10-08-2021, 11:34 AM
As someone who for years maintained his own cars down to engines out and apart, etc., modern cars are largely a mystery to me.
I’ve always driven bangers as in the bad old days I knew what I was looking at (I stuck to particular makes) and could (usually) tell the reasonable prospect from the wreck. I’ve had cheap yet reliable and good motoring in presentable cars over the years. On the odd occasion I bought one that failed drastically too soon I figured that I hadn’t lost a lot.
Today, with all the electronics, etc., it’s in the lap of the gods. I have to confess, Trevor, that half of what you discuss in your post is Hungarian to me. My current runabout has just gained another MOT certificate with no work required – just a couple of advisories that are no big deal – as it enters its twentieth year. I’m always apprehensive these days as, despite the fact that it runs reasonably well, given the tightness of the regulations there might be some problem that renders it beyond economical repair. I used to know where the local guys handy with a welding torch were but these days corrosion is the least of worries. That is one change for the better. Back in my youth I couldn’t imagine a car ten years old that hadn’t seen a torch let alone twenty!
A friend of mine has just scrapped a BMW Mini. A blown head gasket – the sort of thing I used to fix in an afternoon on an Escort – has seen it off. Another one with a two-year-old Citroën currently has it beached on the drive until a repair slot is available because some warning light (and consultation with the garage) advises him not to drive it.
My car has a niggling problem with the gearbox but as I’m the only one who drives it I can work with it. It’s the sort of thing I would have fixed in previous times but it’s too complex for me to have apart. Is it worth having done – the car has only done 68k – or should I just be grateful for another year on top of the five so far? There are other minor annoyances with accessories which are mainly down to the vagaries of electronics: like having to open a rear side door first otherwise the hatch won’t release and always remembering to remove the key from the ignition as it might decide to lock me out, and one of the interior lights not behaving properly – stuff that was purely mechanical and a five minute fix on old cars.
What I look for in a car is as simple as possible and with the least non-essential gadgetry possible. No air con – great! Mechanical window winders – yes please! I’m doing my research but it is an increasingly difficult quest. Suggestions welcome!
I’ve always driven bangers as in the bad old days I knew what I was looking at (I stuck to particular makes) and could (usually) tell the reasonable prospect from the wreck. I’ve had cheap yet reliable and good motoring in presentable cars over the years. On the odd occasion I bought one that failed drastically too soon I figured that I hadn’t lost a lot.
Today, with all the electronics, etc., it’s in the lap of the gods. I have to confess, Trevor, that half of what you discuss in your post is Hungarian to me. My current runabout has just gained another MOT certificate with no work required – just a couple of advisories that are no big deal – as it enters its twentieth year. I’m always apprehensive these days as, despite the fact that it runs reasonably well, given the tightness of the regulations there might be some problem that renders it beyond economical repair. I used to know where the local guys handy with a welding torch were but these days corrosion is the least of worries. That is one change for the better. Back in my youth I couldn’t imagine a car ten years old that hadn’t seen a torch let alone twenty!
A friend of mine has just scrapped a BMW Mini. A blown head gasket – the sort of thing I used to fix in an afternoon on an Escort – has seen it off. Another one with a two-year-old Citroën currently has it beached on the drive until a repair slot is available because some warning light (and consultation with the garage) advises him not to drive it.
My car has a niggling problem with the gearbox but as I’m the only one who drives it I can work with it. It’s the sort of thing I would have fixed in previous times but it’s too complex for me to have apart. Is it worth having done – the car has only done 68k – or should I just be grateful for another year on top of the five so far? There are other minor annoyances with accessories which are mainly down to the vagaries of electronics: like having to open a rear side door first otherwise the hatch won’t release and always remembering to remove the key from the ignition as it might decide to lock me out, and one of the interior lights not behaving properly – stuff that was purely mechanical and a five minute fix on old cars.
What I look for in a car is as simple as possible and with the least non-essential gadgetry possible. No air con – great! Mechanical window winders – yes please! I’m doing my research but it is an increasingly difficult quest. Suggestions welcome!
Nick
