Nostalgia

[Puffin StuffParticipant 24979]

My first car, Chevy Vega, described in the photo as the car that almost sunk GM. Total cost 950.00. Burned a quart of oil every 50 miles. Aluminum block engine.

But I had a Blaupunkt stereo with home speakers blasting out Black Sabbath on volume 11.

#icethemout; Remember Thomas Ball. He died for your children.

[Daryll55Participant 2950]

Puffin Stuff wrote:

Burned a quart of oil every 50 miles. Aluminum block engine.

One of the “Fearsome foursome” I used to hang with had one of those going thru college. He kept a GALLON jug of oil in the backseat. That thing took a beat-ing !!

Marry again, Hell NO ! ( Even JESUS was hung on a cross just once)

[Puffin StuffParticipant 24979]

It only held four quarts of oil so getting down one quart was 1/4 out of oil. I kept a case of 1 quart oil cans in the back and used to have to stop on the freeway to add oil every 50 miles or it would seize.

#icethemout; Remember Thomas Ball. He died for your children.

[Daryll55Participant 2950]

Yeah, GM trying the Aluminum cylinder block BEFORE the advent of CNC Machining.

Speaking of which…………..

Do you guys remember that black center-strip going down the middle of the lane on almost every paved highway? That black strip was caused by “Seepage of the old “Rope” rear main seals at the back of the engine. CNC made those seals go viton rubber now, and between the rubber and the much closer tolerances in engines now, that “black strip” is gone.

Talk about nostalgia.

Marry again, Hell NO ! ( Even JESUS was hung on a cross just once)

[AutoliteParticipant]

Daryll55 wrote:

Yeah, GM trying the Aluminum cylinder block BEFORE the advent of CNC Machining.

I’m reminded of the aluminum cylinder heads on the Ford 3.8 litre V6. The 3.8 litre was an absolutely horrible engine! Bottom end bearings failed prematurely and cylinder head gasket leaking was a universal problem with those aluminum head engines. The heads gaskets would leak if you parked the car in the sun on a hot day.

It’s like design engineers just ignore what that know had worked on the older designs. Ford seemed to be the most sporadic with their engine designs. The either had very solid, reliable engines or complete boat anchors…

[Daryll55Participant 2950]

Autolite wrote:

The 3.8 litre was an absolutely horrible engine! Bottom end bearings failed prematurely and cylinder head gasket leaking was a universal problem with those aluminum head engines. The heads gaskets would leak if you parked the car in the sun on a hot day.

Yup, Wasn’t a question of “If”, more like “when.”
They loved to leak on the right head rear inside. The coolant would drip into the V-6’s oil gallery and into the sump. Antifreeze in engine oil is a quick way to wipe out bearings which happened in every 3.8 that I knew of.
Ford’s answer: Let the poor chumps with 3.8’s replace their own bearings at their own expense.
Meanwhile FORD redesigns their V-6 and calls it their 4.0 engine.

I had a 5.0 HO V-8 in my Ford pickup in the 90’s. OILPAN rotted out FROM THE INSIDE! EVERYONE I knew that had a Ford 5.0 had their pan rot out.
RECALL?? Not a chance!

Marry again, Hell NO ! ( Even JESUS was hung on a cross just once)

[Jim01Participant 6678]

I know this thread turned into a car one lol but I’ll say how for me just take me back to Secondary (high school)

Just like the film Worlds End – just the best time of my life. Loads of mates, no commitments, n64/dreamcast to play….damn they were good times!

[Gravel PitParticipant]

Jim01 wrote:

ake me back to Secondary (high school)

Just like the film Worlds End – just the best time of my life. Loads of mates, no commitments, n64/dreamcast to play….damn they were good times!

exact sentiment here. N64 and highschool, waterbongs and sneaking around.

As far as cars go, I preferred them when they didnt have wifi, gps, keyless ignition, idle shutoff and other needless add ons. A CD player and working AC/heat and Im fine!

For that matter, I also preferred Gaming before it was called gaming, and before it needed internet and a freaking subscription fee. I still have not upgraded beyond an Offline xbox360.

[AutoliteParticipant]

Daryll55 wrote:

I had a 5.0 HO V-8 in my Ford pickup in the 90’s. OILPAN rotted out FROM THE INSIDE! EVERYONE I knew that had a Ford 5.0 had their pan rot out.

I’ve seen that problem too! I think the rust starts on the outside though…

https://www.fordf150.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=28846

https://www.f150forum.com/f12/2009-f150-5-4-oil-pan-rusted-out-283967/

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/301924-5-0-oil-pan-rusted-out.html

[EGParticipant 1853]

This was my first car, except mine was the sedan. When I bought it in 94 it had 200,000 miles on it. Gas was 79 cents per gallon around that time. It cost $20 to fill it once a week. After a couple years I sold it to someone else, and then I saw it bombing around town again a year later, all rusty. It was a beast.

<p><br>By IFCAR – <span class=”int-own-work” lang=”en”>Own work</span>, Public Domain, Link</p>

[AutoliteParticipant]

EG wrote:

When I bought it in 94 it had 200,000 miles on it. Gas was 79 cents per gallon around that time.

I remember here in Canada when gasoline hit .50 cents a gallon and people became absolutely livid. They thought that that was outrageous…

[EGParticipant 1853]

Autolite wrote:

EG wrote:

When I bought it in 94 it had 200,000 miles on it. Gas was 79 cents per gallon around that time.

I remember here in Canada when gasoline hit .50 cents a gallon and people became absolutely livid. They thought that that was outrageous…

This was after the first Gulf War and I was living in the Midwest at the time. Gas prices had reached new highs during the war so the drop to 79-cent price seemed unreal to me. I wasn’t complaining! I don’t think that car got ten miles to the gallon haha

[Daryll55Participant 2950]

Sorry to highjack the thread,(cars are nostalgic, aren’t they?)

Autolite wrote:

I’ve seen that problem too! I think the rust starts on the outside though…

I am quite sure it rusted from the inside out. Imperfections in the recycled metal made pock-marks on the inside of the pan. I sanded off the good paint on the outside of the pan,(the oil leak originated from a crack in the paint that pressure created).
After sanding to shiny metal, the pock marks were evident. I let the pan drain for 48hrs and waited another 48hrs before applying JB Weld to the pan. This went well and covered 2 small pinsholes.
Unfortunately, a few months later, the pan started to leak from another area. I gave up and replaced the pan. I knew 6 others from work,family/friends that had 5.0 Ford engines, and they ALL had to replace their pans.

Onto “Nostalgia”

Marry again, Hell NO ! ( Even JESUS was hung on a cross just once)

[AutoliteParticipant]

Daryll55 wrote:

Onto “Nostalgia”

Automobiles certainly are ‘nostalgia’ for us older guys. Getting a driver’s license and your first car was a very big deal for a young man. However, as I understand it, that is no longer the case starting with the Millennials. Young men today are no longer into vehicles as were the young men of previous generations.

I now wonder what today’s young men will look back on as being ‘nostalgia’ forty years from now…

[SpiderHerderParticipant 3766]

I much prefer LIGHTWEIGHT cars… especially track-prepped.

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