Older cars may be easy to work on but personally I like working on newer cars.The electronics and stuff in cars today is one of the main things that I'm interested in when it comes to working on them.I don't know what it is but I just find it really interesting.

 

Thanks dakotajim, yes cars were a lot different then, today if you don't have a good code scanner your SOL. but on the other hand, where we used to have to change jets to change mixture or weights & springs to change an advance curve, now we just dial in the changes with a chip.change the intake or install headers we don't have to worry about rejetting the carb the computer reads the mixture and makes the changes for us. Let alone I can't remember the last time I used a dwell meter or timing light. Can you imagine some guys today trying to set up a dual point distributor or a Holly carb.

 

I'm 53 and agree with Dakotajim and Cowboy63645. Miss the old cars and trucks. I had a white '68 Torino Fastback with a red stripe and it was simple to work on, I think I knew every bolt and screw on that car. Can't say that for the new cars & trucks, too many electronics. Sure wish I had that Torino back. Last time I saw it a guy was going to restore it and make a replica of Buddy Bakers' #69 stock car and show it. I still do what I can and appreciate the help from everyone in this forum.

 

this is my first car/truck ive owned. got it when i was 19, im 21 now. i learned everything from this forum, and the internet, and again a huge shout out to billy in the 3rd gens. i hate to think of when i get something new i gotta learn the in and outs of that vehicle.

 

sincew everyone is discussing age and wat there doin for school im 19 in february and start my first year of college in sept. (truck and coach technician) (diesel mechanic)

 

I miss the days of being able to tune an engine by the sound of the exhaust, or the smell. If you smelled alot of fuel, you knew you were running rich, slight pop, you knew the spark plugs were fouling, hear the carb sucking a little air, you knew it was time for a new gasket or a vacuum hose....better yet, turn the distributor about 3 degrees retarted and gain an extra 20-30 hp down low, it is the simple things about getting your hands dirty and knowing what was going into the motor, or transmission or rearend and hauling *** down the strip that made it all worth while!!

 

I prefer the old engines and the old cars. Here's a couple of my engines. First is the motor of my '64 GTO. Bought the car new. The other pics are the motor in my current ride. BTW, I'm 68.

 

That top picture, is that the old 348 horse tri power 389?

 

It was. That one was bored out to 401. Balanced, cam, head/block shaved .060, 8 quart oil pan, headers, close-ratio 4 speed, 4.33 posi rear. Engine work was done by Pete Seaton (Seaton's Shaker funny car). Car had a metalflake paint job.





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I'm right there behind you. I'll be turning 61 in May. My Daddy was by no means a master mechanic but knew enough to get by. With the knowledge I gained from him and spending countless hours under the shade tree in the back yard, became pretty good at turning a wrench...at least all my buddys thought so anyway. When I started out, I probably screwed up about as much as I fixed but you learn from your mistakes.

Another little trick I used to use was the famous fix-it-all fluid known as Marvel Mystery Oil. Case in point, my neighbor has a '66 Tempest with the 326 V8 and it was running rough as hell, popping back thru the carb and just more or less running like crap. He had taken it to a local mechanic to have it tuned up but the guy was young, 25 year old range, and admitted he really didn't know that much about the older engines. After the tune up, it was basically doing the same thing. I told my neighbor to pickup a quart bottle of the MMO and I'd fix it for him. Warmed the engine up, slowly poured about 2/3 of the bottle down the carb and the rest in the tank. It was smoking like hell out of the tail pipes while doing this and scared the hell out of my neighbor. Shut the engine down for about 15 minutes and then told him to take it for a spin and drive it like he stole it! The smoke show behind that thing going out the road was absolutely priceless!!! About a week later he told me the old Tempest had never run so good. It had a lot of carbon build up in the intake and around the valve seats and the MMO has desolved all that and had it running like new.

Oh, MMO is damn good for sticky lifters when added to the oil and is a hell of a good penatrating oil for rusted bolts and nuts also.