Anyone else enjoy older vehicles?

I like the 90's, reasonable simplicity and reasonable reliability. Maybe early 2000's.

I hate downtime so the only way I can get by with older cars (over 5 years old) is by owning multiple vehicles. That way when one breaks I can fix it on the weekend. Can mailorder parts and avoid cheapie (or not!) parts store items. I can't carpool to work and parts stores are 20-30 minutes away.

Downside to older cars is finding a decent commuter--you know, high mpg with low NVH and good comfort. Very subjective I know but I don't consider my '99 Camry a great fit for commuting--low power and low mpg, but ok on NVH and reasonable to work on. I do like driving it though, it's about a perfect size for my needs--I have zero love for my wife's '11 Camry, just feels wrong sized.
 
Sweet spot for me is 1997 to 2007. 2nd year of OBD2 till the last year before Tire Pressure Monitoring was mandated.
 
I really don't like vehicles in a passionate way as many car aficionados . With so many years in fleet maintenance and rentals, a vehicle is a number to me. Yes I like a decent vehicle to drive but they are a tool.
 
Can someone enlighten me as to why so much opposition for TPMS? I've had zero problems with it on my current 2 vehicles nor the 2 other vehicles equipped that I used to own. I personally like being able to quickly check pressures without having to pop a gauge onto the valve stem.
 
tbm5690 said:
Can someone enlighten me as to why so much opposition for TPMS? I've had zero problems with it on my current 2 vehicles nor the 2 other vehicles equipped that I used to own. I personally like being able to quickly check pressures without having to pop a gauge onto the valve stem.
Click to expand...

If your not in an inspection area TPMS is just fine and when it quits in 6-12 years just don’t replace (TPMS was Dead on my 2010 Cobalt in 6 years)

TPMS isn’t a bad thing unless you are forced to repair it, and by it I mean the harness/receiver
only thing worse is immobilizer failures which if you have to fix properly is basically like totaling a car.
Similar to the 1998-2005 Pontiac crank sensor no start/crank issues that would randomly come back and could be difficult to diagnose.
 
tbm5690 said:
Can someone enlighten me as to why so much opposition for TPMS? I've had zero problems with it on my current 2 vehicles nor the 2 other vehicles equipped that I used to own. I personally like being able to quickly check pressures without having to pop a gauge onto the valve stem.
Click to expand...
I can’t stand them, worst thing that’s happened to cars in 20 years (in my opinion). The batteries fail, you’ll need to replace them. Sometimes they won’t calibrate to the car...sometimes you’ll replace one, then find out three weeks later you should have replaced all four - sometimes five if you have a spare - and that can be time consuming and pricey. Then you’ll get the lights that just randomly pop on because of cold weather changes. Or you’ll get what I’m dealing wi5 right now with my wife’s Mercedes. Some sort of fault in the system that is making the light go on despite reading the air pressures. Weak batteries? Well we don’t know yet, but if the system was never there I wouldn’t have to figure it out.

I check my air pressure, I don’t need a system to tell me when a tire is low. And I don’t the aggravation of changing sensors or trying to program/reset/wonder what the latest problem is. And don’t try to change a tire with a pressure monitor..you’ll easily break it when removing the tire from the rim, or putting the tire on.

Supposedly some newer cars are going with the speed system (no sensor). Just runs off the ABS sensor...that I think I would like...and they used to do it that way at the very beginning. Need to go back to that. IMO.
 
I certainly do. I particularly enjoy brining them back to life after languishing in someone's garage.

Open the door, take a seat, and be transported back to 1985.
 

Attachments

  • Laser.jpg
    Laser.jpg
    153.3 KB · Views: 10
  • Laser2.jpeg
    Laser2.jpeg
    143.3 KB · Views: 10
Aside from the vintage driving experiences, as part of learning a new to me older car, I enjoy seeing how the various manufacturers accomplished the same tasks whenever the car was designed or built.
 
Depends. I do not like worn out bushings and engine mounts, but I also like that they are easier to maintain and fewer non-sense like TPMS to deal with.

The key is to get a good older car though. If you let me choose between an Escort from 90s vs a Corolla today, I'd likely pick the Corolla today.
 
WylieCoyote said:
I certainly do. I particularly enjoy brining them back to life after languishing in someone's garage.

