Car Lover's Lament

[MichaelXi]

This is Sad, but Sincere... If you are just here on FJ for "Friends and Repair Tips", you may not "Get It", so spend time reading this only if you consider yourself a Real "Car Lover". Sorry, but this is an Essay, to get an observation off my chest. We can all Pray for Salvation, but in today's Obama-fied "We'll Tell YOU What You Want" climate, it's Looking Ever-Worse for the Car Lover.
Yes, I ramble sometimes, and I Apologize for those with MTV-Patience, but I'll bet that True Car Lovers Won't Mind, and they may have many of their own Memories to add, sparked by my commentary.

I was born in '69, and grew up in a '69 Ford Mustang Coupe, which Dad used for Everything... Many things a "Mustang" was never intended for, such as Hauling a literal ton of Firewood across a snowy field in a utility trailer, rear tires smokin' the entire way out of the field. Hauling Horses? Sure. Making time on Backroads, Definitely. Dad did ALL "Non-Machine-Shop" maintenance himself, excepting an engine rebuild, since I have an Uncle who was a Professional Engine Builder in the Charlotte area.

I worked on that car with him MANY late nights, often failing to hold the flashlight like Dad wanted, or pumping the brake pedal until I thought my legs were going to fail. It was a "REAL" Car, with no "Specialty Fasteners" and it was Reliable. I collected all of the '64-'73 Mustang mags, T-Shirts, etc.. I was a "Fan" starting around age 8. When I was 14, Mom got an '82 Mustang GT which I used when getting my Learner's Permit.
I took possession of the '69 the day of my Junior Prom, after spending the Afternoon with my Dad, Washing and Detailing the car. (It was Cool that he cared). I washed both of them weekly most of the time. Years before, when Dad dropped me off at Elementary School, I remember watching proudly as the right rear tire got all smoky upon Exit from our "Pit-Stop Style" Drop-off point, a'la "Dukes of Hazzard Intro" as Dad merged back into traffic. I also remember forming opinions on "Competition"... esp "Ford vs Chevy". I remember how cool old "Hot Rods" were.

Listening to my Grandfather tell stories of his '63 Ford (Pre-Fastback) which was THE "NASCAR Edition" of the year was a Treat. The "Special Features" List is a Mile Long, but in short, it had a 406ci with (3) 2bbl Holleys, Aluminum Hi-Rise Intake Manifold, a Race Cam with Forged Internals, Dual Valve Springs, Solid Lifters, 11.5-1 Compression, 2"-per tube headers, a Convertible Frame (Stiffer than the Sedan frame), STIFF Springs and Dampers, a truck drive-shaft, and 9" Rear-End. That was ALL "Factory-Ordered", FROM the local Ford Dealer! There's more options there, but that's a start. That car, despite its size, was good for 160+ Mph, and could accelerate fast enough that a passenger couldn't grab $100 bills off of the dash when Grandaddy Stomped it.

In recent years, I've (Like many of you) found myself occasionally watching the Barrett-Jackson Auctions... You know,..... under $5,000 Cobras selling for at least 2 more Zero's than that... $3,000 Mustangs going for $100,000.... and there's so much more... Just SAY the word "Hemi"... (Nevermind that my '87 Mercury Lynx XR-3 with it's 1.9l HO also has Hemispherical heads... ).
Any "Fairly Good" shape '60's Mustang can sell for more than the original price, if not considerably more. I see the "Art-Deco" cars from the '30's, the Beautiful, Distinct Detroit Iron of the '50's, the Eager, Forward, Excited "Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday" days of the '60's, etc... going for HUGE Money... These cars are "Collector's Items". People LOVE them.

Let's Examine what has happened...
IMO, Life for a "Car Lover" before the Post WWII era was mostly "Lust From Afar", as cars were more often than not, considered an "Unaffordable Luxury".
After the War, Incomes were up, and Prices were Down, and cars became more readily available. They were largely bulbous and certainly not "Racy", with the occasional Hot-Rodder exceptions.

Next came the BOOM of the 1950's. Baby-Boomers were becoming teens, "Suburban Sprawl" and "See Your Country via the Interstate system" was happening, and the car manufacturers responded to the wave of "World Development" and Excitement that resulted. American Manufacturers looked to the world of Sci-Fi, with the Big Fins, while looking back to the 30's with the attention to details, only exaggerated, with all sorts of Chrome. Italians started bringing exotic sportscars to the World Arena. (Of course they weren't alone, but This is an Essay... Not a Book. ) Most of Europe did the same, with Europe's smaller roads and cramped cities causing the "Average Family Car" to be smaller than the American equivalent, and the decreased size and weight made for some pretty sporty cars as well.

