What is better made, or more useable, now than in the years past?

[Ian]

I get mobbed at the local job fair - "we need more of this," "can't find enough of that," "workforce shortages, turn-over, baby-boomers retiring....."

My first question - what are you paying?

A lot of companies just can't get it through their heads that you have to pay for what you want and you get what you pay for. There ARE qualified people being educated, you just have to compete to get them. That's the nature of business, right?

That is true, and I've experienced that firsthand. Sorry, I didn't get the highest degree in the industry and obtain the highest training and testing levels of the profession along with a list of glowing references so you could pay me 20% of the commission fee I would earn for you. People piss and moan constantly that they can't find a decent CDL driver around here....but they want to pay $10/hr. Really? All you can get is drunks and dopers? Imagine that. This ain't 1970 people. These are the same employers who tip a good waiter 10% and act like they're being generous. One of my previous employers (who split the labor with me) had a saying about paying peanuts and only getting monkeys. He was sure right....but it's more than that, it's a matter of respect. Blue collar has lost its respectability in a way due to the decades of academic push, and people have an automatic tendency to look down their noses at the greased-up master tech who works unknown magic with a quarter of a million dollars worth of tools and tech and more knowhow than two engineers, a programmer, and priest combined. Granted, lots of so-called mechanics bring a bad image on themselves, but something about doing dirty work, no matter how professional, brings a bad stigma. Mike Rowe is one of a few people really trying to improve the image and education of tradesmen. My instuctor in automotive service technology also beseeched us many times to tuck in our shirts, shave every day, and generally try to look and act repectable. He had the right idea.

 

[freebullet]

I never spent 4 days tracking issues with points & condensers, could change & set dwell in 15min, can't say the same for computers, bcm, & other needlessly over complicated garbage.

Maybe some things aren't better? For the average poor person I don't think the throw away cars of today are a better thing. Maybe some "better" is confused with not being as poor?

Tradesman of today have it much worse outside of the remaining unions. Probably why we will shortly celebrate 17 years in business. Thankful, the demand is persistent for skilled tradesman.

Better today....as a matter of perspective.... for the time being... powder & primer availability...better stock up.

 

[RicinYakima]

No Experience here by any means: but I think I would have to say condoms....from what I have heard

Latex was developed for condoms in the 1830's because the sheep industry moved to Australia and the US. So the French, who else, used latex from SE Asia to develop new material for them. FWIW.

 

[Rick]

Much like taking a shower with a rain coat on.

 

[Ian]

From a tech's perspective, after 30 years of wrenching I'll take an OBD 2 vehicle over a carbureted one any day. Once you really understand how the systems work, they save you a lot of work tracking down problems. With a good scanner, good diagnostic resources, and a low-amp probe, diag and repair is a breeze. I guess for the person not professionally trained to deal with it, the new stuff is a big disadvantage....but the dot gov made sure you can solve most of your own problems with a $39 scan tool and an afternoon's reading. Not really much more learning curve than setting dwell, timing, choke ramp and pull-off, and mixture rod height, just different.

 

[RicinYakima]

Go, Ian, Go! And you only have to do it when it does work anymore! Not every weekend!

 

[John]

I disappointed a lot of teachers by going to a trade school rather than a university 47 years ago. I found that as a pipefitter/plumber/gas man quick accurate math skills were at least worth $5-$8 an hour over the guys that couldn't figure angle cuts, measured using "23 with one big line and one little line" meaning 23 3/4" and who couldn't calculate volume without looking up formulas each time. Eventually even the plastic pipe companies started stamping lengths every 2 feet on a 500 ft roll as few could measure height, multiply by Pi, count layers and rows and come close to knowing how much was in the reel.
What made the difference to me was ties. I hate wearing them and never met a University Graduate in 1972 that didn't have to wear a tie to work. Sometimes its simple.

 

[Ian]

I used to have to set the valve lash and timing on my VW every weekend, and replace the generator/fan belt every month and rebuild the engine every 50K. Big Three V-8s got rings, bearings, and a valve job every 60-80K and major tune-ups/belts/hoses every 15-20.

I put a set of Iridium plugs and a timing belt on my wife's Sequoia once every ten years or set of tires, whichever comes first. Other than basic fluid and filter changes, that's it. In 101K miles all my Buick has had is plugs, tires, one set of brakes, two belts, and fluid/filter maintenance. I'd say that's an improvement.

