Thread: Is motoring better today than in bygone eras?

I have to say that I hate driving modern cars. I have only been driving for about 4 years but my first and only car has been my series 3. When ever I hop in a modern car i feel like i am driving a PlayStation no feedback from the road, no solid feel from anything, eg brakes, accelerator, it scares the crap out of me. Bring back Armstrong steering, drum brakes and leaf springs. I think having so many driver assisting devices on cars has made modern drivers loose the skills which would have been required in the past to keep alive.

Cheers
Paul

Did not seem to have so many angry drivers on the road in the 60/70s .

Originally Posted by paulthepilot_5

I have to say that I hate driving modern cars. I have only been driving for about 4 years but my first and only car has been my series 3. When ever I hop in a modern car i feel like i am driving a PlayStation no feedback from the road, no solid feel from anything, eg brakes, accelerator, it scares the crap out of me. Bring back Armstrong steering, drum brakes and leaf springs. I think having so many driver assisting devices on cars has made modern drivers loose the skills which would have been required in the past to keep alive.

Cheers
Paul

you can keep your old dungers,,

give me air bags and air con any day,,

[QUOTE=dobbo;823915]You know what they say about blokes driving cars with big bonnets don't you?
A bit like a 4x4 with a big lift

Originally Posted by dobbo

Give me a 60's to early 70's pommy sports car


Find me a new car that will meet my requirements and I will buy it.

It must NOT have

airbags
traction control
ICE
Bluetooth
cruisecontrol
climate control
an exhaust not lower than 80db at full noise
Seats that are too comfortable
7 seat capability
a rev limiter
computer controlled engine management
plastic panels


It must have

A set of triple side draft webers
The ability to remove the roof for nice spring mornings
A real polished wood dash
Not too many instruments to clutter the dashboard
The ability to oversteer when pushed way too far but the aility too handle reasonably well (read crap by todays sterile standards) when required
An exhaust note that when combined with a dishwasher, local pub on a very windy road with a takeaway curry house next door, a laundry service and ironfree clothes would remove the need for a woman in a mans life.

Triple webers on a Stag - can be done ? or maybe a TR6 ?

I wonder what you are really referring to, its a fact that modern cars are so much more reliable , competent in every road condition, durable...its very easy to put 4-500,000kms on a late model vehicle which requires no major attention in that period. But it can never beat the family packed up in an old Hillman or Vanguard ( new at the time) having to stop every half hour to let the engine cool down, filling up with fuel AND oil. Driving with all the windows down and the quartervent windows turned back in to get maximum air into the car. Tyre Blowouts on a regular basis seemed a good fun excuse to stretch the legs. a 500km road trip would take 12 hours half of which was on unsealed roads with dust forcing you to slow down . Even though it was harder to do it seemed to be so much more ejoyable. Now you just point and shoot in sublime comfort, I think the inside of a modern vehicle is actually a pleasure zone. Back in the NT in the 70's I had a S1 and it had to be driven all the time , was as rough as guts really, dust, dirt , rain, noise, heat , cold found its way into the cab all the time, the seats broke your back but I loved it. Now in the Disco with every conceivable driver comfort, advanced suspension, pleasure zone interior, commanding driving position, superb brakes, hill descent......shall I go on?......yeah I think motoring is a long way ahead......but ....reminisce about the times we had because we approached it differently.

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

But it can never beat the family packed up in an old Hillman or Vanguard ( new at the time) having to stop every half hour to let the engine cool down, filling up with fuel AND oil.

Oi!

Elisabeth and I drove our Hillman from Carnarvon, WA to Sydney in 4 days in 1971 - when the SA side of the Nullabor was still dirt, too. We only had to stop to let ourselves cool down (no aircon and it was summer).

Ron

[QUOTE=Rangier Rover;824193]

Originally Posted by dobbo

You know what they say about blokes driving cars with big bonnets don't you?
A bit like a 4x4 with a big lift

both my landies are standard height