I'll take my Studebaker any day!

[studeclunker]

Well, I was manoevered into fixing my friend Paula's truck. She has a Toyota T100 and the water pump went out. The bloody thing runs the water pump off the timing belt, for the love of Mike! Well, I've got it back together with the parts she provided, and it looks like the thing just might run. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it self-destructs when I turn the key.[:I][)] This Japanese stuff is the pits![V][xx(] Give me a Studebaker any day. Studebaker, eight bolts and the whole thing lifts off.[^] Toyota, it's over sixty bolts and the whole front of the engine has to come off.[:0][B)] OI VAY!


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[Mark57]

I think most modern vehicles are not designed to be easily serviced a ply to keep shops in business[?]

My late model fullsize F**d Van takes a qualified mechanic 3.5 hours (actual time) to change 8 spark plugs. About all I can do with it is change the air filter, battery, oil and light bulbs. [B)]

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar Deluxe
Vancouver Island Chapter
http://visdc.shawwebspace.ca/ </h5>

[gordr]

Mark, you DO know that you must use red oil in the battery, or else the tail lights will fade out?

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[Mark57]

quote:Originally posted by gordr

Mark, you DO know that you must use red oil in the battery, or else the tail lights will fade out?

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

That's why it goes to the shop when servicing is due while the Studebaker gets serviced in MY shop...

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar Deluxe
Vancouver Island Chapter
http://visdc.shawwebspace.ca/ </h5>

[raprice]

I agree that most modern cars are too much of a challenge to service or make repairs. I won't touch my own modern cars. I used to do most of my own auto service when I was a young man. Back then, things were accessible. Not today.
I've said many times that the people who design new cars should be forced to service them. Maybe then things will improve.
Rog

'59 Lark VI Regal Hardtop
Smithtown,NY

[52-fan]

MOST modern engines go longer before needing plugs, and the like, than the old engines did. They are made to be quickly assembled at the factory and the manufacturer would prefer you throw the old one away if it needs anything major.


1952 Champion Starlight, 1962 Daytona, both w/overdrive.Searcy,Arkansas
"I may be lazy, but I'm not shiftless."

[Roscomacaw]

Neighbor's son drives a late-model F*rd Diesel PU. There's some sort of computer or sensor or some such thing that's gone out 3 times now. Thankfully, it's been under warranty because the repair bill's been between $5 and $8K each trip. Flabberghasted as I was to hear of this, I asked how the hadeez it could cost SO MUCH to repair??? Turns out, the whole CAB has to come off the truck to facilitate the necessary repairs!!!

Man, if I had to pull the cab off my Stude to facilitate some fix, I'd be drivin', ah, I'd be drivin', ah, ah, ah (gosh, it's hard to see myself drivin' anything BUT a Stude truck!)


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[JRoberts]

I do absolutely nothing as far a mechanical work on our "new" cars. Both the Jetta and the Ford F150 4x4 boggle my mind when I lift their hoods.

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

[dictator27]

The heater core in our 1995 Acclaim is plugged. There is barely enough heat to defrost the windshield let alone heat the interior. The entire dash has to come out and the AC has to be evacuated to remove the core. I just layer up. It's cheaper. Makes me a CAAO I guess. (Cheap arse Acclaim owner.)

Terry

[showbizkid]

Even in some older cars, accessibility was not first concern. My '67 Pontiac requires removal of the right front fender in order to get to the firewall bolts for the heater core. (Alternatively, the shop manual instructs me to drill a 1" hole in the inner fender and body-plug it when done.)

But I agree: I look under the hood of our Pilot and recognize the battery, engine and air filter box (which I can't open, no matter how I try).


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

[50Champ]

quote: the repair bill's been between $5 and $8K each trip.

That's quite a price range. I didn't think the dealer could do anything for $5....



1950 Champion 2 Dr. Sedan

[41 Frank]

It's phenomenon called planned obsolescence!!!

[Thomas63R2]

While it can be entertaining to compare the farm simple Studebakers of a bygone era against modern complexity - its really the wrong comparisson.

Except for a few diehards the choice of what provides better driving comfort, safety, and cross-country reliability is overwhelmingly in favor of the modern car or truck.

Yes, without a doubt when a modern car needs work the repairs can be quite involved. The counterpoint is that it is not unusual to find a modern car with 300k+ miles on the original engine - something that virtually never happened on cars from 50 years ago.

When you add in all of the complexity that arises from mandated safety and emissions equipment then the newer the car, the less do it yourself friendly it will be. More complexity is on its way as manufacturers scramble to meet upcoming fuel economy and emissions standards.

That said, I too love the ease of working on old cars. Mechanical simplicity is a thing of beauty.

Thomas

Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[JBOYLE]

The real issue isn't necessarily do-it-youself service (come on, be honest...a modern Ford truck has systems that weren't eve thought of when the last Stude left South Bend, lets talk apples-apples [8D])...the real issue with Japanese cars is parts availability for anything more than a few years old.

I've heard from several pro-mechanics, that you're outta' luck on some major parts.
You'll have to buy more than you really need from a salvage yard to get what you need.

You'll still be able to buy parts for Model As, Mustangs and '57 Chevys when the last Civic goes into Al Gore's time capsule.

63 Avanti R1 2788
1914 Stutz Bearcat
(George Barris replica)

Washington State

[Thomas63R2]

There is no modern car, of any manufacturer, from any country, that will ever have the long term parts availability of a Model T, Tri-5 Chevy, vintage Mustang or Camaro, etc. Once you reach the dead zone from the early '80's on (when most cars stopped being do it yourself friendly with complex electronics, fuel injection, and emissions equipment). There is just no viable way to make those kinds of dated technologies available long term for hobby friendly prices.

There is one politically impossible way to change this in regards to the fuel injection and emissions equipment: rewrite the laws to allow for any parts to be used as long as the vehicle passes smog tests. Right now the only non-oem style fuel injection and emissions parts allowed are the ones that have gone through costly certification procedures. Which is stupid if the goal is clean air - why restict creative upgrades and changes to a well tuned engine? To me this is akin to restricting older cars from receiving disc brake upgrades vs. oem drum brakes. Politics is messy by nature, and is often mutually exclusive from logic.

To me this leads to a greater issue facing the car hobby: working on, and restoring old cars like Studebakers is strongly trending as a generational pursuit. The car restoration hobby is stagnant in membership - maybe because younger people do not view the cars they grew up with as being restorable in the future. For many car hobbyists the way we got into car restoration is to find and fix up the great cars that had meaning to us in our youth. Then many of us branch out into cars of other eras and genres. Without that first point of entry, there will be fewer new hobbyists.

Thomas