How was it in the 60s-80s?

-
Driven big block Chevelle's,/6 Darts,Cougars,you name it. Maintenance,is the name of the game here. The more horsepower mods you do,affects reliability with a carburetor. Sensible modifications, (if you do...),are the key here.
 
I have yanked many new trucks out of the ditch with my 73 dodge w200.
the truck has 90,000 miles on the original drivetrain, 360 burns no oil and the plugs run clean. I only replace ujoints and tires.
set choke, click key start.
any of you need to be pulled home? I will keep my 2010 3/4 ton parked and bring my 73.
 


:love4::love4: I drive my old cars daily.

:sad::sad: But I wouldn't say that they are now as reliable as the new cars are today. You had to tune them up a lot more often. - Plugs, plug wires, spark plugs, and points. We also needed to change oil more often before the synthetics came out. Newer metal alloys have reduced the amount of engine wear today. The new electronics have contributed to increased gas mileage as has fuel injection.

:-k:-k New cars are generally easier to start during extreme cold conditions. That's partly because we used to run heavier weight oils back in the day and often had higher compression engines that cranked harder.

:supz::supz: All of that having been said, when the cars were new they were just as dependable as new cars are today. Possibly more dependable. The simpler technology was not prone to computer glitches and most guys could troubleshoot and fix problems themselves.

:-k:-k When you needed parts they were readily available and the parts interchanged between an awful lot of different vehicles. - Unlike today when it seems like every car year and model have parts engineered specifically for them. Unfortunately the parts for the old cars are not as easy to get 'off the shelf' as they used to be.

:banghead::banghead: The farther away from stock a vehicle was modified, the more cantankerous it became. - And a lot of the old muscle cars were modified. Engines with huge lopey camshafts tended to load up at lower RPM, often reducing the life of plugs.

:burnout::burnout::burnout:And keep in mind that it seemed as though everyone drove them 'like they stole them'.
 
i drive my 69 every day, and im putting on 140 miles a day, and getting 20 miles per gallon. The real problem is not the cars, its the new replacement parts. at least with these cars you can know what is prone to go out, and if you pay attention to how the car feels and sounds, you know when something is starting to go bad.
Now as to new cars being more dependable, yes, to some extent they are, but i just seen a new chevy volt that didnt even have plates on yet with a non functiong tail light, and i see countless cars broken down that are less then 10 years old. if my valiant breaks sown, odds are ill have it up and running in a day. i trust mine enough that im giving my son the 69 and hes driving a long way, and i trust the car 100%, (and my son 30%) lol. im going to have a set of tools and a bin of new parts in the trunk that could go bad, so that if they dont, he will have them when they do. if its mechanical, it will eventually wear out, but you cant blame a car for that.
 
goldfish65 said:
We didn't worry so much back then.
Click to expand...

Yup. And we actually thought that something akin to a cell phone would have been cool Star Trek technology. We survived and didn't feel our lives were in jeopardy on long trips back then without having them. If we wanted to communicate with someone else while on the road we bought CB radios (usually to keep track of where cops were). (I have a CB in my Barracuda now and still don't own a cell phone) The only concern I had back then was whether or not my spare tire was in good shape.
 
Better alloys and lubricants make a big difference..

It was not uncommon to be doing valve grinds at about 60,000 miles,, and re-ringing was common just over a 100k miles.. Now cars make it to 200k or more with just the change of a timing belt,, and re-ringing is nearly unheard of,,
 
I run a 200 mile round trip about twice a month at 80-85 mph here in AZ, plus 300 miles or so a week for onsite service calls for the business.
73 Swinger, 318, A999 trans.
It has rescued every other member of the family at one time or another, and has not had a no start/run situation in over two years.
I also get to write off the expenses of driving it for work, (including gas.) :D

Can't beat that with a stick.
 
..............I would drive any1 of the many mopars I had anywhere, anytime.......my cars have been on 5000 mile round trips.........but now they only make a few hundred miles a year now as life is very busy........kim......
 
RedFish said:
When the cars were new they were as dependable as any new cars.
Click to expand...

You got it, RedFish. I travelled with a set of points and a dizzy rotor. My tool box was stocked with a small flask of rum.

