Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Automotive
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-15-2008, 07:27 AM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,572,644 times
Reputation: 24857

Advertisements

A friend of mine just bought a new car and was suprised when the engine died on the way out of the dealers lot. He was definitely not used to driving a Prius.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-15-2008, 02:52 PM
 
28,803 posts, read 47,525,315 times
Reputation: 37905
I miss running boards, {sniff}. Beer tastes better downed while sitting on a running board shooting the breeze than anywhere else.

I don't miss gambling on breaking bones when crank starting.

I do miss the "fly" window - real cheap air conditioning.

I applaud seat belts and all air bags. Structural steel in door panels for protection, and crumple zones for same. I am not a fan of halogen headlights.

I do like the reliability. I have found that every new car I buy lasts longer with less maintenance and has fewer defects than the one before it.

ABS brakes have saved me a few times in the winter. I am always amazed that I can slam on the brakes and steer on ice and snow to avoid a moron. Traction control is so-so in my opinion. Sometimes it helps, but other times I end up turning it off because it seems to get confused and won't let the car move at all. Maybe I'm missing something there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2008, 03:10 PM
 
28,107 posts, read 63,436,291 times
Reputation: 23222
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tek_Freek View Post
I miss running boards, {sniff}. Beer tastes better downed while sitting on a running board shooting the breeze than anywhere else.
Remember the rhyme written in year books of yesteryear?

When you get married and buy a Ford... save me a seat on the Running Board
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2008, 04:04 PM
 
Location: Tulsa, OK
5,987 posts, read 11,638,761 times
Reputation: 36729
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner View Post
Remember the rhyme written in year books of yesteryear?

When you get married and buy a Ford... save me a seat on the Running Board
Wow you guys must be older than me. I remember them but not in the romantic way your poem suggests. There are so many little things that have improved safety. The little thing you flip on the rear view mirror to keep you from being blinded by headlights behind you. On newer cars that happens automatically.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2008, 04:20 PM
 
3,695 posts, read 11,342,020 times
Reputation: 2651
Cars are more reliable and safer these days. Even grandma's Altima posts 0-60 times that were respectable in the 60s an 70s.

But, dear Lord, are they dull.

Over at Jalopnik: Obsessed With The Cult Of Cars, they have a feature called "Down on the Street' which is about cars that one of the writers finds parked on the streets in Alameda. They've featured everything from pre-war American steel to pick-up trucks from the days when they were real trucks to malaise-era Detroit iron and the first waves of Japanese imports. There was a sense of fun and personality in those cars that is sorely lacking in today's cars.

Today's cars are better than older cars in the same way that oatmeal is better than bacon. It'll keep you going longer, but it just doesn't have much flavor.

Down On The Street - Jalopnik
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2008, 08:03 PM
 
48,505 posts, read 96,551,406 times
Reputation: 18301
If you want performance it cost now days. But the old polluting cars of the past are just that a thing of the past. Even rods mostly have newer engines controlled by electronics to pass inspection test. In some states you can get a permit but it is costly.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2008, 09:53 PM
 
28,107 posts, read 63,436,291 times
Reputation: 23222
Default I Concede... they are making them better today...

I just went down to the garage to take a look at my old Oldsmobile and I've come to the conclusion you guys are right... they are making them better today...

Who would have thought in a 100 short years the auotmoble would have change so much?

Anyway... this isn't my Father's Oldsmobile... it's mine

//www.city-data.com/forum/attac...-dash-one-.jpg
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2008, 11:34 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 102,794,286 times
Reputation: 29967
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultrarunner View Post
I just went down to the garage to take a look at my old Oldsmobile and I've come to the conclusion you guys are right... they are making them better today...

Who would have thought in a 100 short years the auotmoble would have change so much?

Anyway... this isn't my Father's Oldsmobile... it's mine

//www.city-data.com/forum/attac...-dash-one-.jpg
How well will that roof protect you in a rollover?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-15-2008, 11:53 PM
 
28,107 posts, read 63,436,291 times
Reputation: 23222
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drover View Post
How well will that roof protect you in a rollover?
Roof... I don't even have a steering wheel

PBS ran a special last year about the first transcontinental coast to coast road trip and it was very interesting because of the number of original photos they were able to show...

Somewhere between San Francisco and New York a newspaper report said the driver and mechanic had skin turned to leather for months of exposure...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-16-2008, 12:18 AM
 
3,459 posts, read 5,763,876 times
Reputation: 6677
I miss the sound of a 4-barrel. I liked my old Duster. It had its own personality, and would let you know if it needed something, but it would always get you home. You could lean on the car or even sit on the hood without a thought. You could hit potholes without destroying a rim, and if you hit a deer you might have to buy a grille, but at least it wouldn't total the car.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Automotive
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top