Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Uncle Joe]

In another topic, the question was asked 'which cars will be future classics?' I just had the thought that the answer would be any that survive! But that was followed by this one.

Quite often, we upgrade our classics (restify) and fit things like electronic ignitions. If we look forward to the time that todays cars become classics, I wonder if restification then will mean converting to points ignition because nobody can repair the electronics?

Thoughts anyone?

UJ

[Stuchamp]

By that time no one will know what points are

[Old-Nail]

Basically I can't see there being any left to restore if they are used as they are obviously intended to be.

I think cars that are subject to 'restification' are done that way to enable them to be used reliably as an everyday car.

Therefore I don't think that too many would survive the next 50 years as well as they have managed the last 50, the attrition rate due to corrosion and accident, joyriding, skimping on servicing etc may creep in.

[pigtin]

Bought a new Korean car(for the wife) in February, have'nt opened the bonnet yet, no idea what might be under it though it said in the brochure 1.5 crdi, whatever that might mean. I know that I will recognize very little of the engine.
Cars don't often go wrong these days and I well remember taking delivery of my first new Ford Cortina in 1978 and having to lift the bonnet after ten miles and replace a plug lead. That was a car I understood, if my new Kia starts to mis-fire I call the RAC and take advantage of the 3 year warranty.
I have been repairing and restoring cars since the 50s and although, most of my working life, I have been in electronic engineering I would'nt know where to start on car electronics, and there is very little opportunity to ever get any practice.
I expect future restorers to be a great deal smarter than I am but as stocks of electronic 'gizmos' dedicated to certain makes dry up one hopes that some enterprising gentleman (probably in Asia) will start to manufacture universal engine management systems using state-of-the-art technology. Most modern engines and transmissions almost last forever and the last car I had that rusted was the aforementioned Cortina.
I think the greatest threat to future collectors and restorers is legislation.
No, I don't regard my Kia as a future classic.

[Rick]

I think the problem in future will be finding the correct ECU mapping info for all the different makes/models/variants/ages of car that are around now, when their electronic brains pack up. Whether a standard black box could be developed and fitted to different makes to keep current cars running in future, I don't know, but I doubt it??

With a bit of planning, this engine setup data will be archived, but manufacturers may veto the data surviving over a given age (perhaps in the name of 'green' - ie encouraging people to buy new rather than running cars aged a few years).

At one time, cars shared lots of parts (lamps is a good one). You could take a headlamp from a Bedford CA, and bolt it to your Mk2 Jag. Nowadays very little is shared between different makes n models, meaning that stocks of consumable parts (bumpers, lamps and so on) could dry up quite quickly I think, once a maker has decreed that old dealer stock must be binned to make room for new parts, perhaps after a very short time.

Plus years ago there were far more owner-tinkerers around to keep older cars going, now they just get chucked away and a new one bought on credit.

Rick
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[buzzy bee]

Hi

I don't grasp the idea of buying a new "green" car to save te enviroment, every few years, as the amount of power that goes into making a new car, with all the man made materials must far out weigh the damage done by a slightly less efficient older engine? Does anyone else agree with me on this one!?

(Anyway why is a green car better than a red one?) hehe Sorry my sense of humour or lack of it strikes again!

Cheers

Dave

[pigtin]

Agree entirely. wear out the old ones first but the 25% tax depreciation per year on cars bought for the business is too good to miss.

[chimpchoker]

Could well be because i went into the local (posh) jag place and asked some questions about the engine in my MKii. I was looked at with a frown then the service manager shouted to gerald and asked if he knew the answers. He didn't. The manager scratched his head and said that Gerald had been here the longest of "the old boys" but he'd never worked on the MKii. The service area was so clean you could eat your dinner off the floor and the range of machines was very impressive but give a screwdriver to a mechanic and they didn't know what to do.

[old gto]

I kind of think cars of today, that maintain a popularity enough to become classics of tomorrow, will likely end up similar to museum pieces, and unable to be driven.....either regulated off the roadways, or unable to find fossil fuels for them.