Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ray White]

Having recently seen the superb 'Car SOS' rebuild of a particularly rusty 1965 Ford Mustang fitted with an amazing electronic instrument cluster and fuel injection.. I am left wondering where all this technology fits in with the fundamental ideals behind our old car hobby?

It is all over my head; but could it be the future?

[MikeEdwards]

I've considered some modern updates to my cars, other than the electronic ignition and USB socket that's already there. I like the idea of mappable ignition and fuel injection to properly control the combustion process, instead of the spinning thing that relies entirely on some 50-year-old tiny springs and weights to get the spark at roughly the right time for some engine conditions, and I justify it by telling myself that if it made the car nicer to drive, I might use it more. It's also easily returned to standard. I wouldn't do something like a complete drivetrain change, though I don't dismiss the electric conversions on principle like others, I dismiss them on price.

I saw a programme with an electronic dash fitted to an older car, not sure if it's the same one and I like the idea but only if I could somehow get it in unobtrusively, and make it as visible in all conditions as the instruments I've got now.

On the basis of a couple of trips last year though, one of the modern things I'd like to add to mine is some extra sound-deadening, and that's much easier to achieve than either of the above.
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1976 Vauxhall HP Firenza, 1976 Vauxhall Sportshatch (x2), 1986 Audi coupe quattro, 2000 Audi TT

[badhuis]

You will get many opinions about this. It is a sliding scale. Many prefer original, no modern stuff. Some will gladly modify their car.

Instrument cluster upgrade is a firm no for me. Restored cars with modern instruments look wrong. I like the old swinging needles. You look at them all the time when using the car. They surely are not as accurate as modern stuff but who cares? All part of the fun.

Fuel injection - one can use the same arguments as for upgrading instruments but for me it is a bit different. They can make the car feel better and more reliable. Carburettors are all good and fine, and a testament to old technology, but can be hard to tune correctly whereas FI is a one time tune only and then you can forget it. I fitted an aftermarket kit to my XJS but that was a replacement for the old ECU driven injection system. The ECU (fitted for 2 years only) was faulty and no-one could repair it. But the ease of the installation makes me think of fitting a FI to a carbs equipped car especially when the goal is to have a daily runner. So much smoother and easier to drive.
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[V8 Nutter]

I prefer to stick with original, but I can understand a few mods to make the car more driveable. The strangest thing on that rebuild was converting to right hand drive. Why? I have been driving American cars since 1960, they have all been LHD. Never had a problem.

[Ray White]

I don't think anyone who saw the car SOS programme could fail to be impressed with the technology. The digital instrument cluster opened with a personal message from the owners family. A further turn of the key brought up the instruments - in digitally constructed analogue form.

Other clever functions made the new dash a central feature of the Mustang rebuild which had been converted to RHD with rack and pinion steering and double wishbone suspension.

Personally, I tend not to fix something that isn't broken; unless it is (in my opinion) simply a poor design.

I read that the rebuild - which was the team's biggest challenge yet - took 1700 man hours to complete.

.

[ukdave2002]

I have fitted a Lambda sensor to the exhaust manifold and my Bedford CA connected to a simple circuit that drives an LED bar display, so I can see if the engine is running rich or lean, it was about $20 worth of bits, and the led display is concealed.

There was one other cost and that was the M18 1.5mm tap required to tap the thread for the O2 sensor!

Dave

[Rootes75]

My preference is to stick with originality.

But, being an Engineer I'm not adverse to new ideas and technology. Its all quite interesting.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[alastairq]

I agree with the technology argument, in that , whilst personally being used to 'reading' analogue gauges and dials, I am happy to allow modern technology to aid or improve the running of my cars..
My Dellow has a lambda fitting on its exhaust. [But no lambda sensor, nor do I have the know-how to make or use one]
It also has a US-made electrical control box.....under the dash....a complete unit with all gubbins a car would need in today's world, simply needing wires to connect. These cost several hundreds of pounds[dollars] in the US.
So if I want to fit hazard warning lights, all I need is a switch and some wire....connecting to the labelled terminals on the box does the rest for me.
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.