So, to sum up some of the videos I’ve seen here: old cars are bad, new cars are bad, upcoming cars are even worse, the ones which are good are getting older, so becoming bad. Got it!
Exactly had the same reaction. Wizard wants to retire. Anyhow, my Volvo 240 is running VERY strong, even after staying in garage for 11 months. If you pay monkey money, you get a monkey (or lemon)
One moral of this story is to drive the cars on a regular basis. Don't let them sit. My car runs better the more I drive it. If it sits, it gets cranky. Not unlike myself.
This. I had an old classic Volvo that I would take out every few weeks just to get it going. But because I drove it so little and ended up selling it at a great loss.
My experience with 90’s Volvos is they can sit for a year or more and fire up right away. If you let an 86 Jaguar sit for over 2 days you are in for it.
All motorized vehicles require to be run from time to time. When I rode motorcycles, I would ask the person selling it how often it was ridden. If the answer was once in a great while, I backed off. There were always dried up parts due to lack of lubrication. Dealbreaker!
Great video. Cost of ownership is part of the equation, and something to consider - part of the attraction is the sheer joy of ownership. You get to be part of that club. I love seeing vintage cars on the road. If you inherit something - someones baby - and don't have that same feeling, pass it on to someone else who will give it the care and attention it needs.
as an ex owner of four xms i can vouch that they are best described as an intergalactic cruiser..nothing comes close for a long drive..totally relaxing quiet...smooth..and possibly the best riding car made
That's what is Great about American Cars. Bought a 1967 Plymouth Sport Fury Big Block 383 last year in California ( Inoperable). Bought it Cheap! Flushed out the Gas Tank, Installed New Fuel Line and Filter, Brand new Radial Tires, and Now it Runs and Drives 80 mph as Smooth as Silk. Can't Beat Big Ole' Detroit Muscle!!! Yeah Baby!!!
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I just bought a 1997 Buick LeSabre Limited because my 1983 Chevy Celebrity is deteriorating. I love it.
Even here in Europe, these cars are absolutely rare. It’s quite expensive too to maintain them. Some of them are - as you say - a question of love and hate and many repairs to go. 30 years ago I knew a DS owner with two of these beauties. One of them was in the repair shop, the other on ready to drive.
You are so right! I found a Rolls Royce (86) with a perfect service history by Rolls Royce of Beverly Hill CA and I am the 2nd owner and yet it has been an interesting journey in learning how to keep it running perfectly. Luckily I have 5 decades working on everything from 747s down to a 65 Bug. BTW it has won 10 trophies at car shows over the last 3 years 🙂
We live in a urban area in walking distance close to schools, shops etc. My Dad took the train to work, so our car was garaged for weeks at a time and only needed rarely for family holidays and occasional trips out. Each car lasted us a long time. So we had simple cars Ford Popular, Austin 1100, east European makes such as Wartburg Knight, Lada, Skoda 120L. The rule was, with any make of car, if you neglect it, it _will_ let you down. Course, in 1946, Dad did his National Service in REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) so did all his own work.
It certainly helps that we are next to Italy😂,also Mediterranean climate helps with rust at least.Also Americans aren't known taking care of their cars, especially an Alfa Romeo,which is always a diva😂cheers from a fellow greek
Yes, it’s all a matter of perspective. It’s more expensive for people in the US to maintain Euro cars since parts aren’t always readily available, but it’s also vice versa for American cars in Europe. Mostly comes down to geography tbh.
because his world ends at the Atlantic and Pacific because he has no idea about Europe citroen XM suspension and fuel pump problems were known, they can be fixed in a few hours for not even 30 dollars - but no, he has to import who knows who to pay thousands from alfa romeo... same the guy has no idea that in any car shop there are parts - and if there is someone who specializes, he knows where to get parts for cars that drive on the road when alfa was created, this bald, all-knowing, stupid guy was not in the world.. and let him not say that it was not a popular car it was but not in his, because they have not seen it in person I would show a few BMW models that stand in the showroom next to me and they would be surprised that such even exist he is stupid, nothing more
@@Tomcat115 Yeah,here american cars are seen as a rare,even though a guy could have an ecoboost Mustang 😂,also fuel prices are ridiculously expensive compared to the USA.Finally,american cars are enormous in size when you put them in European cities 😂
@ Yes, wear parts are widely available generic parts - brake pads, discs, sensors, hoses, etc. Parts also have rebuild kits if you don’t want to invest in new ones - master and slave cylinders, for example. There are even repair panels available for sections that may need to be replaced because of rust. Finally, there are a small but growing number of aftermarket suppliers that are producing upgrade parts as these cars become more valuable.
I have a 1993 W124 E320 Mercedes Benz in Colombia - 107,000 miles. It's taken about 2 years to deal with its issues but now is a great daily driver. Original cost was 26 million Colombian Pesos (USD6,600) and we've spent that again, but these cars are legendary. Biggest issue here is finding a workshop that understands them, but they are robust and not really difficult to work on. The few electronic items are the biggest headache, but they are repairable. I had 6 old Mercedes in NZ in years past over a 33 year period and the last was a 420SEC. Never had a 124 before but it's great and will see me out!
The only issue you can have with a W124 is the wiring isolation that degrades with time as its biodegradable. Other than that they are built like tanks
Hey Ginger-less, I meant Car Wizard... I just wondered if you could begin to refer to "GOOD PAINT" to be more accurate and say "GOOD BODY and PAINT" giving me and your a better claim to the assessment... love the show, THANKS 😅
I own a 1989 Saab 900 16V 200500 miles. It runs very good. I maintain the oil changes and coolant . This car is running really good . I'm in mild climate and custom car covers. The car has original factory paint. Cost of ownership in 0.29 cents per mile includes fuel. I use a vehicle maintenance database program. Original owner.I have really cool BBS cross spoke 15x7 wheels with 195x60 HR 15 Michelin tires
Over a 40 year period, I owned 5 Saabs (a 900, two 9000s, a 9_3 and a 9_5). Had a love/hate relationship with all of them (loved driving them, hated owning them). Finally sold off the '04 9_5 Arc Wagon in 2021. I was all in before that, visited the museum and the factory in Sweden in the late '90s, etc. Part of me misses them, part of me doesn't. I hope your 900 treats you well for years to come!
I am from Sweden and i have never liked Volvo cars or Saab cars , very boring design both inside and out ! Sorry but its not my type of cars ! I love older Toyota cars ! now i have a Toyota Landcruiser turbodiesel from 1984 own it and driving it for 6 years and without problems , very reliable car the best car i have owned !
Wizard, an interesting topic for a 'buy this not that' video would be enthusiast cars where the primary money suck is the labor of repairs. Ones where a DIYer willing to wrench could make it work but paying a shop would be an enormous cost.
I own 3 Jags and this is it. I always tell anyone who asks about it that if you're going to do this, you need to a.) be sure it's not your daily driver b.) be able to work on it nearly every bit of it yourself c.) be resourceful and creative about sourcing parts. If you meet all three of these categories then get whatever you want! Even in Edsel!
I suppose one example would be cars that tend to have electrical problems. The tools might a volt meter and maybe oscilloscope and parts would just be shrink tubing and tape but the time required to track problems down could be extensive.
Super video. I have my dads XJ-S HE V12 now. Been in the family for about 35 years. Its actually super reliable despite sitting around for 6 months at a time. And yes it still has the original Lucas system which works perfectly. Always starts. The key to these is driving them respectively due to their age, keeping them out of the sun and rain. Front brake calipers tend to stick when not used for more than a year. And most importantly always use a garage that is competent and experienced with them. Dont use old stale petrol. Beautifully quiet and smooth, but running costs are not for those watching their pennies!
Any 80's Jaguar was/is far more reliable than run of the mill GM cars and the latter were meant to serve as family vehicles yet Americans conveniently forgot that.
@@petrosaguilar8916 I've worked on both, and honestly I would take any 1980s-early 2000s Buick over that same era Jag, which had all kinds of electrical maladies. So I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. But hey, let's consider the early-years dexcool debacle and call it even, and have a pint together!
Thanks for the truthful video. I live in Ohio and think Citroens, especially the DS, are really cool! Thank you for giving me a reality check. It wasn't like I have enough money to buy one anyway, but didn't know how much MORE I'd need if I did. I HAVE learned by talking to enthusiasts that it's very important to have good spheres if you have hydropneumatic suspension.
Dave please get a Citroen 2cv, a proper euro car for the peasant, not very costly to maintain, could be good for the show plus you will and your wife WILL fall in love with it, had mine for almost 10 years, it always makes me smile.
The Citroën 2CV (deux chevaux or "two horses")? The original 1949 2CV type A had a 375 cc, 6.6 kW (9 hp) air-cooled H-2 motor, with a 65 km/h (40 mph) top speed, only one tail light and no fuel gauge, just a dipstick below the petrol filler cap. Derided as "an upturned corrugated crab on wheels," even the 1988 special model only had a 602 cc (29 hp) 21 kW engine with a top speed of 115 km/h (71 mph). Pathetic! After the initial charm of driving the tiny 2CV, drivers become horrified on how agonizingly slow it is.
