Back in the day when cars were made to last - sorta

[sledgemeister]

Ahhh detroit how far have you fallen?


http://www.dump.com/2011/07/15/fascinating-1936-footage-of-car-assembly-line-video/

[Big Frank]

I see a lot of similarities to GM from the '80s and '90s.

[Solus]

I do wonder. 

If you made a car with 1936 techniques what it would cost to sell it at a profit with today's labor/energy/regulatory/materials costs.

Probably would have to give it a "by" on many of today's safety regs.

I doubt it would be cheap...and you would still have a car with maybe 100hp, no rear spring suspension, manual choke, no power anything and good rubber tires with inner-tubes?

[fightingquaker13]

Hey today's Detroit cars  last better than ever. 100,000 is expected. My dad drives a 1983 Chevy diesel van (its on its second engine granted), but it has over 300,000 miles on it. I will say in his defense that he hand customized the interior of that thing into a camping/fishing machine with wood work TAB would approve of, and doesn't want to redo it. My mom is driving a 1990 Dodge Caravan and I've got a 1998 F-150 off road. We're not keeping them because we are cheap or broke (well I'm broke, but that's not relevant), but because they all still run great. The only reason to sell one would be because you wanted something different. I mean yeah, its about $1-2k or so per year in repair costs plus routine maintenance, but that's still a lot cheaper than car payments. No rust, the paint looks good, what's not to love? I was taught not to buy new unles the old stops doing the job. I think Detroit, at least with vans and trucks is doing great.
FQ13 Who, as you can tell comes from a family of folks who value practical and functional in their rides. If you like flash, don't ask me.

[tombogan03884]

So how does that compare with the Model T's and Stanley Steamer I see on the road around here ?
I've wanted a picture of that Stanley for 6 years now but he never drives it when I have my camera handy.

FQ is right here. The old cars were solid and simple durable enough but road salt raised hell with them.
Modern cars however are far more fuel efficient, far more powerful for the same size engine, more user friendly and guaranteed for up to 10 years or 100,000 miles. New materials and processes make them pretty much impervious to salt and other environmental threats, and if you take into account inflation the cost is actually less to buy a new car today than 60 years ago..

[Sponsor]

[tt11758]

Hey today's Detroit cars  last better than ever. 100,000 is expected. My dad drives a 1983 Chevy diesel van (its on its second engine granted), but it has over 300,000 miles on it. I will say in his defense that he hand customized the interior of that thing into a camping/fishing machine with wood work TAB would approve of, and doesn't want to redo it. My mom is driving a 1990 Dodge Caravan and I've got a 1998 F-150 off road. We're not keeping them because we are cheap or broke (well I'm broke, but that's not relevant), but because they all still run great. The only reason to sell one would be because you wanted something different. I mean yeah, its about $1-2k or so per year in repair costs plus routine maintenance, but that's still a lot cheaper than car payments. No rust, the paint looks good, what's not to love? I was taught not to buy new unles the old stops doing the job. I think Detroit, at least with vans and trucks is doing great.
FQ13 Who, as you can tell comes from a family of folks who value practical and functional in their rides. If you like flash, don't ask me.

I hear ya.   My 99 F-150 is just about to turn over 155,000 miles, and the only money I've had to spend since I bought it (used.........20 months ago) is for oil changes and bulb replacement.

[Solus]

Driving a 2000 Camero Z28.  350cu engine putting out 346 real hp.

One hp per cu is good in any engine....this one was developed in the '50s.

The car has 4 wheel independent suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes, both of which Detroit had to be forced into, kicking and screaming years after even Fiat found them applicable to low priced vehicles. 

Detroit has come around some, but still needs "attitude" adjustment which is surly happening, or was before Government Motors got in the picture.

I use to enjoy working on the spark plugs of my 1972 Datsun 240Z, pulling them every 3000 miles, putting in a ready set, filing and gaping those just removed to be the next set in.  Discarding them after 6000 miles.  Now you don't touch them for 100,000 miles and they run peak the whole time. 

[tombogan03884]

The Rickenbacker car Company (Yes, Capt. Eddy built cars ) was forced out of business after WWI because he introduced  4 wheel brakes as a surprise to the industry. They of course could not say their 2 wheel braking was inferior so the whole industry banded together to denigrate the concept as unsafe.

[crusader rabbit]

Certainly, the old cars were fun, and anybody with minimal skills could rebuild 'em with a decent set of socket wrenches and a couple of "knuckle busters."`Metalurgy in those old beasts was suspect, at best.  They would rust if you sneezed on 'em.  The engines were not nearly as efficient as today's, but GM's Straight Eight set the standard for low-end torque, and Ford's Flathead V-8 would run forever.  Chevy's straight 6 was still in use in the "modern" vehicles.

But the thing that has increased engine life most (IMHO) has been the advances in lubrication.  The kind of oil we used back in the '50s and '60s required frequent changes to maintain viscocity and lubricity.  Modern synthetics don't show much breakdown even after 12,000 miles. 

Buddy of mine used to run stock cars and he tells me they would totally rebuild the engines after each major race.  Wear was evident in bearings and rings.  Once they started using synthetic oil, he tells me he and the other mechanics thought they had torn down a fresh engine.  "No discernable wear," was his comment.

And, efficiency was not nearly so good back in the day.  14mpg with hi-test was considered pretty good.  But, hi-test cost $0.22 per gallon so who cared?

Offered for discussion by a whistful Crusader (sigh)

[Pecos Bill]

Cars today are more reliable, faster, stop better, handle better, more efficient, and technologically superior to anything buil even 20 years ago. They are, however, easier to damage due to lighter materials and way more expensive to repair. I wouldn't trade my everyday car for one made 20 or 30 years ago ever but I sure would like to have one.

Pecos, who can't believe that Tom agreed with FQ twice since I joined the forum.