Re: [AMC-list] That love/hate thing

[tom jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

Yeah, I totally understand you here! You've got your car into that state
where it's "knowable", meaning you have a good sense of what is at what
state of repair/wear. That's ideal. Sometimes there are big PITA things
(brakes, trans, etc) that are nearly deal killers, but if you stay on top
this early iron can be fantastically reliable. Lube too often! It's not even
the lube, it's the care, looking, poking, checking, you see stuff when
you're under there. Oil doesn't hurt either!

Engine internals basically don't die on trips once they're broken in and no
weirdo problems. Carbs don't die, they deteriorate. Ignitions can drop dead,
but you can carry spare points, cap. Even a horrible front suspension is
"stable". It's stuff like chronic dirty fuel systems, chronically bad
cooling systems, clapped out alternators  hurting batteries, bad cables, etc
that go. When a battery cable gets not-nice, replace it BEFORE it dies, that
sort of thing. I change fan belts every 2, 3 years, I don't check 'em ,I
paint-pen date them and buy new ones.

No matter it seems what I spent on maintaining my two ancient hulks it
always seems half the cost of everyone else's "new" rigs -- monthly
payments, insurance, outrageous operarting costs. Even when Rambler parts
are $50 and mailorder when they used to be $20 and retail, it's STILL far
cheaper to do a tuneup every year than a timing belt+tuneup at 80K miles!
Plus when a Rambler or similar car dies on the side of the road (from one of
the aforementioned annoyances) you can almost ALWYS improvise a fix. Try
that in a 2000's car!

And my cars seem much more fun than an econobox. I rely on two old cars -- I
can take one down for maint; had a coolant leak, turned out to be a cracked
fitting, but I could have the radiator out overnight with no worries about
transpo while I fixed it. It's just a different sort of relationship, that
does require vigilance all the time. The thing about a new ToyoHonda is you
can basically ignore it for 100K miles. It just costs you, is all!



On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 12:01 PM, Bruce Griffis <bruce.griffis@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> Yeah. I think it's not so much of a love/hate thing, as it is an "I
> either have to get serious about it, or use it as a fun car and pick
> up an econobox for the long drives". Frank's advice about longer
> drives make perfect sense - after 30 minutes it's up to temperature.
> If it's fine for 30 minutes, it's fine for the drive. Perhaps I just
> need to take it out and let it stretch it's legs.
>
> However - it does deserve proper care. I either need to show my face
> at a few club meetings and ask questions before or afterwards, so I
> can learn to do it myself, or bring it to a good garage to make sure
> the work I've done is good. Hmmmmm, I'm brewing up 5 gallons of an
> English Pale Ale. Perhaps if I show up at a meeting with a case of Ale
> ...
>
> As far as the squeeks and wipers and letting it warm up and the
> Rambler marking it's territory - I love that. No problem at all.
>
> On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 1:29 PM, Joe Fulton <piper_pa20@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> > Bruce,
> >
> > Your dilemma doesn't sound so much like Love/Hate as Love/Not in Love.
> It's all about what you want from the car.  If you can put up with pumping
> the gas pedal one time to set the choke and letting it sit to warm up for a
> few seconds before hitting the road.  If you can put up with creaks and
> groans and rattles that aren't present in your newer Toy(s).   If you can
> put up with the occasional tendancy for the car to mark it's territory with
> a few oil drips.  If you an put up with windshield wipers that dont' always
> keep wiping when you step on the gas and a radio that doesn't know what FM
> means.
> >
> > Then you may want to just accept that your Rambler is different and enjoy
> the comments you get at the gas pump and the waves you get when you're out
> on the road.
> >
> > And look at it this way.  AMC will never issue a safety recall on your
> Rambler.
> >
> > Joe  Fulton
> >
> > --- On Sat, 10/23/10, Bruce Griffis <bruce.griffis@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
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