Happily living in the past, with our old cars

[davismanLV]

Interesting. I'd think that having R right below and after D and L could be a tad dangerous. I'm more used to PRNDL (think of Lisa from Green Acres going to driving school)!! I'd still take it for sure. I love the color, too!!

 

[Bonneville88]

Enjoying the thread!
Way over on the other side of the comfort spectrum -
I'm recalling driving an early 70s Bronco with 3-on-the-tree back in the day,
looked exactly like this:

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is that Massachusetts nitwit kidding? I hate hate hate all the messages our Mazda CX-3 is always giving me. Tire pressure low? No, it's not, but beepbeepbeepbeepbeep.

And the radio/CD player? Don't get me started! Too late. You got me started. I just want to turn the stereo on and off, not go through a bunch of prompts that, to do without taking my eyes off the road, would mean pulling over and parking.

And the totally unnecessary (and totally distracting) touch screen up on the dash is so bright I have to put a hat over it at night to see the road. In our brave new world, it's safety last. And "touch screen" is a misnomer. It's a haul-off-and-smash-with-an-iron-fist screen.

I just want a car, dagnabbit! Obviously, that's too much to hope for. Lucky for me, I'm old enough to be dead soon. But apparently not soon enough.

Grr.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Enjoying the thread!
Way over on the other side of the comfort spectrum -
I'm recalling driving an early 70s Bronco with 3-on-the-tree back in the day,
looked exactly like this:

Cute! Reminds me of the International Scout I went to Woodstock in with nine other kids.

 

[Opsimath]

Enjoying the thread!
Way over on the other side of the comfort spectrum -
I'm recalling driving an early 70s Bronco with 3-on-the-tree back in the day,
looked exactly like this:

Bronco! Enough said.

 

[spoox]

Interesting. I'd think that having R right below and after D and L could be a tad dangerous. I'm more used to PRNDL (think of Lisa from Green Acres going to driving school)!! I'd still take it for sure. I love the color, too!!

For the Power Shift automatic used on Avantis, the pattern was PRNDL:
I actually have an NOS Power Shift (just in case) for our '61 Lark Wagon which already has an Avanti torque converter as it has a high performance 259 which needs a different stall speed from the standard Flight-O-Matic tranny. However, I prefer the PNDLR as a couple of times I've been stuck in soft
ground as it works great being able to rock from low to reverse and back to get out. Besides, the early Borg-Warner transmissions had a lock out to prevent damage from shifting to low while in drive or low--and a rear pump so they could be push started.

 

[dreadnut]

The bug came from Ho;lywood, CA. My brother bought it from the old gal who bought it new in '67.from the VW -Porsche dealer. It has never been in snow. Had it towed here when my bro died. My buddy repainted it the original "Zenith Blue," and we had the motor rebuilt from the ground up, so it's just like new. Only thing left to finish is the interior.

 

[Guildedagain]

It's not the why they're stealing "Cats" in mechanic parlance, it's the why it's allowed to happen that's befuddling.

They've known about this for a while, and instead of coming up with something to stop it, hungry Rottweilers, fire ants, exploding dog poop devices, any number of things could work, it's only getting worse.

I mean today I read now it's "skyrocketing", shame on us.

So they go under rigs with a sawzall and cut your cat off, ruining your car.

On Grandma's Prius, she had Honda install a shield last year for around $600 so some crackhead wouldn't run off with it, because replacing it - fixing the damage - would cost $2500, more than the Prius is worth.

Last year, the vehicles most likely to have a cat stolen was either a Prius or a Ford F-250.

I read about a story of a church or senior transportation group that found their whole fleet of large Ford F-550 window vans with the cats cut off.

And so they bring these to a fence, who eventually passes it on to a metal recycler that's buying them on the sly.

A whole lotta complicit people and we can't get a handle on it.

Says a lot.

 

[jp]

Agreed, GA. I think automakers should be required to stamp a vehicle's VIN into the casing of the cat, and then local governments should make it illegal for metal-buying companies to buy cats from anyone unless they can prove it came from their own vehicle. Similar provisions could be made for aftermarket cats too.

 

[Guildedagain]

Hear hear 1000%

 

[beecee]

Agreed, GA. I think automakers should be required to stamp a vehicle's VIN into the casing of the cat, and then local governments should make it illegal for metal-buying companies to buy cats from anyone unless they can prove it came from their own vehicle. Similar provisions could be made for aftermarket cats too.

