Thread: Meet the 4x4 enthusiasts who reject 21st-century technology

A more apt headline "Meet the enthusiasts who enjoy older 4 wheel drives"

If a mechanical part fails you replace the part

- yep, got it...

But if an ECU vehicle has a fault it could be a sensor

- yep, a mechanical type part.. That you can just replace...

If you crack an injector pump in the middle of nowhere, you are no better off than having an ECU have a sensor fail...

These stories are painful....

Perhaps if Malaysian airlines was flying Focker Friendships they wouldn't be suffering the recent issues?

I do applaud the work they (these individuals) do in winter!!!!!

I think the following line from the article is the key. It doesn't suggest they are more reliable, just easier to diagnose and fix generally speaking;

"There is less guess work as to what's going wrong in a vehicle like this"

I had a HSV spend two weeks at the dealers being diagnosed and fixed because it wouldn't start one morning. Turned out a body control module had **** itself. That can't happen with an old Defender, it has no body control at all... Without the dealer I had no hope of ever fixing the car, hell, they barely had any idea.

I don't think modern cars are less reliable, in-fact I think some of them are considerably more reliable, but there is a truck-load more that can go wrong and when it does it can be well beyond the average person to effect a repair.

I understand how these guys with their older vehicles think and I don't believe it is necessarily incorrect. I'm happy with my 300TDi now as well and part of that is because I know if something isn't right I can lift the bonnet and stand half a chance of fixing it, but I'd be just as happy in the latest Puma 2.2 as well. My ideal world will include both at some stage

Me is a luddite I suppose

Cause I like old Landys

Better than the new ones

But I have been told that

I could be considered eccectric

Modern vehicle - modern tools
Old vehicle - old tools

Many people couldn't fix any problem when out bush - or know where to start... Modern or otherwise.

Many youngsters can't time an engine, but can tune an EFI racer and know how to make it go hard...

I enjoy all vehicles - and fear working on none of them - with the right tools...