3:14 Yup, I certainly met people who buy new cars every 3-5 years just for warranty sake. It's even sadder when they think they're saving money by doing so.
In some cases, it does save money. My c7 is getting a complete motor as we speak. I have also done a radiator, a master cylinder, and it had an electrical heart attack once. My 5 yr 60k mile powertrain expired in 13 days! I am glad they are hooking it up. I am a track guy. Considering trading in my 16 for a 19 so I can continue performance driving worry free
Dude, that is the exactly the way that i think. Why we can't have new basic cars? Just a manual transmission, power steering, eletric windows, air condicioner and a USB port. A simple functional and reliable engine with just enough technology to keep them running and nothing else.
Nobody wants them. We say we do, but we don't . We want slip diff, lane keep, backup cameras, heated seats, auto starters, you name it. Then there is the safety requirements that make that "simple" car almost impossible to manufacture..
03 4Runner, 4.7L Limited AWD. 180k miles, Super clean inside and out and well maintained. I love it and will keep it till it dies, which will probably be a very long time from now. For fun I ride a 2018 Yamaha MT-10 that I got for $8,500 (with a slew of great mods, including a new exhaust and flashed ECU). My son drives an 08 328i w/6spd manual, no nav. Super clean inside and out, well maintained and common failure points all replaced. Adequate (but not crazy) power, but lots of fun to drive in the twisties. N52 engine/manual transmission is a solidly reliable drivetrain.
CP - in the early 70's when I got my license my dad bought me the basic Craftsman SAE socket set and wrenches. That and an old awl with a 12v bulb soldered on it as a test light is all I use to this day to work on my '71 Blazer.
Sounded great except I hate sae and it should die in a fire. Metric is all I use tool wise for the most part. My sae tools just fill the gaps when I'm missing a metric.
Good talk. The pendulum must swing the other way. Simple is best. Look at the Toyota 70 series truck which sells by the thousands worlwide. Simple, reliable and has been around for years. Very basic mechanics with no modern tech. We need a vehicle like this in N/A. P.S. whoever thought of the electronic park brake should be punched in the face.
Electronic parking brake is more reliable than the traditional cable system. It's also less likely that someone will over/under pull the lever or over/under depress the pedal and cause something to break.
@@jarlnieminen4307 There is no evidence. I don't doubt the fella has some line of thought behind his statement, but he's conflating reliability with operator error. If you over-crank the window and break the handle off, does that mean manual windows aren't as reliable as electric? The parking brake cable in my 67 Camaro is over 50 years old and has never stretched beyond the adjustability point. If it ever does I can replace it in 30 minutes for $20. We'll see if the electronic mechanism and associated parts last that long in my 2017 SS 1LE. We won't even talk price, let alone the fact that I can't pitch the ass of the car around coming into the driveway for my son like we do in our 98 SS convertible!
My 2018 1lt (which i had with a 6 speed manual, i loved that car) and all other new sixth generation camaros have what i joking call it a "cuck button" because apparently were too stupid to use a actual emergency parking brake, this button removes on of the big features of a parking brake, which is being able to use it if/when your brakes fail.
Hey Casey, I'm a parts tech at a Ford dealership in west coast Canada (Currently researching courses to become a mechanical engineer because of your rambling, so to speak). I totally agree with you on this. I have a Focus in our shop right now that's waiting on overpriced, and backordered, clutch actuators for his dual clutch transaxle. These transaxles are garbage. This particular one has been through three sets now, and this current wait time has been in excess of three months. If the guy decided to buy this car with a manual gearbox, or a conventional automatic, this would never have happened. I've been saying for years that there is too much tech in cars today. I've always said that old school H gate manuals will always be superior to dual clutch transmissions. Because the owners can service them, and they will be made better drivers from driving a manual.
Adam Smith well, that, and Ford stupidly deciding to use dry clutches in an automatic dual clutch transmission....if you're going to make something complicated, at least do it the right way. The powershit transmission lawsuit...😑
Agree, the latest “innovation” that personally irks me is the elimination of a key. This is a solution without a problem. Not better, just different, but effectively changes the cost of a key from 2 bucks to $100. One of the reasons I am so happy with my ‘19 4 Runner - no fob!
I'd have to disagree, its so much more convenient to just walk up to my car, push a button on the handle and get in and start the car without having to fumble around with my kechain or detach it from my pocket or whatever. My mom's subaru though, that thing goes into panic mode if you actually use the key to unlock the thing.
You and savagegeese are definitely my favorite commentators, you guy's aren't afraid to talk about the real issues in the car community and automotive world, while actually educating people. So many TH-camrs that do car content are superficial "hypebeast".
You should give the Chevy SS a try. I agree with you fully which is why I love the SS. It's got all of the good points of a new car, with none of the bad. Plus, it's a sedan and can have a 6 speed manual, so it's practical and fun
@@filmandfirearms as a car mechanic I don't want anything from GM. All of their cars that I had a displeasure to work on are stupidly over compiled to work on for no apparent reason
@@fila1445 I totally agree, but the Chevy SS is a rebadged Holden Commodore, and Holden seems to have a completely different business model from the rest of GM. Their cars are simple, fun, easy to work on.
@@fila1445 Well, I don't know about other Holdens, but the Vauxhall Monaro is a rebadged Holden Monaro. Plus, if you had the money, you could import one
asd fgh the zonda has the vibrant n/a v12 that’s screams behind you with no muffling and pure high pitch sound. Whilst the huayra has the addition of turbos which muffle the engine pitch in turn for wooshy noises,. Wooshy noises are cool, but not in hypercars such as pagani.
Listened to this while driving my 1996 Olds Ciera wagon. Epitome of cheap and reliable. My coworkers think I’m nuts, but six months of a new car payment to them is enough to buy a decent car for me. A Bluetooth stereo head unit was all it took to bring my car up to “modern” standards.
17:45 I always wondered about the wheel alignment procedure with these newer vehicles using all electric steering. Seems like there would be a greater chance for error calibrating the electric system to the actual mechanical system, possibly causing a control issue which could lead to worse. I always heard that the electrical system is always the weakest link compared to mechanical and hydraulic systems. Why have the weakest link in complete control over the most important aspect of a motor vehicle?
The best daily driver cars are from the 2000's. They are the perfect balance of tech, reliability, and they are still easy to work on. Getting parts for some of them is starting to become a issue though. The interior's are not the best either. I also have a soft spot for early to mid 90's cars. I just hate working with OBD 1 systems.
Yeah my 06 350Z seems to have the perfect balance of modern tech and old school engineering. Turnkey ignition, no digital safety tech that essentially drives the car for you, it's still a very analog car in a sense where the driver is in control of everything but it's still got most of the tech and luxuries that you would actually use.
Yup! Just give me radio, AUX, Bluetooth, and android auto/apple carplay. Auto manufacturers making their own proprietary systems is a huge waste of money.
@@Membrane556 So will most fords and chevies. When the 6th gen camaro came out, if you pulled the radio from the car, it wouldn't start because it's tied in to the ignition and ecu.
@@ItsDaJax I have not heard of this as I heard they will run just fine with a dead head unit but it would be a very stupid design choice if the main can bus runs through it.
I love that a person who has professional relationship with cars says this. I am saying this for ages but people just don't listen. Many people confuse love of cars with a constant chase of the latest gimmicks that add nothing to the actual value of a motor car. I have a 2002 Alfa Romeo which is considered a shitty car, but I love it a lot, but my friend who considers himself an enthusiast (he is a car parts salesman) keeps questioning me why I don't scrap it and get a newer one, but I just don't see the value in the new cars that would make me want to get a newer one instead of restoring something I love.
Dream garage 03-04 Mach 1 or cobra and an 06-07 Lbz duramax truck. Still can’t afford them unfortunately. I refuse to buy any “modern” cars with their touch screen displays. This is coming from a 19 year old. Being that my parents aren’t rich we’ve always had older cars but it has made me appreciate how easy to fix they are. Ive been in early 2010 cars at the dealerships I work at but the aging “tech” makes them so frustrating to use
I recently bought a 2000 Mazda MX-5 Miata. It's a great contrast with the 2002 BMW 325ci it replaced. Everything is brutally simple on the Miata. Hydraulic or spring belt tensioners? No, manual belt tensioners. Electronic HVAC system? No, a cable actuated blending box. Variable valve timing? Again, nope. It has just enough technology to make it more reliable and not enough to turn it into a rolling money pit. I bought it with a blown head gasket, had the head milled, put it back together and the only thing that's happened in the past year of driving is that it chewed up an alternator belt because the novice mechanic ( me! haha ) put too much tension on the belt. It's slow compared to a modern sports car sure, but it's still faster than your average car or SUV on the road and it has a very rewarding simple driving experience. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to keep fixing the car until it doesn't make sense to.
Take a look at small motorcycle manufacturers with old names... the changes you want are already starting in small ways. The Norton 961 is a new product built around being able to maintained with hand tools! The new Hesketh has an off-the-shelf S&S engine and a huge aftermarket as a consequence.
If only people would think the same about cars but nowadays, bikes are for fun and cars for transport. Wider public that doesn't want the maintenance means all the bullcrap cars
Casey I agree, I own a car from 2001 because it has no tech in it that I don’t already have in my phone. I maintain it and love it until it decides to die or plain someone makes me an offer then I’ll get another car. Also I like the environment because it’s what allows me to live but I’d rather die then drive a hybrid. Why because I grew up listening to old V8 muscle cars, the sound of my car and the ability to shift the the gears is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
I currently own and maintain a 05 volvo s80 with 200,000 miles. Went from new york to Mexico and back. its been payed off for better part of 4 years. The lesson stop keeping up with the Jones's, and maintaining your own cars.
I have been saying the first few minutes of this video for several years now. it drives me nuts that hardly anyone else sees this.... 90's were the peak of cars, Yes there is more tech now but nothing seems like its built as good as the 90's. I just want analog knobs/gauges/switches. For safety, it is nice having stability for those 'oh shit' moments but other than that they are needlessly complex. But people are stupid so they will keep getting more complex and expensive.
The 90's are the peak of automotive tech that I am willing to try to keep functioning and road-worthy. That's why my daily-driver / road-trip / autocross plaything is a 2002 Mustang. Zero interest in owning one made after 2004.
@@kontde EFI, for sure. Carbs are a much bigger pain in the ass. I can live without ABS, though. I do like having disc brakes at all four corners, however. But what the hell do I know? I'm still happy with good old fashioned cam=in-block, pushrod-actuated overhead valves and wish overhead cams were a passing fad.
I work in the automotive industry and it is refreshing to see this video, since I share the sentiment expressed here. However, I find myself surrounded by people who belittle my way of thinking. Nice to know I am not alone.
I started watching a youtube channel where they went halfway to that idea for a SEMA build this year. Guy bought a burned Hurucan that had no motor, LS swapped it with a gated manual, rewired most of it as the lambo wiring wasn't working, and while he didn't make it less complex for the sake of being less complex, that is kind of what he ended up with, along with a bunch of extra "Hey look at me" silly body panels and adding bits that stick out as splitters and diffusers etc because SEMA show car.
The reason everything is so complex and unnecessarily tech reliant is so that you have to send your car into service when one of a million worthless sensors break!!!
I totally agree. I'm a fifth generation locksmith and a large part of our business is originating and programming transponder auto keys and even the smart keys for cars with push to start ignitions. These manufacturers have over complicated quite possibly the simplest part of your automobile...and yes they go wrong. It's so sad to have someone buy a used car and lose a key only to find out the thing costs $500 to replace.
What I always say about car companies today is that they create the problem, then sell you the solution. I've thought that for a long time, but when I got to drive a 2017 Chevy SS with the 6 speed at my work last week, it was more apparent than ever because it did none of the things I hate about new cars. The brake, throttle, and clutch were all perfectly designed to do their job in the best possible way. It had hydraulic power steering which felt great, and most of all, thanks to great visibility, the reverse camera was a convenience, not a necessity
Casey I just discovered your channel from VinWiki and I have been on a marathon of your videos recently. Absolute quality content. I just wanted to say I love your work and you deserve a million even 10 mil subs judging by the thought and effort you put into these. I would've visited Genius Garage myself had I not been living across the country from you. Keep up the good work.
A vulgar and ugly culture needs vulgar and ugly things. Current cars are the automobile version of post modern architecture. Gone are the beautiful and noble interior materials and design that used to define luxury and beauty, but instead have been replaced with brutalist and insipid and useless elements that people don’t even use. I will however, continue to ridicule the concept of children being used as stage-props for sinister agendas.
You would really really appreciate Roger Scruton's "Why Beauty Maters" as he discusses the same issues in art/modern architecture; It's all a symptom of a lack of values when a vacuum is created because people nolonger have meaningful lives beyond what they've been trained to value, and it's not family/meaning/love.
Love or hate new cars, that's your opinion. Fact is that any of your favorite cars from 30-40-50+ years ago can not be manufactured today due to regulations, and if you think those regs wont get more strict, think again. I personally like the new cars. Getting 250-300hp out of a 4cy, and 30+ mpg too boot, is really something. But yeah, I'm with you all on that child of the corn Greta....the brain washing is strong in that one.
I really hate the look of the new Land Rovers, especially that damn eovque, a disgrace to the old Land rovers. In fact most of these new cars look very much the same minus the badge, they all look like bubbles.
I would be happier with a 90/2000s car than the ones from now I truly hate how super cars are now for tech guys who don’t drive The cut off happened after the E46 M3 and the Supercharged AMGs that were reliable All I want is a manual, t tops or a targa top( which doesn’t exist anymore” and a nice engine
I was driving to work a week ago, and I went to change lanes in my brand new Honda Civic. As I went to make the lane change into the lane to my left and was making sure I was not going to hit something in front of me in the left lane or coming from behind, at exactly the moment I hit the gas to get in and my focus was elsewhere at that moment, the guy directly in front of me slammed on his brakes, before I even knew what had happened my car had stopped itself, and in that moment all the depreciation I have incurred buying a brand new car with all that tech, tech that literally could not be had in anything less than an S-Class less than a decade ago, became worth it.... just my two cents
@@orbitalair2103 You where not there, im not interested in answering some fool like you, believe it or not there is the possibility for a situation like this without following too close. I will say no more
No your depreciation was not made up for in cost of what your insurance premium would have been. Not even close . But hey glad we know that you are a shit driver.
My dad had to sell his 1 owner 2013 Dodge Dart a few weeks ago because it's been having transmission problems for months (edit) and NOBODY could fix it... Finally wouldn't shift out of first so he had to sell it. The only people who could fix it were from far away and bought it from him. Glad I've got my manual Corolla xD
You can see it happening in the semi truck industry I wouldnt be surprised if it happens in the car industry at some point. Gliders are brand new rolling chassis semi trucks that you buy and can have whatever motor you want installed. Pre emissions cats and cummins bring the most popular, why because it's more economically smart to have an old reliable engine installed in your truck rather than try and run a new emissions complicated big diesel. But now lawmakers are cracking down on this "loophole" and truckers are looking elsewhere to solve the complicated emissions issues they run into with new trucks. Some are even having 00s, 90s and even 80s trucks all rebuilt and are returning these old trucks to service because it's more economically smart to pay the money to have an old truck fixed and returned to work then deal with elogs and emissions laden trucks breaking consistantly
I own a 2001 bmw 330ci with a 5 speed manual. You’re right about the modern cars in the 90s. The E46 chassis was developed 90s. I know basically every nut and bolt of my car and I fix it with my tools and time. Nothing will beat the feeling of a manual. Nothing will be as rewarding as the satisfaction you get from being in a simple car. As i young man i was able recognize a lot of these points you were making. I was in high school when the Aventador came out and something just felt off about where supercars were going. My heart was broken as the Murcielago was discontinued. Even though I had never driven any of these cars I could feel and recognize a shift. Every decade has this change, this turn. just like you said, it can’t continue. I don’t care much for new cars but I truly don’t look forward to the day this comes to a screeching halt.
I have such a hard time trying to make that point, "why are manufacturers try to compete with phones for GPS?" That's probably an inaccurate quote but, the point stands. Why do we need such complexity built-in to our cars? It all undermines reliability.
I’m an aerospace engineering student and car enthusiast, and while I’m not really the entrepreneurial type, I’ve recently felt the need to fill the void supercars of the past have left in their absence. We need back the days of manual gated gearboxes mated to reliable engines with very little extra nonsense in between. It’s far more expensive, incredibly unreliable, and makes for a numb experience. I hope one day I’ll have the opportunity to bring back the excitement of raw V12 fury screaming back to life as the clutch is released from a gear change. It’s becoming a bit of a dream to create affordable cars that are wildly fun which you can actually drive and enjoy without fear of massive depreciation or repairs. Maybe one day we’ll see it again. I sure hope so
Drive it Forever, a great book. I drive a 25-year-old car that iI love. It's reliable, easy to work on, has all the features I need and is a blast to drive. Why would I want another? I agree that keeping an old car is better for the environment to a certain degree, as long as it's reliable. Future cars may be modular, enabling upgrades to keep up with design and fashion.
I do car and home audio on my channel. The increased complexity has made it hard to replace the radio. The aftermarket head unit market is slowly dying. It's takes complex interface units to install in a new car. So now we are moving to just installing the complex interface and keeping the factory radio.
100% nailed it, as always. I love watching people buy brand new cars and then years later my old ones still running and they are buying another new one.. History keeps repeating itself it seems, and my Detroit steel keeps rolling (thank you Americans who built my vehicles)
My '06 mustang convertible has just over 100k. I am maintaining it myself. Even if I have to spend $1200 year in repairs, it only averages to $100/month to own. What is the cost of ownership (outside of consumables) does a new car cost? $300, $400+ per month? Add in a higher insurance and tax, in particular the excise tax states. My Mustang is a 4 liter, so it is not fast, but I can drop the top and bang the 5 speed, on a scenic road and just enjoy the wind, the sun, the sounds and smells of true driving experiences. No need for super fast, loud or complex. My car has a near perfect body, I can swap the engine if this one dies with one from a junk yard or get a new short block. Today for $80 (new with 5 yr/warranty) in parts, and my labor, I am replacing all the hydraulic lines on my convertible top, as it is a very easy setup.
@@Epro95 - Yes, very reliable engines and manual transmissions. I also like the S197 body as it has many characteristics of the 64 'vert, which my mom owned when I was a kid... Easy to maintain and fix myself too. But define butt slow? It easily goes over 100+ mph, however, I won't be doing it on the state/city roads... Add to that I certainly do not need a misdemeanor reckless driving ticket, and risk my security clearance... let alone the fines and other penalties. Also, yeah I can do burnouts, but why would I want to spin my tires shortening the life of them, in particular when they cost over $200 each? As i stated before in a post, I have gone fast... really, really fast.. It's out of my system brother, now I like to do a leisurely cruises, top down and in the wind. Besides if I get the itch for speed, I can take my convertible cruise to a nearby racetrack that is hosting a supercar experience, rent one for a few laps.
Dude just get a 4.6 Mustang 2 valve. Same engine as crown Vic’s and are just as reliable. They sound awesome too. :) Love mine. 127k miles 5 speed manual
I couldn't agree more. I drive a 1997 Volvo that has been very reliable. I never had to spend more than $500 a year on maintenance, and it's mostly just been maintenance items. Really, I have no need for a new car. Most people think I'm crazy that I'm spending money on a car I wouldn't be able to sell for more than $1000 but what about its intrinsic value as a car, as transportation. Quite comfortable and enjoyable transportation, I might add. How much money am I saving by spending $500 a year in maintenance when the payments on a new car would top that in just a few months? The answer is a lot, and I find more pleasure in a manual transmission simple car without overpowering electronic nannies.
I wish they would stop trying to cram every piece of tech into the center console. I already have a phone in my pocket that does ALL THE THINGS! Just put a $60 seven inch screen in the center console for me to blue tooth to, and then drop the price of the car 10 grand from the unnecessary tech savings!
So True!!! You hit the Nail on the head and are so right!!! These cars today have No Soul and are literally throw away cars. No one is going to dish out thousands of dollars to try and fix a center dash Entertainment system that controls every dam function from heat AC to Back up camera to GPS etc. We have ABS..Traction control and no more manual transmissions..People cant "Feel" the reaction of the car anymore and end up ditching cars more often because we are dumbing down our Masterery of total control. With a Manual transmission you are more in Sync with how a car reacts to power input and a driver is more attentive to the vehicle and his surroundings..Instead of playing around with their iPhones..Entertainment systems etc. The new Supercars have Lost the edge...The sheer feeling of being connected and Visceral effect is lost...The new cars have lost something very important..They lost their Souls!!! That 97 Viper is an example of the Last True Supercars we will ever see!!! Awesome show Casey..Keep up the great work👍
Well said sir! I took auto class in the years of 1963-1967 and some in college! I rebuilt an engine in 1966 and that was learning a lot! But today the tech to rebuild an engine and work on them is out of this world! It used to be much simpler to work on. Thanks for your insight!
Casually wanted to start my own company of slowly making, modernising, and manufacturing parts on cars that don't seem to have parts. They're for fun and you specifically choose what you want, each system kinda being it's own thing, for the most part. Still got a long time to work on it, but maybe one day 😂 I can't even afford the worst car in my town with my budget, riding around town on my walmart bike isn't a choice
I love my 2018 Impala and I'm enough of a computer guy that I can deal with it when things start to go wrong, but I miss being able to buy a $500 clunker and turn it into a work of art.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^exactly. We have transportation appliances (TAs). They will continue to complexify as long as they can sell them and the complexity creates value or advantage. With solid state batteries replacing lithium, electric TAs will reframe personal transportation, much as induction stovetops are (slowly, but inevitably) redefining cooking, and becoming increasingly complex devices. As resources become increasingly dear and the complexity runs into the falling rate of profit (energetic and economic) then you will see a reduction in complexity *using complex devices*. Teslas have Significant Build Issues, so look to Toyota and Honda to build inexpensive long lasting electric cars. As things erode, the fly by wire steering goes back to simpler and cheaper rack and pinion etc. Keyless entry goes back to keyed. The complex dash cluster is reduced to a few dials. Electrics don't need transmissions, so that's a world of complexity removed. Since electrics are (technically) vastly simpler, theoretically a 2030 Honda eCivic could be running *just as new* in 2100 - all the parts may be replaced, but they're comparatively cheaper and simpler. It will still be a Transportation Appliance, but one that's wildly more reparable. It won't go 200 kmph, but it doesn't have to. It's a transportation appliance - it collects groceries and delivers kids to soccer practice. A microwave oven on 4 wheels. We will call them cars, but they're not - anymore than a Sun Frost refrigerator is an icebox.
But i can see how it could be a awesome thing, imagine automatic cars going like 250-300 kmh on "super highways" with no accidents.. yeah maybe then, but im not going to get some slow, boring box of a car, that will never happen, then id rather keep on driving one of the old, fast cars passing the shitty boxes. Why go automatic when im frankly better?
Agree entirely with this video. The most recent car I brought is a 1986 BMW 325e E30 for $1800. Being a modern classic, there is no depreciation to worry about; it will actually appreciate as I fix it up (of course I can’t take this too far, I just plan on making it a daily with full acceptance that it will never be perfect). It is super easy to work on compared to any new garbage car, even japanese cars. It also has all the basic safety and comfort features you mentioned (aside from airbags). Only makes 120 hp, but makes 170 lb*ft torque, which is what I need for daily driving. The visibility is amazing because all the body lines are low. Most importantly, the car is FUN to drive
I agree. I also believe too many "fads" are fueling the auto industry now and it's kinda sad. Too many creature comforts are being installed on cars. Spare tires have become optional while entertainment systems with 10 or more speakers are standard equipment.
I'm 20 and people are always shocked when I tell them I hate modernized cars, and that I'm never buying a car made after the year 05. My friends are all wasting they're money on new corollas and civics that have new tech, they beep and flash when you get close to another lane, have rear view cameras etc. One of the only new cars I've liked is my buddy's A4 Quattro, but those are more "luxury" cars now more than sports cars. Years from now those cars won't be worth as much because people won't want to work on them. You can still buy and sell old civics because people love working on them. One of my friends just refurbished and engine swapped a late 90's civic. I have a first gen cooper s that I've refurbished and upkept for 2 years. I've made slight mods on it (suspension, brakes, intake and exhaust) it still has the stock engine, and transmission. Even the electronics in my cooper annoy me a bit, but it'll still be worth the money I bought it for five years from now, I've even had people try and buy it from me.
been saying these things to people I know for a long time. When I was a child I thought Porsche was cool, then auto clutches came, then they were no longer sold with a manual trans. I had the luxury of hanging out with an old time racer who did open wheel sprint cars. The ones where the drivers would rather fly out of the car instead of wearing a seat belt. He was restoring them before he passed and I tell you every component was rebuild able. I saw everything from rolling chassis to full restoration. Try doing that with a current Porsche 60 years from now. Not going to happen. The complexity of modern cars have made them obsolete in my opinion. You use them for 8 to 10 years and throw them away.
I wonder what my life would be. If I hadn’t taken out a loan to buy a good $3000 car when I was 20. Now I’m over 30. Still drive same car from 1981. It’s probably worth the same. Maybe more. But I plan to drive it the rest of my life. Imagine if the rest of America would be as conservative as me. Even when I was a kid. I always thought it was the stupidest FAD to create new cars every day.
My 1993 miata is awesome. It is my first car. It is fun and unlike modern cars with electronic aids it is teaching me how to drive with skill. If can I might just keep it and pass it on to my future children if I can and it is cheap to repair an reliable.
Good stuff. Makes a lot of sense to me. Ego drives most sales, everywhere. It also causes most of our problems. It will always be with us. If we could deny our own egos life would be much easier.
Agreed! Cars need to last a generation or more. Simplification is a good rule of thumb. Utility is another. We can have both a fun car and a work car if they both last. What we have now is a do everything not well, complex, and short lived vehicle that is replaced at great economic impact. It's insane!
i agree Casey, I like older super cars manual gearbox cars. I see all these new cars constantly breaking as I run an independent inspection business in Scottsdale AZ. Anything past 12-14 I stay away from and really more like 10 and older for basic cars, I prefer to own and drive 80-90s rare cars. My daily is a 10 Mazdaspeed 3 which is simple to work on IMO. I see engines and transmissions failing on these new cars way more than the older vehicles and I have thousands of inspection reports with pictures/videos showing this. What the industry does is make the vehicle look nice and or the interior features so the client is excited about the tech and before they know it they are leasing a new BMW or whatever it might be... Then basic warranty expires and these cars all have issues under warranty and out of warranty.
I've been saying this for awhile over complexity is only good while new and under warranty once they're used and out of warranty they will be sold cheap because maintenance will still be out of control. If a person creates a company that specialized in simplifying and making modern cars reliable, they would make a mint.
I like mid 90s cars as far as engine bays go. They had worked out how to make the efi good enough on its own that they didnt need to have all the other devices cluttering the engine bay, and typically the only thing most cars had external to the engine was a charcoal canister, so it was almost like a return to the simplicity of the carby car
I'm of the age when a car with 50,000 miles was about done or at least in a major overhaul/rebuild. Cars may be more complex but they are also immensely safer, more reliable, driver friendly, fuel efficient and 50,000 miles is just breaking in the engine. You can complain about costs, but there are plenty of Curzes, Focuses, Kicks, and tons of cars under 20k that will last 200,000+ miles.
@@chrisschmeitz1139 Good points. You can pop the hood and still know what you're looking at, little to no computers, and the reliability was there. The only thing I don't like is the styling, but that's me, and it's growing on me. Peace
You're speaking my language! I drive a 20 year old GMC truck and have a 24 year old Chevy as a backup. I read that somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of the energy consumed during the life span of a vehicle is used in its manufacture. It make complete sense to keep them on the road for as long as possible. Oh and I love the 'Post-apocalyptic' idea (visions of Mad Max) of ripping the high tech guts out of overly complex cars and replacing it all with technology we can afford and can work on. Prime example is the LS swapped Porsche Boxsters. Carry on, good job!
Cars serve a wide spectrum and as such end up compromised to increase the pool of potential buyers. In the basic transportation role, the car has to be more passenger-centric and allow for low skill drivers to be "safe". With those we get the "mini-SUVs" with a personal AV system for each seating position and all the lane departure and radar braking systems. These cars take the family on its errands and make up a big piece of the corporate profit structure. The cousin of these cars is the commuter sedan and I will say that when stuck in traffic those creature comforts are nice to have. Personally, I could care less what direction these cars go so long as there is a basic one that I can keep on the cheap for its intended purpose. As for the sports car/supercar, those are really meant for driving in my mind. But they are also the modern version of art for the rich. That segment has become a world of "bragging rights" and "paper competition" with less focus on the driver. Because the number of actual drivers in the population that can afford them is low, the manufactures have two strategies for a model. The first is the consumer grade supercar.sports car. It has the guts but tries to accommodate the lay-person or flosser and gets all the distracting entertainment stuff with a compromised suspension that tries to accommodate potholes with a bunch of valving that will break. They are designed for volume production to make a profit and support the second type of car they make. That second type is the low number "hand" built track focused vehicle. This is the car that I think drivers want. but without the compromised consumer versions, the challenge cars just cannot exist. Unfortunately that pure simple performance car just never does well enough in the market to really survive in the world of large manufacturers with an even more limited universe of parts suppliers. And while the tech is deep in the new consumer grade cars, I do not think that class of car buyer could diagnose or fix their own car even if it were stripped of all its tech. But to have our toys, we sort of have to accommodate that market segment. And us car types are learning the ins and outs of this tech as it ages so we can start to fix it, just takes a multi meter and a few dongles along with the socket set. for the rare supercars, low hand built types, I think that there is enough interest to keep them up and running regardless of price. The volume, mass produced supercars will drop in value, just like the 430 and 12c did. And eventually some will become dinosaurs with a few kept alive through customization and fabrication, sort of like the 300SL or Shelby Corbas or Panteras are. So, no these $300,000+ supercars new are not worth it. But if you want a pure one, just wait 5 to 10 years and a somewhat cheap canvas will be available to gut and hopefully be built with an uncompromising focus. Large manufactuerer economics wont's allow it to be built at a reasonable price for sale as a new vehicle.
I had an 80s car in the early 90s. An EFI issue popped up on the dash and the dealer said everything related with the EFI should be replaced. Side-stepping the complexity by forcing remove/replace regiments are not a new thing.
Going to be interesting to see how things play out over time. Supercars like the new gen NSX will probably go down in price, and once the older RHD NSXs from the 90s are legal for import, prices are gonna skyrocket on those older ones, it might be cheaper to buy the newer gen one at that point! In regards to fashion, It’s awesome to see a well taken care of older car than something new. It always makes me smile seeing cars on the road that are 15-20+ years old and looking really clean and nice.
Electric SUVs are no better for the environment than gas-powered ones because of all of the extra materials it takes to make an SUV as well as the extra rare-earth material you need for the battery to supply power to a car that big.
Fly-by-wire throttles, brakes and steering are a fine example of "fixing" things until they are broken. I despise abs, traction control, lane awareness and any other "crutch" that allows people to drive without ever learning how to DRIVE.
Casey…. I AGREE 1000% This morning… I was thinking of my 1987 16V Scirocco - own scans drove in the early 90s college years - that car is still my favorite I’ve owned. Give me a slightly bigger Scirocco…. IE seats 4 for real, ABS (needed it several times in my old 16V😎) and airbags… I’ll put in a modern head unit and I’m good to go forever. Simple engine I can fix, simple refined suspension, gorgeous body, fun to steer and roll.around in, I’ll hook up my iPhone to a new head unit and I’m in heaven. Thanks for being SO ACCURATE in your views in this video. Simple mechanical car. The tech can com from the smartphone we ALL READY OWN! As long as there are airbags, ABS, and a well though it suspension with safe crumple zones… what more do we need? This doesn’t just apply to sports cars. Even SUVs would benefit from this. Overly complex plastics and miles of wiring FAIL. We all LIE to ourselves when we buy new cars that if we just maintain the shit out of it we’ll get 10-15 years out of it… Then we trade it in 6 years later.
Casey, IMO the best vehicle on earth is the 1980 Toyota Truck. 4cyl. Carb. 4spd. Crank windows. Manual lock out hubs. They are unkillable. I had an 87 4Runner. Sold it after 2008 to keep my house. Looking back i could have slept in the truck. Ya know? And with old Yotas holding their value something fierce i dont know that ill be able to get one again for a good while. But i feel ya man. The less complicated the better. With all the modern safety. Id like to see a modern model-t-sque city car. All electric. Very light. Big skinny tires. Big brakes like on a Buell. As for super cars..im more of a ratrod guy because of their simplicity. Bare minimums. I love the guys in cali driving steel cars made in the 20s and 30s..Show me the Lamborghini capable of that.
I really enjoy listening to these discussions. Your value-minded prospective really gels with mine. I feel no matter my financial status, I could never justify a brand new car, when some smart shopping can get you the same thing used for all intents and purposes and for a better spot on the depreciation curve.
You hit on a valid point. I am sure many of us classic car people like older cars due to their simplicity. Heck, I just spent 8 grand to have a racing company rebuild my original Pontiac 400 and I still have less than 20K invested in the car. Try purchasing a new Chevy Malibu for less than that. No way. I will be cruising the streets in a 400+ hp classic car, getting more looks than most Lambo owners, and I can still get to my spark plugs without removing plastic covers, brackets, other components, etc. I can service the car at will. And, this car is gorgeous. You should see the freshly-painted engine. It looks like a piece of candy.
I agree with everything Except environmental issues. Cars do not contribute to pollution in any significant way... it’s a joke to think we can do something to change the temperature of the planet. I agree about polluting the oceans but that’s not from cars. And if I want to drive the new car because I can afford it, who are you to tell me that’s stupid? By the way, I own an auto repair shop and I believe in maintaining cars but I am not here to tell someone how to live their life. I drive a 996 C4S every day and absolutely love it. Just performed all the maintenance on it this week. Including the IMS and a new clutch.
Nice one. Cars can last a long time if they are well maintained. People are convinced that Domestics and European cars are unreliable and Japanese is indestructible which is slightly true but mostly wrong and no one is maintaining anything and they all fall apart no matter what people DECIDE to believe and what they want other people to see their status as. Keeping a car in good condition or taking an old car and bringing it and keeping it up to par is one of the most environmentally friendly thing a person can do. BUT nobody wants to face that. Not the population, not the insurance companies and certainly not politicians. Cash for clunkers anyone?
100% accurate. You have hit the nail on the head again. I couldn't agree with you more. Cars have become too complex and expensive to repair and the cost of recycling is much higher than old cars. I use a car for my work every day and I average 20-25, 000 kilometers per year. My only experiences with a post 2005 car as a work vehicle (4 door sedan) were stupid expensive and crazy hard to work on-don't get me started on brand specific tools - no way I will go down that route again.
Years ago I fell into this same thought process, so I have focused on my antique vehicles 66 F100, 72 F100, 78 F150 and 77 Cougar XR7 all of them paid for and different levels of power and comfort with all basic gauges all easy to replace parts and added up they cost less than a single new vehicle (kinda stupid how my 66 F100 can get 16+mpg for 50+ years where the modern equivalents barely exceed those real world numbers)
Ideally if it was possible to make a new vehicle (like the one you have planned Casey) it would be multiple times better, if you look back a few years they had the closest thing a Chevy Cobalt Xfe just a simple 2 door standard transmission with only the basics and it was rockin a 6 second 0-60 and 38 mpg highway there is no reason there shouldn't be more practical cars like these
My cars are Triumphs and I have been refining and modifying my Spitfire since i was 19, i still own it 30 years later. Some say it's a girl car but not as much these days. What it is though is a crude bare bones viceral experience that feels fun in all the right ways. It's easy to work on and parts are cheap.
Best video yet. I used to race a CRX Si and am finally back into the market for a “new” fun racer to possibly daily. Thinking maybe mod an S2000 or C4 or who knows, possibly a Viper. Maybe you could do another vid on the best way to invest 20k on a practical and fun race car for the street..? Thanks again for your good snarky advice ;)
Perhaps I'm OLD!..., but to celebrate my retirement and remission I wanted a convertible Corvette, 59 to 65 body style and engine. But that didn't work out, (title issues), so I came across a 2012 Grand Sport Corvette and it spoke to me so I got it. Mission accomplished. However, since this last March I still haven't used the Nav or synced my phone or explored much of its' intricacies. I'll get there but your point is taken. I wanted a car that I could understand when I opened the hood and stared at the engine and actually recognize the parts. Of course my life being what it is, there came up for sale a 65 lil' red corvette convertible, after I had gotten mine 2012. For generally the same money. Life. Go figure. Enjoying your work. Best wishes.
This is why I just download all the music I like onto a single USB stick, plug that in, and listen away. Simple and works every single time. This whole garbage of trying to get the phone to connect/ stay connected to the car is insane. Then again, I'm running a simple double din aftermarket Pioneer touchscreen that was only $150.
Angel Gutierrez I was mostly referring to new cars but yeah foxbody and new edge mustangs are pretty good. And miatas are more spacious than you’d think. Just don’t buy the tight recaros. Only slight issue is headroom, but it’s a convertible, so eh.
3:14 Yup, I certainly met people who buy new cars every 3-5 years just for warranty sake. It's even sadder when they think they're saving money by doing so.
Bladed Angel sad but true that’s why I will stick with my Toyota Camry
Oh shit it's bladed
Never thought i would see you here bladed. Its nice.
Yep, which is why whatever the first car i get i will try to keep for as long as possible
In some cases, it does save money. My c7 is getting a complete motor as we speak. I have also done a radiator, a master cylinder, and it had an electrical heart attack once. My 5 yr 60k mile powertrain expired in 13 days! I am glad they are hooking it up. I am a track guy. Considering trading in my 16 for a 19 so I can continue performance driving worry free
This felt like a 21 minute video explaining why the 1st gen Acura NSX is the best sports car to buy.
Double lol
First gen NSX is best gen NSX. Simple, manual transmission, V6-powered, and it's a re-branded HONDA.
Best, if you dont look at prices o.o
S2000 better 🤷♂️
@@thekiller500099 why lie to yourself
Dude, that is the exactly the way that i think. Why we can't have new basic cars? Just a manual transmission, power steering, eletric windows, air condicioner and a USB port. A simple functional and reliable engine with just enough technology to keep them running and nothing else.
They wouldn't make much money if you're car never broke down and you never got a new one lmao
Nobody wants them. We say we do, but we don't . We want slip diff, lane keep, backup cameras, heated seats, auto starters, you name it. Then there is the safety requirements that make that "simple" car almost impossible to manufacture..
This reminds me of Kia in the early 2000’s, hardly anyone bought one and if they did, they wanted more features.
Soooo....ND miata?
gabriel martins don’t worry I’ll become rich and make this exact car but y’all need to actually buy it !
"On a long enough timeline, everything gets an LS."
- Mr. Regular
Good ole push rod. Not sexy just works
"BROWN"
- also Mr. Regular
I love mr regular.
Or a 2jz lol
A CAR YOU CAN POOP IN
03 4Runner, 4.7L Limited AWD.
180k miles, Super clean inside and out and well maintained.
I love it and will keep it till it dies, which will probably be a very long time from now.
For fun I ride a 2018 Yamaha MT-10 that I got for $8,500 (with a slew of great mods, including a new exhaust and flashed ECU).
My son drives an 08 328i w/6spd manual, no nav.
Super clean inside and out, well maintained and common failure points all replaced.
Adequate (but not crazy) power, but lots of fun to drive in the twisties.
N52 engine/manual transmission is a solidly reliable drivetrain.
CP - in the early 70's when I got my license my dad bought me the basic Craftsman SAE socket set and wrenches. That and an old awl with a 12v bulb soldered on it as a test light is all I use to this day to work on my '71 Blazer.
this is the most boomer thing I will read today.
ok boomer
Sounded great except I hate sae and it should die in a fire. Metric is all I use tool wise for the most part. My sae tools just fill the gaps when I'm missing a metric.
What dickish replies to a dude's simple statement. Nowhere did I read from his statement that things didn't or couldn't advance.
@Comrade Kong A 71 blazer has seatbelts and power steering.
Casey, I totally agree. You have a refreshingly honest approach to this issue.
Good talk. The pendulum must swing the other way. Simple is best. Look at the Toyota 70 series truck which sells by the thousands worlwide. Simple, reliable and has been around for years. Very basic mechanics with no modern tech. We need a vehicle like this in N/A.
P.S. whoever thought of the electronic park brake should be punched in the face.
This! My 2017 Camaro 1LE track car has a switch for park brake. I want my big fat caveman lever back!
Electronic parking brake is more reliable than the traditional cable system.
