Keepin the Ol Skool Alive

[nicholastanguma]

I see a fairly substantial amount of gearheads complaining on forums from ExPo to ADVRider about the slow demise of mechanical technology in automobiles and motorbikes. Today planned obsolescence is automatically built in to our mobile phones, cars, computers, you name it. Manufacturers make their money from initial purchase and then from repairs. Seems the repair part of the equation is slowly being phased out as much as possible, too. Repair your wonky laptop? Don't be absurd, nobody repairs computers--they sell you new ones. Drive yourself into endless debt every five years by getting a newer model car with your dealership's latest sale financing? Why of course, it's the modern way!

I'm not a luddite; I am, after all, typing this on an Internet forum via a laptop via the Internet. I prefer modern medicine to medieval leeches. I bathe my body every day with running hot water. I brush my teeth with a little plastic brush rather than the frayed end of a twig.

But, by God, my love affair with old carbed petrol engines and old mechanically injected diesels has no rationale in my modern life except that I enjoy old engine tech. I suspect many of you reading this do, too.

So, ALL POLITICS ASIDE, how do we keep the Ol Skool alive? One day soon a plastic-clad, electronically fuel injected Honda CBR and Subaru WRX will be "classic old tech, from when things were still pure."

Personally, I have a few favorite engines and transmissions that I hoard, and for which I hoard parts. Toyota 3TC and 22R, VW 1.9 M-TDI, and the Quaife 6spd sequential being a few examples. These are all old tech units with cult followings all over the world, massive aftermarket support, specialist builders and tuners, and lots of genuine, factory *not-made-in-China* parts still easily available.

Here's my contribution to the good ol' mechanical DIY gearhead culture of the future:

I'm 35. My garage is populated by things like fenderless Ford hot rods and Jeep CJs. My wife is only 20 years old. Her favorite activities include drinking Starbucks, shopping with girlfriends, and making YouTube videos about hair and makeup and fashion. I take my chicky to the garage and teach her how to tear apart an engine and rebuild it, how to tune a Weber sidedraft carbie, and because I've disguised this as a fun "married date night thing" she's taken a shine to engine grease as much as nail polish.

So in order to keep the old car and moto scene alive all you lads need to somehow trick a very young and naive girl into thinking she wants to spend the rest of her life with you.

 

[Zeiderman]

I introduced mine to an air compressor and air tools, she enjoys her wood working projects a lot more, and is proficient in all tools . For her 45th birthday we installed a full 3" lift kit on my CJ5. I did treat her to a very nice dinner and a play afterwords though. We do all of our own work and maintenance. And she is more than a tool hander, she is right there with me no matter what we're working on. Here's our stable.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

 

[PhilipE]

So in order to keep the old car and moto scene alive all you lads need to somehow trick a very young and naive girl into thinking she wants to spend the rest of her life with you.

I did that a few decades ago. But she stays out of the garage. She doesn't like grease. :jump:

 

[PPCLI_Jim]

I went from a 97 Rodeo with 3.2 auto to a 88 Trooper II with 2.6 and I'm way happier with it then the rodeo. I will be getting rid of the EFI and going Carb and also ditching the auto and getting a manual gear box hows that for old skool?

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

I grew up with my dad restoring antique cars. Talk about obsolescence! Most parts were handmade. Not much could be bought at the local parts house. I grew up learning how to run a lathe, use working tools, pour babbitt bearing then lapping them in. I been married 3 times before the age of 40. I tried them fancy frilly prissy girls. They just didn't understand the car and truck thing. They thought that is why stealerships had service departments. I turned 40 and found an old school farm girl that grew up with older bothers that enjoyed teenage life in the 60s. I knew when I came home from work and found her changing oil in the truck she was a keeper.

Not many parts on modern vehicles that can be hand crafted. Something as simple as a plastic sensor can leave you dead on the road. Don't get me wrong I enjoying working on the new stuff as well as the old. For some strange reason I developed an interest in electronics and computers and built a career building, repairing, and programming automated assembly and cnc machines used to make OEM parts supplying the Automotive industry.

Last car Dad and I restored before he past away. Mostly everything is wood except fenders and hood. We did everything ourselves from the wood work to sewing the leather. Made our own fixtures so we could do the machining on the engine. I guess what I am saying is learn every type of skill you can from wood working to mechcanics. You don't have to master them just a basic knowledge and build from that.

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If you wish to view complete folder.
http://http://s109.photobucket.com/user/HillBilly_Heaven/library/Brush

 

[nicholastanguma]

I knew when I came home from work and found her changing oil in the truck she was a keeper.

They're rare, but some are indeed out there. Congrats!

Not many parts on modern vehicles that can be hand crafted. Something as simple as a plastic sensor can leave you dead on the road.

Yep. Dead soulless plastic leaves you dead inside, too, haha.

 

[dman93]

My daughter is in her early 20's. She doesn't own a car, but her motorcycle was built when Richard Nixon was in the White House. Actually, since I don't know the exact build date, it may have still been LBJ. She wants to buy a car though, and I'm the one suggesting she buy a car new enough to have fuel injection and maybe even ABS, which she grudgingly accepts (she wants a small economical car, and I think early-80's Honda carbs and vacuum hose networks aren't a good choice). She insists on a clutch pedal and window cranks. Me, I have a 2016 Tacoma with every option.