Back in the day, neither my dad nor I had good luck with US Royal / Uniroyal tires the came OEM on GM products. Dad had three blow-outs, I had one blow-out and two carcass separations.

One night, I was driving on the newly completed interstate near Bessemer, AL when the right rear tire blew. I managed to get the car off the road and into the parking lot of a gas station. I got out the bumper jack, removed the lug nuts from the wheel, and jacked up the car. I really should have known better than to do this, but I reached into the wheel well to remove the tire. Immediately sensing pain, I yanked my hand free before getting seared by the nearly molten rubber that used to be the Uniroyal tire. At that point, I bought a Coke in a bottle and retrieved the flask from the tool box. By the time I had finished my beverage, the tire was cool enough to remove. I mounted the full-size spare and motored on.
 
we always drive our cars quite a bit. the biggest problem these days besides the idiots out there not paying attention is replacement parts. the quality isn't what it used to be. i always carry an extra ecu,ballast,coil and vr in the trunk along with a pretty sell supplied tool box. not everywhere stocks even the simple parts anymore...

not using the old cars for a daily driver though. with a 80 mile round trip to work i want my 30mpg..:)
 
2 Darts said:
You got it, RedFish. I travelled with a set of points and a dizzy rotor. My tool box was stocked with a small flask of rum.

Back in the day, neither my dad nor I had good luck with US Royal / Uniroyal tires the came OEM on GM products. Dad had three blow-outs, I had one blow-out and two carcass separations.

One night, I was driving on the newly completed interstate near Bessemer, AL when the right rear tire blew. I managed to get the car off the road and into the parking lot of a gas station. I got out the bumper jack, removed the lug nuts from the wheel, and jacked up the car. I really should have known better than to do this, but I reached into the wheel well to remove the tire. Immediately sensing pain, I yanked my hand free before getting seared by the nearly molten rubber that used to be the Uniroyal tire. At that point, I bought a Coke in a bottle and retrieved the flask from the tool box. By the time I had finished my beverage, the tire was cool enough to remove. I mounted the full-size spare and motored on.
Click to expand...


I almost forget about the plauge of shifted belts on the early radials. Didnt dare rotate tires or swap right to left or it would shift a belt right away and blow out.
 
I think the thing keeping more enthusiasts from driving their cars more is the way people drive now! We have increased stopping distances, no rack and pinion, and can't zip in and out of traffic with these knuckleheads on their phones! Back when these cars were new, everybody had more of the same stopping distances and reaction times!

I still drive my cars as much as possible, but rarely drive them in the "freeway 500", just too many texters not paying attention in rich hour traffic to keep them safe!! My cars love back road cruising, and that's what they get....scenic drives to fun places! Geof
 
I think the key is pretty much what joe said , Idiots, gas cost , and lack of creature comforts
 
75slant6 said:
I read the other day where a member said he doesn't like taking his car on long drives for fear of what's gonna break next. QUOTE]

If he does it right the first time, he should have no worry.
Just how mechanical is he anyway? Can he even rebuild a carb?
He may be afraid to drive a new car.
I am, because of it dies (which they do) I can't fix it.

75slant6 said:
So that got me to thinkin, how was it back when these cars were used for everyday transportation or even for y'all who drive y'all's classics daily? Could/can you go on a long trip without worrying about what's gonna go out next? Can these cars be as dependable as any other car? I believe they can but what are y'all's thoughts?
?
Click to expand...

By "these cars" let's stick to late 60s and 70s. They are still running 40 years later. Does that answer the question?
73 with 84 engine, trans and diff.
74 miles daily. 5 days a week for over 8 years. Two cross country trips.
Try that with a new car.
Hasn't stranded me yet and no major repairs. Just routine small maintenance .

75slant6 said:
And to the ones who dd your classics, what upgrades did y'all do to make your cars more dependable?
Click to expand...
Disk brakes are a must.
Electronic (MOPAR) ignition is good.
Go for reliability, not drag racing when you do it.
The engineers did.
And, I can live with 23 MPG highway.
Click to expand...
 
When I was 19 (1987). I drove a 20 year old 67 Coronet from Ohio to Florida- in the middle of winter, no less. Did a thorough inspection before the trip including points. The car was also fully loaded and pulling a trailer. Got great MPG and rode better loaded than empty!

