ever the interest is in them ,i guess its the feels for most since they or their dad owned one, just misses me I guess cause im not a sentimental person. Now for what ever reason I do love a good looking mustang 2 for some reason LOL.

You're funny.

Wen we're talking about working on old cars being easier, we aren't talking about pulling seats, or bumpers. But pulling motors, rebuilding motors, transmissions, differentials. rewiring things. And yes, the old stuff is insanely easier (and cheaper) to work on.

Also, some of it is the diagnostics. With a carbed motor on a car with only half a dozen wires in total, diagnostics is easy, no sensors, no circuit boards that could be throwing false signals. It is simple, hear it, see it, put a timing light or a vacuum/pressure gauge and BAM! diagnosed. There's no just swapping in sensors or electronics until I find what the issue is, what solved it. You either have a problem, or you don't, no need to worry about bad readings and such.

Then there is the cost. If I blow the motor in my daily driver, I can rebuild it for cheaper than you can get the FOB replaced on your car. And likely faster as well. (I DD a 34 year old truck).

Then there is the feel of the drive. I simply prefer to drive older trucks as compared to newer trucks. I don't want or need all that plastic or gadgetry between me and the road. I like the mechanical connection to the engine, to the wheels, the feel through the seat and the steering wheel and the pedals.

I like that whenever something does goes go wrong, which I will admit goes wrong more often than not, as compared to a newer vehicle, that I can likely get it fixed that day, if not keep it together until the weekend and fix it then. I'm replacing a heater core and blower motor tonight, should take me about 45 minutes.

Also , I still have doubts that many of these newer cars will be around in 20-30 or 50 years. As it is, I am starting to see more 70s-80s trucks on the road than late 90s-mid 2000s. It's not that the older ones where necessarily built better, it is that they are cheaper to maintain long term. My Mom's 2002 T-bird if it needs a motor, we're still looking at $4,000 for a short block! $7,000 plus for a long block! Do you realize how many 351Ws I can build for that price?

If you blow your coyote in 15 years, it'll still costs you almost $10,000 for a crate engine, or $4,000-$5,000 for a used long block and parts to rebuild it fully. It'll still only cost me $500 to rebuild that 351W, or <$3,000 for a performance build with machine work and new heads/rotating assembly. No, it'll never compete with the coyote, but it'll be able to do what it was built for.

Additionally, I don't know if you've been in the motor of anything built since the mid 2000s, but they're a lot more difficult to work on and around (albeit, there are some cases where old stuff was extremely tightly packed too, like a 1968 GT500 you can barely get your hands down to the spark plugs...it is easier to pull the motor to change the plugs than not). And how finicky newer motors are. You could slap a windsor block together blind folded, and it'll start. You almost need a clean room for a coyote build, and the tolerance requirements are ridiculous. granted, this is part of the reason why new motors are able to put out more power, with better mileage, and last longer, at least when correctly built to spec.

 

[Briebee72]

You're funny.

Wen we're talking about working on old cars being easier, we aren't talking about pulling seats, or bumpers. But pulling motors, rebuilding motors, transmissions, differentials. rewiring things. And yes, the old stuff is insanely easier (and cheaper) to work on.

Also, some of it is the diagnostics. With a carbed motor on a car with only half a dozen wires in total, diagnostics is easy, no sensors, no circuit boards that could be throwing false signals. It is simple, hear it, see it, put a timing light or a vacuum/pressure gauge and BAM! diagnosed. There's no just swapping in sensors or electronics until I find what the issue is, what solved it. You either have a problem, or you don't, no need to worry about bad readings and such.

Then there is the cost. If I blow the motor in my daily driver, I can rebuild it for cheaper than you can get the FOB replaced on your car. And likely faster as well. (I DD a 34 year old truck).

Then there is the feel of the drive. I simply prefer to drive older trucks as compared to newer trucks. I don't want or need all that plastic or gadgetry between me and the road. I like the mechanical connection to the engine, to the wheels, the feel through the seat and the steering wheel and the pedals.

