Wasted Wages is right...cant beat SIMPLE and old school tech when it comes to it NOT breaking down on the roadside often,if at all,and should it,it can be fixed by YOU right there,with simple hand tools!...try replacing a serpentine belt or radiator hose on a late model truck on the side of the road--on many it cant be done,or you need certain tools,and you'll never be left scratching your head wondering which sensor quit,or is it the computer,or electric fuel pump that crapped out too...
I might be an old fart now,but I liked my old carbed small blocks and straight sixes best...I drove my 72 K5 150 miles daily commuting to work for 2 years and never had to fix it on the side of the road once...and if I had too,at least I could!...
I dont have much experience with later EFI engines or computerized trucks,and dont plan too...
I wont argue they do run sweet when all is right with one,but they can drive you batty when one starts acting up too,and its not cheap throwing sensors and parts at them that sometimes dont "fix" it..
I felt a lot more secure driving my old van with a 250 six to TN than I would in my 95 Ford Contour,that I cant fix hardly anything under the hood on that thing if it crapped out en-route...hell,I had to take it to my friends shop just to replace the stupid fuel filter,i had never done one with "clips" and he had a 2 hour battle on his lift trying to get the original filter off (140k on it!) without destroying the fuel lines...and it took 45 minutes to replace the serp belt ,up and down on the lift 5 times,had to remove pulleys,motor mount,etc..try doing that on 1-95,good frigging luck!...belts on my van suck to get at,but can be replaced in 30 minutes at most anywhere,like a parts store parking lot...not so on a later vehicle..
I felt like handing in my man card and tools,after not even being able to tackle those 2 repairs,after having done frame offs on my old trucks,swap engines & trannys,etc...
I could put a tranny in my van in the breakdown lane in the same amount of time probably,as it'd take to replace a serp belt on my ford in a shop with a lift......if the tranny in the Ford craps out,you may as well scrap it...ditto for the altenator and starter,to remove either you must drop the y-pipe and take a driveshaft out!...400+ buck job...a Chevy altenator or starter takes 15 minutes tops,unless all the bolts snap off..and cost a lot less too..
Old school tech might have its disadvantages,but simplicity is always better than complicated..being able to repair an old vehicle yourself and cheaper than a newer one is why I prefer them over something built more recently...most 2000 and up trucks I see around here are rustier and in worse shape than the 80's ones still putting around...like they were made of crap recycled steel,they flake apart in 10 years...frames and steel lines litteraly dissapear on many in 10 years or less now..