I've put almost 6,000 miles on my stock 73 Satellite in about a year and a half.
I like to tell folks that I'd let my wife drive it to Atlanta (about 500 miles) "tomorrow", and she'd be fine.

I am currently doing freeze plugs, though, but hey- they've been in there 41 years!

Mods to 60's and early 70's cars-

Radial tires
Dual brake system/Disk brakes
Electronic ignition

All very affordable and relatively easy to do.
Gets you into 80's/90's era technology.

I also like to put a passenger's side mirror on.

* Chrysler was "early" in electronic ignition, so that mod was real easy for us to do even "back in the day"
 
I agree with the statements about modifications. As built, most of these old cars are bullet proof. As modified we are only as reliable as the weakest link. In high school, 92-96, my newest car was a 1979 Datsun. Only problem I had was frozen fuel line.

Another aspect I struggle with is love. We put our blood, sweat and tears into these cars. A new car is replaceable with an identical twin. Our classics are becoming fewer and costlier, and we can't replace everything we put into them. We can't replace the memories made.
 
I'm a young guy but even today we still drive our old clunkers far. My dad had a 68 ford pick up he drove from Atlanta to cincinnati. Him and his buddies drive to shows down in tennesse and up to Michigan every year...the newest car on that trip is a 68 and the oldest is a restored 36 Plymouth. My dart isn't built for long cruises so the farthest it has gone recently is probably 50 miles one way. I think a lot of it is just guys who are afraid.
 
Like today when you jump in your new car and drive half way across the country without hesitation, we did the same back then and never worried about breaking down. At least that's how it was for me, because most anything could be fixed on the side of the road with basic tools. Cars were pretty dependable back then.
 
75slant6 said:
I read the other day where a member said he doesn't like taking his car on long drives for fear of what's gonna break next. So that got me to thinkin, how was it back when these cars were used for everyday transportation or even for y'all who drive y'all's classics daily? Could/can you go on a long trip without worrying about what's gonna go out next? Can these cars be as dependable as any other car? I believe they can but what are y'all's thoughts?

And to the ones who dd your classics, what upgrades did y'all do to make your cars more dependable?
Click to expand...

These old cars are Bulletproof with the right maintenance. We thought nothing about jumping into a car and driving 1,700 miles. Driving all day between 70 and 100 mph. Tires were the weak link. I have my brothers 67 Barracuda 273 auto. The engine has 300,000 miles on it, sits for months, and will start right up. Check the fluids, tire pressure and drive from Timonium, MD. to Marion, SD. no problem. I worry most about other drivers, then cheap parts.

Typical modifications I make are: electric fuel pump; electronic ignition; lower compression for 91 octane gas; solid cam, slightly bigger than factory high performance; Carter 4 barrel and intake; 8 3/4 rear; factory high performance suspension; disc brakes; good shocks; and very sticky tires. If you get the right car, most of this comes standard. Think 1972 340 Duster.
 
Starting back in the early 70's I would drive Pittsburgh Pa. to Denver Co. 1600 miles in my 70 340 4 speed Duster. This was done 4 times a year while going to school. I carried tools and spare parts but never used them.For the next 5 years I made that trip at least 30 times. The last year driving a 70 Swinger slant six and a 75 Charger. I drove at night and would run with the truckers across the long plains of Kansas with speeds of 80+ mph for long periods.Never a problem.Did the Hot Rod Power Tour for 9 years with round trips of 4000+ miles in stockers and highly modified cars(all Mopars) Never a problem. The wife and I did a coast to coast run and back about 10 years ago in a stock 67 slant Dart and the only thing needed was to adjust the air mixture screw for elevation changes. That was fun.The wife told a guy in a parking lot that she wasn't worried in the old car because"We can fix just about anything with a screwdriver and a pair of pilers." We put 30,000 miles on that car in one year.:supz:
I still drive some old Mopar daily with out any worries because as someone above stated if a problem arises you can still fix it yourself. The only time we ever called AAA was for a 2004 and newer car because of sensor/computer/internal electric fuel pumps etc.failures.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top