POPSCI: Why you can't sell me a car,

[gone-ot]

..to wit: GM's sly, sneaky, foisting of DexCool™ coolant and Dexos™1 and 2 motor oils onto its customers.

[t vago]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

..to wit: GM's sly, sneaky, foisting of DexCool™ coolant and Dexos™1 and 2 motor oils onto its customers.

Chrysler is also guilty of this - To wit, the 42RLE transmissions used in the LX bodied cars used almost exactly the same transmission internals as with the 42LE transmission that was used in the earlier LH car line (they both used the same transmission fluid). However, the LX line got rid of the transmission dipstick, and replaced it with a "dealer service only" plug. Never mind that the fluid level check in the LX service manual is almost exactly the same as in the LH service manual - the only change being the use of a $80 special tool in place of a $5 dipstick.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

Simple/cheap to repair carburetors have given way to impossible/expensive to repair fuel injection systems.

Except that I've never run into an EFI system that needed repair, whereas carbs needed repair all the time. And if you honestly think carbs were simple to repair, you have my unreserved admiration.

[mechman600]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Except that I've never run into an EFI system that needed repair, whereas carbs needed repair all the time. And if you honestly think carbs were simple to repair, you have my unreserved admiration.

Took the words out of my mouth and articulated them better than I could of.

[Frank Lee]

Odd. Carbs are simple to repair. And they don't need repair all the time, but yeah generally they may need attention more often than EFI. In addition, I have had to fix issues with injectors, electric fuel pumps, sensors, ground wires, gooped-up throttle bodies, etc. but none of those things on any carb'd equipment...

What have I ever had to do to carbs... seems the bulk of it was fooling with the chokes, which I generally dealt with by installing a manual choke or in the case of the '59, a choke delete. On occasion there will be a float that no longer floats. Sometimes I'll fiddle with the adjustment screws, or maybe clean some sediment from the bowl. That's pretty much it.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Except that I've never run into an EFI system that needed repair, whereas carbs needed repair all the time. And if you honestly think carbs were simple to repair, you have my unreserved admiration.

My '70 AAR 'Cuda had 3 × 2300 Holly carburetors (see my avatar) and never needed any repair parts or replacements, something I can't say about my EFI experiences...especially with injectors and high-pressure pumps (inside gas tanks)!

[larrybuck]

Never had to touch the carb. on my '87 CRX.

Most of my life, I've been able to find great used vehicles for around $1,300.

Granted, I don't have salt issues here, but if you don't go beyond mid 80's,
your life will stay simple, and alot cheaper.

One key is when you find something you like, Hang ONTO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If anyone was interested, I could deliver non rusty older cars to you eastern guys
almost forever!

I did live in salt country once for 11 years. I pray; never again!!!

[Xist]

Originally Posted by jakobnev

I think he wants one of those toy cars that go in one direction until the bump into something, then go in another direction

I kind of thought of that when he wanted a self-driving car, I just visualized one that kept bumping into the same thing. So, he pulls out his phones and complains on Facebook.

What about the saying about carrying a device in your pocket that can access all of man's knowledge, but you use it to look at pictures of cats and argue with strangers? I dated a girl who looked up how to replace her spark plugs. That was a quality girl.

I have had six cars, none of them new, between 93,000 and 250,000 miles, and never had a carburetor. I have always heard of great $1000 cars. Wouldn't they belong in the unicorn coral?

By the way, this is the first time that I heard the term "Millenials." Until I realized the context I thought "Nobody lives to be a thousand!"

For the record, apostrophes are used for contractions and possession. You do not use them for plurals.

[mechman600]

I see lots of younger people starting apprenticeships in the shop I work [and do much of the training] at, which is a commercial truck stealership. It is amazing to see the lack of knack for fixing things in these kids. The common belief of management is that anyone can fix/diagnose anything with the correct training. What they do not realize is your knack for mechanics will largely determine how successful you become, regardless of training.

There are plenty of untrained mechanics who are very very good.
There are plenty of trained mechanics who are horrible.

[Ryland]

If someone doesn't need a car then why try to talk them in to it?

The $1,000 car is real, but hard to find! my Civic VX was $1,100 because the guy did a poor job listing it on craigslist and I love the fuel injection on it over any carburetor I've worked on, 230,000 trouble free fuel injected miles where my Hondas that had carbs needed top end rebuild kits, new accelerator pumps, float level adjustment and all of that meant that I needed thick repair manuals and the correct tools to keep from stripping the brass jets and screws.

But more so, the point is, live where you spend your time!
When I was little we lived 6 miles from town, single car family with 3 kids and we would bike in to town if the weather was nice and my dad would bike in to work, that is not very common any more but there is no reason for it not to be.

Even if you have a car that is cheap to own you should still learn to use your smart phone and if you are paying $300 per month for your electronics then you are as dumb as the person who pays someone else to change their wiper blades.
I use my dumb phone all the time, heading across town to the store? send a text message to see who else needs to go, not using my car for the weekend? send a message to people who have asked to use it in the past, don't want to drive.

I don't want to spend my life driving, I'd rather fly across country or take the train, my brother and some of my closest friends all live in my neighborhood and I live 12 blocks from two grocery stores, yet it's really quite with a low crime rate.

Even with the small amount that I spend on my car per year, I could do some great things with that money if I didn't own a car.