Look at how long cars and trucks last now because of all the computer integration, they don’t!
In my experience, cars last much longer now than they used to, mostly because of better metallurgy and advanced engineering.
It is common for today’s cars to last over 200,000 miles. Lasting to 100,000 miles was considered a good accomplishment in 1970s cars.
Yes, prices to repair have gone up, but you have cars with bumper to bumper warranties of 60,000 miles, and often 100,000 miles on the drive train.
“In my experience, cars last much longer now than they used to.”
My friend. As someone who has cherried and fliped Classics all my life you really do need a “technical” education on how mythical what you just shared really is. A “well maintained” 60s-70s model will go 300K easy. I have one right now I have 300K on and it still does not burn oil and will indeed still pass modern smog regs with a fresh proper tune up. I got 350K out of my Pinto and tore it down and it didn’t even need boring. Just a light hone and new pitons rings and bearings. Good for another 100K and more...
You know where this mythical mind comes from? “Passing smog”. They are taking us out long before our time...
| ... cars last much longer now than they used to, mostly because of better metallurgy and advanced engineering [not because of computer integration]. * * * I totally agree, marktwain. The computer high tech sector has always relied on hype to promote itself. And the publicity around AI is more of the same. I would like to see a large computing/comms giant break the mold and produce services and products that are less tethered to the big brother model: snooping on consumers in order to sell them something. For instance, it's hard to find a computing tablet that allows you to run HTML files without going through the big-engine Google-, Amazon-, and other we-own-the-world browsers. I recently bought a Lenovo tablet that has splendid color and ability to play music and videos. But you cannot run device-local HTML files that integrate pics, audio, and video on the device. The only workaround is to create static PDF text files. So I hope freer, more capable tablets are coming, though another key problem to solve is security. |
That’s true of engines and things, but the issue is all these electronic gizmos that will eventually fail, and in many cases replacement parts will be unavailable. With the way things are integrated, one failure can take out the vehicle, as another poster pointed out.
Peak automotive technology occurred in the early 90s thru the mid oughts, IMO. After that, too much electronic nonsense.
I drive a 2000 car, with analog gauges and knobs and buttons for lights and HVAC. No touch screens. It gets me around just fine, and I can effect many repairs myself. I’ve already removed and reinstalled the engine for repairs myself once before.
The other issue I have is the lack of manual transmission equipped vehicles on the market today. Some of us like to drive a stick shift.
Manuals are also known as the “millennial anti-theft device.”
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