@@aaryeshg.6526 Noisy & stinky, too! Back in the 1980s, European auto manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz were trying to sell their diesel cars in the USA, but they didn't catch on.
@@sejembalmjust order some go fast parts from europe for it and it'll do 70mph plus no sweat. Of course, it'll be more like driving a motorbike with a canvas roof at that point but hey thats 'dem breaks. Really its fine as a citycar like the new topolino ev is or if you have side roads to drive on. And you don't need jacks and special tools etc just like a motorbike. You know what they say "boau fie boba bofal" aka "it's better than a mechanical buffalo"
I had a 1979 MGB that I bought new. We had it on several long trips and it was fun to drive. But after only a couple of years it became nothing but trouble. The Lucas electrical system was junk and I replaced it with an after-market model, we had to replace the differential because the gears had not been tempered properly, and the list grew from there. It was a toy masquerading as a car. And it became a ridiculous money pit. When we traded it in, I brought along an extra battery in the trunk because the alternator was acting up. It's not just the used models that can cost a fortune to maintain. Generally speaking, if you can't afford it new, you can't afford it used.
My brother owns an MGB he inherited, and sat for 6 months at mums place and wouldn't start anymore so he asked me as the car guy to fix it, after draining the tank and pulling plugs and points, still nothing until I tapped the carbies with a spanner and realised the float bowl on the front carby was stuck and it started right up. I wasted days playing with it and told him that if he's not going to be a car guy then sell this junk 👍
I tried to remove transmission from a MGB myself. That case was almost as long as entire car and no matter what I did with it was almost impossible to get it out. You’ll also need at least a dozen of spare Lucas Solenoids. Duct tape for convertible top for rainy days. 2 pairs of windshield wiper refills for 3 blades😢
Our tranny needed serious work. The shop manual calls for removing the entire engine in order to pull the transmission. Terrible design. I had a MG Midget, too. The flywheel spit teeth due to poor tempering. Beautiful little cars, but nothing but headaches. They were on a lift more than on the road.
This is what i do. Buy a high volume, mass production vehicle. Something that has a lot of repair parts out and readily available. Drive said vehicle, maintain it, and take care of it. Case in point. My 2007 Pontiac. It was built on the W body platform, going back to the 80's. It had the Buick 231 V6 dating back to the 60's, and parts were never an issue. Low volume and or rare cars are a pain in the backsides. You'll spend more time under them and or searching parts than actually driving them.
Even my 69 bug convertible I restored in the early 90s I just brought back to life for my kids to drive , engine needed rebuild, all new rubber every where, new brakes, new fuel tank , new tires, new wiring. some paint and body work, good to go- not so fast- tranny seal leaks exhaust leaks. But we love it. fortunately I provide all the labor and internet parts orders from CA.
To quote my late father he told me one truth about buying a used car. He said, "Bobby, NO ONE sells a car because it runs too well, looks too nice or always runs great!" Regardless of what used car you buy; it WILL need repairs at some point.
Heck, those cars weren't reliable when they were *new.* Adding 40+ years didn't help the reliability, that's for sure. But, man, they're all so beautiful! Back when cars had **PERSONALITY!** So many of today's cars are just transportation appliances.
They're not very common but they're out there. Some owners happen to be enthusiasts of certain cars of this vintage. It's not a math problem. The emotional attachment to these vehicles makes the equation justifiable to these people keeping them on the roads.
True even Alfa’s when new they weren’t reliable and in Europe they turned into a pile of rust in 5 years you admired them but would never own one if you had half a brain.
Old Alfa Romeos are reliable, but if you thrash them they won't be, and that's because they were not built very well back in those years. Which is a fact.
@@Snarl616 Additionally,, being in America, it's very much more difficult to find mechanics who know what they're doing with Alfas -- especially the old ones. I knew a guy back in the early '80s who had a relatively new Alfa Spyder and it was *ALWAYS* in the shop. In fact, I remember one time it actually broke down on the way *home* from the shop! LOL! But the shop was a local mechanic who simply didn't know what the heck he was doing with an Alfa. The nearest dealership that specialized in Alfas was at least a 4-hour round trip away, so he almost never took the car there -- usually because it would've required the services of a towtruck, and a 4 hour round-trip in a towtruck is prohibitively expensive. 😂
I still have moms 325e from 1984. Closest thing to owning a boat in terms of expenses. Not for the faint of heart and parts are getting hard to find. The worst thing you can do is go for a drive . You will want to keep these cars going, they make you feel like a king on the road. The new cars just dont have it. People look and drull...lol
My brother owns a Mercedes 190e, from 1992 (k-jetronic for you and us…) and damn, the thing is wonderfull to drive when everything is right, but damn again, it is just such a constant head ache to keep in good share! You are paying for a good feeling. Perfect sum up of what is the ownership experience of an old car! You are more than a mechanic, you are a pretty good auto journalist I should say!
In 1984 I bought a 1968 Plymouth Fury 2 318 auto 4 dr with 58000 miles. Drove it as my main daily for 11 years. Paid 750 for the car, and spent at least half that much every year in regular maintenance, tires, etc. Could do most of the work myself too. If you buy one of these cars expect to budget 50 percent of purchase price each year for maintenance repairs and insurance annually. And be prepared to have garage space to keep it so you can have the proper insurance. And yes I sold the Fury for 350 in 1995 and felt like I had done well.
honestly, that jaguar is in very good shape for its age. i on and off daily drive an 80s pickup, and yes, the never ending car repair bill is real, you learn to balance what you need to fix and what you can live with, because the more you fix, the more things break. it may not even be the "oh you put a new part in it, so the old parts connected to it go bad if you dont replace it at the same time" deal either. sometimes it is, but sometimes the problems are completely unrelated and just so happen to break right after the other for example: i replace the alternator and do an oil change, and a week later, you get a cooling issue that may or may not have completely destroyed the engine. i dont know. i havent had the time to look into it yet. ive been thinking about just replacing the oil and adding more coolant and seeing what happens. i got it started, but something was squeaking loudly, but it couldve been because of how bad the oil actually was, or its because theres something thats actually broken. you just dont know until you diagnose it
I own one of Wizard's most favorite vehicles to work on; an '80s Mk1 VW Jetta with the Bosch CIS injection, with manual steering and a manual 5 speed. Yes it's a chore to drive. Yes the fuel system needs work. But it's fun to drive and people love seeing it at the local Cars and Coffee. You better believe it needs time, attention and money to keep running. And I'm willing to provide it. Cheers!
Nice video, I need to say, living in Germany, owing an American car here almost the same problem, cause that I drive old Audis, you parts everywhere, anytime, and I repair my cars myself, it helps a lot too.... 🍻
I one owned an old Super Beetle, and I liked it. I had to have the engine rebuilt one time because the crankshaft cracked, but otherwise it was very low cost to own.
I have 2 well sorted classic sports cars. Just did the annuals on both. BMW $2500. Porsche $3000. Worth every penny of doing it. They are showroom perfect. And SO fun to drive !!
yearly repairs/ maintenance, insurance, fuel, possibly depreciation for MILES of fun cost for each mile of fun? ,,,, if you have to ask, don't buy the car
I really enjoyed this video and I completely relate to your message. I used to collect a great number of French cars. I've had a '59 ID-19, an R16, multiple R5s, several Dauphines, and several Peugeot 504s, 505s and even a 404 Sedan. Yes, they required maintenance. Usually a bunch, right after initial purchase. But I don't believe that they required any more maintenance than my '62 Fairlane or '52 IH pickup. The trouble with less than common European cars is not the cars. It's the mechanics. Most American mechanics (obviously, excluding you) are intimidated by anything that that hails from Europe, particularly those cars from Italy and France. Since I maintained my own cars, every one of my French drivers were as reliable as any other vintage car. Especially Peugeot, which were built like tanks and could take a real beating and a lot of neglect and still keep going strong. I really enjoy your interest in these wonderful machines. It's one of the biggest reasons that I subscribed some time ago. Cheers! Michael
I love your videos. Although I always come back around to wanting to post: everyone who wants to not waste money on a car, buy a 2003-2011 Crown Victoria.