It's also less likely that someone will over/under pull the lever or over/under depress the pedal and cause something to break.
@@Al828282 evidence required.
@@jarlnieminen4307 There is no evidence. I don't doubt the fella has some line of thought behind his statement, but he's conflating reliability with operator error. If you over-crank the window and break the handle off, does that mean manual windows aren't as reliable as electric? The parking brake cable in my 67 Camaro is over 50 years old and has never stretched beyond the adjustability point. If it ever does I can replace it in 30 minutes for $20. We'll see if the electronic mechanism and associated parts last that long in my 2017 SS 1LE. We won't even talk price, let alone the fact that I can't pitch the ass of the car around coming into the driveway for my son like we do in our 98 SS convertible!
My 2018 1lt (which i had with a 6 speed manual, i loved that car) and all other new sixth generation camaros have what i joking call it a "cuck button" because apparently were too stupid to use a actual emergency parking brake, this button removes on of the big features of a parking brake, which is being able to use it if/when your brakes fail.
Hey Casey, I'm a parts tech at a Ford dealership in west coast Canada (Currently researching courses to become a mechanical engineer because of your rambling, so to speak). I totally agree with you on this. I have a Focus in our shop right now that's waiting on overpriced, and backordered, clutch actuators for his dual clutch transaxle. These transaxles are garbage. This particular one has been through three sets now, and this current wait time has been in excess of three months. If the guy decided to buy this car with a manual gearbox, or a conventional automatic, this would never have happened. I've been saying for years that there is too much tech in cars today. I've always said that old school H gate manuals will always be superior to dual clutch transmissions. Because the owners can service them, and they will be made better drivers from driving a manual.
Adam Smith well, that, and Ford stupidly deciding to use dry clutches in an automatic dual clutch transmission....if you're going to make something complicated, at least do it the right way. The powershit transmission lawsuit...😑
@@hdrenginedevelopment7507 werd. Definitely needs to be recalled for a completely redesigned transaxle
I concur, owned a 2015 Ford Focus. Total garbage, In the span of a year 4 clutch replacements.
Clutch actuators? It is almost unheard of that those break, if there are issues related to the clutch actuators is almost always the TCM.
those dry clutches are junk i have inspected atleast 100 in the past 3 years
Agree, the latest “innovation” that personally irks me is the elimination of a key. This is a solution without a problem. Not better, just different, but effectively changes the cost of a key from 2 bucks to $100. One of the reasons I am so happy with my ‘19 4 Runner - no fob!
I'd have to disagree, its so much more convenient to just walk up to my car, push a button on the handle and get in and start the car without having to fumble around with my kechain or detach it from my pocket or whatever. My mom's subaru though, that thing goes into panic mode if you actually use the key to unlock the thing.
The ridiculous shift KNOBS too.
You and savagegeese are definitely my favorite commentators, you guy's aren't afraid to talk about the real issues in the car community and automotive world, while actually educating people. So many TH-camrs that do car content are superficial "hypebeast".
I agree with you, Savagebeast is a riot as well!
Yeah it's weird that every dream car I can think of owning are from early 2000s late 80s and 90s. This kind of explains every reason for it
You should give the Chevy SS a try. I agree with you fully which is why I love the SS. It's got all of the good points of a new car, with none of the bad. Plus, it's a sedan and can have a 6 speed manual, so it's practical and fun
@@filmandfirearms as a car mechanic I don't want anything from GM. All of their cars that I had a displeasure to work on are stupidly over compiled to work on for no apparent reason
@@fila1445 I totally agree, but the Chevy SS is a rebadged Holden Commodore, and Holden seems to have a completely different business model from the rest of GM. Their cars are simple, fun, easy to work on.
@@filmandfirearms i live in europe so i've never even see Holden outside video games :/
@@fila1445 Well, I don't know about other Holdens, but the Vauxhall Monaro is a rebadged Holden Monaro. Plus, if you had the money, you could import one
Pagani realized this is offering a manual in their next hyper car
yeah but how much $$ is the car? lol
I’d be satisfied I’d they got rid of the soulless turbos. The zonda and huayra are on different worlds of driving connection.
asd fgh the zonda has the vibrant n/a v12 that’s screams behind you with no muffling and pure high pitch sound.
Whilst the huayra has the addition of turbos which muffle the engine pitch in turn for wooshy noises,. Wooshy noises are cool, but not in hypercars such as pagani.
The 90's and very early 2000's was the best era for cars imo.
The perfect balance of tech and analog engineering. In the 2010's cars got way too electronic, heck you could see the decline back in the late 00's.
Listened to this while driving my 1996 Olds Ciera wagon. Epitome of cheap and reliable. My coworkers think I’m nuts, but six months of a new car payment to them is enough to buy a decent car for me.
A Bluetooth stereo head unit was all it took to bring my car up to “modern” standards.
17:45 I always wondered about the wheel alignment procedure with these newer vehicles using all electric steering. Seems like there would be a greater chance for error calibrating the electric system to the actual mechanical system, possibly causing a control issue which could lead to worse. I always heard that the electrical system is always the weakest link compared to mechanical and hydraulic systems. Why have the weakest link in complete control over the most important aspect of a motor vehicle?
The best daily driver cars are from the 2000's. They are the perfect balance of tech, reliability, and they are still easy to work on. Getting parts for some of them is starting to become a issue though. The interior's are not the best either. I also have a soft spot for early to mid 90's cars. I just hate working with OBD 1 systems.
agreed late 90s to early 00's like 07 imo
Yeah my 06 350Z seems to have the perfect balance of modern tech and old school engineering. Turnkey ignition, no digital safety tech that essentially drives the car for you, it's still a very analog car in a sense where the driver is in control of everything but it's still got most of the tech and luxuries that you would actually use.
There is no point to infotainment and navigation systems in cars when we all carry that in our pockets
Yup! Just give me radio, AUX, Bluetooth, and android auto/apple carplay.
Auto manufacturers making their own proprietary systems is a huge waste of money.
Also some cars like Teslas the car becomes bricked if infotainment center stops working.
@@Membrane556 So will most fords and chevies. When the 6th gen camaro came out, if you pulled the radio from the car, it wouldn't start because it's tied in to the ignition and ecu.
@@ItsDaJax I have not heard of this as I heard they will run just fine with a dead head unit but it would be a very stupid design choice if the main can bus runs through it.
I remember they were talking about it when they made the body in whites you could get.
I love that a person who has professional relationship with cars says this. I am saying this for ages but people just don't listen. Many people confuse love of cars with a constant chase of the latest gimmicks that add nothing to the actual value of a motor car. I have a 2002 Alfa Romeo which is considered a shitty car, but I love it a lot, but my friend who considers himself an enthusiast (he is a car parts salesman) keeps questioning me why I don't scrap it and get a newer one, but I just don't see the value in the new cars that would make me want to get a newer one instead of restoring something I love.
Casey, thanks for the like :) I have corrected a mistake in the comment and your like is gone now :( Anyway - I am with you!
Dream garage 03-04 Mach 1 or cobra and an 06-07 Lbz duramax truck. Still can’t afford them unfortunately. I refuse to buy any “modern” cars with their touch screen displays. This is coming from a 19 year old. Being that my parents aren’t rich we’ve always had older cars but it has made me appreciate how easy to fix they are. Ive been in early 2010 cars at the dealerships I work at but the aging “tech” makes them so frustrating to use
I recently bought a 2000 Mazda MX-5 Miata. It's a great contrast with the 2002 BMW 325ci it replaced.
Everything is brutally simple on the Miata. Hydraulic or spring belt tensioners? No, manual belt tensioners. Electronic HVAC system? No, a cable actuated blending box. Variable valve timing? Again, nope.
It has just enough technology to make it more reliable and not enough to turn it into a rolling money pit. I bought it with a blown head gasket, had the head milled, put it back together and the only thing that's happened in the past year of driving is that it chewed up an alternator belt because the novice mechanic ( me! haha ) put too much tension on the belt.
It's slow compared to a modern sports car sure, but it's still faster than your average car or SUV on the road and it has a very rewarding simple driving experience. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to keep fixing the car until it doesn't make sense to.
Bob Doyle I hear ya bro had my na mx5 for 11 yrs and will never sell. Cheers
Take a look at small motorcycle manufacturers with old names... the changes you want are already starting in small ways. The Norton 961 is a new product built around being able to maintained with hand tools! The new Hesketh has an off-the-shelf S&S engine and a huge aftermarket as a consequence.
If only people would think the same about cars but nowadays, bikes are for fun and cars for transport. Wider public that doesn't want the maintenance means all the bullcrap cars
Casey I agree, I own a car from 2001 because it has no tech in it that I don’t already have in my phone. I maintain it and love it until it decides to die or plain someone makes me an offer then I’ll get another car. Also I like the environment because it’s what allows me to live but I’d rather die then drive a hybrid. Why because I grew up listening to old V8 muscle cars, the sound of my car and the ability to shift the the gears is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
I currently own and maintain a 05 volvo s80 with 200,000 miles. Went from new york to Mexico and back. its been payed off for better part of 4 years. The lesson stop keeping up with the Jones's, and maintaining your own cars.
I have been saying the first few minutes of this video for several years now. it drives me nuts that hardly anyone else sees this....
90's were the peak of cars, Yes there is more tech now but nothing seems like its built as good as the 90's. I just want analog knobs/gauges/switches.
For safety, it is nice having stability for those 'oh shit' moments but other than that they are needlessly complex.
But people are stupid so they will keep getting more complex and expensive.
My thoughts exactly and I think the last great introduction to cars were the ABS & EFI
The 90's are the peak of automotive tech that I am willing to try to keep functioning and road-worthy. That's why my daily-driver / road-trip / autocross plaything is a 2002 Mustang. Zero interest in owning one made after 2004.
@@kontde EFI, for sure. Carbs are a much bigger pain in the ass. I can live without ABS, though. I do like having disc brakes at all four corners, however. But what the hell do I know? I'm still happy with good old fashioned cam=in-block, pushrod-actuated overhead valves and wish overhead cams were a passing fad.
Love my 02 dakota, old enough to dodge all the unnecessary tech
I work in the automotive industry and it is refreshing to see this video, since I share the sentiment expressed here. However, I find myself surrounded by people who belittle my way of thinking. Nice to know I am not alone.