 

[freebullet]

I don't recall needing any of those expensive tools to change points. Never remember changing them more than twice per year. I drove a 1951 ford, with stock flathead, the first year fordomatic 1000 miles a month for several years, never left me stranded or needed towed. Did have to let it cool from vapour lock a couple times when I accidentally used corn gas.

Drove hundreds of thousands of miles in late 70's Ford's. Spare ignition module & fuel pump, you could go anywhere, and we did it all with no computer, at a combined cost less than what I just tuned up the 454 injection for. So, for the poorest of the poor old tech is cheaper & usually much easier for lay people to learn to fix. Economy is sometimes false due to cost.

 

[Ian]

Well.....mechanics need jobs too! Most people don't work on their own stuff. I'm sure fewer do now than they used to when you could take stuff apart and see how it worked rather than it all running on the magic blue smoke and ones/zeroes, but the truth is most people have a mechanic along with their doctor, attorney, dentist, plumber, ac repairman, counsellor, gunsmith, hairdresser, and spiritual guide, same as it's been for a long time. Not everyone is like you and I who insist on doing everything except our own root canals and appendectomies ourselves.

 

[Pistolero]

Yep, can't do my knee replacement either, darnit. As to your VW work comments.....you exaggerate a good bit.

But the point is very valid, indeed. Old cars took a LOT more maintenance than modern cars. Platinum plugs or iridium
nowdays, every 100K, oil changes and tranny fluid changes, and tires. Heck my 2001 Accord had 347K on it, on the
original clutch, and EVERYTHING worked fine when I sold it. No tears in the upholstery, but had a worn spot by the
accelerator pedal in the carpet.

I ran aircooled VWs from 1968 to 1989, and put myself through grad school working on them for money
for other folks. Valve lash every 3K, fortunately only takes 10 min, check points and plugs at 6K, new points at 12K,
clean the plugs or replace. Overhauls lasted me usually 125K or more when I could afford to use new parts and do it
properly.

I did go to the junkyard once in college and pull the unbroken rings off a junked engine that someone
had already gotten the heads off of. My rings were all broken, smoking badly, losing power and these for $10
was what I could afford to get me back on the road. Yes, the root cause was the worn out piston ring grooves,
and I knew that then, but I did not have the $85 for a new Kolbenschmidt set of pistons and cylinders, let alone
the $105 for Mahle, the really best ones. I was a seriously broke college student. Some weeks down to $6 for the
week for food. Fortunately, you could eat for that back then, if you were very careful.

Bill

 

[smokeywolf]

......truth is most people have a mechanic along with their doctor, attorney, dentist, plumber, ac repairman, counsellor, gunsmith, hairdresser, and spiritual guide.....

Doctor? More medical background than most, so do more of my own diagnosing than most, do however know when I should call the doc.
Attorney? More legal background than most, so have written more of my own legal documents than most.
Dentistry? Brushing and flossing describes the breadth of my expertise.
Plumber? Despite hating plumbing work, have always done my own.
AC? I'm embarrassingly ignorant.
Councillor? Psych classes, several years in law enforcement, plus many years in the school of hard knocks has allowed minimal need for a professional.
Gunsmith? Do all my own.
Barber? Mrs. smokeywolf does that.

Used to do all of my own mechanics. Got very good at rebuilding distributors and Rochester Q-Jet carbs. In my early 40s I decided I didn't want to lean over a fender or lay on a garage creeper anymore. Bought a new truck and when the warranty timed out, found a mechanic I felt I could trust. In fact he will be installing the new $900+ catalytic converters on Mrs. smokeywolf's truck next week.
I do love the mileage that the computer controlled engines get.

 

[Bret4207]

Not fer nuthin' guys, but you had to set the valves on the VW's because that's the way VW designed things. Those Germans weren't stupid and knew that having Klaus and Hilda bring the family ekonowaggen into the dealers shop every couple of months would keep the dealers going and ensure more $$$ for VW. Hydraulic lifters weren't weren't a new idea in 1970. Outside of something like a Crosley or Renault, a VW was about the cheapest thing you could buy, and built for that market. I worked on enough of them, usually on the side of the road at night in the rain, to know they weren't for me.

When did mechanics become technicians? I had a former auto "technician" that worked with me on the Troops. Went to school for it and everything, worked at a big name Ford dealership IIRC. Didn't know how to do a lot of basic stuff or how a lot of simple stuff worked. But he could use a scanner and replace parts. Is that what it's down to? Seems that way to me for probably half the "techs" out there I've dealt with. I know there are still some smart ones out there. I like listening to "The Car Doctor" on the radio. Yup, he says you have to use the scanner and read the codes, but he doesn't stop there. He tells people that call in to actually do crazy stuff like checking for cracked hoses and bare wires, real simple stuff. There are still real smart mechanics out there, but those who get that technician title that I've dealt with on a first hand basis are often like the guys at the parts store that can't help you if the computer doesn't give them a part # by application.

