Why I drive old cars.

[tbm3fan]

My wife's former car, a 2008 Enclave, has the battery behind the right front seat in the floor. Definitely a PITA to access. My son's 2001 Dodge Stratus had the battery behind the wheel well. My old '96 Corvette had it behind the LR wheel, requiring a bit of disassembly.

Some engineer, somewhere, who graduated last in his class, probably designed these just to get even.

I don't know about that. My 2004 LeSabre has the battery under the right hand side of the rear seat. Easy to get at and it does stay very clean and dry.

 

[MoPar~Man]

In 1985, my daily-driver was a 20 year-old car (1965 Dodge Polara).
In 1993, my daily-driver was a 20 year-old car (1973 Plymouth Satellite).
In 2024, my daily driver is a 20 year-old car (2004 Chrysler 300m).

I think there is a pattern here. But note that in 2000, my daily driver was a zero-year-old car (2000 Chrysler 300m).

 

[ragtop]

the wife's 2011 Challeger started loosing power steering. It was leaking. I couldn't find a pump on the car but some internet research lead me to an electric pump behind the wheel well. Turns out it's common for these to have an oring failure or a crack where the reservoir connects to the pump body. Autozone had a kit with a new reservoir. $90. Had to buy a vacuum pump for bleeding the system $60. New plastic rivets to reinstall the fender liner $10. They did not have nor could get the electric pump type fluid. I had to go to the dealer for a quart. $33 a pint.
So if I have good luck I will be in for $220 a sore neck and back from trying to get inside the wheel well with the spindle and A arm assembly.

If my luck is bad I get to buy a $1000 pump and spend another day inside the wheel well.
I have been listening to Cool Hand Luke on the drive home at night. Another day in the box Luke is what was in my mind.

I'm over it but the wife loves it and it only has 50k miles on it....

It truly is a shitty car in my opinion, it's getting the late model mopar front end sag. Gonna need struts and springs with the new tires this year.
I figured 20:1 on the repair labor vs my old cars. I could put 20 pumps on 20 cars in the time I will have in this. Without a sore neck...

New cars are not made to fit people who are 6'5". Which is one of the reasons I enjoy driving my 65 Sport Fury. I fit in it with room to spare.

 

[Northcoast300h]

Today's cars are better in almost every way than the 1960-70's. Safer, faster, easier to drive and better on the environment. (No more breathing horrible smog, exhaust, lead (autism, learning disabilities) like every downtown had in the 1970's). Most 1960/70's muscle cars are overrated today and therefore way too expensive, getting beat by today's Kia's and Hyundai's.

The only advantages of old cars is style and cost. Lower cost of ownership, insurance, repairing.

Safety is much better today. All of us on this forum are driving beer cans, which is kind of scary out there, but its not like we're riding motorcycles, so to me, I guess its worth the risk. Since 2009, there's been a number of advancements. From the comments, I think the 1959 car dude would have either died or a vegetable with no legs. A 2024 car dude would have got out and started uploading his stupid tik tok videos the next minute.

 

[LocuMob]

Most 1960/70's muscle cars are overrated today and therefore way too expensive, getting beat by today's Kia's and Hyundai's.

I'll die in my old car before id ever get either one of those pieces of crap. No way either one is gonna beat a proper muscle car, on any level other than which one won't be missed if it gets destroyed.

 

[57fury440]

I can drive the E body Barracudas and roll the windows down on a nice day. The wind doesn't blow havoc in the car, and it is comfortable. If you roll the windows down on a new vehicle the wind buffeting blows your eardrums out. When I drive my new cars, you have to leave the windows up or just put them down a little. They are designed to use the air conditioning while driving. I think it is no contest that overall the newer cars are safer and are better on gas mileage but most lack any fun driving experience. Speed is not the only thing that is important to me however My 57 will not lose at a stoplight to a Kia or Hyundai.

 

[Just Carbs]

Today's cars are better in almost every way than the 1960-70's. Safer, faster, easier to drive and better on the environment. (No more breathing horrible smog, exhaust, lead (autism, learning disabilities) like every downtown had in the 1970's). Most 1960/70's muscle cars are overrated today and therefore way too expensive, getting beat by today's Kia's and Hyundai's.

The only advantages of old cars is style and cost. Lower cost of ownership, insurance, repairing.

Safety is much better today. All of us on this forum are driving beer cans, which is kind of scary out there, but its not like we're riding motorcycles, so to me, I guess its worth the risk. Since 2009, there's been a number of advancements. From the comments, I think the 1959 car dude would have either died or a vegetable with no legs. A 2024 car dude would have got out and started uploading his stupid tik tok videos the next minute.

The 1959 GM and Ford cars used an A pillar that slanted forward. A most deadly sin as seen in the vid.
Fortunately, Chrysler didn't do that.