In theory that would be lovely....but a "kid" shows up last week with 6 cats...all sawzalled off....and the man at the counter doesn't ask a single question.

This happened in front of me at an auto recycling center I frequent, ( proud owner of a 95 GMC pu and 95 Toyota T100...to lessen the veer).

To the OP: I love my 2018 S90...most amazing car I've ever owned, but the only thing I recognize under the hood is the windshield washer fluid resevoir!

I bought it a few months old CPO, unlimited miles until November of this year. Frankly I'm not sure I want to keep it after that.

I bought an 86 Jaguar XJ6 for my next car after I move on from this but the thought of a Grand Marquis is compelling. A buddy is a mechanic for the county sherrif and he swears by them, ( same platform as Crown Vic and Town Car)...as did all the black car operators in NYC. But neither match the Volvo crash ratings.....

https://www.financialexpress.com/auto/car-news/shocking-video-volvo-xc70-rams-into-oncoming-truck-and-driver-still-walks-away/1216427/

I've driven Volvos for years, wagons like that one, and when it came time to help my daughter buy a car...before pricing went nuts...my wife wasn't thrilled with her driving a boring old Volvo....till she saw that!!!

She has a nice used S60!!! And a happy Dad.

 

[Guildedagain]

That's the problem, they're letting it happen.

Hey Feds, pass a law.

We need a War on Cat Theft, or a maybe Catalytic Converter Protection Act, or something.

This is ridiculous.

Maybe now is the time to get creative with this. Like rigging a 100dB alarm next to the cat, super touch sensitive, or something that sprays bear spray, or urine, or whatever.

 

[jp]

Yup. It's obvious we need a crackdown on this from the legislative side. In my city, there's even known loophole in the law that makes it very difficult to prosecute car thieves, and changes aren't being made. Uggh!

There are a couple of companies that make simple car alarms for cat thieves.

Catalytic Converter lock | Whitehouse OH | Catstrap

Ranked #1 Most Effective to Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft. Catstrap is a physical barrier shield that locks your cat converter in place. The Cateye catalytic converter alarm activates a 130 dB ear piercing siren when a thief gets close to your converter.

www.catstrap.net

Catalytic Converter Alarm (1 PACK)

Effective and affordable catalytic converter alarm. The best anti-theft protection for cars, trucks, Toyota Prius, Honda, vans, commercial vehicles. Only $32.99.

www.fastguardalarms.com

 

[tommym]

However, the problem is that unless you do all of your maintenance nobody knows how to diagnose an issue if they can’t just plug it in to a computer. I end up doing all of my maintenance.

That's one of the reasons why I no longer am involved with vintage cars or cars in general. I spent too much time working on other people's vintage cars, and not having enough time for myself. And when I did have time, I sure as hell was going to waste it working on my own cars. The last time I worked on a vintage car was over two years ago. I cleaned up and rebuilt an overly neglected Quadrajet from the early 70s. It was the first time I ever worked with a customer standing next to me in my garage. I never did that before and I have to say that was one of the best experiences that I ever had. It took me over six hours to complete the job and the gentleman was a pleasure to talk to. No charge of course. Shortly after that, I sold off all of my Snap-On tools, manuals, etc. I have no regrets. The only time I get oil underneath my nails now is when I cook.

Tommy

 

[beecee]

Here is a random thought.

Cats were "invented" decades ago when we were driving cars belching out tons of crud into the air. Isn't there a way to burn it all off in the combustion chambers now?

Heck, the holy grail of engine output was 100 hp per liter back then. I think Lotus did it...once.

My T5 2.0 has 250 hp...a 4 banger! The T6, same engine, has over 315. There has to be a better way to clean the exhaust than the stupid cats.

 

[Guildedagain]

Funny you should say that.

When I went to school, they were teaching rebuilding Q jets. The good old days.

I still have all my tools, I love them. I've got some Snap On Tools that are WWII vintage, even one that's 1937.

