Hey Mechanics--problem here.

actually the computer controls are for efficiency and emisions ..not convenience

some of todays 4 cyl cars can develop more hp and torque than those older v8's....while using 1/8 the fuel and making much much less polution

 

Alright. I'd as soon go back to simplicity over complexity. But isn't that what ALL old people say?

 

yes


also i made those numbers up

 

That's why when you pop a hood today, There is a big plastic cover to try and scare you away and to the dealership.

The computers are ok and all, But only gets you in the 'ballpark' of the problem. I agree technology has made more things a PITA than easier for the common person.
Hell, Its hard to change your own oil anymore, Car is slammed to the ground so you have to use a small jack to fit the big one, If you don't have a lift.

But that's how they can keep you coming back and cash in their pocket. Its sad mechanics are becoming a thing of the past. With the computer, You have a techie and a parts hanger, That's all and you pay $100 an hour for it.

 

I still miss adjusting the air/fuel mixture on the fly in my old Datsun 510 w/ dual SU carburetors. 's like flyin' an old airplane...:biggrin:

Further back in history you could even adjust the timing on the fly...
musta been fun.:auto:

People payed attention to how their engines ran back then, nowadays you can't even hardly hear it from inside the car.

 

You can still get all those features, But now that's extra and 'custom' work lol.

 

yeah you can do it on the fly now...with your laptop on the passenger seat instead of your hands under the hood

 

Cars are getting even more complex, because of CAFE standards (corporate average fuel economy) they are trying to squeeze every last bit of economy out of these things. Which isn't a bad thing. But that's why most new model cars are 4 cylinder, turbocharged and direct injected. Direct injection is like a diesel fuel system almost.. a low pressure pump in the tank, high pressure pump driven off the camshaft and injectors that shoot directly into the cylinders. Very expensive to fix when one of those high pressure pumps take a shit.

That being said, I fucking love the technology. You almost have to be an engineer to work on cars anymore, on top of a being a welder, fabricator, and mechanic. I love getting into high end diagnostics and I make a lot of money doing it yet it is not all glamorous. This is not a field for the lazy or the weak. The only reason I got back into it was the economy, I have a 4 year degree and well the economy still sucks yet I make 2-3x as much money as most of my peers. But I am not sure how long my body will hold out, not to mention the mental stress. My body hurts most days. I'm probably going back to school for an MBA. I love automobiles but damn. And there is no doubt that these late model vehicles should be left to the pros. When I work on older stuff it seems so archaic and unrefined. Unless it is a $100k+ hot rod.

 

Maybe more accurate but still not as quick as a crackin' open the jet with the pull of a cable nob... or pushing it in to lean out the mixture as you rise in elevation, judging only by the seat-of-your-pants and your ears :2thumbsup:

 

Yeah, and those cars were also sleds that burned the shit out of (leaded) petrol, were shit in terms of power vs displacement, burned more oil than gas, and wouldn't start half the time in the morning. I'll take a fuel injected car that adjusts fuel trims by the millisecond over some old shitbox like that.

 

Does this look like a lead-sled to you?




I say you can keep the cars of today, they all look like eggs and smell like 'em too! LOL

 

WOW! Ain't that what they used to have the kamakazi pilots in during WW2? I thought they were all destroyed.... :daisy: