Old Cars vs New Cars (cost, buy, accident, scene)

[Rcm58]

I've had discussions with many people that claim the old cars were better. Do you think they were or is it just a nostalgic look back?

I remember they needed constant tuneups
I remember polyester tires exploding sometimes just from heat
I remember being at the beach all day and the blistering hot vinyl seats

I will say if I had to be in an accident with my family in the car, give me a 70's model Buick Lesabre to plow into a pile of new cars with.

[gardener34]

They sucked up the fuel.
When you turned the AC on, you slowed down significantly
No seat belts
Heater was an option
Metal dashboards

But they did look cooler. I'll give ya that.

I grew up in the late 70s early 80s. American cars of that era were the most terrible ever built. People my age will have very little nostalgia for their cars like folks of the 50s and 60s and early 70s do.

Remember the:

Chevy citation and the chevette
Granada
Ford Fairmont
Pinto
K-cars
AMC Pacer and Gremlin

[Steve-o]

Old cars (pre 60s) looked great and are nostalgic, no doubt. However they were not nearly as reliable nor safe, and drank too much gas with too many emissions. To make a long story short: No, old cars were not better in any sense really. Id prefer an old car though...

[Rcm58]

I also remember some of the 2 door cars had doors that would'nt close properly after just a short while. The Toranado, the Sunfire, the Camaro and the Monza. I remember they made a sound like a bag of junk and busted glass when you closed them.

Also remember the Suzuki Esteem when it first came out in 95, we called it the Suzuki Low Self Esteem

[Angel Bear]

I like the newer cars because they are more fuel efficient and have more bells and whistles...But...to me there's nothing sexier than the muscle cars of the 1960-1970's. I'd love to have a 1969 Camaro Z-28...black with the white stripes...ooh! And, I think that the older Cadillacs, Chevys, Corvettes of the 1950-1970's were awesome too...So stylish

I have yet to find a modern car that has the style I want...So, I drive things more for functionality and affordability...So, I can go on expensive trips and buy cool stuff instead

[115db]

Both, the old cars and new ones all have their pros and cons. I liked the sturdiness of the older models. Solid steel, real steel everything, no plastic bumpers or dashboards. If someone hits you, they are gonna feel it (ouch!).
But newer cars have their good points too. Fuel economy. A lot quieter ride. Smoother ride. Heat and a/c.
I wouldnt mind an old '78 Blazer, just to take out 4-wheelin up in the hills and playing on th mountainous roads. Id be afraid to take my truck to some areas right now, parts would be too EXPENSIVE to have to replace!

[frankline]

It’s an oft-encountered lament that while we talk about the 'foreign/latest technology' and 'new generation' cars – at the same time we keep wondering how they are more reliable than the ones we had earlier – especially from post WW-II till the mid ‘80s – when the Maruti-800 totally revolutionised the Indian Motoring Scene.[/font]
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james
Car Reviews

[AliceT]

My first car was a '69 Ford Falcon with a manual transmission and no air conditioning. I drove it for 22 years. I have yet to find another car half as dependable. The engine was so uncomplicated that even *I* understood it. What I wouldn't do for another Ford Falcon just like it....

[Ohiogirl81]

Every car I had until I bought my fuel-injected 1987 VW Golf had carburetor problems. Big carburetor problems. I hated carburetors! &%$#@*&%$@!!!!

As for fuel economy, though, didn't the Ford Falcons of the early 60s get around 30 mpg? I seem to be remembering an ad from Dad's old National Geographics touting the car's economical prowess.

[nocturnal rooster]

Old cars suck. You'll drop enough $$$ in repairs to equal the cost of a new car in the long run.