Today's new vehicles/winter weather

[JDgreen227]

Younger members here are probably fortunate they didn't have to endure the headaches of cold weather startups in older cars and trucks. Used to be, you would go out in 20 degree weather, set the choke, and hopefully get the engine started before running the battery down, or worse yet, flooding the engine. Then you had to cope with a ten minute or longer warmup so you didn't have to worry about stalling once you drove away.

And today, you can go out in zero degrees, turn the key, an immediate start and if you so choose, drive away a few seconds later without worrying about stalling...and the heaters warm up in a few minutes, not ten miles down the road. Of all the electronic gadgets put on newer cars, it's the systems that enhance cold weather drivability I appreciate most of all!! :thumbsup:

 

[cdaigle430]

Younger members here are probably fortunate they didn't have to endure the headaches of cold weather startups in older cars and trucks. Used to be, you would go out in 20 degree weather, set the choke, and hopefully get the engine started before running the battery down, or worse yet, flooding the engine. Then you had to cope with a ten minute or longer warmup so you didn't have to worry about stalling once you drove away.

And today, you can go out in zero degrees, turn the key, an immediate start and if you so choose, drive away a few seconds later without worrying about stalling...and the heaters warm up in a few minutes, not ten miles down the road. Of all the electronic gadgets put on newer cars, it's the systems that enhance cold weather drivability I appreciate most of all!! :thumbsup:

I also remember no defrosters, no heated seats. When someone tells me they dont make them like they used to, I always say I'm very glad of that

I remember having to constantly change lights, mufflers and fuel filters, PCV valves and plug wires all the time-now thanks to cumputers and plug coils, those days are the thing of the past and they can stay there.

Safey is another thing disk brakes instead of drum oh yeah crumple zones instead of heavy steal-oh yeah.

 

[Bird]

When someone tells me they dont make them like they used to, I always say I'm very glad of that

Me, too.:laughing: Of course my first car was a 10 year old 96k mile 1946 Chevy and even when I started on the police department in 1964, the police cars had no power steering, no power brakes, drum & shoe brakes on all four wheels (and when you hit a water puddle, you could expect the car to pull one direction or the other - you didn't know which - next time you hit the brakes), no automatic transmissions, no air-conditioners, no power windows, door locks, or mirrors.

Yep, I'll take the more modern vehicles.:laughing:

 

[Diamondpilot]

Yea, I am only 38 but I can remember watching a auto auction with my father and grandfather and commenting on how great them cars were. They both laughed at me and said they were junk. Everyone knew how to work on them because you had too. Dont forget points and distributors. What a pain.

Chris

 

[JDgreen227]

Yea, I am only 38 but I can remember watching a auto auction with my father and grandfather and commenting on how great them cars were. They both laughed at me and said they were junk. Everyone knew how to work on them because you had too. Dont forget points and distributors. What a pain.

Chris

You mean my nearly new, barely used tach/dwell meter isn't worth anything today? :laughing:

 

[Fixemall]

Yea, I am only 38 but I can remember watching a auto auction with my father and grandfather and commenting on how great them cars were. They both laughed at me and said they were junk. Everyone knew how to work on them because you had too. Dont forget points and distributors. What a pain.

Chris

Had to bring up points! I am restoring an old wood chipper and pulled the points to match up a set and the kid behind the counter did not know what they were...
Back on topic, I still let my tow vehicles warm up on cold days before subjecting them to a load...I think that is what remote start is for.

 

[Diamondpilot]

As you mentioned, the cars and truck have heat so quick now. My Titan heats up in about 1 minute. Its called Rapid Heat or something like that. It uses 2 thermostats and circulates water in the block and heat exchanger then opens up the flow to the rad once up to temp. Sure with my diesel F-350 had that. It take a good 5 to 7 minutes to have heat if not plugged in. This is not a issue at home. All my vehicles are stored indoors at 60 deg in the winter.

Chris

 

[V1Rotate]

I recently had a chance to drive some fully restored muscle cars from the 60s and 70s that belong to a guy that collects them. These cars look a lot better than they drive. These cars were front heavy, most had drum brakes, lousy suspensions, bias ply tires and no power steering. Sure, they look good and sound cool but most modern cars can out perform and put handle one of them.

 

[JDgreen227]

As you mentioned, the cars and truck have heat so quick now. My Titan heats up in about 1 minute. Its called Rapid Heat or something like that. It uses 2 thermostats and circulates water in the block and heat exchanger then opens up the flow to the rad once up to temp. Sure with my diesel F-350 had that. It take a good 5 to 7 minutes to have heat if not plugged in. This is not a issue at home. All my vehicles are stored indoors at 60 deg in the winter.

Chris

I wonder sometimes how much the rapid warming up time and lack of oil dilution from unburned fuel contributes to engine service life in today's new vehicles. My '92 Olds 98 came new with a factory plug in block heater which I used in colder weather, last thing I knew the car was on it's fourth owner with 245,000 miles on the OEM engine. We drove it half that mileage, and the electronic dash readout said the coolant temp was usually 96 degrees upon start up with the heater plugged in.

 

[Bird]

I recently had a chance to drive some fully restored muscle cars from the 60s and 70s that belong to a guy that collects them. These cars look a lot better than they drive. These cars were front heavy, most had drum brakes, lousy suspensions, bias ply tires and no power steering. Sure, they look good and sound cool but most modern cars can out perform and put handle one of them.

Generally speaking, I think you're right. My Roadrunner was automatic transmission, power steering and brakes, and air-conditoned. It did have bias ply tires and drum brakes, but the handling and performance weren't bad at all. The only really heavy front end feeling car to me was our 1968 Ford police sedans. That was the first year the Dallas Police had air-conditioning and power front disk brakes. Still manual transmission, 302 V-8, and no power steeting. That car just always felt heavy on the front end, and harder steering.