I've been fixing and resurrecting old cars since I was a kid a very long time ago... and there are a few things I know.... 1 - If you find an old garage queen in mint condition, it will never be a daily driver again. It will literally dissolve in the rain within months of putting it back on the road. You might keep it running, but it will age like a vampire in the sunlight. 2 - No job is simple on an old car! Everything you touch will break. It's either rusted or frozen or petrified. 3 - Other than a very few models ie Ford Mustangs or Chevy Camaros, parts are unobtanium. 4 - The guy who knew how to fix your car is dead or retired. 5 - No "reputable shop" will touch your car because they are afraid of breaking something they can't find or fix. 6 Every repair costs more than the book value of the car. 7 - Junk yards don't keep old cars on the lot any more, they crush anything over 10 years old pretty much as soon as it comes in. 8 - You will be fixing it yourself, so you better be a pretty good mechanic and an even better scrounger. 9 - The sweet young thing at the parts store will always ask you "Who makes that?" when you ask for parts for a Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Desoto or Rambler. And yes.... knowing all of that... I just finished a brake job on a 1992 Saturn two days ago where I had to remove the rotors AND brake pads with a sledge hammer. It's not just old exotics that are a nightmare to keep running these days, it's any old car, that isn't trendy anymore. And sometimes, it's easier to get parts for some hot exotics that still have value than some formerly common cars like Ramblers and Chevys that have been lost to time.
Absolute agree with your assessment of older cars needing constant attention. It does depend on the condition level expected as well as the chance for breaking down. Have an 81 C10 that I am always working on. Fortunately the parts are available and reasonably priced.
In England we just park our cars in traffic and sit there wondering why we have them. Meanwhile electric bicycles piloted by people with zero knowledge of the highway code fly past at ridiculous speeds and mobile phone zombies wander out in the road like they have had enough of life.
I know for BMW, they have recently stopped making parts at the 20 year mark on average. Critical components just stop being made. If you buy one, be sure to be next to a decent junk yard. You'll be visiting it alot. The general mechanics near me won't take a car older than 15 years. And it sucks, because older Mercedes and BMW's are made like tanks. Their engines never die if the oil is changed properly.
I know how you feel. I bought a BMW 5 Series, 3.0 L inline 6, rear wheel drive, 6 speed manual, a number of years ago, with a safety pass and two sets of BMW rims and tires for $6,000 Canadian dollars. Since then I have spent about $10,000 CDN in repairs/ maintenance. But that works out to only about a couple hundred bucks/month, which is a lot less than the monthly payments on a new car, and I get to drive something quite rare and a ton of fun to drive.
I'm enjoying my air cooled 911 that I did a DIY engine rebuild and restoration a few years ago. These cars still have factory and OEM manufacturer support so after replacing/restoring/refurbishing just about everything, I essentially reset my mileage to zero when I got it back on the road. Not for the faint of heart or wallet, but it goes a long way in actually enjoying the car without worry for the foreseeable future. IMO on old cars simple and available is good. There's no way a modern car will be supportable long term unfortunately with things like complex proprietary TFT panels, computer controlled everything, and engine designs designed for emissions requirements and not durability.
I just bought a 1989 Porsche that was sitting. Now when it has been driven, clutch gasket, front main and some other small things leaks. But I knew it would happen but I have a similar mechanic as Wizard, honest and reliable. And the costs was expected.
3:08 - You say it like it's some kind of "wizardry" (pun not intended) to fix an alternator. You in the US are just ill-accustomed to replace them with new, here in Portugal (and I bet in many other countries around the world), no one buys a new alternator if the old one is fixable. Here there are even shops that make new stators from scratch when the old ones are damaged and that repair is still cheaper than buying a new alternator!
It used to be the same in the USA. Now people find it cheaper and quicker to buy a new one. Very few people have the know how to rebuild Alternators and starters.
I have 4 antique cars, 2 Jags, 1 Triumph and a Trans Am. Once sorted they don’t cost much because they aren’t daily drivers. The problem is that they don’t get enough use. I don’t want to take them out in the rain. Before you know it one needs a new battery. Tires get old before they are worn out. Things go bad just sitting in the garage. For example, the ignition lock cylinder got jammed in the steering column. Luckily it was only the lock cylinder that needed to be changed but I had to buy a tool to get at it.
I'm reminded of the refrain to a poem by the 17th century English priest and poet John Donne: "When thou hast done, thou hast not done, / For I have more."
I'm in $6,000 plus on my 1988 Alfa Romeo Milano Gold Automatic.. but it still looks horrible. And yes, mine needs a fuel pump and......YIKES an Alternator. I have videos, I paid $1500 for the car, $600 shipping, and the rest was brakes, exhaust work, and misc parts. It will always be a money pit! All cars are. Great video, Weeezzzzard!
87 944 5 speed. Got into the yard sale not running three thousand dollars , but look sweet I did timing belt clutch, master and slave. And water pump. It pretty much drives like new now and it looks great. Mario andretti Signed my dash when I met him years ago Insurance is two hundred dollars a year I've got about 9000 Canadian into it. Total which is probably 7000 American. I'm really happy with the car.
I am still into American cars, and the ones I can’t afford are a 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 and a 1969 Corvette. I do have a 1977 Buick Electra 225 that I’ve owned for 31 years. It’s cheaper to keep than our daily runners! I worked at Hertz Rent a car for a short stretch, and I know how nice these foreign cars are. Finding competent and honest mechanics is a challenge in most locations.
I replaced the alternator, did the timing belt service, sealed the oil leaks, replaced the leaking transmission cooling lines, and replaced the motor mounts on an '03 Audi A6 3.0 Quattro with 160K miles on it, then drove it 900 miles over 2 days to visit family. The car ran great except it developed an exhaust leak. It sat in a parking garage for 3 days and on restart the transmission is in limp mode. Older cars keep breaking. Be prepared to keep spending money to keep them going!
Dear Wizzard i disagree, these vehicles mostly speaking about the Alfa have to be maintained by their owner in a DIY fashion. They just need you to take care of them and they don't brake. But I guess in the states this culture is not really prevalent nor is part availability high. Yet again, this is the way of the vehicle selecting the owner and NOT the owner selecting the vehicle.
If you cannot DIY at least a part of the maintenance and issues that pop up, these cars will be super expensive to keep. You don't have to be able to do everything, but you can save a lot and learn a lot by just doing some of the work.
As an ex owner of a 1992 Peugeot 405 I can attest that it’s hard to own. It wasn’t even that rare at the time. I absolutely loved it but at some point it had to go. It decided to go when it tore a timing belt for a second time…
It's still quite common in Central Asia under the Iran Khodro Samand guise, still in production in Iran. Sure, not the original, but most parts interchangeable.
A funny true story, back in the 1980's Mercedes Benz decided to do a durability test on a 320D and a couple of other makes. A Peugeot 404 outlasted the Mercedes and continued to go through the torture test for another 3 weeks. Mercedes was shocked as they were going to go on advertising blitz about the durability of their brand. OOOOPS...
Love this video. So true. If you’re going to run one of these cars, be prepared to spend money! I’ve just got a Daimler x300 back from the shop after spending nearly £5k sterlolimg on it!
Bought a beautiful 88 VW Cabriolet with low mileage in 2005...nickled and dimed me to death. Once the head gasket blew in 2008 we were done. So sad to see it go to the junkyard but everything just kept breaking - I suppose due to age. Parts were NOT cheap. At least not for real German ones. Such a fun car and it could get through the worst snow storm without any trouble. Miss that car but not the constant repair bills.
One perk of living in Scotland, I can pick up some amazing deals on some retro 90's and 80's cars. Heck i was so close to buying an original Mini for about £4000 in fantastic condition. Problem is we really don't have the space here for empty garages to keep it out from the extreme rust inspiring conditions! Right now though i'm planning on finally getting an S2000 next year or perhaps 26 depending on house work being a new homeowner. I still would love an old Brittish banger to use only once in a while, Maybe someday i will clear out my garage and make that a reality. So many sold here and kept in good shape, I still see XM's regularly. Ford Escorts of many Mk's. Heck last week i seen a Jag XJR with a retro race livery. Coolest thing i've seen since a Ford Mustang a few months back (American cars are rare and absolutely massive on our tiny roads) I remember seeing a Cosworth Escort for £3000 in the dealership back in 07. I really wanted it when i passed my test but my father wouldn't ever insure that for me, It'd cost me about twice the value of the car to insure it on our roads.
In some of the car groups I see a lot of "I found this low mileage 80's era Japanese car with under 100k miles for super cheap, should I buy it?" I shake my head and reply HELL NO, it may not leak now, but as soon as you start driving it EVERYTHING WILL go bad. Rubber will have turned to plastic, and it ALL WILL have to be replaced, a lot of which is no longer available to purchase. That's a rabbit hole no one wants to go down, ESPECIALLY as with most of those, "this is my first car".
I think it is best to avoid any old vehicle unless you are willing to do some repairs yourself. The attraction with something like the MGB is that you can do most jobs with basic skills and tools. No electronics or exotic technology. My 1974 MGBGT was about 25 years old when I restored it and used it as a daily driver but I was in UK so there was never any problem sourcing parts.
Ahh yes, in the infamous Lucas AB14 ignition amplifier. Very familiar with it as I have one on my Lotus Excel. It's just a box with a GM HEI module inside! Half the time the only problem is the heatsink compound has dried out. Dirt cheap and easily available (even in the UK) if the module has gone bad.
Even if you have the money, finding parts will be difficult or impossible. I do all the work on my '65 Corvair. Parts are easy. Clark's Corvair Parts 10,000 plus different parts.