In the 1960's, American cars were still Large in the early part of the decade, but they were still Proud pieces of work, with their big steel bodies, and interiors that an 8 yr old could walk around in. The "Joy of Driving and Travel" continued, and the Interstate system continued to expand, making "Here-to-There" MUCH more convenient, and where there wasn't an Interstate, people still enjoyed the highways. By the Mid 60's, especially with the Mustang, Falcon, Chevy II, and the Corvair, plus the imported Beetle and some of those European Sportscars, things got more lean and sporty. The Ford Fairlane probably shed half of it's body weight, but was still a strong car, with progressive, "hip", aggressive lines. The Cobra was "Europe gone American" with the Corvette right there with it. Good Lord what Beautiful Pieces of Art. Curves and Angles that crossed Picasso's work with a Beautiful Woman's Sensuality. Pure Sex on Wheels... Ferrari, Jag, Porsche, Alfa Romeo Maserati and many others were there too. Of course, that "Sex" cost about 2/5ths more than the Average car, but they were there, and they were still within reach of an Average GI who had an opportunity to Save his money.
Meanwhile, Japan was getting going with their own adapted designs which were generally influenced by the needs of their confined highway system.

Next, we get to the '70's..... Hmmmmm....
American cars had Grown again, partly due to extravagance/prosperity. More cars had more power....
and Then came the Gas Crunch....

This was the "End" of "The GREAT Days".
Yes, there were still a few hot cars... Just look at the Pantera for proof.
Sadly, they were the exception.
Pinto's and Vega's and Mustang II's became the "Small-car" Norm, and the cars that were Big were REALLY Big, but underpowered, with bodies that had nothing to do with "Sexy" or "Art". Pontiac Catalina anyone? Some of the cars, despite being "a boat", had their appeal, but those were fairly rare. Yes, a '72 Ford LTD Brougham with a 400ci V-8 could be tuned to TORCH the tires, but... well... they were sad days. The 'Vette hit rough times in the Mid '70's, the Cobra was Long Gone,... MOST of the "Cool Cars" were History. Nicely, with American cars, you could STILL Custom-Order most cars with "Heavy Duty" or "Performance" or "Towing" packages which brought the Goodies, but the bodies were still a drag. (No pun intended )
Meanwhile, small Japanese pieces of crap started to infiltrate the American market. It was a slowly growing insurgency by companies who had gleaned ALL of the Manufacturing Knowledge From us, Using it Against us. The Japanese cars were NOT Pretty, Not Hot Performing, simply a Cheap-O alternative to a Pinto. Across the 70's, they developed some Quality Improvement and some Attention to the American desire for Performance and Driving Fun. Yes, Datsun had already gone there a little bit, but "Performance Japanese Imports" were EXTREMELY Rare. Chevy Chevettes were MUCH more common.
It was also during this era that Interstates went from being something which "Tied our Country Together" to being something which "Let Anyone and Everyone Clog the Roadways while completely failing to Enjoy The Drive".

Several things happened in the transition from the Late '70's to the Early '80's, but the Biggest one initially, IMO, was the American car companies observing the growing success of the Japanese companies, and the need to increase market share. Their answer was to design cars to fail shortly after warranty expiration. They became cheaper to produce, more parts were sold, and more American cars were sold, as customers continued with "brand-loyalty", and the thought that, "Maybe I just got a lemon... the next one will be better". Many Americans got tired of that technique, and simultaneously the Japanese cars had gotten MUCH Better in Initial Quality.
Sadly, with Rare Exception, the Japanese designers were without any "Cool Ideas", and most cars became "Vanilla" vehicles which had reasonable wind-resistance as their primary criteria. American companies, trying to catch up to their former imitators, copied those ugly "Vanilla" Design Concepts, with only the Rarest of Exceptions. (Rare Exceptions is becoming a theme here, huh?)
In the Early 1980's the BEST Exception in America was the "Mustang GT vs Camaro Z-28" battle. Many regulations had been relaxed, (Sorry Extreme-Leftists), and in '82, the Mustang GT was actually a Faster car than the 'Vette of that year, though neither was that pretty, and neither will likely be considered a "Collectible Classic", unless it is SUPER-LOW Mileage and in Perfect Shape.
Across the next few years, the Mustang/Camaro battle brought on a new "Competitive War" which helped fuel some Enthusiasm, but it was mostly restricted to those who were either "It MUST be American", or those who simply could not afford the rare Japanese offering that was comparable. Yes, there were other "Hot Ones", such as the Buick V-6 Turbo GNX, but surely you can see that times were lean when compared to the 1970's. Meanwhile, the general populace sank further and further into the land of IJAC. ("It's Just A Car"... for the Newbies... ) In the Early 80's one could still (barely) tell one car from another in the dark, just from a glance at the headlights or taillights. By the end of the decade, that was nearing a virtual end.

