I remember working on my first used car. A 1971 AMC Gremlin. Each subsequent car became more and more of a hassle to work on.
My 1963 Nova SS with a six cylinder 194 cubic inch engine had so much room around the engine you could get at anything.
When I bought it, it had blow-by so bad it would raise the dipstick and blow oil all over the underside of the hood.
Tapped a dowel into the dipstick hole and drove it for 50,000 miles.
I learned on GM and Jeep products mostly growing up.
My major mechanic days such as they were are long over.
Last year my dad sold a 74 Pontiac Grand Ville that he bought at an estate sale a few years ago.
The previous owner had a lot of restoration work done and it came with the paperwork to prove it.
I wouldn’t even want to put new spark plugs in that 455 now.
Rode like dream and a fair amount of power from the 455. I got to drive it one afternoon.
https://youtu.be/aXhOoVV6alc?si=lrgiwgvI3nO7ZQqi
It was sold to a collector from the midwest. Dad lost interest in the car.
Bringatrailer.com worked rather well. Way less aggravation and cheaper than Ebay.
—” Each subsequent car became more and more of a hassle to work on.”
And for many years now, everything under the hood is a plastic puzzle wrapped in an expensive $$$ enigma.
Yes it does a nice job keeping road crap off the wiring and other sensitive parts.
Now, with luck, you can do an internet search on removing the cover.
Even to change the oil, the underside is concealed.
I keep an assortment of plastic panel fasteners and a good luck charm on the wall.
I still hate them.
‘65 GTO, then a ‘73 MGB. After that, no more mechanicing fun.