Early nineteen sixty cars and before were in constant maintenance , in 10 000 miles expect, points, condenser, rotor button, distributor, brake adjustment seem to be at every oil change, vacuum wipers in some (the faster you went the slower they went),.
At 20 000 miles expect tire replacement, sparkplugs, adjust or replace brake 'linings', check or replace spark plug wires, you are on your 7 or 8th oil change as well, if you want to get more than 50 000 miles out of the engine, if you do then a valve job around 70-80 000 miles.
Any kind of pot hole hit would require a front end alignment.
18 mpg was considered good mileage in most vehicles.
Anything past 50 000 miles then the transmission was pretty well used up.
Pre PVC valve with only 'road draft crankcase ventilation' left the car interior smelling of motor oil.
Fan belts, and lots of them.
Power steering pumps leaking and squealing, engine oil oozing out of the seals (crankcase, valve covers , manifolds etc.)
Replacing generator brushes considered routine maintenance.
The old vehicles were not safe, not even close to today's vehicles, poor performing brakes, suspension (re-handling), steering, no head restraints, poor lighting, seat belts a $10 option, many did not spend the money for this and rust depending on where the vehicle was operated.
Safety, fuel efficiency, low maintenance over the vehicles life, and cost are light years ahead of what could be had 60 years ago.
M. Haggard lamented in song, that a car should last 10 years. If that is all then it is junk in todays world.
I appreciate the work of folks who resurrect the old vehicles for the work and talent they put into them , but wishing they would make vehicles the same today ....no thanks.
And yet, I had a 1952 Buick Roadmaster which had 106,000 miles on it when I sold it. I did the brakes, replaced a belt, replaced the muffler and tailpipe, and did oil changes for the 70,000 miles I drove it. I have to say though, my first NEW car, a 1971 Subaru, showed me a new level of reliability and longevity. Mind you, it was still kind of old tech, just done better. An economy car which stayed economical for 150,000 miles and five years when I sold it. A 1976 Subaru was, comparatively, a POS and turned me off the brand. GD
There are anomalies, one co-worker had a 1968 Plymouth with 157 000 miles on the engine, it was such a rarity , I still remember it, transmission lasted less than the first year though.
Another poster mentioned the Ford 352 V8, talking junk that one got full marks, oil burning, base compression, oil leaking and I did not know of one that didn't have a cracked exhaust manifold. And ya , 13 mpg as long as it was running. Flooding carburetors washing the oil off the cylinders.
My second last F-150, 1998 model had the original exhaust system on it when sold in 2014, before that everything from the cat back about every 3 years.
My first car was a 40 Ford Coupe.Jump seats in the back.48 Merc Flat head with 3 deuces 3/4 race cam ,straight pipes LaSale three on the floor synchro tranny ,Louvered hood ,Hydraulic brakes, Mickey Thompson street slicks with a ridiculous rake.Paint was black primer.Not the fastest but looked and sounded bad ass.Great cruising car,got lots of looks.
Its all right to be white!! Stupidity left unattended will run rampant Don't argue with stupid people, They will drag you down to their level and then win by experience
Too bad, you’ll have to toggle to know how Curtis Mayfield spells it all out.
Far out - I use to roll gangsta lean - I had phly-ass red velvet brim - damn those were good times . My two two five had a 3quarter cam - just saying .
PRESIDENT TRUMP 2024/2028 !!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Bristoe The people wringing their hands over Trump's rhetoric don't know what time it is in America.
My first car was a 1955 Buick Century. That thing didn't start running until 65, and would make 130mph. At least thats what the ticket said. First wife wrecked it in Boise! After a few others i picked up a 1957 Pontiac, 347 tri power. Ate chevys all day and night. Got my first new car in 1968 a mustang , blue with stripe, yep a Shelby 350, piece of crap. Traded it in on a Buick Wildcat. I had many cars I wish I would have kept! The only one I still have is a 1952 Ford Mainline coupe. Still running a flatty V8. Oh ya I liked cars when I was young. As far as driving they are a different world! Every old chevy l owned or drove handled like a shopping cart. But most handled that way. Always wanted a gull wing Mercedes, just didn't get around buying one! Thats enough wind today! Off to the shop, have harpoon heads ordered, I need to make!
The old portawalls, you had to break the bead to mount them. Then the narrow black portawalls, to make the wide whitewalls look like the newer narrow white sidewalls.
These premises insured by a Sheltie in Training ,--- and Cooey.o "May the Good Lord take a likin' to you"
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/1965_Oldsmobile_442_%2820030832281%29.jpg This was mine! 4-4-2 Olds convertable. Bought her new. 4 floor, 400CI, Dual exhaust, glass packs behind custom headers, Isky cam and solid lifters, tuned Holley. She would run!
BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER. ~ Ephesians 6:10
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. --Winston Churchill
Was thinking the early Ford Galaxy's the ones with the 406, and 428's were the first true factory muscle cars in the boat category. Guess I was wrong with it being considered now as the '55 Chrysler C-300. All my older first cars were boats, hell even had an old 55 Buick 4 Dr. One of my favorites though was the '59 DeSoto Fireflight.
Jay Leno spoke to this comparison a few years back.
He was asked about the wonders of the super cars in his collection from the 60s.
