Are today's cars better- or worse-looking than the ones of decades past? Discuss (van, Chevrolet)
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Well, I don't have to bother with a code reader, or having to reset the CEL (check engine light) on my 3 classic cars. If one of them is running rough, I can usually find out what is causing it pretty quick.
Yes, some classic cars are hard to work on, like a big-block, late-'60s Mustang. In general, though, classic cars are much easier to work on. I remember pulling, gapping and installing new spark plugs in my '66 Dodge Dart GT V-8 in about 40 minutes.
Yes, 400+HP and 25 mpg is great. If that's what you like, enjoy it. And I will enjoy my 18-21 foot-long, 6-9 passenger, smooth-riding, comfortable and stylish '60s/'70s cars.
A plug change in my Accord took 10 minutes or less and in 250K+ miles it never ran rough ever. A plug change in my Mother-in-law Accord took closer to 20 minutes, but only has to be done every 105k miles.
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Originally Posted by Fleet
But that stuff is FAR more similar today than it ever was in the past. It's so obvious, I find it fascinating that some people try to deny it. As I said, it was much easier for the average person (not a car enthusiast) to identify '60s cars because back then, '60s American cars did not have "Euro" or "Japanese" "styling." I have quite often mistaken a late-model Ford for a Toyota. No way could that have happened in the '60s!
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Originally Posted by Fleet
I AM open-minded. If I wasn't, I wouldn't insult other posters. Is it my fault that I find modern cars to be mostly look-alike, cookie-cutter, blob-cars? It has nothing to do with "mind-opening" when something is so easy to see the difference. Going by the poll results, it looks like I am in the majority, too. Remember, too, that if I only liked '50s-'70s cars, I wouldn't own and drive a 1995 Lincoln Town Car.
A poll on an automotive forum is not a good enough sample base to come to any valid conclusion. In general I would say yes there is more differentiation among older cars vs newer, but it’s not huge compared to today.
Would folks at stoplights say "OMG...that is a badass car man" with the 2013? Probably not...they already saw ten of them today.
FF 50 years and they would.
You pull into a drive in or burger joint and every eye in the place is looking out the window staring at you and your car. Do they do that with the 2013? It depends on how young they are I guess. The same would drift their eyes away to foam at the mouth for a Honda civic if a real Shelby GT-350 was sitting right next to it. If you ask me...that is the ignorant person.
Where did this assumption come from? So you are saying anyone who appreciates modern cars drools over econo boxes? [SIZE=3]This is so far from the truth and a ridiculous blanket statement. [/SIZE]
A plug change in my Accord took 10 minutes or less and in 250K+ miles it never ran rough ever. A plug change in my Mother-in-law Accord took closer to 20 minutes, but only has to be done every 105k miles.
My cars have 8 spark plugs. One of my brother's cars, a '66 Plymouth Fury III, also went past 250,000 miles. And I would much rather drive that than an Accord!
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A poll on an automotive forum is not a good enough sample base to come to any valid conclusion. In general I would say yes there is more differentiation among older cars vs newer, but it’s not huge compared to today.
Would you say it's not a good enough sample base if the results were reversed?
I don't quite understand your last sentence. Are you saying that differentiation among newer cars is more compared to old ones?
I would say that the average Ford or Chevy looks so much different (for the worse) than '60s Ford and Chevys, that it's silly to claim otherwise.
Would folks at stoplights say "OMG...that is a badass car man" with the 2013? Probably not...they already saw ten of them today.
FF 50 years and they would.
You pull into a drive in or burger joint and every eye in the place is looking out the window staring at you and your car. Do they do that with the 2013? It depends on how young they are I guess. The same would drift their eyes away to foam at the mouth for a Honda civic if a real Shelby GT-350 was sitting right next to it. If you ask me...that is the ignorant person.