17:00 That's actually one of my goals for the future. I love the way you make an idea that so many would deem impossible sound so achievable.
I started watching a youtube channel where they went halfway to that idea for a SEMA build this year. Guy bought a burned Hurucan that had no motor, LS swapped it with a gated manual, rewired most of it as the lambo wiring wasn't working, and while he didn't make it less complex for the sake of being less complex, that is kind of what he ended up with, along with a bunch of extra "Hey look at me" silly body panels and adding bits that stick out as splitters and diffusers etc because SEMA show car.
The reason everything is so complex and unnecessarily tech reliant is so that you have to send your car into service when one of a million worthless sensors break!!!
The C5 Corvette FRC is an example of a bare bones sports car that was the pre-cursor to the Z06. It was 40k dollars MSRP in 1999.
I picked up a '14 V8 AWD Chrysler 300C. I think it's the last good car worth owning for a long period that'll be worth it with a timeless design.
I totally agree. I'm a fifth generation locksmith and a large part of our business is originating and programming transponder auto keys and even the smart keys for cars with push to start ignitions. These manufacturers have over complicated quite possibly the simplest part of your automobile...and yes they go wrong. It's so sad to have someone buy a used car and lose a key only to find out the thing costs $500 to replace.
What I always say about car companies today is that they create the problem, then sell you the solution. I've thought that for a long time, but when I got to drive a 2017 Chevy SS with the 6 speed at my work last week, it was more apparent than ever because it did none of the things I hate about new cars. The brake, throttle, and clutch were all perfectly designed to do their job in the best possible way. It had hydraulic power steering which felt great, and most of all, thanks to great visibility, the reverse camera was a convenience, not a necessity
Casey I just discovered your channel from VinWiki and I have been on a marathon of your videos recently. Absolute quality content. I just wanted to say I love your work and you deserve a million even 10 mil subs judging by the thought and effort you put into these. I would've visited Genius Garage myself had I not been living across the country from you. Keep up the good work.
A vulgar and ugly culture needs vulgar and ugly things. Current cars are the automobile version of post modern architecture. Gone are the beautiful and noble interior materials and design that used to define luxury and beauty, but instead have been replaced with brutalist and insipid and useless elements that people don’t even use. I will however, continue to ridicule the concept of children being used as stage-props for sinister agendas.
You would really really appreciate Roger Scruton's "Why Beauty Maters" as he discusses the same issues in art/modern architecture; It's all a symptom of a lack of values when a vacuum is created because people nolonger have meaningful lives beyond what they've been trained to value, and it's not family/meaning/love.
07wrxtr1 yes- it’s excellent. I have seen it. His study of public vandalism in the architectural realm applies to car design as well.
oh you must be referring to Saint Greta Thurnberg...the teenage climate expert.
Love or hate new cars, that's your opinion. Fact is that any of your favorite cars from 30-40-50+ years ago can not be manufactured today due to regulations, and if you think those regs wont get more strict, think again. I personally like the new cars. Getting 250-300hp out of a 4cy, and 30+ mpg too boot, is really something.
But yeah, I'm with you all on that child of the corn Greta....the brain washing is strong in that one.
I really hate the look of the new Land Rovers, especially that damn eovque, a disgrace to the old Land rovers. In fact most of these new cars look very much the same minus the badge, they all look like bubbles.
I would be happier with a 90/2000s car than the ones from now
I truly hate how super cars are now for tech guys who don’t drive
The cut off happened after the E46 M3 and the Supercharged AMGs that were reliable
All I want is a manual, t tops or a targa top( which doesn’t exist anymore” and a nice engine
I was driving to work a week ago, and I went to change lanes in my brand new Honda Civic. As I went to make the lane change into the lane to my left and was making sure I was not going to hit something in front of me in the left lane or coming from behind, at exactly the moment I hit the gas to get in and my focus was elsewhere at that moment, the guy directly in front of me slammed on his brakes, before I even knew what had happened my car had stopped itself, and in that moment all the depreciation I have incurred buying a brand new car with all that tech, tech that literally could not be had in anything less than an S-Class less than a decade ago, became worth it.... just my two cents
WHY were you following too closely for?
@@orbitalair2103 You where not there, im not interested in answering some fool like you, believe it or not there is the possibility for a situation like this without following too close. I will say no more
No your depreciation was not made up for in cost of what your insurance premium would have been. Not even close . But hey glad we know that you are a shit driver.
I totally agree. Too much complexity in new cars. Jay Leno said the same thing about how keeping an old car is better for the environment.
DCTs alone are going to "total" so many cars just on their own. Also $2000 headlights are just ridiculous.
I miss the old sealed beam head lights replace the bulb your get an entire new reflector and lens so everything performs like new again.
My dad had to sell his 1 owner 2013 Dodge Dart a few weeks ago because it's been having transmission problems for months (edit) and NOBODY could fix it... Finally wouldn't shift out of first so he had to sell it. The only people who could fix it were from far away and bought it from him. Glad I've got my manual Corolla xD
aaahhh this video perfectly sums up why I love my Noble. Fuel injection is the only computer control I need.
Theplatinumog Awesome car!
The complexity of new cars are why I love my older cars so much! They are so much more simpler!
You can see it happening in the semi truck industry I wouldnt be surprised if it happens in the car industry at some point. Gliders are brand new rolling chassis semi trucks that you buy and can have whatever motor you want installed. Pre emissions cats and cummins bring the most popular, why because it's more economically smart to have an old reliable engine installed in your truck rather than try and run a new emissions complicated big diesel. But now lawmakers are cracking down on this "loophole" and truckers are looking elsewhere to solve the complicated emissions issues they run into with new trucks. Some are even having 00s, 90s and even 80s trucks all rebuilt and are returning these old trucks to service because it's more economically smart to pay the money to have an old truck fixed and returned to work then deal with elogs and emissions laden trucks breaking consistantly
I own a 2001 bmw 330ci with a 5 speed manual. You’re right about the modern cars in the 90s. The E46 chassis was developed 90s. I know basically every nut and bolt of my car and I fix it with my tools and time. Nothing will beat the feeling of a manual. Nothing will be as rewarding as the satisfaction you get from being in a simple car. As i young man i was able recognize a lot of these points you were making. I was in high school when the Aventador came out and something just felt off about where supercars were going. My heart was broken as the Murcielago was discontinued. Even though I had never driven any of these cars I could feel and recognize a shift. Every decade has this change, this turn. just like you said, it can’t continue. I don’t care much for new cars but I truly don’t look forward to the day this comes to a screeching halt.
I have such a hard time trying to make that point, "why are manufacturers try to compete with phones for GPS?" That's probably an inaccurate quote but, the point stands. Why do we need such complexity built-in to our cars? It all undermines reliability.
I’m an aerospace engineering student and car enthusiast, and while I’m not really the entrepreneurial type, I’ve recently felt the need to fill the void supercars of the past have left in their absence. We need back the days of manual gated gearboxes mated to reliable engines with very little extra nonsense in between. It’s far more expensive, incredibly unreliable, and makes for a numb experience. I hope one day I’ll have the opportunity to bring back the excitement of raw V12 fury screaming back to life as the clutch is released from a gear change. It’s becoming a bit of a dream to create affordable cars that are wildly fun which you can actually drive and enjoy without fear of massive depreciation or repairs. Maybe one day we’ll see it again. I sure hope so
Precisely. This is why I drive a 2005 Lotus Elise designed in the 90s
Drive it Forever, a great book. I drive a 25-year-old car that iI love. It's reliable, easy to work on, has all the features I need and is a blast to drive. Why would I want another? I agree that keeping an old car is better for the environment to a certain degree, as long as it's reliable. Future cars may be modular, enabling upgrades to keep up with design and fashion.
"you can only make a new thing so many times. it's a car with 4 wheels and a steering wheel"
*intensely looks at the porche 911*
I do car and home audio on my channel. The increased complexity has made it hard to replace the radio. The aftermarket head unit market is slowly dying. It's takes complex interface units to install in a new car. So now we are moving to just installing the complex interface and keeping the factory radio.
100% nailed it, as always. I love watching people buy brand new cars and then years later my old ones still running and they are buying another new one.. History keeps repeating itself it seems, and my Detroit steel keeps rolling (thank you Americans who built my vehicles)
My '06 mustang convertible has just over 100k. I am maintaining it myself. Even if I have to spend $1200 year in repairs, it only averages to $100/month to own. What is the cost of ownership (outside of consumables) does a new car cost? $300, $400+ per month? Add in a higher insurance and tax, in particular the excise tax states.
My Mustang is a 4 liter, so it is not fast, but I can drop the top and bang the 5 speed, on a scenic road and just enjoy the wind, the sun, the sounds and smells of true driving experiences. No need for super fast, loud or complex. My car has a near perfect body, I can swap the engine if this one dies with one from a junk yard or get a new short block. Today for $80 (new with 5 yr/warranty) in parts, and my labor, I am replacing all the hydraulic lines on my convertible top, as it is a very easy setup.
Those 4.0 V6s were reliable IIRC, but butt fuckingly slow.
@@Epro95 - Yes, very reliable engines and manual transmissions. I also like the S197 body as it has many characteristics of the 64 'vert, which my mom owned when I was a kid... Easy to maintain and fix myself too.
But define butt slow? It easily goes over 100+ mph, however, I won't be doing it on the state/city roads... Add to that I certainly do not need a misdemeanor reckless driving ticket, and risk my security clearance... let alone the fines and other penalties. Also, yeah I can do burnouts, but why would I want to spin my tires shortening the life of them, in particular when they cost over $200 each?
As i stated before in a post, I have gone fast... really, really fast.. It's out of my system brother, now I like to do a leisurely cruises, top down and in the wind. Besides if I get the itch for speed, I can take my convertible cruise to a nearby racetrack that is hosting a supercar experience, rent one for a few laps.
Dude just get a 4.6 Mustang 2 valve. Same engine as crown Vic’s and are just as reliable. They sound awesome too. :)
Love mine. 127k miles 5 speed manual
I couldn't agree more. I drive a 1997 Volvo that has been very reliable. I never had to spend more than $500 a year on maintenance, and it's mostly just been maintenance items. Really, I have no need for a new car. Most people think I'm crazy that I'm spending money on a car I wouldn't be able to sell for more than $1000 but what about its intrinsic value as a car, as transportation. Quite comfortable and enjoyable transportation, I might add. How much money am I saving by spending $500 a year in maintenance when the payments on a new car would top that in just a few months? The answer is a lot, and I find more pleasure in a manual transmission simple car without overpowering electronic nannies.