 

[ExplorerTom]

I think you'll like this thread:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...Adult-quot-rigs-and-how-you-keep-them-running

 

[Comanche Scott]

Old versus new... tough choice!

I've always been one to build from scratch, to meet or exceed performance of newer vehicles. But new vehicles are getting so amazingly good, it doesn't seem to be as simple a choice anymore. Case in point:

I put a little 4 cylinder diesel with a GM 4L60E transmission into an old Scout 800.
The next step is linked suspension. So I went and test drove a Jeep JK to use as a bench mark (research before starting the suspension design). I was so blown away with the JK, that I bought one. It is the biggest "easy button" vehicle I've ever had off road, and swallows 15 hour road trips in comfort and fun.

Will I go back to the Scout? I don't know. It gets twice the fuel mileage, especially at speeds above 70mph. It is more narrow, and shorter. It is very comfortable to drive with the updated seating and air conditioning. It is almost as quiet on the freeway.
It uses readily available parts, and only has an ECM for the transmission (which can be over-nighted from the mfg if failed). I know every square inch of it, since I'm building it from the ground up.
But it takes a lot of weekends and evenings to build (probably another 700 to 800 build hours to complete). That is time I could be planning, and going on trips.
So I'm really on the fence. Which ever way I go, one of the two vehicles will get sold, because they are both so good at being multi-use vehicles.

Picture one: The Scout as it sits today (a long way from finished)
Picture two: The Jeep in it's natural habitat.

 

[1stDeuce]

The Comanche in my sig is now my wife's daily driver. And she likes it, so far as I know.
While I'm hoping to collect a few more "old school" rigs, I must say I don't care one bit for the carburetor... I'm fine converting them all to fuel injection at this point, unless they really are true "classic" vehicles.

I was thinking the other day... My dad has a '66 Ford Galaxy 7-litre convertible. Nice car. It's 50 years old. There are still plenty of 50 year old cars out there. I wonder how many of today's cars will be left 50 years from now... There are some 80's vehicles that will likely become classics eventually, but not much from the 90's that comes to mind... 2000's even less... (I've been trying to come up with a few more modern vehicles that can be had for cheap, and stored to become classics eventually... Not much that really does it for me.)

 

[Comanche Scott]

Flat plane crank G.T. 350 *might* be one. But right now, every year brings advances making cars & trucks better than the year before. Muscle cars of the '60s died out by '71. We are on a run past 10 years.
I'd buy rental properties... lol

Also should note, both past and present girl friend prefers the Jeep.

 

[red EOD veteran]

Problem for me with the new vehicles is the price tag is insane. No 1 ton or lighter pickup is worth $50-85k when you can buy a medium duty for less than that, in my opinion. Then there is the cost of repairs as the vehicle gets older. Many old school vehicles have a lower cost for parts.

 

[shenrie]

...So in order to keep the old car and moto scene alive all you lads need to somehow trick a very young and naive girl into thinking she wants to spend the rest of her life with you.

doing my best to oblige totally agree with most you posted other than the carb thing. just not a fan. I can makem work, but I prefer fuel injection...

in same boat and married 8+ years. got my wife into autox and local hillclimbs long ago (no real racetracks available without driving 5+hours). had her doing motorswaps in our little racecars and she can swap out a full set of race tires faster than most people can change a single flat. its cute watching her bounce up and down on a 3/4 drive with her 100lb wet self trying to break loose lugs. we don't race so much these days as weve opted to do more camping rather than standing around parkinglots in 100+ degree weather, but we both agree that we are missing something in our lives as racing took up so much of our time when we first got together.

also like yourself as the cars we prefer have already began to disappear. something I never thought would happen when they came out as they were everywhere, lol. got a stash of the vitals...awd trannys, axles and all the stuff that makes'em just a little different than the other models of the same generation.

weve just recently started with motorbikes. both of us are inexperienced, but loving the no pedaling to find those cool spots way out in the sticks. so im trying to follow your business model best I can

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

weve just recently started with motorbikes. both of us are inexperienced, but loving the no pedaling to find those cool spots way out in the sticks. so im trying to follow your business model best I can

Mind if I ask how old you are? What motorbikes have you choosen?

 

[shenrie]

don't mind at all. im 46. its not the age anyway, its the miles and my chassis got no resale. wife says I have a salvaged title, lol.

we bought a 03 wr250 to start off with. I put pegs on back for the mrs and her and I just used it to putt around the general vicinity so we didn't have to break camp (the van) to see the immediate area. this worked great till we got into some single track trials with consequence on one side or the other (cliffs), where most cool single tracks end up. it was just a little too much bike for my tastes and lack of experience. especially when I went to go ride with my buddies that have decades of experience. not hpwise, but overall size wise. plus the wife couldn't ride it without a 2' high platform to start and stop with. she had no issues using it, there was just rarely a good spot for her to stop and start. while she didn't mind riding ***** all the time, she wanted to be able to ride it herself without having to worry about getting stranded. so we sold the wr and bought 2 pitster 160's with the money. most people make fun of us, but they are sized perfect and we have no issues getting them anywhere we want to go. easy to lift over logs etc. mines actually street legal and I ride it to work everyday its not wet weathering out. 60 mpg is kinda nice, lol. plus they fit really well on the back of our rig...