Thinking about it isn’t the current car market symptomatic of today’s economy - paying more and getting less. Seems to be the case with most things I buy.
A new piece by one of the youtube automotive producers. He talks about how long term serviceability and repair cost are not concerns among automakers now. He specifically mentions ending support for the software in cars. I have heard other people express concern about the future availability and price of replacement touch screens. So many functions have been consolidated into a screen that, if a screen fails, critical systems like lighting and HVAC will be disabled. A couple years ago, the Chinese built Lincoln Nautilus introduced a screen that spans nearly the entire width of the dash. I see that same huge screen is now on the Navigator as well. What happens when heat and cold cycles, and use, cracks that screen, but a replacement is no longer available? Do you junk the car that had a six figure price tag?
Steve
5 Likes
The market in parts for old cars is pretty amazing. We drive a 2007 Saab 9-3 Aero SportsCombi with a 6 speed manual transmission and silver paint. Total production 15 cars. All colors that year 106. Now, obviously, for some parts the trans may not matter or the body color or even the year, but that is a pretty small pool to be drawing from and yet our mechanic keeps delivering.
1 Like
My 2014 VW doesn’t have any touch screens either. No turbocharger. No direct injection. No variable compression. No cylinder activation/deactivation.
On the other hand, a long time VW youtuber ranted, a few months ago, about his recently acquired Mk 5 GTI. The door wire harness was broken, meaning now power window or lock action. This is a common problem on Mk 5s. He mosied down to the local VW dealer to buy a new harness…and was told the harness is no longer available. Mk 5s were built through 2009, so VW has thrown owners of 15 year old cars under the bus. Another mechanic that produces pieces for YT has gone on some major rants about relatively new cars that he can’t get parts for.
Steve
2 Likes
Being a long time maniac, I loved repairing sick old cars back in the 70’s and 80’s when surf was low and boy friends absent. Even parts was challenging. Watching this kid’s channel is enormously pleasurable to me as I drift towards sleep at night.
Perhaps it is brand specific, but I’d guess that a lot depends on the knowledgeability and resourcefulness of the mechanic. We have a gem, but there are amazing resources out there for one willing to develop the expertise.
A lot of it is OEMs don’t care about long term ownership experience.
2013 Cadillac. Heater hose assembly unavailable from GM. Unavailable from most of the parts houses he uses.
At the 9:04 mark, 2016 Dodge Challenger.
Here’s Charles, absolutely driven around the bend, by VW’'s nonsupport for his Mk 5.
I came across this video of a guy driving a 1983 Brazilian VW Gol. Very reminiscent of the 85 Mazda GLC I used to have. Simple, easy to drive, and affordable. No-one wants to build cheap and cheerful cars now. They discontinue those models, so you have no choice but buy that $50,000 SUV, so the company can take more money off you.
Steve
Buy a used CJ5. Never have to worry about parts.
Note that Saab has long since ceased to do any car manufacturing, so my experience of my mechanic being able to come up with obscure parts from old cars made in limited production runs is not dependent on the OEM.
Did you consider that, due to Saab’s low volume, they bought a lot of parts that were designed and built for other brands? Toward the end, a lot of Saabs were pretty pure GM, except for the one that was a rebadged Subaru.
Steve
I could buy this 84 Gol, tho I would be scrounging junkyards for a late 80s VW Fox, to get the correct wheels. Seems I would have fewer issues with parts than some of the recent big three iron.
Steve
My impression is very few GM parts except for the kind of stuff one might find on a bunch of cars. The success we have had is stuff that is clearly Saab specific.
Maybe the fact that Saab went toes up is working to your benefit?
Seems the latest trend in “professional management” is to focus on ATP (average transaction price), as that is easy for “professional management” to inflate, by simply dropping all models with a below average price, so the average automatically goes up.
Maybe another vector of current “professional management” is to cut off parts support, to force cars off the road, and force people to buy new cars? We old phartz remember when cars rusted out in 6-8 years. Car bodies are vastly more rust resistant now. Articles about the record high age of cars on USian roads have been posted here several times. How does “professional management” deal with record car durability? Force them off the road by making it impossible to repair them, thus creating more demand for new cars?
Steve
Likely true of old Camaros & Mustangs also.
1 Like
A lot of those non-OEM “restoration” parts are junk. An acquaintance of mine had an early 50s Ford tractor. He couldn’t even find aftermarket parts that physically fit, let along function. Some years ago, I read an article by a guy who has driven a number of very carefully restored, vintage VW Bugs. Of course, they were all restored using the best available reproduction parts. Then he drove one of the last production Bugs, from Mexico, around 2003, that was still running with it’s original OEM parts. He was astounded how much tighter, smoother, and quieter, the Mexican Bug was, than all the restored Bugs he had driven over the years.
Steve
Pretty much. And the car is smart enough to tell you when to do those things. A few weeks ago, one of our Tesla’s told us that it needed windshield washer fluid, so I went into the garage, made up a gallon of windshield washer fluid (see below), got the funnel, and trudged outside to do my annual maintenance. Here’s a photo of it that I snapped at the time -
Now, for something new and interesting. I did NOT buy that gallon of fluid at the store ($2.99), I am simply reusing the previous container. Instead I bought these tiny tablets that will last me for the rest of my life. Add a tablet to a gallon of water and voila you have a gallon of windshield washer fluid ($0.10).
5 Likes
I do the same thing. I have a couple of gallons of Methanol, Aqua charge and distilled water that I mix up. You do not need the Methanol except for winter time but I put it in the mix anyway because it is so cheap.
1 Like
I considered adding some methanol, but around here winter is 65 - 80F and summer is 75 - 90 F so there’s no point. I also used regular water instead of distilled (also $2.99/gal and I have to carry it from the store!)
By the way, I was very skeptical about those tiny tablets and did a bunch of internet research before being convinced that it is just as good as the stuff I get at the store and carry home with me.
1 Like
I don’t get below freezing usually either but we like to go skiing so in goes the methanol. I could probably do without the distilled water but our water is so hard that I thought it was a good idea.
1 Like
If I ever do a long trip to the great white north (anything north of the Mason-Dixon line LOL) then I would also add methanol.
3 Likes