Rather do continuous maintenance on an old car than spend upwards of 100 grand on todays disposable cars for them to be junk under 100k miles with parts literally designed to be difficult or impossible to fix.
Yes. Doesn't bode well for the future. There probably will be no collector cars from 2010(?guess?) onwards, as it will probably be impossible to keep the electronics going for 50 years. But take my 1973 Ford Thunderbird. No electronics. Over 50 years old, still runs and drives like new, still easy to fix and service :: knock on wood ::
When I had a Saab I went to a guy who specialized in them and other Euro cars. He had a friend's Alfa 164 in the back of his place, it was beautiful and was in amazing shape. I used to go sit in it sometimes when I was waiting for my car. However they had completely given up on finding the parts needed to keep it driving, so sad.
Something I like to say about old cars is that if it was parked, it was parked for a reason. It’s not just that the fuel pump went bad. The owner likely knew that the car was already on its way out or needing that big service. While this certainly doesn’t apply to all old cars it does to most of them.
Checkout VGG's latest Honda revival. The Honda had a Honda carburetor equipped with many vacuum modules for emissions control and fuel efficiency. Derek of VGG simply stripped out all the vacuum lines and wiring, all the vacuum-controlled modules and put in a Weber carburetor with a rigged set of four vacuum connections. The car now gets 37 mpg instead of 50 mpg. However, a car that set for 16 years is now drivable and with some further updates will be a daily driver.
Try getting parts for a '52 XK120 Jag, big $$$ there! We won't get into the positive ground electrical system or Lucas electrics either, glad it's 12V and not 6V! Thankfully, this car runs great and no issues with it, gets driven short distances to shows, etc.
Vintage Eastern European veichles are tough and cheap to run even now. New old stock parts available from online sellers who happily ship worldwide. Even though I live in the UK you need deep pockets to run West European classics.
The Milano/75 and all the transaxle Alfas were maintained by Alfa mechanics using specialised tools and they were all reliable cars if maintained properly, and also if not left standing for years which destroys the cars; cost of maintenance then was and still is reasonable at specialists who know the cars well in Europe. The 75 was a mainsteam car in italy in the 1980s and early 90s, used everyday like the equivalent Fords in the USA because it was so "reliable", as reliable as anything BMW produced mechanically, which however used the same Bosch electrics. Alfa Romeo had 50% of the car market in italy in the 80s because their cars mechanicals were bulletproof mostly using the simple all alloy twin cam 8v engine (bialbero) with simple carburettors or the later twinspark with injection, which was in production 40 years and is an icon of engines; the Busso v6 engine was also very reliable and able to rack up huge mileages being driven every day in the Milano.
I have 1985 Alfa 90 (the executive sister of the 75/Milano) . Some parts are nighmare to find and purchase. Front windscreen is availabe only in Afra, and it cost me 550 euro. OEM radiator was 350 euro. Stuff like the heater core valve doesn't exist anymore. Body panels - forget about it. Still, I love the car, it's cool and drives nice.
I have a Jaguar XJS and i also daily a Citroen BX sometimes. The Jag hasn’t been much trouble. I had to do a few bits to it when I got it but haven't touched it in a while. It needs a lot of oil, and for the love of god make sure keep on top of coolant and brake fluid changes, but touch wood it's been pretty good. More reliable than my dad's Honda! The only problem with it now is I need to sell it due to emigrating and nobody is interested. The Citroen has lead a harder life and was abandoned outside for a very long time. It needed quite a lot of work to make usable again, and it needs some more now, but I like it. I've driven across a few countries in it and all over and it's been more reliable than some of my friends more modern cars! Tbh it's never really let me down but it just sort of gets to a state where passing the inspection is a challenge because things like the steering gaiters like getting holes in them.
Ahhh, love the V12 XJS. A friend had one he bought new in 1979. He let me drive it from Melrose to Whyalla (South Australia). Heading out of Pt Augusta I started to pass a few cars spaced out fairly well on a nice smooth and wide straight stretch. Wound it up to about 140 kmh (just under 90mph) when the owner said “Come on Ted, give it sh1t!”. He didn’t have to say that twice! This thing just took off and before I knew it I had hit 240 kmh (about 150 mph). Slackened off to a nice even 200 kmh for another ten miles or so until traffic stopped the fun. It just seemed to grip the road better, the faster you went. I had an Alfa Romeo at the time which was pretty good, but not a patch on the Jag.
I bought a 1979 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce new from a Alfa-Toyota dealership in New Hampshire when I was in college. I drove it daily. After college I drove it to Chicago for my job. Mike Besic, an Alfa racer helped me to make it better. Then I bought a Lancia Beta Coupe and also a FIAT X1/9. Later I sold them all except the 79 Alfa. Then I drove it cross country to San Francisco where my folks were. Then I drove it to Oregon 2000 where I am at now. I let it sit since 2003 as I bought a new 1999 Toyota Camry TRD factory stick race car as daily driver. The 79 Alfa has about 75k miles on it. Now I am trying to figure out what I am going to do with this Alfa as my two sons probably don't want it besides they don't know how to drive a stick. Do you want to take up the job of making it running again?
FYI the very same thing applies to vintage American cars and trucks owned by collectors in Europe (or anywhere outside the US for that matter). My own experience. But I love it!
Bought a 94 xjs 4.0 coupe / racing green this summer, love it. Aj6 engine is very reliable and does 250k miles without problems. All things you mentioned on this one is all lack of maintenance, when searching for a classic always buy the best one you find
@ yes, i’m planning to maintain it myself and thats the reason i bought a 6cyl, much more space around it and just great engines. late 6.0 v12 are also very good and reliable 92 onwards.
I almost cried when I saw the Milano. I used to sell those, and of all of the cars that we carried at our exotic dealership, of all the cars I could choose to drive, the Milano was it. Manual transmission, 3 l engine, nothing sounds like that. Nothing. We could not give away a car stereo with those things because the engine sounded so good.
Hi wizard from England, great vlogs, always worth watching, but I gotta tell you, we over would not touch most of those cars with a barge pole, unless they had full service history and you knew the owner, and even then would just scrap them, not worth spending money on them
So, to sum up some of the videos I’ve seen here: old cars are bad, new cars are bad, upcoming cars are even worse, the ones which are good are getting older, so becoming bad. Got it!
Much like the humans driving them...aging out...is a thing!
Cars are a money pit regardless.
@@nk53nxg Just like houses
Exactly had the same reaction. Wizard wants to retire. Anyhow, my Volvo 240 is running VERY strong, even after staying in garage for 11 months. If you pay monkey money, you get a monkey (or lemon)
Yes, stick to playing tennis and golf and taking your wife to the mall to shop 👍
One moral of this story is to drive the cars on a regular basis. Don't let them sit. My car runs better the more I drive it. If it sits, it gets cranky. Not unlike myself.
This. I had an old classic Volvo that I would take out every few weeks just to get it going. But because I drove it so little and ended up selling it at a great loss.
😂😂😂😂
Agree, my W124 is almost 40 years old, 530,000km and is still going strong with daily use.
My experience with 90’s Volvos is they can sit for a year or more and fire up right away. If you let an 86 Jaguar sit for over 2 days you are in for it.
All motorized vehicles require to be run from time to time. When I rode motorcycles, I would ask the person selling it how often it was ridden. If the answer was once in a great while, I backed off. There were always dried up parts due to lack of lubrication. Dealbreaker!
Great video. Cost of ownership is part of the equation, and something to consider - part of the attraction is the sheer joy of ownership. You get to be part of that club. I love seeing vintage cars on the road. If you inherit something - someones baby - and don't have that same feeling, pass it on to someone else who will give it the care and attention it needs.
as an ex owner of four xms i can vouch that they are best described as an intergalactic cruiser..nothing comes close for a long drive..totally relaxing quiet...smooth..and possibly the best riding car made
That's what is Great about American Cars. Bought a 1967 Plymouth Sport Fury Big Block 383 last year in California ( Inoperable). Bought it Cheap! Flushed out the Gas Tank, Installed New Fuel Line and Filter, Brand new Radial Tires, and Now it Runs and Drives 80 mph as Smooth as Silk. Can't Beat Big Ole' Detroit Muscle!!! Yeah Baby!!!
I just bought a 1997 Buick LeSabre Limited because my 1983 Chevy Celebrity is deteriorating. I love it.
Even here in Europe, these cars are absolutely rare. It’s quite expensive too to maintain them. Some of them are - as you say - a question of love and hate and many repairs to go.
30 years ago I knew a DS owner with two of these beauties. One of them was in the repair shop, the other on ready to drive.
