Quality

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Dan the man

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With the discussion of electric vehicle's brings up another topic, Quality. It sickens me to see how cheaply made today's vehicles are, flimsy metal, rubber bumpers, snap together interiors. I watched a car program were a guy bought a brand new Camaro and he wanted the interior color changed as the color that he wanted wasn't available, the shop that did the work had the interior completely gutted in less than 8 hours they said that was because the interior is made of snap together part's. It's sad that our country is only focused on profit, there's very little pride in what people do. Hurry up build it fast and cheap and sell it high. The refrigerator that we have in our garage is at least 40 years old and just now the fan motor is going out, it keeps things cold too, they just don't build anything like they use to
 
quantity not quality now a days. thats how it is these days. sad
 
I disagree. Vehicles made today will go hundreds of thousands of miles with little to no maintenance. They also perform better, stop better, and are far safer than the junk made 30-40 years ago.
 
I bet that you probably own one of those junk cars that was made 30 - 40 years old, maybe you should sell it and buy something that's safe
My company leases me a brand new BMW every two years. So there's no need for me to buy anything. And my BMW does everything better than my Dart. But nice try with the poke.:poke:
 
My company leases me a brand new BMW every two years. So there's no need for me to buy anything. And my BMW does everything better than my Dart. But nice try with the poke.:poke:
I think the OP has a point. Lets roll back the clock 40, 50 years . Cars were cars. You skidded off a road on some black ice at 30MPH into a tree. The steering wheel went through your chest, engine crushed your legs or better yet you died at 50 from blocked arteries because stents weren't used
 
C.A.F.E. That’s all I’m saying or this will get kicked to N&P but that IS why we have what we have.
 
We have a throw away society.
Immediate gradafication.
I will make no more comments here, as they will no doubt be regarded as political.
 
US-auto-average-age-2020.png


US Department of Transportation info from May 2022:

The average age of a car in the US is 12.2 years, a new record

:rolleyes:
 
Days of Yor, valve grinds happened regularly at 80 - 100k miles, - re-ring 100 - 120 k miles. Won't even mention camshaft/timing chains .
Today we go 200, 000 kilometers, without even taking the valve covers off !
Maybe a timing belt 120 k.

Lot to be said for progress in metallurgy, and lubrication.
 
Days of Yor, valve grinds happened regularly at 80 - 100k miles, - re-ring 100 - 120 k miles. Won't even mention camshaft/timing chains .
Today we go 200, 000 kilometers, without even taking the valve covers off !
Maybe a timing belt 120 k.

Lot to be said for progress in metallurgy, and lubrication.


That’s some of it. But machining techniques and EFI are really what has made longevity much higher.
 
That’s some of it. But machining techniques and EFI are really what has made longevity much higher.

That and gearing. I used to cruise at 80 mph or better with my old stuff, 3.23 gears, no overdrive - 3500 rpm. New cars, 6-8-10 speeds, same mph, 1500-2000 rpm.
 
Question, with today's cars being made safer, lighter, then why do they cost 4 times more than they did a couple of years ago? There's less material in them that's of any quality. New jeep grand Cherokee at $98,000. That's insane
I’d agree to safer and more expensive, but today’s vehicles are not lighter, they’re heavier - mostly because of safety and convenience features. The Grand Cherokee is a good example: 1st Gen 1993 Grand Cherokee 3574 lbs., 2022 model 4240 lbs.
Most cars today average 800-1200 lbs. more than their earlier counterparts... A new Challenger can weigh 4500 lbs!
 
Definitely not lighter, I know they are supposed to be, but they're not.
My lift used to raise almost any pickup truck, (7000 lb lift), it struggles or won't lift new trucks, and checking the door sticker for the weight, I know why, - they are heavy .
 
yes the brittle plastic used in thr 19970s that the screws pulled thru are much better
 
Why do new vehicles cost 35% more than days of old, partly because they weigh 35% more and therefore 35% more steel, wires, plastic, etc!:BangHead::BangHead:
 
They also last 87.7 % longer. ...Per those DOT numbers.
I bet. Modern cars go more miles because of FI (computer) and and better machining tolerances.
A HS kid in 1966 or 69 back in the day and get a job after school and Sat and pay for a new 66 or 69 car. I mean a 69 Roadrunner not a VW bug.
If we start any discussion about the value of a dollar today vs back in '69 this general discussion thread will get shut down because we would be somehow talking politics, SO WE WON"T GO THERE!!!!:BangHead: I can discuss 1969 as I was a senior in '66 and worked 25 hour a week after class and on Sat.
Edit: I admit those cars of carb days on average probably got 100,000 mi. or so, then thins started to happening to the engine. People wanted to be able to trade their ar every few years That was a big deal back then.
 
