I think there is this feeling you can’t work on newer vehicles your self. I don’t think that is true. A scanner often tells you what’s wrong. YouTube covers so many repairs now. Something seemingly simple can get complicated if you don’t watch a video beforehand, like changing a headlight bulb.
Plus, I find that there are often a few different ways on YouTube to do the repair, many of them faster and easier than the "factory recommended" version.
I remember the big improvements in performance, reliability, and efficiency that came with fuel injection and electronic ignitions. I certainly remember how much unburnt fuel wafted back into the passenger compartment and the car behind. Personally, I don't "miss" fiddling with carbs, the timing and tracking down bad points or capacitors, trying to start many vintage vehicles when it was cold or damp out, but I agree that the systems were simpler and the parts generally very inexpensive. (I will save my rant on how bad spark plug wires were from the factory back then for another day. Penny wise and pound foolish.) However, modern engines can have custom parts that are pricey even when you shop around.
Six of one, half dozen the other or pick your poison? If I am going to be miles into the wilderness, I would want reliable vehicles. New vs. old reminds me of old timers debating about whether a Toyota Land Cruiser was better than a an old Land Rover. The first was said to be very reliable and never to break down, but if it did, you were going to be walking, as parts were in the next big city, while the latter supposedly broke down frequently, but as a result, there were Land Rover parts were scattered around the countryside, and you could probably get the needed part at the next house...We tended to split the difference and rarely go in a single vehicle.
All the best,
Peter
I've rebuilt many engines. Pulling the intake and valley pan is gravy. 