I like that whenever something does goes go wrong, which I will admit goes wrong more often than not, as compared to a newer vehicle, that I can likely get it fixed that day, if not keep it together until the weekend and fix it then. I'm replacing a heater core and blower motor tonight, should take me about 45 minutes.

Also , I still have doubts that many of these newer cars will be around in 20-30 or 50 years. As it is, I am starting to see more 70s-80s trucks on the road than late 90s-mid 2000s. It's not that the older ones where necessarily built better, it is that they are cheaper to maintain long term. My Mom's 2002 T-bird if it needs a motor, we're still looking at $4,000 for a short block! $7,000 plus for a long block! Do you realize how many 351Ws I can build for that price?

If you blow your coyote in 15 years, it'll still costs you almost $10,000 for a crate engine, or $4,000-$5,000 for a used long block and parts to rebuild it fully. It'll still only cost me $500 to rebuild that 351W, or <$3,000 for a performance build with machine work and new heads/rotating assembly. No, it'll never compete with the coyote, but it'll be able to do what it was built for.

Additionally, I don't know if you've been in the motor of anything built since the mid 2000s, but they're a lot more difficult to work on and around (albeit, there are some cases where old stuff was extremely tightly packed too, like a 1968 GT500 you can barely get your hands down to the spark plugs...it is easier to pull the motor to change the plugs than not). And how finicky newer motors are. You could slap a windsor block together blind folded, and it'll start. You almost need a clean room for a coyote build, and the tolerance requirements are ridiculous. granted, this is part of the reason why new motors are able to put out more power, with better mileage, and last longer, at least when correctly built to spec.

That would be why I said I partially agree and then listed the things that were still easy for an everyday person to still do on new cars. Most people dont have a full shop which apparently you do to list the things you say you do.

Also lots of people now a days are either getting to where they grew up not having to fix their own cars, have no desire to fix their old cars. A lot of people from your generation fixed thier own cars out of necessity and economic station.

As for the ones who did it for the love of it, which it seems you might be, you simply love doing it so its a hobby and a great thing in your life. but for others....

As for modern cars not being around in 20 or 30 years well... I disagree. The one ones that are now 20 or 30 years old and still around are because or the people who owned them and took car e of them not necessarily the car it self. but honestly there isn't that many 20 or 30 year old cars around now anyway. Plus you are fighting a generation now who collects nothing and has no hobby's. and electric cars coming... yeah cars wont make it to 20 or 30 years but wont be because of the cars themselves. Older generation has sentimental value in things and they get the feels for stuff from their child hood. Most these new gens dont.

Rest of this reply is my normal rambling not directed to you

I have been Lucky ( as I see it) in my life to not be afflicted with sentimental feels. The past is the past dont care. Has saved me tons of money by not buying with my emotions.

I got no attachment to old stuff. oldest things in my house more then a few years are my grandmothers bible from 1918, I piece of meteorite from campo del cielo that is dated older then the earth so was out there around space before the earth was even created ( i like to keep those two items together cause it makes ya think) and a block buster membership card. just incase

IM actually already lining up my 19 gt for trade im already ready for the next thing. lifes short enjoy. Gonna enjoy the tech and the new not spend my whole life living in the past.

 

[XS]

I'm the opposite. I've stopped going to meet-ups where the predominant showings are new cars. To me, it's a yawn fest - only so many Corvettes, Camaros, Chargers, Challengers, and Mustangs from the last 2-3 model years I can look at. Even modded ones are getting to be cookie-cutter to me since everybody runs the same kits. I like older cars because it's always interesting to me to see what owners have done to them over the years (plus sleepers are amazing). A Porsche 914 with a 911 six swap is far more intriguing than the ubiquitous entire row of (typically) all black Challenger Scat/RT/Hellcats. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Jimmy Dean]

Most people dont have a full shop which apparently you do to list the things you say you do.

A lot of people from your generation fixed thier own cars out of necessity and economic station.

I get what you're saying, but I do disagree.