You are so right! I found a Rolls Royce (86) with a perfect service history by Rolls Royce of Beverly Hill CA and I am the 2nd owner and yet it has been an interesting journey in learning how to keep it running perfectly. Luckily I have 5 decades working on everything from 747s down to a 65 Bug. BTW it has won 10 trophies at car shows over the last 3 years 🙂
Wow! Any links to any pictures. Would love to see it
That milano looks very nice to me & i can see why the owner cherishes it. The rims are especially nice looking
We live in a urban area in walking distance close to schools, shops etc. My Dad took the train to work, so our car was garaged for weeks at a time and only needed rarely for family holidays and occasional trips out. Each car lasted us a long time. So we had simple cars Ford Popular, Austin 1100, east European makes such as Wartburg Knight, Lada, Skoda 120L.
The rule was, with any make of car, if you neglect it, it _will_ let you down.
Course, in 1946, Dad did his National Service in REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) so did all his own work.
If you are American yes. In Greece, we maintain them cheap, cause the spare parts are cheap and many used parts ,.such as engines and gearboxes also.
It certainly helps that we are next to Italy😂,also Mediterranean climate helps with rust at least.Also Americans aren't known taking care of their cars, especially an Alfa Romeo,which is always a diva😂cheers from a fellow greek
Yes, it’s all a matter of perspective. It’s more expensive for people in the US to maintain Euro cars since parts aren’t always readily available, but it’s also vice versa for American cars in Europe. Mostly comes down to geography tbh.
Πεστα φιλε 😂
because his world ends at the Atlantic and Pacific
because he has no idea about Europe
citroen XM
suspension and fuel pump problems were known, they can be fixed in a few hours for not even 30 dollars - but no, he has to import who knows who to pay thousands from
alfa romeo...
same
the guy has no idea that in any car shop there are parts - and if there is someone who specializes, he knows where to get parts for cars that drive on the road
when alfa was created, this bald, all-knowing, stupid guy was not in the world.. and let him not say that it was not a popular car
it was
but not in his, because they have not seen it in person
I would show a few BMW models that stand in the showroom next to me and they would be surprised that such even exist
he is stupid, nothing more
@@Tomcat115 Yeah,here american cars are seen as a rare,even though a guy could have an ecoboost Mustang 😂,also fuel prices are ridiculously expensive compared to the USA.Finally,american cars are enormous in size when you put them in European cities 😂
Luckily, my 1991 Saab 900 turbo has been great for the 12 years I have owned it. Only routine maintenance items.
Are you able to find parts?
@ Yes, wear parts are widely available generic parts - brake pads, discs, sensors, hoses, etc. Parts also have rebuild kits if you don’t want to invest in new ones - master and slave cylinders, for example. There are even repair panels available for sections that may need to be replaced because of rust. Finally, there are a small but growing number of aftermarket suppliers that are producing upgrade parts as these cars become more valuable.
Class motor in Europe we love them.
I had the 1986 one lovely car
I have also 1991 turbo cab. Has been very reabile Last 10yrs.
I bought also partscar if i need any parts.
I have a 1993 W124 E320 Mercedes Benz in Colombia - 107,000 miles.
It's taken about 2 years to deal with its issues but now is a great daily driver. Original cost was 26 million Colombian Pesos (USD6,600) and we've spent that again, but these cars are legendary.
Biggest issue here is finding a workshop that understands them, but they are robust and not really difficult to work on. The few electronic items are the biggest headache, but they are repairable.
I had 6 old Mercedes in NZ in years past over a 33 year period and the last was a 420SEC.
Never had a 124 before but it's great and will see me out!
The only issue you can have with a W124 is the wiring isolation that degrades with time as its biodegradable. Other than that they are built like tanks
@@organiccold I agree..
The greatest and most beautiful model in history.
W124s will last until the End of Time with routine care & maintenance.
My neighbor Rob works at a specialty Mercedes shop and the stories of the rare vintage cars I get to hear are insane.
do tell,,,,do the cars suck or are they great?
drive these cars
Had a '77 MGB in High School. I still think about that car and wish I still had it! Such character and fun. I get it.
Hey Ginger-less, I meant Car Wizard... I just wondered if you could begin to refer to "GOOD PAINT" to be more accurate and say "GOOD BODY and PAINT" giving me and your a better claim to the assessment... love the show, THANKS 😅
I own a 1989 Saab 900 16V 200500 miles. It runs very good. I maintain the oil changes and coolant . This car is running really good . I'm in mild climate and custom car covers. The car has original factory paint. Cost of ownership in 0.29 cents per mile includes fuel. I use a vehicle maintenance database program. Original owner.I have really cool BBS cross spoke 15x7 wheels with 195x60 HR 15 Michelin tires
Over a 40 year period, I owned 5 Saabs (a 900, two 9000s, a 9_3 and a 9_5). Had a love/hate relationship with all of them (loved driving them, hated owning them). Finally sold off the '04 9_5 Arc Wagon in 2021. I was all in before that, visited the museum and the factory in Sweden in the late '90s, etc. Part of me misses them, part of me doesn't. I hope your 900 treats you well for years to come!
I am from Sweden and i have never liked Volvo cars or Saab cars , very boring design both inside and out ! Sorry but its not my type of cars ! I love older Toyota cars !
now i have a Toyota Landcruiser turbodiesel from 1984 own it and driving it for 6 years and without problems , very reliable car the best car i have owned !
Another great one Mr. & Mrs. Wizard. I maintain an ‘86 Jag XJ 6 Series lll and 2008 XJ8. No. 1 word is “Style.”
Wizard, an interesting topic for a 'buy this not that' video would be enthusiast cars where the primary money suck is the labor of repairs. Ones where a DIYer willing to wrench could make it work but paying a shop would be an enormous cost.
I own 3 Jags and this is it. I always tell anyone who asks about it that if you're going to do this, you need to a.) be sure it's not your daily driver b.) be able to work on it nearly every bit of it yourself c.) be resourceful and creative about sourcing parts. If you meet all three of these categories then get whatever you want! Even in Edsel!
I suppose one example would be cars that tend to have electrical problems. The tools might a volt meter and maybe oscilloscope and parts would just be shrink tubing and tape but the time required to track problems down could be extensive.
I just bought a 79 Oldsmobile 98 with 90,000kms. It's the best! Very cheap, Very reliable.
Super video. I have my dads XJ-S HE V12 now. Been in the family for about 35 years. Its actually super reliable despite sitting around for 6 months at a time. And yes it still has the original Lucas system which works perfectly. Always starts. The key to these is driving them respectively due to their age, keeping them out of the sun and rain. Front brake calipers tend to stick when not used for more than a year. And most importantly always use a garage that is competent and experienced with them. Dont use old stale petrol. Beautifully quiet and smooth, but running costs are not for those watching their pennies!
Any 80's Jaguar was/is far more reliable than run of the mill GM cars and the latter were meant to serve as family vehicles yet Americans conveniently forgot that.
@@petrosaguilar8916 I've worked on both, and honestly I would take any 1980s-early 2000s Buick over that same era Jag, which had all kinds of electrical maladies. So I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. But hey, let's consider the early-years dexcool debacle and call it even, and have a pint together!
Thanks for the truthful video. I live in Ohio and think Citroens, especially the DS, are really cool! Thank you for giving me a reality check. It wasn't like I have enough money to buy one anyway, but didn't know how much MORE I'd need if I did. I HAVE learned by talking to enthusiasts that it's very important to have good spheres if you have hydropneumatic suspension.
Mrs Wizard, the word "growler" has a whole different meaning in England!
🤣
who cares about your stupid island
Except that Jaguar actually calls that style logo the "Growler"
A growler is a cross between a grizzly and a polar bear.
Dave please get a Citroen 2cv, a proper euro car for the peasant, not very costly to maintain, could be good for the show plus you will and your wife WILL fall in love with it, had mine for almost 10 years, it always makes me smile.
The Citroën 2CV (deux chevaux or "two horses")? The original 1949 2CV type A had a 375 cc, 6.6 kW (9 hp) air-cooled H-2 motor, with a 65 km/h (40 mph) top speed, only one tail light and no fuel gauge, just a dipstick below the petrol filler cap. Derided as "an upturned corrugated crab on wheels," even the 1988 special model only had a 602 cc (29 hp) 21 kW engine with a top speed of 115 km/h (71 mph). Pathetic! After the initial charm of driving the tiny 2CV, drivers become horrified on how agonizingly slow it is.
Or a 1960s Fiat 500 or 600.
@sejembalm Same can be said for classic diesel Mercs too. The non-turbo models in particular are just slow....
@@aaryeshg.6526 Noisy & stinky, too! Back in the 1980s, European auto manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz were trying to sell their diesel cars in the USA, but they didn't catch on.
@@sejembalmjust order some go fast parts from europe for it and it'll do 70mph plus no sweat.
Of course, it'll be more like driving a motorbike with a canvas roof at that point but hey thats 'dem breaks.
Really its fine as a citycar like the new topolino ev is or if you have side roads to drive on. And you don't need jacks and special tools etc just like a motorbike.