By the 1990's, the "Car Lover" was gasping for air. There are those who will read this, and upon reading that last statement, will think, "But, what about...X", but hear me out.
I LOVE my 2001 Focus. I would LOVE an old Fiesta. I'd "Hot-Rod" an old Pinto into a Road-Race machine in an Instant.
Those cars, as well as a handful of "nifty" selections from the '90's are "Fun", "Nifty", and "Cool"...
BUT... They will NEVER be True Classics which Appreciate in Value.
They are Not "Icons of Art + Industry + Personal Joy and Freedom".
MOST cars on the market, size-bracket taken into account, share 98+% of the same body-lines.
Yes, there ARE exceptions, such as the revitalized Corvette but they are so few and far between that it's Saddening.
In the 1950's, Almost ALL cars were "Works of Art", MOST people appreciated them, and with the Rarest Exception, ALL of them (In Good Condition) would command a Much higher price at Auction than what they cost initially, usually true even when allowing for Inflation.
I just don't see that happening with "Modern Cars".
Look at the Honda NSX...
Ever see one go for anything near "Sticker"?
Ferrari... Lotus... Porsche... All "High Dollar" (Actually to the point of near exclusion from my topic), yet none of them Appreciate in Value unless they were some Amazing "Limited Edition".
If Inflation grows Five-Fold in 20 years, (Basically what it did from '72 to '92, approx), can you IMAGINE a 2009 Fusion, with Low miles, selling for $100,000 in 20 years?
I've been pondering... The Newest Shelby Mustangs....
THEY MIGHT be "Collector's Items" in the Future, but their Initial Price is SO Exorbitant with that fact in mind, that the effect is Lost.
$250,000 for one? It might happen in 20 years, BUT, compare the Return to a Cobra that might've optioned out around $6,000 MAX in '66 which sells for over $1,000,000 (with comparable mileage to get that return out of the new Shelby Mustang) now... It's Night and Day.
The "Art and Love" in the Product is Gone.

Nowadays, children might see the "Exotics" and see that "Sex On Wheels" that inspired all of us Car Lovers in our Youth, but the cost makes them unobtainable for ALMOST Everyone. They might work with their Dad on the Focus, and "Get the Bug", but when they're ready to drive ,the "Best Option" that they will be able to afford will be "Nifty and Fun" at Best. Nothing Wrong with "Nifty and Fun", but when compared to the "Art and Sex" of Days-Gone-By, I can only Hang my Head as I see a World without Oil-Changes or Brake-Jobs on the Horizon.

[faster_than_u]

That was a great read. I often sit here and ponder the same things you talked about. I love going to car shows but the only ones that catch my eye these days are 1967 and older, the older the better. Cars today just look so boring compared to the styles of the 20's -60's. In a way it is really saddening to see all of that go down the drain.

[MichaelXi]

Thank You.

[bustonit]

My dream car has always been a Wimbledon white 1969 Mustang Grande with Mangnum 500s. Any V8 and 4spd would do.

[EggYolk_Zetec_ZX3]

Originally Posted by MichaelXi

Thank You.

Very good read... and no... THANK YOU!

I can appreciate everyone's own story of how they became a "car guy/girl" and yours, while a generation ahead of mine, is somewhat similar. While I didn't help dad wrench on a Mustang (dad wanted one, never bought one though), we did have a 1988 Lincoln, MkVII LSC, 1980 911 SC, and he still has a 1995 993... all of which (particularly the 1980 911) we spent long nights on... from oil changes, bleeding brakes, spark plugs, installing an exhaust system, timing chain tensioners, waxing and detailing, and of course like you said... holding that ever important flashlight/trouble light in place so dad could see what in the hell he was doing!