Where did this assumption come from? So you are saying anyone who appreciates modern cars drools over econo boxes? [SIZE=3]This is so far from the truth and a ridiculous blanket statement. [/SIZE]
I'm like Fleet...I say what I mean and think the first time. I don't care who gets p*ssed off at me. It's the truth and how I feel. When those guys were posting those new Honda pics all hot rodded out, I skimmed right over and thought to myself "so what".
My cars have 8 spark plugs. One of my brother's cars, a '66 Plymouth Fury III, also went past 250,000 miles. And I would much rather drive that than an Accord!
Would you say it's not a good enough sample base if the results were reversed?
I don't quite understand your last sentence. Are you saying that differentiation among newer cars is more compared to old ones?
I would say that the average Ford or Chevy looks so much different (for the worse) than '60s Ford and Chevys, that it's silly to claim otherwise.
5 min per plug vs 2.5 per plug. Ok so the 66 went 250k mi, did it ever run rough any point in time? One of the reason I brought up my Accord was because you said in the 60's you could "cure a rough idle with a .29 cent screwdriver". Well other than one car I had that had a cracked ringland and one with a crappy custom ecu tune I've never had a rough running issue with an EFI car and I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles. I wasn’t trying to sway your decision in which is cooler.
As far as the poll I don't care which way the results turn out. The voters don't make up an accurate representation of the general public and therefore not valid. Also there are only about 100 votes.
No I tried to say differentiation among older cars is more compared to the differentiation among new cars, but I don't think the amount of differentiation has significantly decreased like so many claim.
I'm like Fleet...I say what I mean and think the first time. I don't care who gets p*ssed off at me. It's the truth and how I feel. When those guys were posting those new Honda pics all hot rodded out, I skimmed right over and thought to myself "so what".
You are entitled to your opinion of cars and to come off however you want. I don't really care about that. That really has nothing to do with you saying that people that love the 2013 5.0 Stang and that are not into classics love the Civic because they are both new. Saying that is flat out ignorant.
I think today's cars are way better-looking, and the trend has been one of continuous improvement.
Most late model automobiles look so much alike, it's difficult to distinguish a BMW from a Hyundai at distance. I suppose that's a good think if you drive a Hyundai.
im not reallyinto the newer ones to hard to work on no room under the hood all kind of extra misc gadgets fuse boxes and vacuum lines kinda makes it something else give me the 70s and something same motors with out the extra misc and im ready to go im kinda a 70s and back to the 50s and some older ones are to my interest. you can be in one wreck and still drive away . the new ones are like tin cans one wreck and buy a new one . but everyone to there own liking.i kinda like the chevy cavalier and i just bought a grand am to fix up. well have a good day
So would I buy, own, and drive a 2013 Mustang 5.0 GT?
Hell yes I would...I've seriously even been thinking about one since the 5.0 came back.
Would I sell my '65 to pay for it? Hell no!
Would I keep and drive both cars? Hell yes!
Would folks at stoplights say "OMG...that is a badass car man" with the 2013? Probably not...they already saw ten of them today.
Yes people actually do roll down their window at stoplights and comment or ask questions about your classic cars.
You pull into a drive in or burger joint and every eye in the place is looking out the window staring at you and your car.
Do they do that with the 2013? It depends on how young they are I guess. The same would drift their eyes away to foam at the mouth for a Honda civic if a real Shelby GT-350 was sitting right next to it. If you ask me...that is the ignorant person.
My car is a 12 year old Japanese convertible... I get compliments on it all the time, and I did before I got the custom bodywork done, too. I live two blocks from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, and any time I drive up there or down Beverly or Canon, people look at it as I drive past. I've gotten thumbs up from classic car guys, guys in Ferraris and Bentley's... car guys stop me in parking lots to ask and talk about it. I pick up a date in it and they go, "Wow... this is such a cool car!"
Not every post-60's/70's car is a cookie-cutter snoremobile or an Econymous Anonobox. There are plenty of awesome cars out these days that turn heads, too!
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