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I bet. Modern cars go more miles because of FI (computer) and and better machining tolerances.
A HS kid in 1966 or 69 back in the day and get a job after school and Sat and pay for a new 66 or 69 car. I mean a 69 Roadrunner not a VW bug.
If we start any discussion about the value of a dollar today vs back in '69 this general discussion thread will get shut down because we would be somehow talking politics, SO WE WON"T GO THERE!!!!:BangHead: I can discuss 1969 as I was a senior in '66 and worked 25 hour a week after class and on Sat.
Edit: I admit those cars of carb days on average probably got 100,000 mi. or so, then thins started to happening to the engine. People wanted to be able to trade their ar every few years That was a big deal back then.

All I did was take the DOT numbers from that chart and 2022 article.

[12.2 yrs (2022) - 6.5 yrs (1972)] / 6.5 yrs = 87.7% increase of average age of vehicle on road.
 
All I did was take the DOT numbers from that chart and 2022 article.

[12.2 yrs (2022) - 6.5 yrs (1972)] / 6.5 yrs = 87.7% increase of average age of vehicle on road.
Part of the equation is affordability. When I was 16 years old, in 1979, I had a 1968 Fairlane 500, an 11 year old car, paid $800.00 for it. Today at 59, I have a 1990 Bronco, a 32 year old truck, paid $1500.00 for it 5 years ago, and a 2002 Taurus that my wife drives, a 20 year old car, bought 3 years ago for $2000.00. I also have a mortgage, utility bills, property taxes,retirement investments, and 3 dogs, but my hourly wage is ten times what it was in '79, yet I can't even consider a new or even a few year old vehicle and the debt that comes with it, simply not possible for me at this point.
I did not include my 2 classic cars as they are not daily drivers, and the investment in them is a hobby.
 
All I did was take the DOT numbers from that chart and 2022 article.

[12.2 yrs (2022) - 6.5 yrs (1972)] / 6.5 yrs = 87.7% increase of average age of vehicle on road.

You are preaching to the choir brother. I'm NOT saying new vehicles don't last longer than the old ones. For sure, YOU feel you are getting a lot of bang for the buck.
But.....I bought a new Ram 3500 Cummins pickup in '95, cost about $30,000. It has 225,000 mi and runs like a top. No pollution BS either. Nope, it has no GPS, but you know what, I can read a $5 roadmap . A new one today is what??? $70,000-80,000?????
I bet like you say,,, IF you figure a 69 RoadRunner at its price new back then at $2900 with the miles it gets before being woreout and lets say any MODEST auto new today, the new one might well be more cost effect as to miles driven before wearing out. Like 125,000miles vs 350,000. But if you figure what $2900 in worth today calculated from 1969 the figure is what????? I ain't smart enough to know. A smart guy will google a chart!!!!!:steering::steering::steering::steering:
 
I remember when 100k was the death call for your car. Today used cars at 200k plus selling for 8/9 grand. Plastic mobiles for sure today, but I remember the trash the big 3 were putting out through the 80's and beyond. They earned themselves a beating from the foreign manufactures. I wouldn't want to work on today's engines, but they are pretty incredible.
 
I had a '95 little Ford Ranger pickup. It had 350,000 mi and started to run terrible, but I was retiring. Darn thing still got 25 mpg and used NO oil. Probably just needed a full tuneup. I had bought it plenty used for $1000 because it had an occasional non start issue and needed a $15 fuse. I told the buyer all about it and he paid me $600 back in about 2017. It ran old may pops and only issue was a leaky heater hose and the water pump went out. Go figure.
OK, I admit the radio did not work.
 
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