When my wife and I met in 92 she had an 86 Accord. I never put more money into a car that I wasn’t restoring. Now she’s looking at a Honda Passport V-6
New Vehicles Suck
- Thread starter Doug Chahoy
- Start date
- Status
You know what's funny about that, my wife had a 95 accord when we met. That POS was also a money pit. I swear it was at least 500 a month in repairs, and a lot of that was no labor charge, just overpriced import parts.
What I don't understand, my 77 truck has an I6 in it. It was rated at 100 HP at 3600rpm and 175 lb ft at 2000 rpm, through a 1bbl monojet carb. I've hauled thousands of pounds of wood. I've had 60 concrete blocks in it. It's towed cars.
Wtf does anyone need 360hp in a grocery getting glorified minivan rebadged as a "suv" even though the sport and utility have disappeared?
I think it all needs to step back. Get rid off all that junk that breaks in the engine management. Build a sensible engine, with a lightweight trans, few speeds, that doesn't rob a bunch of power to turn. Eliminate hundreds of pounds of nanny sensors and wiring. Build a basic powertrain that just works, and costs less because there's fewer parts. It'll get better gas mileage than all that advanced junk currently out there.
Have you ever had to drive the wifemobile? Would you rather it have 360hp or 100hp? Reliability notwithstanding. When we take the whole fam damily out and it's not in the dually I prefer to not hate my life. I get your point, but I'm all for juiced up lame-o cars. My friend had a 1990ish F150 with a 5.0 and 5 speed. Thing was a hoot, would axle hop all the way through 1st next to a minivan driving like a normal person while the truck was giving its all.
To be honest? No, I'd rather it didn't. I'll take the 100hp in that situation, given what headaches it would save. Too many people can't handle higher power ratings, and wind up making trouble for the rest of us. They drive like morons, and make dangerous situations.
We probably will need to agree to disagree on that topic.
That 1990 f150 - 185hp @ 3800rpm and 270lb ft @ 2400 rpm... kinda makes the point too doesn't it? Plenty of fun to be had at far lower output ratings, if you save weight by getting rid of unnecessary junk.
I'm with you on ditching the junk, the newest thing we have is the wife's 2007 Envoy Denali with the 5.3 because I drove the 4.2 here at altitude and said NO. I think we're closer to agreeing than you realize as I don't do new new, rather I chose to debunk the 100hp argument you made. The previous wifemobile was a 97 Grand Prix GTP and even she misses the way that that pulled. Merging was effortless. I miss that car.
I used to drive a lot of slow, and I mean REALLY slow vehicles through the years. Slowest was probably a 1985 s10 blazer 4x4, optioned with a 2.5L iron Duke and the 700-4r. New it made 82hp. Mine was 18 yrs old with lots of blowby and falling compression ratings (mix of mid to low single 100s). Ran good for all that and was a beast in the snow even on junk tires. I miss it.
Back in the day it was fun challenging yourself to DRIVE. Maintaining speed up grade in a low hp car that should lose speed/power but you didn't because you preemptively got the rpms and power up there? That was its own kind of fun. Doing things with a vehicle it shouldn't have the power to do but you could because of skill and not just because everyone has 400hp on tap was it's own different type of enjoyment.
I remember, I was in one of my 3.8 83 regals, bone stock, and a friend was in his 4.3 93 s10 blazer. Going uphill through the mountains I kept losing him, he just couldn't keep up. So, on the return trip up and over the same hills, he asked if we could swap. I said sure. This trip, opposite happened. I lost him even greater time/distance driving the s10, because I was listening to the motor and adjusting this based on the roads. We got where we were going and he asked me, what the _____ do I do different, the car was slow as ____. How do I always lose him. I think he thought he was going to get a muscle car. I told him I learned how to drive and listen to my car, get the most out of it. He never got it. But giving yourself the challenge, it's fun.
- Status
