Superfluous bits on cars (and bikes)

[jas67]

First I can't find whole year stats for 2015 yet. The half-year or 3/4 year results that google reports shows the first increase (of around 9%) in a DECADE. So maybe there is something to increased distraction playing a roll. BUT a DECADE of decreases and historical figures show we're still WAY OFF from the 50-60k/year deaths of the 50's and 60's. And even MORE off if you look at it as deaths/population (as the population has increased significantly too in that time).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in_U.S._by_year#Motor_vehicle_deaths_in_U.S._by_year



http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/11/24/motor-vehicle-traffic-fatalities-2014/76304940/

Total miles driven was up significantly for 2015 due to cheap fuel prices.

[Rough Edge racing]

 Our two daily drivers are late 90's Jeep Cherokees. 5 speed manual transmission with straight axles front and rear and the transfer case is controlled by mechanical linkage.....They do have working AC, airbags and power windows but no ABS or stability control. Compact, rugged, parts fall off but they keep on running. Our truck is a 68 Chevy 4x4  manual transmission with no power steering or brakes...
 I see no need for newer cars/trucks that are expensive and easy to damage....And my bikes fall into the less is better category...

[Tobit]

I was watching Motorweek on TV the other week and they spent more time talking about the "convenience" and "connectivity" features of some cars than they did about the handling and performance.  I don't understand the need for "connectivity" in a car when what you're supposed to be doing is driving. Even if it's for the passengers, it's still a distraction IMO. Huge touch screens on the dash to operate the radio, heat, etc. are also ridiculous.

Chances are very good that I'll never buy another new car because they all come with crap I don't want.

You may not like this then.  I wonder if comes with driver's gloves?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XxvqFOj0r0

Tobit   

[Penderic]

Just the basics. Ash tray. Cigarett lighter. Fuzzy Dice! 

[Groover]

This thread is making me want to Cafe' my car...

[Gliderjohn]

The simplicity always amazes me when when I see a 60s or early 70 vintage pickup with a straight six. However my first car was used 66 Fury III with the 318. I remember well all it took (and that was quite a bit) to keep it running reasonably well. About a year ago I drove a nice original 62 Chevrolet Belair 283 for a a short ways. Forgot all the rattles those cars used to have, body roll in turns and not exactly tight steering. Nice to drive in a parade once in awhile but that would be about it.
I think a fairly simple and relativly inexpensive car could be made currently and meet all the requirements but it would produce to low of sales to be viable. Would be kind of on the scale of selling Guzzis.
GliderJohn

[BRIO]

I guess it depends on how old you are and what cars you pick as an example. I was 16 in '79. I now own a '79 Mercedes 300CD with 200k miles. I have almost all of the service records for it from day one. Makes for really boring reading - nothing much ever went wrong for the first 25 years. Still no valve jobs, no overhauls, just shocks and other steering and suspension bits, brakes, batteries, starter, radiator - age related stuff. Climate control no longer works - wish it had the simple manual controls of the 240D and Euro 300D. Still has excellent heat, you just have to manipulate the controls manually. I'd rather it had manual windows and sunroof as well.  It has power steering and power brakes, plenty of sound deadening. I don't need nor want heated and/or power seats. I'd rather have a manual transmission instead of the automatic, but that's the way the US models came. No cup holders - just as it should be. A more comfortable car I've never driven.

Your car was spitzenklasse when it came out. It had all the gizmos one could imagine then. The whole thing is vacuum operated. If the door lock fails the trans will shift hard and the engine won't turn off. The climate controls are also vacuum operated. Once you get your head around it. It's not to terrible. However, todays electronics are easier to trouble shoot and more modular. Too bad the quality declined. You own the worlds finest car imho.

Modern and old features I find silly:

Electric parking brake
Push button start
Fake wood
Fake carbon fiber
Temperature gauge (the dummy ones)
Sport buttons
Paddle shift slush boxes
Fake engine sound tracks

[pikipiki]

Your car was spitzenklasse when it came out. It had all the gizmos one could imagine then. The whole thing is vacuum operated. If the door lock fails the trans will shift hard and the engine won't turn off. The climate controls are also vacuum operated. Once you get your head around it. It's not to terrible. However, todays electronics are easier to trouble shoot and more modular. Too bad the quality declined. You own the worlds finest car imho.

