Quote:
Originally Posted by some_other_dave
I do not have the numbers to hand, but I believe that the average 1989 car, even when in good operating condition, puts out something on the order of 5x to 10x the pollutants that the average 2009 car does. They really have come a long way.
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I disagree, and will have to dig up & scan my emissions results to back up that disagreement
Plus of course, you have to factor in the emissions of the boat/train/truck that delivers the new car to your local dealer, and all the previously discussed pollutants and resources used to make the whole new car - the environmental impact of which could just as well be greater than all the pollutants the car will ever produce in its lifetime of operation.
Newer cars are safer, no disagreement there. People still choose to ride motorcycles, in some states without helmets even. Clearly it's up to the individual to decide what level of safety they want for themselves. A person especially worried about motoring safety might do best to lease volvos and the rest of us folks who managed to survive so far on the cars of any given era through which we lived, we're probably not afraid of those cars either.
As a tangent of this discussion, I've noticed that certain nostalgic cars have become the subject of some specialized restoration companies. I don't have links handy, but have seen restoration shops selling bulk, turnkey examples of relatively "normal" vehicles... jeep J10's, toyota FJ40/60/etc, 80's firebirds, maverick/comet, etc. - clearly there would be no market for a "fully restored" 1985 ford escort, but it seems like auto scrap yards could garner some green press attention by reselling partially restored cars for a couple grand as part of a "keep 'em going" campaign. Green sells these days, right? Or do people not care if it's not fashionable enough?