Older cars from 70s and 80s are a bad idea because of part replacement. Is this accurate? (vehicle, joint)

[guest4]

i don't like the newer cars with so much technology everywhere. i prefer everything manual and mechanical rather than computerized when possible. i also liked the older styling of the 70s and 80s for choice models.

is it a bad idea to ever consider buying an older car from the 70s, or 80s or earlier? i am concerned that i won't be able to find the *basic* parts to replace due to wear and tear.

[Dport7674]

I'd agree that (in the States anyway)replacement parts on 30yr old BMW's would be hard to find, or at least cost prohibitive.

You could pick up a Corvair, or other American models with Euro styling, and it wouldn't be a problem.

[guest4]

thx

[North Beach Person]

American cars would be easier to find parts for than foreign cars. Even back then one of the complaints was lack of spare parts.

[sdlife619]

I'm not really into modern cars either, especially when it comes to their styling. But they are more reliable, way more refined, run better than cars from the 70's-80's overall that's for sure.

It really depends on what kind of cars you're into. If it's little BMW's, when BMW's weren't that luxurious, then maybe. If it's old American cars, especially smaller one's, it's quite possible to find existing parts, but remember as time goes on, finding parts for 70's and 80's cars will be harder and harder to acquire, and in many cases it's already impossible depending on the make as the crushers have had so much time between now and then to scrap em for cash.

The 70's were truly the last generally "decent" to "good" years for American cars with great styling that is. Downsizing of the late 70's into the 80's weren't the best of times for the likes of GM, Ford, and Chrysler.

I personally wouldn't want to drive a 70's car as a daily driver just because of the intense maintenance work of having to always tinker with something like the carburetor. You also have to worry about vacuum leaks with the millions of miles of vac lines it seems under every 70's-80's car due to the added emission equipment that sucks to repair.

I own a 70's classic land yacht, and I love it as a weekend cruiser or an every other day driver, but to drive it as my daily, not only would I go broke in a week from all the gas it sucks down quickly, it's simply not a practical vehicle to drive in modern traffic, my classic is just too slow for it. Plus since it's a special ride, I don't want to play it out, the less it's seen by others, the cooler it is.

So I think you can find smallish practical classic from that era, but you want to make sure that it's in great shape and drives well, as small cars in this particular decade wasn't the best in terms of reliability and quality. The 90's were better IMO with fuel injection being the norm.

[Hemlock140]

It depends on the popularity of the vehicle. I recently sold my 1972 El Camino, but I could walk into any auto parts store and get any mechanical part I needed, and they were cheap.
Body/interior parts are available by catalog from several vendors. Check for part resources before you buy.

[StealthRabbit]

Quite depends on your taste / needs. I drive pickups and trucks that are MUCH older than the 70's and don't have an issue. Nor have I ever been lacking for VW parts, Air cooled or gas. I have Many 70's and 80's vw's and stuff is CHEAP and available (I.e. ball joints, brake cylinders, radiator hoses, switches ....<$6.00) The A2 VW's (post 85 are very popular and available. Get a GTI and transplant a turbo diesel (bolts right it... 50 mpg & Fun) no OPEC required)

[jackmccullough]

Well, one relevant point is that they don't make them the way they used to, they make them way better than they used to.

I can understand a certain atavistic desire to drive an older car, particularly a car for which one has fond memories from one's youth. In virtually every instance, though, a much newer car is going to be better than the old cars you're talking about.

[Merc63]

Cars like that BMW have every part available, and easily found thanks to the internet and car clubs. There are companies making OEM replacement parts, supplying New Old Stock, good used parts, and also companies making aftermarket replacement parts and upgraded parts. Cars like that BMW and other foreign cars like it are popular still for restorations and drivers, so parts are easy to come by. SOME parts are expensive, however, but most are not. I rebuilt a '81 Fiat 124 Spider and all the parts are avaialble for that, as well.

I have a '61 Renault 4CV and parts are easier to come by now than when the car was new...

Cars that are NOT so popular can be harder to source parts for. If they were off-brand, or basic economy cars, like, say, Mazda R100s from the early '70s, it'll be harder to find parts for, you might have to us the internet to source parts from places like Australia, for example. And many American cars of the '70s and '80 are hard to find parts for, like, '80s Tempos and '70s Volares (though again, with the internet, you can source parts from all over the country and have them shipped to your door). And even then, basic wear parts are around even at local parts stores.

The hardest thing to find for those early '70s and '80s cars, surprisingly, are tires in the smaller sizes that cars were equipped with then. 13 and 14 inch tires are made by very few companies anymore. The MGB I just finished a restoration on used 14" performance tires and there was only one manufacturer that I could find that made tires in the size I needed: 205/60-R14

[sliverbox]

I own a 50's American car and it is very easy to get parts for. As in the parts are usually at my local big box parts store.
That said... you need to be aware that in many cases, cars from the 50,s-70's lack many of the safety features we have today. My car lacks any crumple zones, shoulder belts, a collapsible steering column, ABS, air bags, and so forth. Getting in a wreck in my car would be about 20X's more dangerous than getting into one in a modern car. As such I drive it very carefully and only around town, with occasional freeway trips. So keep this in mind...