off topic what do you miss today from long ago

[ADAM]

Missing well made trucks. Theres a LOT of recalls going on in the car industry today

[eelgoo]

The more complex they make them, the more there is to go wrong! 🙂

That is another thing I miss.

Simple vehicles that can be maintained & repaired easily.

[Ethiopia]

Electronics have been the saviour for the gas engine. Electronic fuel injection and ignition control have allowed the dirty old piston engine to get amazing mileage and incredible performance at the same time and be wildly reliable to boot.

Example-the old XK motor (Jaguar) in the 60's displaced 4.2 litres and produced an actual 235 HP. In an E-Type it got 21 MPG if you drove moderately.
A modern XK8 engine of 4.2 litres produces 400 HP and the car gets an honest 27 MPG (in a much heavier car) while producing far less emissions. I don't know about reliability comparisons as I've never seen any reports on the newer engine.

On my old car (58 years old this year) I installed the EFI from a modern engine of the same architecture, and the electronic ignition from an early Ford. It's all controlled by a MegaSquirt
(https://www.msextra.com/) and if I'm easy on the throttle I can get 30 MPG (up from 23 mpg).
I don't have to fiddle with points or play with those god awful SU carbs. I have the damned distributor that's no longer needed mounted on the wall in my garage where I can laugh at it.

On my older Honda's I haven't changed plugs in many years and they no longer require timing belt changes. Even CV joints last forever. I replaced the alternator on the 2008 two years ago at 340K kms(?). I do brake pads every few years. The only thing I do every year is rust proofing. If you buy a Civic or Corolla you've got virtually trouble free driving for decades.

I learned to drive on a 62 Chrysler Saratoga and my first car was a 64 Rambler. Even though they weren't very old (less that 10 years at the time) they where used, rusty, and broke down often. Fuel pumps, water pumps, alternators, changing points and plugs....argh it was a pain. And drum brakes?....what crap!

I DON'T miss that aspect of older cars. Today they're much loved classics, but back then they where just plain keeeee-rap!

[wallyburger]

Firework fights! When I was a kid in the UK Nov 5 was the culmination of collecting and protecting anything that burned, ready for the big bonfire. I remember Roman candle fights where you pointed them at each other. Stupidly dangerous but very exciting.

[tony]

if i was good with wood and did that growing up i would make a tiny home today
as a hobbie, i am hanging in there

have a great day

[Ethiopia]

I have a good friend (a bicycle buddy) who lives in a tiny home he built himself. It's maybe 10 square metres (13 if you include the loft where he sleeps) and with a deep cold winter locking us in up here, he's got a serious case of cabin fever. He cracked his hip this fall and is still limping around with two canes. I've offered him our basement bedroom so that he's not so cramped but he's pretty obstinate. There's a few of us who check on him regularly and we all take turns taking him out for shopping. Think carefully before you go with something that small.
If your climate keeps you indoors a lot, that tiny home gets really really teeny weeny, itsy bitsy awfully fast.

[ADAM]

I've often thought living in an RV would be interesting. Any time you get bored being somewhere just start it up and go somewhere different. I've got to much stuff I wouldn't want to part with and like big TVs. Eventually I want a large shed in the back yard to occasionally hide in.

[Author]

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