Anyway, in First Year Automotive Tech, we did rebuild carburetors, and tested the cars, and the one I rebuilt on my instructor's '71 Dodge Polara - his mom's car and I was his work study/teacher's pet - and when we sniffed the tailpipe on the big green Polara 4dr with 318/AT, the emissions was as low as was mandated on brand new cars, this is in 1988 and by then the max was 2% CO. The instructor's Mom's Polara was doing just over 1% CO, half of new regs, that was before the Lean Burn garbage and the first catalytic converters, mid 70's I imagine. The next you had was acid rain, because the oxides of nitrogen that comes out of the cats, besides the sulfur and other noxious gases.

I went on to be State Certified Emissions Specialist - which means your fine for cutting a cat off at home is ten times that of the average civilian, $100k instead of $10k - plus a ASE Master Technician Certification before even leaving school. There are 8 different tests/areas, no refunds for failing, I never failed one.

 

[tommym]

Funny you should say that.

When I went to school, they were teaching rebuilding Q jets. The good old days.

I still have all my tools, I love them. I've got some Snap On Tools that are WWII vintage, even one that's 1937.

Anyway, in First Year Automotive Tech, we did rebuild carburetors, and tested the cars, and the one I rebuilt on my instructor's '71 Dodge Polara - his mom's car and I was his work study/teacher's pet - and when we sniffed the tailpipe on the big green Polara 4dr with 318/AT, the emissions was as low as was mandated on brand new cars, this is in 1988 and by then the max was 2% CO. The instructor's Mom's Polara was doing just over 1% CO, half of new regs, that was before the Lean Burn garbage and the first catalytic converters, mid 70's I imagine. The next you had was acid rain, because the oxides of nitrogen that comes out of the cats, besides the sulfur and other noxious gases.

I went on to be State Certified Emissions Specialist - which means your fine for cutting a cat off at home is ten times that of the average civilian, $100k instead of $10k - plus a ASE Master Technician Certification before even leaving school. There are 8 different tests/areas, no refunds for failing, I never failed one.

We didn't have tail sniffers where I lived, only visual inspections. So I specialized in by-passing emission controls without removing them. I did mostly mild "banker hotrod" engines, so I had the advantage there. With things like the air pump, I would plug the air injector ports in the cylinder heads or exhaust manifolds, and gut out the pump leaving only the pulley bearing. From the outside, the reinstallation still looked like factory stock. Not much HP to be gained there, but with a mild "banker hotrod" engine, you took what you could get.

Tommy

 

[beecee]

ACID RAIN:

Oh you just reminded me of one of my brightest moments...even my wife was proud.

We were leasing a new car for my wife due to the birth of our daughter. We cut a good deal, got way too much for the trade to knock down the residual etc.

THEN we go to the F&I guy...the shark.

We said no, no thanks...no, we'll pass.

Then he gets to the paint protection. He said paint damage is not covered by the warranty..."what paint damage" I says...

He mentions damage from acid rain will void a warranty and cause a big penalty at lease end.

I says...hmmmm do you know where acid rain comes from?? I informed him that it was all of those lovely smokestacks in Detroit/Windsor etc. belching out all of that particulate during the production of this and millions of other cars that causes it. I'll take my chances in court if you claim it.

Not 100% true but we walked out without 10 cents extra.

 

[mario1956]

Agreed, GA. I think automakers should be required to stamp a vehicle's VIN into the casing of the cat, and then local governments should make it illegal for metal-buying companies to buy cats from anyone unless they can prove it came from their own vehicle. Similar provisions could be made for aftermarket cats too.

The electric utility I worked for had a big issue with copper theft about 10 years ago. We went to a copper clad aluminum wire with our company name stamped on it every few inches. It cost a little more but it stopped copper theft in its tracks.
Another good thing is we worked with the state and local authorities to help identify the cable that was being stolen before the upgrade and advised scrap yards not to accept this wire or be hit with a $5000/incident fine and jail time for interruption of electrical transmission facilities. That involved the Federal Government.

 

[jp]

The electric utility I worked for had a big issue with copper theft about 10 years ago. We went to a copper clad aluminum wire with our company name stamped on it every few inches. It cost a little more but it stopped copper theft in its tracks.
Another good thing is we worked with the state and local authorities to help identify the cable that was being stolen before the upgrade and advised scrap yards not to accept this wire or be hit with a $5000/incident fine and jail time for interruption of electrical transmission facilities. That involved the Federal Government.

It seems like the only thing that works is to hit people directly in the pocketbook.