I’ve never owned or driven a car but from what I hear from almost everyone is parts fail constantly even while you are still paying for it or under warranty but even moreso after. New cars don’t seem to have the ability to go maintenance free for very long. I’ve heard so many horror stories and my father was a backyard mechanic who MacGyver’d up his vehicles with the least amount of cost and a whole lot of struggle. He seemed to have no problem fixing other peoples vehicle though. But a pin hole in a hose can make all the difference. Is it planned obsolescence? Or are they in the business of selling parts just as much as the cars or trucks themselves?
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The internal combustion engine is a marvel of engineering. The fact that it holds together as well as it does considering the stresses involved in its operation is a miracle. And they are getting better. You didn’t see engines produce this much power with this little maintenance when I was a kid. The engines last longer and need less fiddling.
Most of my cars have been good under warranty except for a 1989 Corvette, which was the biggest lemon I have ever owned. My wife’s Dodge Caravan has had issues with small things going, but they have all been things I can fix myself. I’m not too bothered by it.
Are the vehicles expensive? Yes, but we’re fortunate to be able to afford them.
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I certainly agree the ICE is amazing. But I don’t trust a gas engine and never will. They seem like they are going to explode at any minute. They are getting better with mileage and horsepower. I always thought the old engines needed less maintenance. I’m just finding people with serious problems with their vehicles that are design flaws or poor choice in parts.
My father wouldn’t be happy unless he clocked a half million kilometers on the dash of his car, then it was worth the few hundred he spent on it. On the opposite side, my uncle has a newer GMC truck, very nice, he takes extreme care with it and it’s under 50k kms mileage. He has had to take it to a garage because a common failure to reprogram the transmission or something, that was costly and now his starter is gone, apparently they put a cheap small one on a big truck and garages are replacing them steady. Another person had a 2014 truck and the frame rotted out. Seems like something you wouldn’t anticipate for so soon but that cost 20k to repair. I would have just left the vehicle and the bill.
They are continuously exploding, that’s what’s so cool about them.
This is why you pay extra for undercoating.
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Maybe they didn’t pay for the undercoating, lots of salt here on the shoreline and in the winter. My father did undercoating too.
I am impressed by the power of a 350 engine but think a 454 is overkill. I live next to a drag strip and you can hear them from here in the summer. I also am fascinated by the original VW Beetle and the engine, not to mention it’s good reputation in the snow.
My brother is restoring a Chevelle ss and it’s looking really nice. I’ve got no problem with sinking money on beauty or a good investment. But lots of new cars seem to be lemons right out of the factory and for how much money they cost initially and to repair it seems quite unfair.
I’m a big fan of overkill. Let’s just say that my car doesn’t have the stock engine.
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I think the 454 is too heavy to make those sharp turns. A 350 bored out will get you close but not on a straight away I would bet. I think my brother is putting a 454 in the Chevelle, I haven’t asked him but I think he has one.
I had 1979 Pontiac Trans-Am Gold Special Edition. I dropped in a 455 Pontiac HO. It was a heavy thing and did not do well on curves. My 2018 Impala is an all-around better vehicle. Faster and handles much better.
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My father had a Buick Allure, quite similar. They used those impalas for pro stock racing. I bet they handle well but how well are they on gas?
I guess “constantly” is relative. I’ve got a 2012 Volkswagen and I’ve sunk some money into it for repairs but it’s not like I’m bringing it in for repairs every month or even every 6 months. It had one major problem since I got it in 2015 and it could have been avoided if I had taken care of the repair right away instead of waiting. My car isn’t breaking down constantly. All my cars have had problems, some more than others.
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It’s not bad for its size if you drive moderately. Punch it and wind up both turbos and it’s a different story. I can afford the gas so it’s not a big headache for me. I don’t drive a lot and very little in town. I try to walk in town or ride my eScoot instead.
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So was the Allure, tons of power if you wanted it and they sold a chip on amazon that was supposed to improve this but I’m not sure it worked or not. My father was a ten dollar at a time gas guy lol. He would only have what he needed until the next day. That’s nice that you’re so close to things that you can use a scooter. I’m about a ten minute drive from the convenience store and a 20+ minute drive to town. My mother had an electric bike that folded up, she took it into town towards her place and made it about three quarters of the way there before she had to call a cab because the battery died. She said it felt like a long, cold trip, the distance she did make it. I don’t think it could go beyond 20km/h though lol. We had an original yellow Honda scooter from the 70’s my father was going to get me to drive until he seen me on it. To be fair the tires were semi flat but I had both feet wide out and fish tailing and everything. He closed his eyes and turned away but somehow I manage to teem her and come back and do a lap around the house. I think at that point he decided he was going to sell it and, like my mother, I was not meant to drive on the road.
Toyota Corollas last forever with very little maintenance. Plus they get great gas mileage. Plus they’re affordable.
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If I ever owned a car that wasn’t electric (which could be a scam, I don’t know but I like the sounds of it) that would be it. I really like Toyota’s durability.
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Yeah, I love Toyota’s durability too @Revv1
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No issues with my Mazda 3 I’ve had for 7 years.
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Yes, my best friend’s as a child step father had an old Toyota Truck and that thing was tough! But Rust!? It rusted away before the engine died.
A friend of mine had a Mazda 626 or something like that but it worked well and had plenty of giddyup if you wanted it
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Ive had my car for 8 years and the only thing that went wrong with it is the alternator going bad besides dead car batteries very little repairs oh also had to do change the breaks and rotors
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That’s what I like to hear but I hear it so little.
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