You know what they say "boau fie boba bofal" aka "it's better than a mechanical buffalo"
I had a 1979 MGB that I bought new. We had it on several long trips and it was fun to drive. But after only a couple of years it became nothing but trouble. The Lucas electrical system was junk and I replaced it with an after-market model, we had to replace the differential because the gears had not been tempered properly, and the list grew from there. It was a toy masquerading as a car. And it became a ridiculous money pit. When we traded it in, I brought along an extra battery in the trunk because the alternator was acting up. It's not just the used models that can cost a fortune to maintain. Generally speaking, if you can't afford it new, you can't afford it used.
My brother owns an MGB he inherited, and sat for 6 months at mums place and wouldn't start anymore so he asked me as the car guy to fix it, after draining the tank and pulling plugs and points, still nothing until I tapped the carbies with a spanner and realised the float bowl on the front carby was stuck and it started right up. I wasted days playing with it and told him that if he's not going to be a car guy then sell this junk 👍
😅yea toy car...they sure were 60 years ago..😊
I tried to remove transmission from a MGB myself. That case was almost as long as entire car and no matter what I did with it was almost impossible to get it out. You’ll also need at least a dozen of spare Lucas Solenoids. Duct tape for convertible top for rainy days. 2 pairs of windshield wiper refills for 3 blades😢
Our tranny needed serious work. The shop manual calls for removing the entire engine in order to pull the transmission. Terrible design. I had a MG Midget, too. The flywheel spit teeth due to poor tempering. Beautiful little cars, but nothing but headaches. They were on a lift more than on the road.
This is what i do. Buy a high volume, mass production vehicle. Something that has a lot of repair parts out and readily available. Drive said vehicle, maintain it, and take care of it.
Case in point. My 2007 Pontiac. It was built on the W body platform, going back to the 80's. It had the Buick 231 V6 dating back to the 60's, and parts were never an issue.
Low volume and or rare cars are a pain in the backsides. You'll spend more time under them and or searching parts than actually driving them.
Even my 69 bug convertible I restored in the early 90s I just brought back to life for my kids to drive , engine needed rebuild, all new rubber every where, new brakes, new fuel tank , new tires, new wiring. some paint and body work, good to go- not so fast- tranny seal leaks exhaust leaks. But we love it. fortunately I provide all the labor and internet parts orders from CA.
Fun fact, although Lucas and Lucifer both mean “bringing light” they aren’t actually etymologically related.
So, not etymologically related, only philosophically? 😁
@@darbbively3406 Lucas "The company that invented darkness"
It's a toss-up between Lucifer and Lucas who is the Prince of Darkness... 😈
Don't be a Myna bird.
Lucas is also a very common french name and family name.
To quote my late father he told me one truth about buying a used car. He said, "Bobby, NO ONE sells a car because it runs too well, looks too nice or always runs great!" Regardless of what used car you buy; it WILL need repairs at some point.
Is your father called Hank Hill?
To quote the sign above the bar urinal “no matter how good she looks, there is some guy out there that is tired of dealing with her b/s”
@@arthuralves7522 No! LOL
@ bob
👍👍👍
An old timer told me years ago, Son if you can’t afford to make a mistake… buy Japanese. He was right.
Heck, those cars weren't reliable when they were *new.* Adding 40+ years didn't help the reliability, that's for sure.
But, man, they're all so beautiful! Back when cars had **PERSONALITY!** So many of today's cars are just transportation appliances.
They're not very common but they're out there. Some owners happen to be enthusiasts of certain cars of this vintage. It's not a math problem. The emotional attachment to these vehicles makes the equation justifiable to these people keeping them on the roads.
True even Alfa’s when new they weren’t reliable and in Europe they turned into a pile of rust in 5 years you admired them but would never own one if you had half a brain.
Old Alfa Romeos are reliable, but if you thrash them they won't be, and that's because they were not built very well back in those years. Which is a fact.
@@Snarl616 Additionally,, being in America, it's very much more difficult to find mechanics who know what they're doing with Alfas -- especially the old ones. I knew a guy back in the early '80s who had a relatively new Alfa Spyder and it was *ALWAYS* in the shop. In fact, I remember one time it actually broke down on the way *home* from the shop! LOL! But the shop was a local mechanic who simply didn't know what the heck he was doing with an Alfa. The nearest dealership that specialized in Alfas was at least a 4-hour round trip away, so he almost never took the car there -- usually because it would've required the services of a towtruck, and a 4 hour round-trip in a towtruck is prohibitively expensive. 😂
I still have moms 325e from 1984. Closest thing to owning a boat in terms of expenses. Not for the faint of heart and parts are getting hard to find. The worst thing you can do is go for a drive . You will want to keep these cars going, they make you feel like a king on the road. The new cars just dont have it. People look and drull...lol
Same thing with me and my 1980 now dual SU MGB roadster.
My brother owns a Mercedes 190e, from 1992 (k-jetronic for you and us…) and damn, the thing is wonderfull to drive when everything is right, but damn again, it is just such a constant head ache to keep in good share! You are paying for a good feeling. Perfect sum up of what is the ownership experience of an old car! You are more than a mechanic, you are a pretty good auto journalist I should say!
That Alfa 75 is really cool
The Car Wizard is great!
Every time I see that DS, my heart skips a beat... I need to call my son again to talk me out of negotiating for it.
Congratulations on one million subscribers!
That was like 6 months ago.
In 1984 I bought a 1968 Plymouth Fury 2 318 auto 4 dr with 58000 miles. Drove it as my main daily for 11 years. Paid 750 for the car, and spent at least half that much every year in regular maintenance, tires, etc. Could do most of the work myself too. If you buy one of these cars expect to budget 50 percent of purchase price each year for maintenance repairs and insurance annually. And be prepared to have garage space to keep it so you can have the proper insurance. And yes I sold the Fury for 350 in 1995 and felt like I had done well.
honestly, that jaguar is in very good shape for its age. i on and off daily drive an 80s pickup, and yes, the never ending car repair bill is real, you learn to balance what you need to fix and what you can live with, because the more you fix, the more things break. it may not even be the "oh you put a new part in it, so the old parts connected to it go bad if you dont replace it at the same time" deal either. sometimes it is, but sometimes the problems are completely unrelated and just so happen to break right after the other
for example: i replace the alternator and do an oil change, and a week later, you get a cooling issue that may or may not have completely destroyed the engine. i dont know. i havent had the time to look into it yet. ive been thinking about just replacing the oil and adding more coolant and seeing what happens. i got it started, but something was squeaking loudly, but it couldve been because of how bad the oil actually was, or its because theres something thats actually broken. you just dont know until you diagnose it
I own one of Wizard's most favorite vehicles to work on; an '80s Mk1 VW Jetta with the Bosch CIS injection, with manual steering and a manual 5 speed. Yes it's a chore to drive. Yes the fuel system needs work. But it's fun to drive and people love seeing it at the local Cars and Coffee.
You better believe it needs time, attention and money to keep running. And I'm willing to provide it. Cheers!
Nice video, I need to say, living in Germany, owing an American car here almost the same problem, cause that I drive old Audis, you parts everywhere, anytime, and I repair my cars myself, it helps a lot too.... 🍻
I one owned an old Super Beetle, and I liked it. I had to have the engine rebuilt one time because the crankshaft cracked, but otherwise it was very low cost to own.
I have 2 well sorted classic sports cars. Just did the annuals on both. BMW $2500. Porsche $3000. Worth every penny of doing it. They are showroom perfect. And SO fun to drive !!
yearly repairs/ maintenance, insurance, fuel, possibly depreciation for MILES of fun
cost for each mile of fun? ,,,, if you have to ask, don't buy the car
I really enjoyed this video and I completely relate to your message. I used to collect a great number of French cars. I've had a '59 ID-19, an R16, multiple R5s, several Dauphines, and several Peugeot 504s, 505s and even a 404 Sedan. Yes, they required maintenance. Usually a bunch, right after initial purchase. But I don't believe that they required any more maintenance than my '62 Fairlane or '52 IH pickup. The trouble with less than common European cars is not the cars. It's the mechanics. Most American mechanics (obviously, excluding you) are intimidated by anything that that hails from Europe, particularly those cars from Italy and France. Since I maintained my own cars, every one of my French drivers were as reliable as any other vintage car. Especially Peugeot, which were built like tanks and could take a real beating and a lot of neglect and still keep going strong. I really enjoy your interest in these wonderful machines. It's one of the biggest reasons that I subscribed some time ago. Cheers! Michael
You might have a Jaguar XJ-S when the tow truck driver greets you with 'Hi Andy!'. 😂 Still better than a car payment. Great anger management too.
I love your videos. Although I always come back around to wanting to post: everyone who wants to not waste money on a car, buy a 2003-2011 Crown Victoria.
Thank you for your service, Car Wizard 🧙♂️ (from a fellow veteran 🇺🇸).
I've been fixing and resurrecting old cars since I was a kid a very long time ago... and there are a few things I know....