Your timeline of cars was spot on! Again, thanks for the post, and letting me remember the fun/hard times from days past.

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by EggYolk_Zetec_ZX3

Very good read... and no... THANK YOU!
.....

Your timeline of cars was spot on! Again, thanks for the post, and letting me remember the fun/hard times from days past.

I Tried.
I was Inspired.
I HATE typing that much.
Took me a couple hours, and my wife was pissed 'cause she wanted to get on the computer...
I'm sure others can/will add to my timeline, but like I said, it's an "Open Essay", Not a Book.
I'm just passionate on the subject.
I hate seeing manual transmissions disappearing.
I fear that some day, Cars will drive with something akin to a Wii remote. "A Button" For "Go", "B Button" for "Slow", with "B" being a clutch-using Reverse-engines of whatever the "A Button" does.

[MichaelXi]

By the way...
I DID indent my Paragraphs, the board software removed the indentations.

[getn2focus]

Michael, that was a great read. Im 22 and while I don't exactly compare to your age, I understand what you mean. I love cars and always have since I was little. I can't even imagine what the world of cars will bring within the next generations to come. Hell, even cars from the 90's are a vastly more "advanced" than the far simpler and sexier older cars of the 60's and 70's.

I love my 03 SVTF alot, but it's the little things from the older cars I love more. The fact you can build and run an engine from the 60's on just a carb and spark plugs is nice, not having to bother with the ecu or any other electronic piece of bologna that comes with the new age machines.

I love older cars.

[Rockefela]

Originally Posted by MichaelXi

By the way...
I DID indent my Paragraphs, the board software removed the indentations.

Uhh you could still go back and use the "enter" button to make it much more legible. Haven't given it a second to read because it looks like it would be painful.....

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by Rockefela

Uhh you could still go back and use the "enter" button to make it much more legible. Haven't given it a second to read because it looks like it would be painful.....

Sorry.
Will Do.

Duh...
Done.

[Rockefela]

Well.... thats a bit better....

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by Rockefela

Well.... thats a bit better....

Sorry For being a Forum NOOB... FJ was my First, and I've been True to her ever since she took my Web Virginity.

So, Ummm, Read it, Thameth!!!

[CheaperSleeper]

Originally Posted by getn2focus

Michael, that was a great read. Im 22 and while I don't exactly compare to your age, I understand what you mean. I love cars and always have since I was little. I can't even imagine what the world of cars will bring within the next generations to come. Hell, even cars from the 90's are a vastly more "advanced" than the far simpler and sexier older cars of the 60's and 70's.

I love my 03 SVTF alot, but it's the little things from the older cars I love more. The fact you can build and run an engine from the 60's on just a carb and spark plugs is nice, not having to bother with the ecu or any other electronic piece of bologna that comes with the new age machines.

I love older cars.

The cars of the 60s and 70s were junk. They were uncomfortable and unreliable and demanded constant mantainence. Even the cars that had huge amounts of HP were slow compared to the more efficient cars of today. Mostly they were wallowing pieces of junk. While I understand people having an attachment to particular eras of cars, I do not at all believe that those cars were "special"...

Also, the ECU and the electronics, while they may seem like a pain, are much more reliable than the electro mechanical stuff that they replaced.

The thing that I think Michael missed on is that in every time there were throwaway cars. He mentions the best and most interesting of the lot and how they have achieved classic status and compares them to a focus. That is not the comparison to make. He should be comparing the best of other eras with the best of the current era. There will be some collectable cars just as in eras past.

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by CheaperSleeper

The thing that I think Michael missed on is that in every time there were throwaway cars. He mentions the best and most interesting of the lot and how they have achieved classic status and compares them to a focus. That is not the comparison to make. He should be comparing the best of other eras with the best of the current era. There will be some collectable cars just as in eras past.

Of COURSE you're going to look for "What Michael Missed"...

Nah Duh...
You Exaggerate the "Unreliable Junk" of the 60's, (As I said, things declined through the '70's), and One CANNOT Compare "The Best" of "Then vs Now"...
I was NEVER talking about "the BEST, Best, BEST!!!"... I was talking about "In General"... the Cars you could just go buy if you were in the market without HAVING TO be a Rockefeller. I'm glad that you have your idea of what I "Should have Done", BUT, I still ask... without going "Super Exotic", WHAT MODERN CAR is going to be worth More than what you paid for it today 20 years down the road? I mean REALLY More.... Like 1965 Mustang More...?
The PASSION is GONE.
I don't CARE if the Air is Cleaner and my Gas Mileage is doubled... I want the PASSION of the Machine.
My Focus will haul a heck of alot MORE Furniture than Dad's '69 Mustang.
His Mustang would Pull a Stump before I got finished slipping my clutch...
What's your point?
The "BEST" of "Today" is either WAY out of a "Reasonable Person's Price Range", OR it's Junk 15 years down the road... No offense to those who maintain their vehicles, but it Still won't Appreciate in Value like the Artwork of days-gone-by.
Get my point yet?