Modern and old features I find silly:

Electric parking brake
Push button start
Fake wood
Fake carbon fiber
Temperature gauge (the dummy ones)
Sport buttons
Paddle shift slush boxes
Fake engine sound tracks

You dont find the mercedes air pressure central locking silly? Although that might have been 1969, unlikly to still work after so many years. it was neat until it was discovered half a tennis ball over the lock and a quick pump opened the doors.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

You dont find the mercedes air pressure central locking silly? Although that might have been 1969, unlikly to still work after so many years. it was neat until it was discovered half a tennis ball over the lock and a quick pump opened the doors.

Negative pressure/vacuum operates my central locking and numerous other things. Not sure where you'd apply a tennis ball... 

[HardAspie]

Pretty much, if it doesn't make the vehicle:
Move
Slow and stop
Steer
Stand up when parked (2 wheelers)
Keep the weather off me (4 wheelers)
Keep it locked / secure
Then I would rather not have to ever repair it. Best way to avoid repair of some thing is to have that thing somewhere other than on my vehicle.

[bad Chad]

I have a moral problem with some of the new luxury cars that artificially pipe in motor sound on demand.  As I get it, they have made their cars sound insulation so good, that a great deal of the motor sound is subdued, to counter this they have mic'd and wired the motor, so at the push of a button the hurley burley sounds of a rushing motor come out the freaking speakers!

Thats just sick.   And we wonder why ISIS wants to kill us?

[canuck750]

I was watching Motorweek on TV the other week and they spent more time talking about the "convenience" and "connectivity" features of some cars than they did about the handling and performance.  I don't understand the need for "connectivity" in a car when what you're supposed to be doing is driving. Even if it's for the passengers, it's still a distraction IMO. Huge touch screens on the dash to operate the radio, heat, etc. are also ridiculous.

Chances are very good that I'll never buy another new car because they all come with crap I don't want.

I agree that there is far to much emphasis on connectivity, who the heck needs to be on the web while in a car. In my business we travel a fair amount and I insist that all my staff rent cars for out of town travel, we get our cars from Enterprise and we get a lot of Kia and Hyundai products (mostly great) and some Mitsubishi (so so) and a few Chryslers (yech!). The Japanese cars have so many USB and power ports you would think you were in an office and the electronic interface is pretty easy to use. My 2012 BMW 550Xi has one USB port hidden in the console, the focus is on driving not messing around with gizmos.

As far as traction control, stability control, ABS et all... without it most of us, me included would get ourselves into a lot of trouble without it, as horsepower goes up the ability for the average driver to keep it all together is a bit much. My heavy Beemer has 400 rear wheel horsepower which in todays world is not much anymore, but it will blow the doors off any 60's muscle car out there. The 2015 - 2016 big euro sedans have 450 ~ 500 horsepower stock and tuner models are now 600 hp from the dealer. 600 hp in a four door five seater family sedan, nuts.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Pretty much, if it doesn't make the vehicle:
Move
Slow and stop
Steer
Stand up when parked (2 wheelers)
Keep the weather off me (4 wheelers)
Keep it locked / secure
Then I would rather not have to ever repair it. Best way to avoid repair of some thing is to have that thing somewhere other than on my vehicle.

  "What isn't there, can't break".

[oldbike54]

 There is a current ad (Chevy Malibu I think) that touts all of the technology that comes stock , none of it having anything to do with  performance , durability ,or fuel mileage . No mention of the basic car .

 Dusty

[HardAspie]

There is a current ad (Chevy Malibu I think) that touts all of the technology that comes stock , none of it having anything to do with  performance , durability ,or fuel mileage . No mention of the basic car .

 Dusty

yeah. That Malibu is at least two or three of the cars I would not want.

[BRIO]

You dont find the mercedes air pressure central locking silly? Although that might have been 1969, unlikly to still work after so many years. it was neat until it was discovered half a tennis ball over the lock and a quick pump opened the doors.

My point was that his car was once the one with all the silly bits. It's not very obvious from my post after reading it again I will admit. As one who has rebuilt the entire vacuum system in a w123 I can only answer yes to your question. I suppose my enthusiasm for the car made it difficult to write about it in a critiquing way.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

My point was that his car was once the one with all the silly bits.

