> I have heard this (I can't work on modern cars) argument on many
> occasions on this list.
>
> What confuses me, is what is so different on a modern car that makes it
> difficult to work on ?
...snip...
>
> Sooooo - why is it so difficult to work on modern cars ?
Back when my 71 MGBGT was a late model car there were these things called
service stations. They would sell fuel and fix any car regardless of ethnicity.
I would be far from home and have a fan belt break. I could go to any of these
service stations and get a new belt off the wall. Today they no longer
exist. They all have been replaced by "Food Stores" that also sell fuel.
The people manning these stores have trouble with english never mind
questions about fixing my car.
Now I will grant you someone will argue that you could
braid together a bunch of potato chop bags into a fan belt.
Today, if you want your car worked on you have to go to a new car dealer
that sells your brand of vehicle during normal business hours
(but I don't always drive during normal business hours).
Why is that? It is because it is not economically feasible for
every service station to own the electronic text equipment required
to fix every brand of car.
If you want to invest in hundreds of dollars in test equipment and special
tools and hundreds of hours of reading, yes you can work on modern cars.
Then there is the subject of body work. Modern cars are made of
high strength steel (HSS). This can only be welded with a MIG rig.
It is also more difficult to beat HSS than the mild steel of the past.
All that lightweight HSS and engine electronics however, actually work.
I also have owned a 93 Buiick Roadmaster station wagon since it was current.
It is a huge car with a 5.7 liter engine that screams.
I get 24-26 MPG on 70-80 MPH runs
to grandma's house. My tiny MGBGT doesn't get much better mileage
with its small size and its pokey 1.8 litre engine. When
taking the Buick I get to grandma's fresh and my ears dont ring.
Cruising 80 MPH for seven hours in the MGBGT wears me out.
Now problems with the Buick what with it's oxygen sensor,
knock-ed up sensor, sensor this sensor that,
are difficult to debug. And just like a PC of the same vintage,
my special GM test equipment is now obsolete.
On the other hand, my timing light and feeler gauges
are still current for all pre electronic ignition cars I own and will ever own.
If I should fall off the LBC wagon and by a VW, my timing light and gauges
will still be current. So my MGBGT gets poor milage by today's standards.
But then how much gasoline can you buy with $25,000 even at $2/gal?
Now I am still upsent that MG went to those difficult window cranking
mechinisms.
They are hard to fix when broken. Nothing could be simpler than the windows
of an MGA! Don't let me get started on those $%# door locks (MGAs have no
keys other than ignition). Ahh the good old days.
Oh I almost forgot. my Olds has
410,000 miles on the original engine. MG recommends replacing the bearings every
50,000 miles. Thankfully the MG bearings are easier to replace.
Martin
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