"Are they not a lot of fun to take for a drive on the twisty canyon roads?"
"Yes, yes they are. But you have to realize that a Dodge Neon is even more fun. It handles much better in the curves than any super car of the 60s, regardless of price."
And the Neon gets better fuel economy, spends less time at the mechanic, and is far safer in a collision.
That sounds like a guy with an ugly wife, bragging about her cooking.
It was Jay Leno talking.
I think he was saying the hot looking wife expected him to cook and made him sleep in a different room.
The ugly 2'nd wife not only cooks good, but puts out every morning before getting out of bed, again at noon, and has to have a screw before going to sleep at night.
People who choose to brew up their own storms bitch loudest about the rain.
My neighbor, a mid-life... in his mid 50's just came home with a cream colored 1965 Chevy El Comino yesterday. I hadn't seen one of them in years. He's got a hot wife too, but who's looking.
A mid life crisis is when you cannot afford the car you want. I’ve had a lot of cars and still enjoy them but they have to haul ass. No duds wanted. Edk
Timely thread. Have a free month of HBO and was looking at which movies to watch last night. Rediscovered the movie "American Graffiti." Hadn't seen it in years, wife had never seen it.
Movie set in 1962, filmed in 1972. Loved seeing all the late 50 and early 60 cars. Read up on it, said they paid 20 dollars a day plus meals for the background Extras and their cars.
"Put none but Americans on guard tonight." -George Washington
I have no wish to go back to the 'good old days'. Early nineteen sixty cars and before were in constant maintenance , in 10 000 miles expect, points, condenser, rotor button, distributor, brake adjustment seem to be at every oil change, vacuum wipers in some (the faster you went the slower they went),. At 20 000 miles expect tire replacement, sparkplugs, adjust or replace brake 'linings', check or replace spark plug wires, you are on your 7 or 8th oil change as well, if you want to get more than 50 000 miles out of the engine, if you do then a valve job around 70-80 000 miles.Any kind of pot hole hit would require a front end alignment. 18 mpg was considered good mileage in most vehicles. Anything past 50 000 miles then the transmission was pretty well used up. Pre PVC valve with only 'road draft crankcase ventilation' left the car interior smelling of motor oil. Fan belts, and lots of them. Power steering pumps leaking and squealing, engine oil oozing out of the seals (crankcase, valve covers , manifolds etc.) Replacing generator brushes considered routine maintenance. The old vehicles were not safe, not even close to today's vehicles, poor performing brakes, suspension (re-handling), steering, no head restraints, poor lighting, seat belts a $10 option, many did not spend the money for this and rust depending on where the vehicle was operated. Safety, fuel efficiency, low maintenance over the vehicles life, and cost are light years ahead of what could be had 60 years ago. M. Haggard lamented in song, that a car should last 10 years. If that is all then it is junk in todays world.I appreciate the work of folks who resurrect the old vehicles for the work and talent they put into them , but wishing they would make vehicles the same today ....no thanks.
I do understand this post - lot of truth in there - but maybe Axtell owned all Fords. Modern vehicles still present some of the same problems, but they are more expensive to fix - although I agree on their longer miles with less trouble - and the improved road handling characteristics. I had several 60s cars in the 60s and 70s, and they were good. The 62 Chev Impala was quite dependable, very quick and fun. The 55 Chrysler was rock solid, comfortable (with the AC handler in the trunk) and very little fixing needed. The 64 Sedan de Ville - bought it used in 69 - was a luxury for my wife and kids and only replaced one non-wear part in the 80k miles we drove it - the radiator. The 60 Triumph TR3 was simple, economical and a bunch of fun - get my wife and all 4 daughters in it (really - with one on her lap) and run up Mt. Lemmon for the day. Someone gave me a Judson supercharger for that TR3 - all mounts included - and with that running and a big Solex, the local Porsches were in trouble. But, very hard on the valve train. Had two 65 Corvairs as well. Fabulous engine - very good car. Then, there is the 67 Corvette Sting Ray - still have that one. Yes, I had to learn to do the work on them. Across the board, today's vehicles are better product - but I like the old/solid stuff.
Timely thread. Have a free month of HBO and was looking at which movies to watch last night. Rediscovered the movie "American Graffiti." Hadn't seen it in years, wife had never seen it.
Movie set in 1962, filmed in 1972. Loved seeing all the late 50 and early 60 cars. Read up on it, said they paid 20 dollars a day plus meals for the background Extras and their cars.
Great Movie Soundtrack too!!!
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
My great great aunt gave me the 1956 Ford Fairlane she’d bought brand new. I was 15 and she was 97 and had recently turned in her DL. It was a slick looking blue and white two tone with matching interior. 223 six 3sp manual. She’d driven it to North Dakota in 1990 when she moved up there and drove it back in 95 when she came home. I was super excited and couldn’t wait to get home to tell my dad so we could take the car hauler up and get it. It needed new tires, a battery, and probably a carb kit since it had sat for 5 years or so. I told dad and he put the brakes on that deal, thought family would accuse me of swindling here out of it. I had to sign it back over to her and leave it there. A year later she passed and her strung out granddaughter and her boyfriend rolled it across the scales for scrap to finance their next hit. I still remind my old man of that on occasion.