[MichaelXi]

Check out this page for some "Art".
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4332144

[CheaperSleeper]

Mike, the majority of cars tend to hit their peak ever price when someone who wanted one in HS is now ready in middle age to go find one. When one of the idiots that wanted an SVT focus at 16 gets rich at 45 they will pay good money for one.

[MichaelXi]

Paint it a Light "Dusty Rose" Colour (I don't recall the actual Factory Colour name)...
Damn Straight...

I wasn't born yet, but I'm pretty sure this was the car Grandaddy had, except for the colour and underneath. His was "Hard-Core" off of the Assembly line.
For example...
I didn't mention this above, but the engine was Assembled, Run on a Factory Dyno, then Disassembled and magna-flux'ed (sp?), then reassembled before delivery.
Ask for that NOW....
These days, a "Body-In-White" is the Best you can Hope for from Ford, excepting the Koni-Challenge-type Mustangs, UNLESS you have Mega-Factory Support, and even then, we're not talking "Assembly-line cars".
What Grandaddy had was ordered through the local dealer.
(Silly at first, but overall SAD, ..., long story short, Grandaddy loved "Hot cars". My Dad injured himself one day, and Grandaddy felt that it took too long to get him to the Hospital, so he went to the dealer the next day to get the Hottest thing he could order.... Sadly, this was predicated by the death of a previous child... before seatbelts, he had 2 children by a wife who died before he met my Grandmother... One day they were standing in the floor behind the driver's seat, "messing around with Daddy" and it was late-dusk. A car ahead of them had no rear lighting, and in those days, Late 40's/Early 50's, headlights were quite weak. The car ahead was hauling a trailer of 2x4's... The daughter was decapitated and the son was scalped as boards came through the windshield... The other driver never stopped, and Grandaddy was torn between Bleeding/Dead children and chasing down the man with no rear lighting.
After that, Grandaddy refused to let a vehicle be the element that ever let him down. )
[/Downer]

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by CheaperSleeper

Mike, the majority of cars tend to hit their peak ever price when someone who wanted one in HS is now ready in middle age to go find one. When one of the idiots that wanted an SVT focus at 16 gets rich at 45 they will pay good money for one.

I "mostly" disagree.
There may be a "peak", but it will still be below initial sale price.
15 years from now, nobody will pay $85,000 for a 2004 SVT Focus.

Editing for generosity...
30 years from Now will anyone be paying $85,000 for a 2004 SVT Focus, excepting an Incredibly Low Mileage Museum piece?

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by CheaperSleeper

While I understand people having an attachment to particular eras of cars, I do not at all believe that those cars were "special"...

Not to Insult, but with ALL Due Respect, Don't tell me you're a "Focus-Owning, Nice Guy, O/T-Loving, IJAC"....?

[CheaperSleeper]

In English please...I have no idea what you are trying to say.

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by CheaperSleeper

In English please...I have no idea what you are trying to say.

Which part?
IJAC?

(If that's it, you didn't read closely... )
If that's not it, it's your failure to recognize the "Special" nature of those older "inferior" cars.

[SaucyMuffin]

the car that made me fall in love with cars is the old '69 Daytona

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by SaucyMuffin

the car that made me fall in love with cars is the old '69 Daytona

Charger? Or do you mean the Ford? Or do you mean the Shelby? Or do you mean the Ferrari?

'69 implies Charger, but....

[CheaperSleeper]

Originally Posted by MichaelXi

Which part?
IJAC?

(If that's it, you didn't read closely... )
If that's not it, it's your failure to recognize the "Special" nature of those older "inferior" cars.

OK, my oblique friend...

[MichaelXi]

Originally Posted by CheaperSleeper

OK, my oblique friend...

Oblique? If you wanna play that way, Please Explain WHICH part needs Clarification so that I can help without dragging it out in public...

BTW. You have a PM...