I used to have a Duster with a slant six and three on the floor. Loved that car. Got crappy mileage, but gas was cheap.
The thing about cars is this: They need very little work. My Chrysler 300M got regular oil changes, brakes and tires. That was it - for 185,000 miles. The omni and reliant were awesome for the price.
And I spent no time under any of those cars. They were simply reliable (once I figured out the codes). Keep gas in the tank, change the oil, replace tires and brakes, and you are pretty much golden. I will say that Chryslers are notorious for transmission problems (I had an older reliant and LeBaron convertible that had this issue) but that is not really a “new vs old” thing.
Older cars are much simpler, but also nowhere near as good as a newer car. There is a company that, for around $35,000 will give you a modern suspension on your 1970 challenger. It still handles pretty much like a pig compared to a modern Challenger right off the showroom floor.
And then there is this AMAZING video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aDs1sHJLFE
And an explanation here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ3Y0lxGz6s
Bottom line, I see most pre 1990 cars as not much more than a Model T with some nice body work. I exagerate, a bit, but you get my point.
Meanwhile, I’d LOVE to have an MG TC for the roads around where I live.
They cherry picked on the car crash video. That 1959 Bel Air was notorious, just like the VW Thing in the 1970s and the Subaru Samarai in the 1980s (rollovers). Try the same test with a 1961 Chrysler Imperial and your results will be quite different.
Your Reliant and Omni are both pre-1990, and yet you give them high marks. When gas hits $4, I still see Omnis and Horizons (and VW Rabbits) come out to play. I believe it is illegal to make cars that light today.
I have had a fleet of Dodge Darts and other assorted Chryslers (’89 Fifth Ave, ‘79 Dodge Diplomat, Darts from ‘66 through ‘76 (7 total), ‘65 300, and an awful ‘86 Plymouth Voyager)). Only one of the Darts (’73) had a tranny problem, and it was a pre-existing condition with the car bought for $55. The torqueflite in the ‘60s version, my parents’ ‘61 Lancer and ‘68 three on the tree manual Dart did fine. Front ends and rust were the main problems.
But you are right on the handling. I would also throw in brakes. The older cars need more attention and love, but a lot of the same enhancements help these cars as well. Mobil 1 synthetic oil, modern car batteries, etc. brings new life into these cars, even if they do skitter on the Williamsburg bridge.
I have not found a new car with a seat as comfortable as an old MOPAR non-split bench.