It's all relative. A '51 170D would have less "silly bits" on it, the same as my 300CD has less than a 2016 E-Class. The Benz Patent Motorwagen would have even less and the 170D would be deemed positively decadent. 

[canuck750]

I still miss the simplicity of my old Vanagon, 4 speed, wind up windows, no A/C, no cruise, no power locks, but what other vehicle came stock with a fridge, kitchen sink and stove top!

[Muzz]

Favourite though is a Peugeot 504 with the slant 2 litre four.
Took a VERY big stick to kill one, and from '72 they had Discs
all round, four coil rear Susp. Rack & Pinion steering, the motor
was excellent and it had the best seats I've ever had in a car.

Maurie

 :1: on that. We had the Ti model with the analogue Kugglefischer fuel injection. 110 neddies from a 2litre back then was fairly good. As it tore up the Takaka Hill in (mostly) top gear I used to dream of having a higher 5th gear in the 4 speed box. Still the only car I could do 300 miles non stop and get out feeling the same as when I first got in it.

[HardAspie]

Peugeot 504. Never owned one. One of the cars I like.

[Muzz]

Must add that when we got the '90 205 Peugeot we went looking for the most basic car we could find. My only gripe was that it had electronic ignition i9nstead of points.

For a 1400cc basic car with a single choke carb it went like stink, cornered like it was on rails, seats folded down flat so you could go ballroom dancing in it, comfortable and it did 45 (imp) miles to the gallon. Would sit at 85mph all day. Probably the best car I have ever owned. 1/4 hr to change the cam belt while reading the manual. Basic is good.

[HardAspie]

The big question is can one cook a sweet potato on the exhaust manifold, and if so what sort of beer to have with it?

[tris]

Well this thread has taken off more than I expected!!

Here's another one

Electric parking brakes - WTF 

There not even an improvement over the manual version IMO

They don't come on until they're good and ready

And if you do a hill start and change your mind for some reason then you're left scrabbling around for a stupid little switch before the car rolls backwards in to the car behind

[HardAspie]

My sister has an electronic trash can. It replaces a regular kitchen trash can with foot pedal. But the electronic one requires one to dance about as if they have a disease of some sort for its sensor to open the lid, usually this means one hand full of trash and the other empty to wave about with. Then after it has been driving her crazy by saluting like the toilets in "No Time For Sergeants", she turns it off and now the lid must be raised and lowered by hand. Either way it is a stunning improvement over the pedal.

[Muzz]

Electric parking brakes - WTF 

The son has a power steering and wheel alignment business. He really hates some of the stupid handbrake systems being used. There is a bit of "brake on, brake off" involved and some of them are just hopeless to use.

If it aint broke, don't fix it.

[Penderic]

Curb feelers. Nice! 

[rocker59]

my old truck, a 1987 Chevrolet R 20H 

What is a Chevrolet R 20H ??

For me, GM trucks have been cheap to own.  My current ride is a 2002 Suburban.  275,000 miles on the clock.  Really durable and reliable, with gasoline and oil changes being the most expensive parts of ownership. 

[pikipiki]

My point was that his car was once the one with all the silly bits. It's not very obvious from my post after reading it again I will admit. As one who has rebuilt the entire vacuum system in a w123 I can only answer yes to your question. I suppose my enthusiasm for the car made it difficult to write about it in a critiquing way.

Sorry I actually meant to quote ACC, I'd missed your post which I have now read. I probably should not have posted at all as I see you already commented on the vacuum system. I think despite having a dig at his Merc we and ACC are probably in agreement that era of Merc w123 was a very good car in its basic form and in hindsight that was the one to have not the one with all the gadgets.

[CanyonRider]

"What isn't there, can't break".

+1
My first NEW car, in 1986, cost $6050 out the door.  It had crank-up windows, no AC, no radio.  I drove it for 12 years and 240k miles.  I ultimately gave it away to a needy young couple.  What gripes me is we no longer have the option of buying a car stripped to only what is required.  Clearly we are in the minority and there is no market for such a vehicle.
CR

[pikipiki]

We talking about tech now?


It was frosty this morning, by the time I was ready to drive home I had a text from the car reminding me of my bad habits

Imagine tomorrow I'll get another gentle warning not to leave too much clutter I the trunk.

..... I had previously thought the wife was a nag? It's given me some personality (f&@+ spell checkers on at me now!) Perspective!