1 - If you find an old garage queen in mint condition, it will never be a daily driver again. It will literally dissolve in the rain within months of putting it back on the road. You might keep it running, but it will age like a vampire in the sunlight.
2 - No job is simple on an old car! Everything you touch will break. It's either rusted or frozen or petrified.
3 - Other than a very few models ie Ford Mustangs or Chevy Camaros, parts are unobtanium.
4 - The guy who knew how to fix your car is dead or retired.
5 - No "reputable shop" will touch your car because they are afraid of breaking something they can't find or fix.
6 Every repair costs more than the book value of the car.
7 - Junk yards don't keep old cars on the lot any more, they crush anything over 10 years old pretty much as soon as it comes in.
8 - You will be fixing it yourself, so you better be a pretty good mechanic and an even better scrounger.
9 - The sweet young thing at the parts store will always ask you "Who makes that?" when you ask for parts for a Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Desoto or Rambler.
And yes.... knowing all of that... I just finished a brake job on a 1992 Saturn two days ago where I had to remove the rotors AND brake pads with a sledge hammer. It's not just old exotics that are a nightmare to keep running these days, it's any old car, that isn't trendy anymore. And sometimes, it's easier to get parts for some hot exotics that still have value than some formerly common cars like Ramblers and Chevys that have been lost to time.
Absolute agree with your assessment of older cars needing constant attention. It does depend on the condition level expected as well as the chance for breaking down. Have an 81 C10 that I am always working on. Fortunately the parts are available and reasonably priced.
Totally agree with everything in this video. I still want an early 60’s Volvo P1800 😅
In England we just park our cars in traffic and sit there wondering why we have them. Meanwhile electric bicycles piloted by people with zero knowledge of the highway code fly past at ridiculous speeds and mobile phone zombies wander out in the road like they have had enough of life.
I know for BMW, they have recently stopped making parts at the 20 year mark on average. Critical components just stop being made. If you buy one, be sure to be next to a decent junk yard. You'll be visiting it alot. The general mechanics near me won't take a car older than 15 years. And it sucks, because older Mercedes and BMW's are made like tanks. Their engines never die if the oil is changed properly.
Lancia used to stop at 5 years.
I know how you feel.
I bought a BMW 5 Series, 3.0 L inline 6, rear wheel drive, 6 speed manual, a number of years ago, with a safety pass and two sets of BMW rims and tires for $6,000 Canadian dollars. Since then I have spent about $10,000 CDN in repairs/ maintenance. But that works out to only about a couple hundred bucks/month, which is a lot less than the monthly payments on a new car, and I get to drive something quite rare and a ton of fun to drive.
That Jaguar XJS - it’s full of Lucas connectors, I’m surprised it even cranks and starts.
I’d still love one, though
I'm enjoying my air cooled 911 that I did a DIY engine rebuild and restoration a few years ago. These cars still have factory and OEM manufacturer support so after replacing/restoring/refurbishing just about everything, I essentially reset my mileage to zero when I got it back on the road. Not for the faint of heart or wallet, but it goes a long way in actually enjoying the car without worry for the foreseeable future. IMO on old cars simple and available is good. There's no way a modern car will be supportable long term unfortunately with things like complex proprietary TFT panels, computer controlled everything, and engine designs designed for emissions requirements and not durability.
I just bought a 1989 Porsche that was sitting. Now when it has been driven, clutch gasket, front main and some other small things leaks. But I knew it would happen but I have a similar mechanic as Wizard, honest and reliable. And the costs was expected.
3:08 - You say it like it's some kind of "wizardry" (pun not intended) to fix an alternator. You in the US are just ill-accustomed to replace them with new, here in Portugal (and I bet in many other countries around the world), no one buys a new alternator if the old one is fixable. Here there are even shops that make new stators from scratch when the old ones are damaged and that repair is still cheaper than buying a new alternator!
It used to be the same in the USA. Now people find it cheaper and quicker to buy a new one. Very few people have the know how to rebuild Alternators and starters.
My bride (of 37 years) says this Jag is not a car - it's an automobile. Well said!
No, it's a new child. And you need to save up to provide it with orthodontia and to send it to college.
I have 4 antique cars, 2 Jags, 1 Triumph and a Trans Am. Once sorted they don’t cost much because they aren’t daily drivers. The problem is that they don’t get enough use. I don’t want to take them out in the rain. Before you know it one needs a new battery. Tires get old before they are worn out. Things go bad just sitting in the garage. For example, the ignition lock cylinder got jammed in the steering column. Luckily it was only the lock cylinder that needed to be changed but I had to buy a tool to get at it.
I'm reminded of the refrain to a poem by the 17th century English priest and poet John Donne: "When thou hast done, thou hast not done, / For I have more."
I'm in $6,000 plus on my 1988 Alfa Romeo Milano Gold Automatic.. but it still looks horrible. And yes, mine needs a fuel pump and......YIKES an Alternator. I have videos, I paid $1500 for the car, $600 shipping, and the rest was brakes, exhaust work, and misc parts. It will always be a money pit! All cars are. Great video, Weeezzzzard!
87 944 5 speed.
Got into the yard sale not running three thousand dollars , but look sweet
I did timing belt clutch, master and slave.
And water pump.
It pretty much drives like new now and it looks great.
Mario andretti Signed my dash when I met him years ago
Insurance is two hundred dollars a year
I've got about 9000 Canadian into it. Total which is probably 7000 American.
I'm really happy with the car.
I am still into American cars, and the ones I can’t afford are a 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 and a 1969 Corvette. I do have a 1977 Buick Electra 225 that I’ve owned for 31 years. It’s cheaper to keep than our daily runners! I worked at Hertz Rent a car for a short stretch, and I know how nice these foreign cars are. Finding competent and honest mechanics is a challenge in most locations.
I replaced the alternator, did the timing belt service, sealed the oil leaks, replaced the leaking transmission cooling lines, and replaced the motor mounts on an '03 Audi A6 3.0 Quattro with 160K miles on it, then drove it 900 miles over 2 days to visit family. The car ran great except it developed an exhaust leak. It sat in a parking garage for 3 days and on restart the transmission is in limp mode. Older cars keep breaking. Be prepared to keep spending money to keep them going!
Please let us know if the Jag goes up for sale.
Dear Wizzard i disagree, these vehicles mostly speaking about the Alfa have to be maintained by their owner in a DIY fashion.
They just need you to take care of them and they don't brake. But I guess in the states this culture is not really prevalent nor is part availability high.
Yet again, this is the way of the vehicle selecting the owner and NOT the owner selecting the vehicle.
If you cannot DIY at least a part of the maintenance and issues that pop up, these cars will be super expensive to keep. You don't have to be able to do everything, but you can save a lot and learn a lot by just doing some of the work.
This is true. But a person must be able to diagnose issues and have the tools (sometimes expensive) to deal with the problem.
As an ex owner of a 1992 Peugeot 405 I can attest that it’s hard to own. It wasn’t even that rare at the time. I absolutely loved it but at some point it had to go. It decided to go when it tore a timing belt for a second time…
It's still quite common in Central Asia under the Iran Khodro Samand guise, still in production in Iran. Sure, not the original, but most parts interchangeable.
@@jmi5969 I can see that given how well rounded the car was. Maybe some day I can find a good one again?
A funny true story, back in the 1980's Mercedes Benz decided to do a durability test on a 320D and a couple of other makes. A Peugeot 404 outlasted the Mercedes and continued to go through the torture test for another 3 weeks. Mercedes was shocked as they were going to go on advertising blitz about the durability of their brand. OOOOPS...
@@farmerboy8940 Peugeots aren't what they used to be...
Love this video. So true. If you’re going to run one of these cars, be prepared to spend money! I’ve just got a Daimler x300 back from the shop after spending nearly £5k sterlolimg on it!
I was going to replace all the rubber vacuum lines on my 1979 US made car but they are soft and in good condition yet.
Bought a beautiful 88 VW Cabriolet with low mileage in 2005...nickled and dimed me to death. Once the head gasket blew in 2008 we were done. So sad to see it go to the junkyard but everything just kept breaking - I suppose due to age. Parts were NOT cheap. At least not for real German ones. Such a fun car and it could get through the worst snow storm without any trouble. Miss that car but not the constant repair bills.
Wow you know about this too😂
One perk of living in Scotland, I can pick up some amazing deals on some retro 90's and 80's cars. Heck i was so close to buying an original Mini for about £4000 in fantastic condition. Problem is we really don't have the space here for empty garages to keep it out from the extreme rust inspiring conditions!
Right now though i'm planning on finally getting an S2000 next year or perhaps 26 depending on house work being a new homeowner. I still would love an old Brittish banger to use only once in a while, Maybe someday i will clear out my garage and make that a reality. So many sold here and kept in good shape, I still see XM's regularly. Ford Escorts of many Mk's. Heck last week i seen a Jag XJR with a retro race livery. Coolest thing i've seen since a Ford Mustang a few months back (American cars are rare and absolutely massive on our tiny roads)
I remember seeing a Cosworth Escort for £3000 in the dealership back in 07. I really wanted it when i passed my test but my father wouldn't ever insure that for me, It'd cost me about twice the value of the car to insure it on our roads.