I wonder how many of those cars of the 50's and 60's wouldn't have needed that rebuild every 75K if they had been used with modern materials and lubes? I can remember dropping the pan on the Chevy that had been used religiously with Quaker State oil changes every 2K miles and scraping out a half inch of grey ash. How many of them needed a rebuild because everyone turned the top of the aircleaner upside down or put on one of those JC Whitney screen air filters (it certainly wasn't a cleaner!), advanced the timing and far as they could and jammed their foot against the firewall at every chance? Yes, the bearings and seals and materials are far better today for the most part, but I think a lot of the problems we had back in the day were caused by us too.

 

[Sig556r]

basically 2 things that changed the way we live for better or worse: internet & cellphones...

 

[twodot]

As far as automobiles go, I grew up in the 60's and don't remember seeing too many pre-war outfits on the road.
Today it seams like 25 year old cars are pretty common.
..

 

[RBHarter]

I never had a carburetor or breaker points car leave me stranded because a a vehicle velocity to engine speed switch didn't hook to the ecm and lead me on a goose chase through the fuel system and ignition before it gave itself up with only it's a one year add on switch specific to the first full electronic engine that also happened to be it's last production year .......... So I have an F 150 4×4 with an injected 300/6 with 157,000 miles on it dead in the water because of an unavailable switch that was integrated into the next year's ignition switch ........

I'm also still driving 99 explorer with 302,000 miles on it so .......my first 5 cars were pre 1970 , the 69' New Port with the 383 2V went 199,980 before it puked the transmission . It loved Champion spark plugs it would eat a set in 4000 miles flat .

 

[Pistolero]

Bret - you are right, hydraulic lifters were not new in 1970, but they WERE new (nonexistent?) in 1939 when the
original VW air cooled engine was designed by Ferdinand Porsche for the KdF Wagen, Hitler's People's
Car, Kraft durf Freude, literally 'Strength through Joy", and Volks Wagen is litterally "People's Car".
Very old tech, but pretty reliable, actually. Few KdF Wagens were delivered, and the plant produced
Kubel Wagens ('bucket car") and SchwimmWagens ("swimming car") and some VW bug-looking staff
cars during the war. The SchwimmWagen was an amazing vehicle. 4WD with a drop down prop on the
back and a boat hulled body so they could swim across rivers. There is one in mint condition on display
at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles in Lexington, Nebraska just off of I-80.

Agree totally on modern lubes, Bret. FAR superior to the old oils we had.

Big US cars had 100-200 hp in ordinary sedans, but actual power required to cruise down the highway
was about 15-20 hp. So, the US engines were loafing along at 10-20% of rated power. The little VWs
were originally 36 or 40 hp and people drove them flat out, making 74ish max in the bug, 63ish max in a bus and
my low aero drag Karman Ghia would do 81 mph, and that is where I drove it most of the time. So, VWs ran usually at
90-100% of rated power. Even aircraft engines are designed to cruise at 75% rated power, max continuous.
Simple, light, cheap and pretty reliable at high power settings- but because of their old design, a maintenance
hog by today's standards.

RBH - there has GOTTA be a workaround for that unavailable switch. Those 300 six Fords will literally
run forever, at least 500K if you give them just modest maintenance. Usually need two transmissions and
a couple of axles replaced before the engine gives up.

Bill

 

[RBHarter]

It's got the last 9" , the 56' still has the OM carrier bearings in it 365,000 . The 150 has a 5 speed , it won't even run default . I might be able to use the later switch ....

 

[popper]

Amazing you could get 400hp from that poor vw. If you don't keep em cool they take more maintenance. A60 ford was great, better when they moved the water pump off the heads. 30 k mi.was high mileage for 50's auto and changes were so frequent, traded often. 70s were the worst, ford bolting together whatever would work, chryseler and gm about the same. Bean counter era. Vw had a resistor that would burn out in FI computer that stopped the motor. Influx of jap auto forced us to improve reliability. Used to sell lots of 'rolo's' blckwal from Brazil that had hard compound and terrible traction. Petrel like has traction but 20k rating.

 

[Pistolero]

400hp??? 40 hp. Never ran a fuel injected VW, 100% carbs.

RBH - I bet Ian knows how to get around that missing switch.

Bill