@@angelgjr1999 I feel that 2005 ford 500 271k just keep up with maintenance and she keeps going
I wish they would stop trying to cram every piece of tech into the center console. I already have a phone in my pocket that does ALL THE THINGS! Just put a $60 seven inch screen in the center console for me to blue tooth to, and then drop the price of the car 10 grand from the unnecessary tech savings!
So True!!!
You hit the Nail on the head and are so right!!!
These cars today have No Soul and are literally throw away cars. No one is going to dish out thousands of dollars to try and fix a center dash Entertainment system that controls every dam function from heat AC to Back up camera to GPS etc.
We have ABS..Traction control and no more manual transmissions..People cant "Feel" the reaction of the car anymore and end up ditching cars more often because we are dumbing down our Masterery of total control.
With a Manual transmission you are more in Sync with how a car reacts to power input and a driver is more attentive to the vehicle and his surroundings..Instead of playing around with their iPhones..Entertainment systems etc.
The new Supercars have Lost the edge...The sheer feeling of being connected and Visceral effect is lost...The new cars have lost something very important..They lost their Souls!!!
That 97 Viper is an example of the Last True Supercars we will ever see!!!
Awesome show Casey..Keep up the great work👍
Well said sir! I took auto class in the years of 1963-1967 and some in college! I rebuilt an engine in 1966 and that was learning a lot! But today the tech to rebuild an engine and work on them is out of this world! It used to be much simpler to work on. Thanks for your insight!
Casually wanted to start my own company of slowly making, modernising, and manufacturing parts on cars that don't seem to have parts. They're for fun and you specifically choose what you want, each system kinda being it's own thing, for the most part. Still got a long time to work on it, but maybe one day 😂
I can't even afford the worst car in my town with my budget, riding around town on my walmart bike isn't a choice
I could have bought a Hellcat but I'm building my 06 RT I have owned for 10 years into a 700hp monster, then I'm on to my 74 260z.
I love my 2018 Impala and I'm enough of a computer guy that I can deal with it when things start to go wrong, but I miss being able to buy a $500 clunker and turn it into a work of art.
I hope the value of a Porsche 918 tanks, I'm an engineer I can figure out all the complex stuff once I get one for 50k :P
There are no car anymore they became "transportation appliances"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^exactly. We have transportation appliances (TAs). They will continue to complexify as long as they can sell them and the complexity creates value or advantage. With solid state batteries replacing lithium, electric TAs will reframe personal transportation, much as induction stovetops are (slowly, but inevitably) redefining cooking, and becoming increasingly complex devices.
As resources become increasingly dear and the complexity runs into the falling rate of profit (energetic and economic) then you will see a reduction in complexity *using complex devices*. Teslas have Significant Build Issues, so look to Toyota and Honda to build inexpensive long lasting electric cars. As things erode, the fly by wire steering goes back to simpler and cheaper rack and pinion etc. Keyless entry goes back to keyed. The complex dash cluster is reduced to a few dials. Electrics don't need transmissions, so that's a world of complexity removed. Since electrics are (technically) vastly simpler, theoretically a 2030 Honda eCivic could be running *just as new* in 2100 - all the parts may be replaced, but they're comparatively cheaper and simpler. It will still be a Transportation Appliance, but one that's wildly more reparable. It won't go 200 kmph, but it doesn't have to. It's a transportation appliance - it collects groceries and delivers kids to soccer practice. A microwave oven on 4 wheels. We will call them cars, but they're not - anymore than a Sun Frost refrigerator is an icebox.
Well then i will have a 900 hp "transportation appliance"
But i can see how it could be a awesome thing, imagine automatic cars going like 250-300 kmh on "super highways" with no accidents.. yeah maybe then, but im not going to get some slow, boring box of a car, that will never happen, then id rather keep on driving one of the old, fast cars passing the shitty boxes. Why go automatic when im frankly better?
Agree entirely with this video. The most recent car I brought is a 1986 BMW 325e E30 for $1800. Being a modern classic, there is no depreciation to worry about; it will actually appreciate as I fix it up (of course I can’t take this too far, I just plan on making it a daily with full acceptance that it will never be perfect). It is super easy to work on compared to any new garbage car, even japanese cars. It also has all the basic safety and comfort features you mentioned (aside from airbags). Only makes 120 hp, but makes 170 lb*ft torque, which is what I need for daily driving. The visibility is amazing because all the body lines are low. Most importantly, the car is FUN to drive
Glad you threw the environment into this video. I feel the same way, even though I'm considered a way right wing kind of guy.
I agree.
I also believe too many "fads" are fueling the auto industry now and it's kinda sad. Too many creature comforts are being installed on cars. Spare tires have become optional while entertainment systems with 10 or more speakers are standard equipment.
I'm 20 and people are always shocked when I tell them I hate modernized cars, and that I'm never buying a car made after the year 05. My friends are all wasting they're money on new corollas and civics that have new tech, they beep and flash when you get close to another lane, have rear view cameras etc. One of the only new cars I've liked is my buddy's A4 Quattro, but those are more "luxury" cars now more than sports cars.
Years from now those cars won't be worth as much because people won't want to work on them. You can still buy and sell old civics because people love working on them. One of my friends just refurbished and engine swapped a late 90's civic.
I have a first gen cooper s that I've refurbished and upkept for 2 years. I've made slight mods on it (suspension, brakes, intake and exhaust) it still has the stock engine, and transmission. Even the electronics in my cooper annoy me a bit, but it'll still be worth the money I bought it for five years from now, I've even had people try and buy it from me.
been saying these things to people I know for a long time. When I was a child I thought Porsche was cool, then auto clutches came, then they were no longer sold with a manual trans. I had the luxury of hanging out with an old time racer who did open wheel sprint cars. The ones where the drivers would rather fly out of the car instead of wearing a seat belt. He was restoring them before he passed and I tell you every component was rebuild able. I saw everything from rolling chassis to full restoration. Try doing that with a current Porsche 60 years from now. Not going to happen. The complexity of modern cars have made them obsolete in my opinion. You use them for 8 to 10 years and throw them away.
If a sports car manufacturer based their computer on open source hardware and software it would be a boon for the tuners
I wonder what my life would be. If I hadn’t taken out a loan to buy a good $3000 car when I was 20.
Now I’m over 30. Still drive same car from 1981.
It’s probably worth the same. Maybe more.
But I plan to drive it the rest of my life.
Imagine if the rest of America would be as conservative as me.
Even when I was a kid. I always thought it was the stupidest FAD to create new cars every day.
Got my 06 f150 new still drive today
My 1993 miata is awesome. It is my first car. It is fun and unlike modern cars with electronic aids it is teaching me how to drive with skill. If can I might just keep it and pass it on to my future children if I can and it is cheap to repair an reliable.
Good stuff. Makes a lot of sense to me. Ego drives most sales, everywhere. It also causes most of our problems. It will always be with us. If we could deny our own egos life would be much easier.
Simplicity equals reliable I love it I hate the manufacturer only repair culture of the automotive industry I love fixing my own vehicles
I'm just gonna stick to my e90 M3 big engine fun suspension no screens no nothing on the inside
Agreed! Cars need to last a generation or more. Simplification is a good rule of thumb. Utility is another. We can have both a fun car and a work car if they both last. What we have now is a do everything not well, complex, and short lived vehicle that is replaced at great economic impact. It's insane!
So True ! I would love to take a Aventador and rip all the electronics out and fab up a way to install a 1970 Mopar 440 and have so much fun !
Check out b is for build they twin turbo ls swap a lambo
@@iamnobody3793 Yep B is for Build did that to a burned out hurrican, put a twin turbo LS1 in it
🥴🥴🥴
i agree Casey, I like older super cars manual gearbox cars. I see all these new cars constantly breaking as I run an independent inspection business in Scottsdale AZ. Anything past 12-14 I stay away from and really more like 10 and older for basic cars, I prefer to own and drive 80-90s rare cars. My daily is a 10 Mazdaspeed 3 which is simple to work on IMO. I see engines and transmissions failing on these new cars way more than the older vehicles and I have thousands of inspection reports with pictures/videos showing this.
What the industry does is make the vehicle look nice and or the interior features so the client is excited about the tech and before they know it they are leasing a new BMW or whatever it might be... Then basic warranty expires and these cars all have issues under warranty and out of warranty.
I've been saying this for awhile over complexity is only good while new and under warranty once they're used and out of warranty they will be sold cheap because maintenance will still be out of control. If a person creates a company that specialized in simplifying and making modern cars reliable, they would make a mint.
There's a great channel called Cold War Motors, about some guys from Alberta that all they do is repair old cars. The guy is an amazing fabricator.
I like mid 90s cars as far as engine bays go. They had worked out how to make the efi good enough on its own that they didnt need to have all the other devices cluttering the engine bay, and typically the only thing most cars had external to the engine was a charcoal canister, so it was almost like a return to the simplicity of the carby car
I'm of the age when a car with 50,000 miles was about done or at least in a major overhaul/rebuild. Cars may be more complex but they are also immensely safer, more reliable, driver friendly, fuel efficient and 50,000 miles is just breaking in the engine. You can complain about costs, but there are plenty of Curzes, Focuses, Kicks, and tons of cars under 20k that will last 200,000+ miles.
That's why 90's cars are the best. You get the simplicity, yet also great materials and longevity. It's the perfect balance.
@@chrisschmeitz1139 Good points. You can pop the hood and still know what you're looking at, little to no computers, and the reliability was there. The only thing I don't like is the styling, but that's me, and it's growing on me. Peace
@@jamie49868 i guess you can swap parts to your liking, peace to you as well
You're speaking my language! I drive a 20 year old GMC truck and have a 24 year old Chevy as a backup. I read that somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of the energy consumed during the life span of a vehicle is used in its manufacture. It make complete sense to keep them on the road for as long as possible. Oh and I love the 'Post-apocalyptic' idea (visions of Mad Max) of ripping the high tech guts out of overly complex cars and replacing it all with technology we can afford and can work on. Prime example is the LS swapped Porsche Boxsters. Carry on, good job!
