With cars - are we getting too soft?

[stephenmercedes]

On dipping in this forum for some months now, it is littered with such posts as:

My car software doesn't contact my new phone/doesn't get the latest DAB stations/etc...
My parking sensors don't work...
Why don't my headlights come on automatically?
My reverse camera no longer works.
My mirrors don't dip.
My key fob won't lock/unlock/wind windows down...
etc etc etc

Now admittedly, I'm an old bloke with my first car being new in the 70s, but my biggest issue then is that sometimes it wouldn't start, and a can of WD40 use to cure it! LOL

Are we all just too soft now?

 

[clk320x]

It’s just new technology making people’s lives easier.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

It's just new users refusing to RTFM,

says he, RoFL.

.

 

[Darling]

i guess we all could go out a buy a 1970 Ford Cortina and set the points each weekend and adjust the webber carb and add more filler to the rust holes that will then hold the car in one piece - as above new tech is making our lives easier - but the new tech is meant to work... so when its don't work or we cant work out how to make it work we moan..... that said, the points and the webber carb on the Cortina meant to work with out issues... its just we don't recall moaning about that now.

 

[Martin 1]

Weber is spelled with one B. Evolution is normal, try a pre selector gearbox, or a crash gearbox, or manual advance and retard, and mixture control, rod brakes, magneto ignition, hot tube ignition, thermo-syphon cooling, starting handle, acetylene headlamps etc. etc. I don't think losing that lot makes me soft.

 

[BD E55]

i guess we all could go out a buy a 1970 Ford Cortina and set the points each weekend and adjust the webber carb and add more filler to the rust holes that will then hold the car in one piece - as above new tech is making our lives easier - but the new tech is meant to work... so when its don't work or we cant work out how to make it work we moan..... that said, the points and the webber carb on the Cortina meant to work with out issues... its just we don't recall moaning about that now.

I remember my Dad teaching me how to set the points and adjust timing with a timing light, on a 1.6 cross flow Ford Escort. It was such an illuminating lesson!

We just use different tools these days to achieve the same thing? Or the engine mgmt does it for us?

Having non-working "luxuries" does become annoying at times...!!

 

[MancMike]

Are we all just too soft now?

No, expectations are higher.

Modern cars have modern features that people expect to work.

In the 70s, you were content if the thing started, as it was barely more than a running engine on wheels anyway.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

MBCLUB sponsored by Werther's Originals.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Things change a lot over 40years. The future is different to the past.

 

[merc85]

Your sure ?? lol

 

[stephenmercedes]

Things change a lot over 40years. The future is different to the past.

That is horrific! Much prefer my 1st car, a Datsun 120Y anyday!

 

[Mactech]

It was all brought home to me around the turn of the century as to how 'sophisticated' cars were getting.
Our Bentley Le Mans car had a 'chassis' which weighed in at just 65kgs and the electronics package was over 70kgs........
What could possibly go wrong?

It's not us getting soft, it's more likely the software......

 

[Rich H]

Car makers offer us things that we didn't know we needed to persuade us to buy their cars instead of somebody else's.
These things then become standard as they offer us the next new thing.
Some are safety related, some performance and some just toys.
It works on me.

 

[Masklin]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

That is horrific! Much prefer my 1st car, a Datsun 120Y anyday!
View attachment 80427

I'll stick with my first car: a Renault Dauphine:

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

But if the LS500h hybrid that I recently drove is ...."The Future," they can stick it. All technology and no soul.

 

[Martin 1]

Love the Dauphine, gear change was like a stick of celery in a bowl of porridge, but took very little getting used to. That Lexus is one of the ones they drive off the production line and straight into a wall, the pre crashed look seems to be all the rage

 

[MancMike]

All technology and no soul.

We don't have souls, why would I want a car to have one? Whenever "soul" is mentioned I can never quantify it other than some series of slight defects that the owner finds charming.

It's all down to the individual of course, but I'll take a Model S any day over an e-type. I'm sure that thing is packed with "soul", and not a lot else.

 

[PobodY]

That is horrific! Much prefer my 1st car, a Datsun 120Y anyday!
View attachment 80427

That think is probably still mechanically sound, but I doubt there's a single panel that hasn't rusted through yet. - I've got a soft spot for old Datsuns, but I'm also realistic about the state of most of them.

 

[Mactech]

Yes! Rust was an issue on almost all cars of that age. I had a Datsun Cherry as a company car in the early 80's. The gearbox blew up.
It was raining Datsun cogs..........