Open the door, take a seat, and be transported back to 1985.
Click to expand...
Did your laser talk? I had a LeBaron GTS with the same 5 speed. Had a switch in the glove box to shut off the voice, same year 1985, had about 10 phrases it would say. The one it said all the time if it was on was that the engine oil pressure was low. Always said that before you started the car.
 
tbm5690 said:
Can someone enlighten me as to why so much opposition for TPMS? I've had zero problems with it on my current 2 vehicles nor the 2 other vehicles equipped that I used to own. I personally like being able to quickly check pressures without having to pop a gauge onto the valve stem.
Click to expand...
While doing smog check I ask the shop how much does it cost to replace the 4 out of batteries TPMS sensors, the quote came as $550. He is not gouging me of course, but just a bunch of no value added non-sense. I'll wait till the tires are worn and then do it together.

For comparison a starter heat soak diagnostic and replacement only cost $550 as well, on a 20 year old car. That's a more reasonable maintenance item.
 
Rmay635703 said:
If your not in an inspection area TPMS is just fine and when it quits in 6-12 years just don’t replace (TPMS was Dead on my 2010 Cobalt in 6 years)

TPMS isn’t a bad thing unless you are forced to repair it, and by it I mean the harness/receiver
only thing worse is immobilizer failures which if you have to fix properly is basically like totaling a car.
Similar to the 1998-2005 Pontiac crank sensor no start/crank issues that would randomly come back and could be difficult to diagnose.
Click to expand...
Didn't realize this was part of the inspection process in some states...makes sense. I guess I've had an above average experience with TPMS...or others here have had below average? Regardless so far so good knock on wood.
 
Old cars are so much better than anything nowadays. I too hate TPMS and in Virginia it is on the inspection so it has to work we only have two cars with it luckily and neither has given us issues yet and hopefully won’t.
 
PandaBear said:
While doing smog check I ask the shop how much does it cost to replace the 4 out of batteries TPMS sensors, the quote came as $550. He is not gouging me of course, but just a bunch of no value added non-sense. I'll wait till the tires are worn and then do it together.

For comparison a starter heat soak diagnostic and replacement only cost $550 as well, on a 20 year old car. That's a more reasonable maintenance item.
Click to expand...
I think you need to shop around. I think the ones for my Mercedes are in the $180 range each at list price, but you can get aftermarket ones that will fit in the $30 range, just need to make sure they're the right frequency. Haven't had to replace mine yet, but I think Costco would charge around $20 a tire to replace them as that's what they charge when you want to replace a bent/cracked rim and they swap everything over from one rim to the other.
 
I love my old cars and have a hard time letting any go. My oldest 65 VW Bug has been with me for 36 years. We know each other and what we expect of each other. Yes I updated it to 12 volts and a 1600 1970 motor, but it is just so reliable. We tow it with our motor home when we travel.I have other old VW's too. It is easy to repair and even as old as I am I can have the motor out in less than an hour. Needing to do that too since I need to replace the throw out bearing that is making some noise. I keep it in the garage so it stays pretty nice for a 55 year old car.
 
Wolf359 said:
I think you need to shop around. I think the ones for my Mercedes are in the $180 range each at list price, but you can get aftermarket ones that will fit in the $30 range, just need to make sure they're the right frequency. Haven't had to replace mine yet, but I think Costco would charge around $20 a tire to replace them as that's what they charge when you want to replace a bent/cracked rim and they swap everything over from one rim to the other.
Click to expand...
If I want to buy and install I can get that price too, it is the $180 / hr labor and all 4 wheels.
 
Wolf359 said:
Did your laser talk? I had a LeBaron GTS with the same 5 speed. Had a switch in the glove box to shut off the voice, same year 1985, had about 10 phrases it would say. The one it said all the time if it was on was that the engine oil pressure was low. Always said that before you started the car.
Click to expand...
Yes, it does talk. Not sure about the switch in the glove box. The System Check button doesn't work so I only get to hear Your keys are in the ignition, and Please fasten your seat belt
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

JeffKeryk
Tesla's "unboxed" manufacturing - will it succeed?
Replies
15
Views
1K
AZjeff
T
Modern Vehicle Dashboard
2 3 4
Replies
68
Views
3K
TimeFlies
GON
Another article about vehicles sending data to their insurance company via Lexus Nexus
2 3 4
Replies
64
Views
2K
Invisible
D
2006 Grand Marquis GS setting up for 5 years
2
Replies
28
Views
1K
addyguy
B
How do you like the driving aids in today's cars?
6 7 8
Replies
141
Views
3K
supton
Back
Top