I know you don't know me, but I want to counter two points about some assumptions right quick.
a) I do my work in my driveway or under my 3-bay carport if it is more involved. open carport at that on three sides. winter sucks. I may try to wall it in this winter with a lift door on one side.
b) I'm quite possibly younger than you, I get the feeling that at most I am middle of the pack on this site, maybe even younger than the average at 38. So many folks here seem to be in their 50s-70s and not many that are younger. But that maybe because I am doing most of my reading in the Mach 1, Bullitt, and Shelby boards, whose purchasers tend to be a bit older due to being more financially secure and more nostalgic for those names. when I was old enough to buy my first new car in 2002, it was on vehicles that were not very serviceable. you didn't replace wheel bearings, you swapped the entire sealed hub. always dealing with crappy O2 sensors going out. you couldn't do much work in your driveway (I still have my only new car I've ever bought too, but I need to haul it to the junkyard, it's trashed) I'm actually selling my 2006 F-250, I got tired of having to fix it all the time, and every fix more expensive and complicated than the last. I've been able to drive it for 2 weeks out of the last year. and every time it had to get towed back home or to a shop, get repaired, then something else fail next time it was used. I replaced it with my current DD, a 1986 Bronco Eddie Bauer.

you can see my 82 bronco, my 58 Ford tractor, and my 02 F-150 in this pic as well. and behind the closed doors is my 71 Mach 1. not pictured are the bikes and the 2006 which was at the diesel shop at this time...again....or the wife's 4runner.

 

[Briebee72]

I get what you're saying, but I do disagree.

I know you don't know me, but I want to counter two points about some assumptions right quick.
a) I do my work in my driveway or under my 3-bay carport if it is more involved. open carport at that on three sides. winter sucks. I may try to wall it in this winter with a lift door on one side.
b) I'm quite possibly younger than you, I get the feeling that at most I am middle of the pack on this site, maybe even younger than the average at 38. So many folks here seem to be in their 50s-70s and not many that are younger. But that maybe because I am doing most of my reading in the Mach 1, Bullitt, and Shelby boards, whose purchasers tend to be a bit older due to being more financially secure and more nostalgic for those names. when I was old enough to buy my first new car in 2002, it was on vehicles that were not very serviceable. you didn't replace wheel bearings, you swapped the entire sealed hub. always dealing with crappy O2 sensors going out. you couldn't do much work in your driveway (I still have my only new car I've ever bought too, but I need to haul it to the junkyard, it's trashed) I'm actually selling my 2006 F-250, I got tired of having to fix it all the time, and every fix more expensive and complicated than the last. I've been able to drive it for 2 weeks out of the last year. and every time it had to get towed back home or to a shop, get repaired, then something else fail next time it was used. I replaced it with my current DD, a 1986 Bronco Eddie Bauer.

you can see my 82 bronco, my 58 Ford tractor, and my 02 F-150 in this pic as well. and behind the closed doors is my 71 Mach 1. not pictured are the bikes and the 2006 which was at the diesel shop at this time...again....or the wife's 4runner.

I do apologize for the assumption in your case. But you know what I was saying it is the case for many not all of course. you love what you love IM not knocking anyone for that . My only point is I personally don't get the fascination with the old. I find it more aggravating to constantly keep it running buying parts and all the other collateral expenses involved like buildings carports sheds tools lifts and so on... IN my life i just don't have time for all that. Nice bronce though can tell you take pride in it. and yes Im 48 so yeah you are younger

 

[Jimmy Dean]

all the other collateral expenses r

still cheaper than a car payment lol.

and insurance is sooooo much lower.

 

[Briebee72]

still cheaper than a car payment lol.

and insurance is sooooo much lower.

LOL that is debatable. The reason I only get new cars now was because my first 10 or so years driving was with older cars. every week was repair something, be left on side of road, stuff stopped working. Betwen the strandings, parts, lost time fixing.... used was defiantly not cheaper. IM talking back when car payments were below 200. as for insurance eh full coverage on my 19gt with zero deductibles is only about 68 dollars. I pay 129 for full on three cars and the mustangs part is 68 bucks. perfect driving record no claims ever and good credit.... IM guessing why so low.