Cars serve a wide spectrum and as such end up compromised to increase the pool of potential buyers. In the basic transportation role, the car has to be more passenger-centric and allow for low skill drivers to be "safe". With those we get the "mini-SUVs" with a personal AV system for each seating position and all the lane departure and radar braking systems. These cars take the family on its errands and make up a big piece of the corporate profit structure. The cousin of these cars is the commuter sedan and I will say that when stuck in traffic those creature comforts are nice to have. Personally, I could care less what direction these cars go so long as there is a basic one that I can keep on the cheap for its intended purpose.
As for the sports car/supercar, those are really meant for driving in my mind. But they are also the modern version of art for the rich. That segment has become a world of "bragging rights" and "paper competition" with less focus on the driver. Because the number of actual drivers in the population that can afford them is low, the manufactures have two strategies for a model. The first is the consumer grade supercar.sports car. It has the guts but tries to accommodate the lay-person or flosser and gets all the distracting entertainment stuff with a compromised suspension that tries to accommodate potholes with a bunch of valving that will break. They are designed for volume production to make a profit and support the second type of car they make. That second type is the low number "hand" built track focused vehicle. This is the car that I think drivers want. but without the compromised consumer versions, the challenge cars just cannot exist.
Unfortunately that pure simple performance car just never does well enough in the market to really survive in the world of large manufacturers with an even more limited universe of parts suppliers. And while the tech is deep in the new consumer grade cars, I do not think that class of car buyer could diagnose or fix their own car even if it were stripped of all its tech. But to have our toys, we sort of have to accommodate that market segment. And us car types are learning the ins and outs of this tech as it ages so we can start to fix it, just takes a multi meter and a few dongles along with the socket set.
for the rare supercars, low hand built types, I think that there is enough interest to keep them up and running regardless of price. The volume, mass produced supercars will drop in value, just like the 430 and 12c did. And eventually some will become dinosaurs with a few kept alive through customization and fabrication, sort of like the 300SL or Shelby Corbas or Panteras are. So, no these $300,000+ supercars new are not worth it. But if you want a pure one, just wait 5 to 10 years and a somewhat cheap canvas will be available to gut and hopefully be built with an uncompromising focus. Large manufactuerer economics wont's allow it to be built at a reasonable price for sale as a new vehicle.
I had an 80s car in the early 90s. An EFI issue popped up on the dash and the dealer said everything related with the EFI should be replaced. Side-stepping the complexity by forcing remove/replace regiments are not a new thing.
Going to be interesting to see how things play out over time. Supercars like the new gen NSX will probably go down in price, and once the older RHD NSXs from the 90s are legal for import, prices are gonna skyrocket on those older ones, it might be cheaper to buy the newer gen one at that point!
In regards to fashion, It’s awesome to see a well taken care of older car than something new. It always makes me smile seeing cars on the road that are 15-20+ years old and looking really clean and nice.
Electric SUVs are no better for the environment than gas-powered ones because of all of the extra materials it takes to make an SUV as well as the extra rare-earth material you need for the battery to supply power to a car that big.
I like you Casey. You tell the truth. Everybody's scared of the truth.
Fly-by-wire throttles, brakes and steering are a fine example of "fixing" things until they are broken. I despise abs, traction control, lane awareness and any other "crutch" that allows people to drive without ever learning how to DRIVE.
Casey…. I AGREE 1000% This morning… I was thinking of my 1987 16V Scirocco - own scans drove in the early 90s college years - that car is still my favorite I’ve owned. Give me a slightly bigger Scirocco…. IE seats 4 for real, ABS (needed it several times in my old 16V😎) and airbags… I’ll put in a modern head unit and I’m good to go forever. Simple engine I can fix, simple refined suspension, gorgeous body, fun to steer and roll.around in, I’ll hook up my iPhone to a new head unit and I’m in heaven. Thanks for being SO ACCURATE in your views in this video. Simple mechanical car. The tech can com from the smartphone we ALL READY OWN! As long as there are airbags, ABS, and a well though it suspension with safe crumple zones… what more do we need? This doesn’t just apply to sports cars. Even SUVs would benefit from this. Overly complex plastics and miles of wiring FAIL. We all LIE to ourselves when we buy new cars that if we just maintain the shit out of it we’ll get 10-15 years out of it… Then we trade it in 6 years later.
It took me about most of a Saturday to replace the engine on my 1987 Jeep Comanche. My Audi? I wouldn't dare try.
MJ!
Yes! It's a great little truck!
Lol, what model of Audi?
2005 TT. Just looking at it I think I'd have to remove literally everything to get the engine out.
Casey, IMO the best vehicle on earth is the 1980 Toyota Truck. 4cyl. Carb. 4spd. Crank windows. Manual lock out hubs. They are unkillable. I had an 87 4Runner. Sold it after 2008 to keep my house. Looking back i could have slept in the truck. Ya know? And with old Yotas holding their value something fierce i dont know that ill be able to get one again for a good while. But i feel ya man. The less complicated the better. With all the modern safety. Id like to see a modern model-t-sque city car. All electric. Very light. Big skinny tires. Big brakes like on a Buell. As for super cars..im more of a ratrod guy because of their simplicity. Bare minimums. I love the guys in cali driving steel cars made in the 20s and 30s..Show me the Lamborghini capable of that.
I really enjoy listening to these discussions. Your value-minded prospective really gels with mine. I feel no matter my financial status, I could never justify a brand new car, when some smart shopping can get you the same thing used for all intents and purposes and for a better spot on the depreciation curve.
On channel B is for Build they build manual LS hurican sooo its already happening.
You hit on a valid point. I am sure many of us classic car people like older cars due to their simplicity. Heck, I just spent 8 grand to have a racing company rebuild my original Pontiac 400 and I still have less than 20K invested in the car. Try purchasing a new Chevy Malibu for less than that. No way. I will be cruising the streets in a 400+ hp classic car, getting more looks than most Lambo owners, and I can still get to my spark plugs without removing plastic covers, brackets, other components, etc. I can service the car at will. And, this car is gorgeous. You should see the freshly-painted engine. It looks like a piece of candy.
I agree with everything Except environmental issues. Cars do not contribute to pollution in any significant way... it’s a joke to think we can do something to change the temperature of the planet. I agree about polluting the oceans but that’s not from cars. And if I want to drive the new car because I can afford it, who are you to tell me that’s stupid? By the way, I own an auto repair shop and I believe in maintaining cars but I am not here to tell someone how to live their life. I drive a 996 C4S every day and absolutely love it. Just performed all the maintenance on it this week. Including the IMS and a new clutch.
Nice one. Cars can last a long time if they are well maintained. People are convinced that Domestics and European cars are unreliable and Japanese is indestructible which is slightly true but mostly wrong and no one is maintaining anything and they all fall apart no matter what people DECIDE to believe and what they want other people to see their status as. Keeping a car in good condition or taking an old car and bringing it and keeping it up to par is one of the most environmentally friendly thing a person can do. BUT nobody wants to face that. Not the population, not the insurance companies and certainly not politicians. Cash for clunkers anyone?
100% accurate. You have hit the nail on the head again. I couldn't agree with you more. Cars have become too complex and expensive to repair and the cost of recycling is much higher than old cars. I use a car for my work every day and I average 20-25, 000 kilometers per year. My only experiences with a post 2005 car as a work vehicle (4 door sedan) were stupid expensive and crazy hard to work on-don't get me started on brand specific tools - no way I will go down that route again.
old F1 cars can only be started with old computers. You hit the nail on the head.
"Simplify and add lightness"
Colin Chapman
Years ago I fell into this same thought process, so I have focused on my antique vehicles
66 F100, 72 F100, 78 F150 and 77 Cougar XR7 all of them paid for and different levels of power and comfort with all basic gauges all easy to replace parts and added up they cost less than a single new vehicle (kinda stupid how my 66 F100 can get 16+mpg for 50+ years where the modern equivalents barely exceed those real world numbers)
Ideally if it was possible to make a new vehicle (like the one you have planned Casey) it would be multiple times better, if you look back a few years they had the closest thing a Chevy Cobalt Xfe just a simple 2 door standard transmission with only the basics and it was rockin a 6 second 0-60 and 38 mpg highway there is no reason there shouldn't be more practical cars like these
78 F150, my 1st vehicle.
My cars are Triumphs and I have been refining and modifying my Spitfire since i was 19, i still own it 30 years later. Some say it's a girl car but not as much these days. What it is though is a crude bare bones viceral experience that feels fun in all the right ways. It's easy to work on and parts are cheap.
"Your automotive engineers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should" - Casey Putsch
Nice.
14:00 I’ve always said this. If I wanted a bunch of tech I would buy myself a new flagship phone
Best video yet. I used to race a CRX Si and am finally back into the market for a “new” fun racer to possibly daily. Thinking maybe mod an S2000 or C4 or who knows, possibly a Viper. Maybe you could do another vid on the best way to invest 20k on a practical and fun race car for the street..? Thanks again for your good snarky advice ;)
would love to see this as well.
Perhaps I'm OLD!..., but to celebrate my retirement and remission I wanted a convertible Corvette, 59 to 65 body style and engine. But that didn't work out, (title issues), so I came across a 2012 Grand Sport Corvette and it spoke to me so I got it. Mission accomplished. However, since this last March I still haven't used the Nav or synced my phone or explored much of its' intricacies. I'll get there but your point is taken. I wanted a car that I could understand when I opened the hood and stared at the engine and actually recognize the parts. Of course my life being what it is, there came up for sale a 65 lil' red corvette convertible, after I had gotten mine 2012. For generally the same money. Life. Go figure. Enjoying your work. Best wishes.
This is why I just download all the music I like onto a single USB stick, plug that in, and listen away. Simple and works every single time. This whole garbage of trying to get the phone to connect/ stay connected to the car is insane. Then again, I'm running a simple double din aftermarket Pioneer touchscreen that was only $150.
You’re describing a Miata
shut your face! Yeah bro can't beat a mx5 that's for sure...love mine
Or a 90s Mustang :)
Daniel Thomas I like miatas but I probably wouldn’t fit in one. I’m a thicc boi.
Angel Gutierrez I was mostly referring to new cars but yeah foxbody and new edge mustangs are pretty good.
And miatas are more spacious than you’d think. Just don’t buy the tight recaros. Only slight issue is headroom, but it’s a convertible, so eh.
shut your face! Yeah haha. But you’d probably get a free haircut if you ever roll over a Miata