@@Cogglesz S2000 is an excellent choice🇺🇸
I also own a 1988 milano verde. The voltage regulator brushes wear out and cause this issue. Volkswagen, prosche and audi use the same part.
In some of the car groups I see a lot of "I found this low mileage 80's era Japanese car with under 100k miles for super cheap, should I buy it?" I shake my head and reply HELL NO, it may not leak now, but as soon as you start driving it EVERYTHING WILL go bad. Rubber will have turned to plastic, and it ALL WILL have to be replaced, a lot of which is no longer available to purchase. That's a rabbit hole no one wants to go down, ESPECIALLY as with most of those, "this is my first car".
You know you're in trouble when the check engine light looks like a face wearing a ski mask....
Good one...😂
I think it is best to avoid any old vehicle unless you are willing to do some repairs yourself. The attraction with something like the MGB is that you can do most jobs with basic skills and tools. No electronics or exotic technology. My 1974 MGBGT was about 25 years old when I restored it and used it as a daily driver but I was in UK so there was never any problem sourcing parts.
Recently purchased a 1980 E12 BMW 528i with the engine from a 635csi. Its awesome. Thanks for the advice!
The parts prices are crazy over there. In this side of the pond we have totally different figures.
There's a lot of used parts because of MOT in the UK.
Ahh yes, in the infamous Lucas AB14 ignition amplifier. Very familiar with it as I have one on my Lotus Excel. It's just a box with a GM HEI module inside! Half the time the only problem is the heatsink compound has dried out. Dirt cheap and easily available (even in the UK) if the module has gone bad.
I saw an XJS coupe at the gas station recently. Hadn’t seen one in years. It was so beautiful!
Even if you have the money, finding parts will be difficult or impossible. I do all the work on my '65 Corvair. Parts are easy. Clark's Corvair Parts 10,000 plus different parts.
Rather do continuous maintenance on an old car than spend upwards of 100 grand on todays disposable cars for them to be junk under 100k miles with parts literally designed to be difficult or impossible to fix.
Yes. Doesn't bode well for the future. There probably will be no collector cars from 2010(?guess?) onwards, as it will probably be impossible to keep the electronics going for 50 years. But take my 1973 Ford Thunderbird. No electronics. Over 50 years old, still runs and drives like new, still easy to fix and service :: knock on wood ::
Just done that - money well spent.
My wife is the same, keeping her going, keeping her happy, and my bills keep pouring in. Not a one and done purchase.
When I had a Saab I went to a guy who specialized in them and other Euro cars. He had a friend's Alfa 164 in the back of his place, it was beautiful and was in amazing shape. I used to go sit in it sometimes when I was waiting for my car. However they had completely given up on finding the parts needed to keep it driving, so sad.
Great episode from the Wizened Wizards. "You can fix it, but it won't stay fixed". Priceless.
Something I like to say about old cars is that if it was parked, it was parked for a reason. It’s not just that the fuel pump went bad. The owner likely knew that the car was already on its way out or needing that big service. While this certainly doesn’t apply to all old cars it does to most of them.
I love the looks of the jaguar, but expensive to own
Checkout VGG's latest Honda revival. The Honda had a Honda carburetor equipped with many vacuum modules for emissions control and fuel efficiency. Derek of VGG simply stripped out all the vacuum lines and wiring, all the vacuum-controlled modules and put in a Weber carburetor with a rigged set of four vacuum connections. The car now gets 37 mpg instead of 50 mpg. However, a car that set for 16 years is now drivable and with some further updates will be a daily driver.
Try getting parts for a '52 XK120 Jag, big $$$ there! We won't get into the positive ground electrical system or Lucas electrics either, glad it's 12V and not 6V! Thankfully, this car runs great and no issues with it, gets driven short distances to shows, etc.
Vintage Eastern European veichles are tough and cheap to run even now. New old stock parts available from online sellers who happily ship worldwide. Even though I live in the UK you need deep pockets to run West European classics.
The Milano/75 and all the transaxle Alfas were maintained by Alfa mechanics using specialised tools and they were all reliable cars if maintained properly, and also if not left standing for years which destroys the cars; cost of maintenance then was and still is reasonable at specialists who know the cars well in Europe. The 75 was a mainsteam car in italy in the 1980s and early 90s, used everyday like the equivalent Fords in the USA because it was so "reliable", as reliable as anything BMW produced mechanically, which however used the same Bosch electrics. Alfa Romeo had 50% of the car market in italy in the 80s because their cars mechanicals were bulletproof mostly using the simple all alloy twin cam 8v engine (bialbero) with simple carburettors or the later twinspark with injection, which was in production 40 years and is an icon of engines; the Busso v6 engine was also very reliable and able to rack up huge mileages being driven every day in the Milano.
I did this experiment. Never again. Never getting an obscure car of any make again.
👍👍👍
I have 1985 Alfa 90 (the executive sister of the 75/Milano) . Some parts are nighmare to find and purchase. Front windscreen is availabe only in Afra, and it cost me 550 euro. OEM radiator was 350 euro. Stuff like the heater core valve doesn't exist anymore. Body panels - forget about it. Still, I love the car, it's cool and drives nice.
If you need parts for alfa try by Van lingen alfa parts BV Nederlands .
Wow that’s nice 🙂
I have a Jaguar XJS and i also daily a Citroen BX sometimes.
The Jag hasn’t been much trouble. I had to do a few bits to it when I got it but haven't touched it in a while. It needs a lot of oil, and for the love of god make sure keep on top of coolant and brake fluid changes, but touch wood it's been pretty good. More reliable than my dad's Honda! The only problem with it now is I need to sell it due to emigrating and nobody is interested.
The Citroen has lead a harder life and was abandoned outside for a very long time. It needed quite a lot of work to make usable again, and it needs some more now, but I like it. I've driven across a few countries in it and all over and it's been more reliable than some of my friends more modern cars! Tbh it's never really let me down but it just sort of gets to a state where passing the inspection is a challenge because things like the steering gaiters like getting holes in them.
Ahhh, love the V12 XJS. A friend had one he bought new in 1979. He let me drive it from Melrose to Whyalla (South Australia). Heading out of Pt Augusta I started to pass a few cars spaced out fairly well on a nice smooth and wide straight stretch. Wound it up to about 140 kmh (just under 90mph) when the owner said “Come on Ted, give it sh1t!”. He didn’t have to say that twice! This thing just took off and before I knew it I had hit 240 kmh (about 150 mph). Slackened off to a nice even 200 kmh for another ten miles or so until traffic stopped the fun. It just seemed to grip the road better, the faster you went. I had an Alfa Romeo at the time which was pretty good, but not a patch on the Jag.
I bought a 1979 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce new from a Alfa-Toyota dealership in New Hampshire when I was in college. I drove it daily. After college I drove it to Chicago for my job. Mike Besic, an Alfa racer helped me to make it better. Then I bought a Lancia Beta Coupe and also a FIAT X1/9. Later I sold them all except the 79 Alfa. Then I drove it cross country to San Francisco where my folks were. Then I drove it to Oregon 2000 where I am at now. I let it sit since 2003 as I bought a new 1999 Toyota Camry TRD factory stick race car as daily driver. The 79 Alfa has about 75k miles on it. Now I am trying to figure out what I am going to do with this Alfa as my two sons probably don't want it besides they don't know how to drive a stick. Do you want to take up the job of making it running again?
One of the more comprehensive sessions your group made recently.
FYI the very same thing applies to vintage American cars and trucks owned by collectors in Europe (or anywhere outside the US for that matter). My own experience. But I love it!
Bought a 94 xjs 4.0 coupe / racing green this summer, love it. Aj6 engine is very reliable and does 250k miles without problems. All things you mentioned on this one is all lack of maintenance, when searching for a classic always buy the best one you find
I think the AJ6 4.0 is much easier to work on than the V12. Half the number of cylinders makes a big difference!
@ yes, i’m planning to maintain it myself and thats the reason i bought a 6cyl, much more space around it and just great engines. late 6.0 v12 are also very good and reliable 92 onwards.
My dad had a milano. he drove it like a maniac haha. such good memories in that car.
I almost cried when I saw the Milano. I used to sell those, and of all of the cars that we carried at our exotic dealership, of all the cars I could choose to drive, the Milano was it. Manual transmission, 3 l engine, nothing sounds like that. Nothing. We could not give away a car stereo with those things because the engine sounded so good.
Worked on a lot of those old cars particularly them jaguars. Did a lot of head jobs on the six cylinders. Don't let those vacuum hoses scare you
Hi wizard from England, great vlogs, always worth watching, but I gotta tell you, we over would not touch most of those cars with a barge pole, unless they had full service history and you knew the owner, and even then would just scrap them, not worth spending money on them