Its all subjective to each person. For me time is a valuable thing. I rather not waste all the time with running break downs parts fixing..... just rather have something that just runs and I dont need to own tools LOL

 

[CJJon]

Modern cars are like video games. Old muscle cars you actually have to drive. Most kids now couldn't handle a real ground thumper from back in the day.

As was stated, wrenching on old-school cars is so much easier and really a joy in comparison. I mean, just look at a modern Coyote - it is a rats nest!

Too bad the cash for clunkers program gutted the old car market. People are paying ridiculous money for old cars today. Shame.

 

[Jimmy Dean]

LOL that is debatable. The reason I only get new cars now was because my first 10 or so years driving was with older cars. every week was repair something, be left on side of road, stuff stopped working. Betwen the strandings, parts, lost time fixing.... used was defiantly not cheaper. IM talking back when car payments were below 200. as for insurance eh full coverage on my 19gt with zero deductibles is only about 68 dollars. I pay 129 for full on three cars and the mustangs part is 68 bucks. perfect driving record no claims ever and good credit.... IM guessing why so low.

Its all subjective to each person. For me time is a valuable thing. I rather not waste all the time with running break downs parts fixing..... just rather have something that just runs and I dont need to own tools LOL

shit man I'm in louisiana, baton rouge at that. 2nd worst insurance rates in the country. we were paying 450/month full coverage on a 2006 F-250 and 2017 4runner, completely clean records for the last 10 years. my motorcycle is only 150/yr though.

 

[sk47]

I see all these old cars and Im like eh... I go look at the new ones. I mean they are old,

I'd say it is all relative to your age.

Hello; Here is the way it has played out for me. I do not care for cars older than the 1950's. I got my drivers license in 1963. My clearest impressions of cars are from the 1950's. Got my first two cars in the 1960's and both were a 1957 model year. I can still recall walking on a sidewalk in my hometown of Middlesboro KY early one morning. At the intersection behind me I heard the squeal of tires and turned to see a brand new 1963 Chevy Corvette come boiling up the street and fly past me. I was still a few weeks before turning 16.
I have seen the popularity of the 1930's and 40's cars wane as those older than me pass away. My generation will soon pass and some of the enthusiasm for the 50's and 60's cars will go away. I can see cars of the early 1990's becoming important classics as the folks who were young them age.
( note - I skip the 70's and early 80's because the early emission controls made dogs of most cars from that time.)

Too bad the cash for clunkers program gutted the old car market.

Hello; Yes to this. So many cars lost.

 

[Jmtoast]

I have a 12 year old truck with 200k miles and I wouldn't trade it over anything as a daily. I can beat the shit out of it, as men should, and not even bat an eye. Doesn't have air or other soft amenities but who wants to ride around with the windows up during the beautiful summer time? it's like your favorite pair of shoes. Now when I got out to cruise with the woman (see needs soft amenities) or need to feel the rush 140+ mph, it's a boosted mustang. The only exception the last point would be a 500+ hp prostreet truck like a 60\70's chevy c10.

 

[Bugs]

Interesting point on reliability. In the 70's, I was taught to sell a car when it reached around 70K miles. That's when bigger stuff started to fail. While it's true that components on newer cars last longer, the newer car's complexity provides more opportunity for failure.

Since '84, I've put many commuting miles on my '65 Fastback. However, being aware of it's component reliability limitations, I use the aviation mentality of replacing parts before they fail. Not many systems to deal with. Easy and cheap to do on a '65. My Mustang never left me stranded.

On the other hand, I was on a first-name basis with the flatbed driver who many times hauled my '96 BMW and '97 Corvette. The BMW 740iL in particular spent much of it's life in the shop, but it had loads of whiz-bang doo-dads that failed constantly.

I've had much better luck with other cars. 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2004 Acura TL, 3 Suburbans of '86, '93 and '98 vintage - all driven to nearly 200K miles without significant complaint.

We bought an extended warranty on the Acura and it kinda ticked me off that the damn thing never failed enough to get my money back out of that ;)

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