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The reason why regular guys will not be collecting and restoring modern vehicles in the future

themechanic

themechanic

Oklahoma is OK
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After watching this video of a Ford tech diagnosing and repairing a problem with a customer's Ford F-150 no start issue my first thought was that an average guy in his garage or driveway wouldn't be able to do it, let alone 30 years from now restore one of the more collectable modern vehicles built in the last 15 years or so.

 
People said this in the 90's with the OBD 1 and 2 stuff. We figured it out, some things you can't fix proper due to age on those older 90's things but there is usually a work around.
My 2013 Charger has at least 9 ground wires, there is a computer board in the steering wheel, the shift handle, one for the phone connection thing, one to control ABS and another for wipers, cruise control, etc, one for alarm system, one for engine, one for transmission, one for the battery in the trunk....
And they all have a ground, and they all tie into the radio. Which also controls the climate stuff, ties to the engine control, lighting......

Yeah no. Nobody is going to be able to fix this in 30 years. We figured out the OBD1 and 2 stuff because there was like 2 computers and one was for engine and one was for "other". You can diagnos and have them repaired(the boards). New stuff has a ground and is isolated in some ways but talks to every other damn thing on the car in other ways. All connected in microscopic wire prone to corrosion.
Mechanical issues will not be the problem. We can figure that out. 20 miles of micro wire connecting 15 computer boards together hidden in the trim panels and under the dash and in the trunk... nope, the onboard diagnostics won;t tell us and tracing 20 miles of wire will be a fools errend, only to find out some obsolete computer board has burnt up and you woul dneed the schematic to manufacture a new one.

Where there is a will there is a way, but i don;t think anyone will have the will.
 
My newest vehicle is an '09 and there's enough stuff in it already I prefer not to mess with. Sure, there are many things I can fix doing some of this, but when it gets to the computer network stuff back away. I've made a few swap-outs replacing parts with matching new or used parts taking a chance they will work. But then there's the things requiring 'programming' or re-programming, NOT equipped to do in my garage or even some auto-repair shops say...'nope you got to take this the a dealer'.

Friend's son has had nightmare's with his five-year old GM truck. I learned about 'limp-mode' when some **** went bad on his truck. Not convenient when he has been 300-miles from home. His stereo went ka-put and gather the system is connected to all sorts of other ****...his price given to replace? $4,600! All I can say is I've had great luck buying extended warranties as I haven't purchased a 'new' vehicle in 25-years. I buy a few-year old rides with low miles...taking my time to make the right pick, hoping it's a good pick. My '09 just turned 82k and the '05 - 95k. The extended warranties have expired and figure if it goes to crap at this point with a price too nuts to pay, I'll look for another vehicle. I have no problem with a repair costing a couple grand figuring it's much cheaper than spending $35 or ouch, $60-70 grand on a new vehicle.
 
May be strip all that computer wiring out and go old school. Sensor this and sensor that. Just had that problem with a ford ranger brake system. It was a centering sensor under dash on the steering column. Ford could not fix it so had to do it myself. LOL. Don't figure even with their computer on it could not fix it but gave me a healthy bill and put some kind of part on it. I invested in a code reader from Harbor freight. It gave us two different codes. After Ford had it worked for 100 miles, and it went back to ABS light on dash and could not drive more than 10 miles per hour trying to get home. Rolled up my sleeves and went at the centering sensor. This fixed the problem and went back to the dealer. They told me we can't keep throwing parts at it. So, if it is possible to bypas the computer and put regular brake system on will try that the next time. :BangHead:
 
I bought a 23 RAM Limited which is just one big, rolling, computerized, electronics operated, potential nightmare. Not worried about wanting to restore it 25 years down the road or anything. I just want it to make it through the next 8 years - which is the length of the extended warranty I bought on it. The first extended warranty I’ve ever bought for anything. :rolleyes:
 
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Screenshot_20240216-215927_Chrome.jpg
 
If people will be able to restore today's new cars 30 years in future?

I'll just add that the very bottom of my list of concerns!
 
#41 said:
If people will be able to restore today's new cars 30 years in future?

I'll just add that the very bottom of my list of concerns!
Click to expand...
I would hazard a guess that 30 years from now nobody alive will either have the skills or even desire to restore the simple cars we all adore.
 
Open the pod bay doors please , HAL.

UT got in his boomer chair on that one when it came out.
 
AR67GTX said:
I bought a 23 RAM Limited which is just one big, rolling, computerized, electronics operated, potential nightmare. Not worried about wanting to restore it 25 years down the road or anything. I just want it to make it through the next 8 years - which is the length of the extended warranty I bought on it. The first extended warranty I’ve ever bought for anything. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Well said!! My 2019 Durango has just under 19,000 miles on it and I won't own it in 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first as stated in the extended warranty. These new cars are expensive, disposable, and overly complicated junk. That video was spot on, in my opinion.
 
I have been a car guy and fixed cars all my life. I retired after 26 years teaching automotive at a technical college. I started wrenching at a Chevrolet dealership in 1976, so I have seen just about everything in technology changes for vehicles. I am still piddling at my home shop, and have raced and restored cars for the whole time I was fixing them for a living. My last two projects I want to do before I get too old to do anything is a 65 coronet convertible with a gen3 hemi and a 34 dodge coupe race car with a 440 crossram.
First people will continue to fix up cars, cars are just part of what Americans are. If the newer stuff like Fox bodied Mustangs, Hellcats, Camaros etc. when they get old and have enough numbers, people will build replacement parts. Just like today you can build most popular muscle cars from new parts, sheet metal on up. Sadly, the not so popular stuff will be junk.

People have forgotten how to work on older stuff as well, I really like working on carburetors, and for a while I just didn't get asked to do any, now in my area it seems I am the only guy left that knows how to do one. And don't ask a present-day technician to set a set of points few know how to do that as well.

I did a few modern engines into older stuff both Chevy and Mopar, and retro stuff seems to be all the rage now. At least in my orbit the correct number matching guys are getting fewer and fewer. I wonder how many correct muscle cars will be released as those collectors die and their collections are sold off? Again, just in my orbit I know of at least 100 cars with owners over 70 and in failing health.

I want my 65 to be able to do long trips, and while I am very versed in electronic fuel injection, the gen 3 hemi will have carbs, old cars just need carbs.
 
themechanic said:
After watching this video of a Ford tech diagnosing and repairing a problem with a customer's Ford F-150 no start issue my first thought was that an average guy in his garage or driveway wouldn't be able to do it, let alone 30 years from now restore one of the more collectable modern vehicles built in the last 15 years or so.

Click to expand...

I had something similar to this happen on a Chrysler Town and Country Minivan with about every available option.
Nice van very comfortable ran and drove great.
The automatic drivers side sliding door quit working, I looked at it one day for a while didn't find anything obvious wrong and decided to just leave it broken.
About a year later (about 5 degree winters day) the vehicle wouldn't start.
Called a tow truck, grabbed some of my wifes stuff out of it shopping bags etc...
Shut the rear hatch and had a thought maybe try starting it. I don't know why just a little voice in my head said try it.
So I did and it started but not one gauge worked on the dash.
Callled the tow truck back and said I got it running.
Drove it to my friends shop because it was winter and I had a to travel for work etc...
He had it for weeks (worked on it here and there) and finally found it was the CanBus connected to the drivers side sliding door that brought down the house.

I design/install industrial factory automation systems for a living.
Told my wife if anyone ever put a design like this on my desk where a sliding door can possibly affect the engine running I'd fire them.
 
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