With maybe the exception of hydraulic brakes & steering I like direct mechanical connections and the old simple ways. I guess I should say I believe computers are being over used. Our ‘08 Camry has throttle by wire and it sucks do to relayed reaction. The automatic transmission is computerized and sucks with delayed response. 

    Our 1976 GM TH-400 automatic transmission shifted perfectly for the 38 years we had it and it was a 5000 lb v-8 4x4 that was worked hard and put up wet. Computers made fuel injection possible but is only marginally better than a good properly maintained carburetor. I wonder what percentage of modern automotive repair bills caused purely by computer sensors.

   In the old days you could go to any hardware store and get a new key made for a quarter. Now you have to burn five dollars worth of gas to even find a hardware store!  </rant>

Have a good One.. Don S..

  Boomer:

   My first car was built when I was six years old. The "Air Conditioner” vent (open in the photo) was not computer controlled. The Plymouth was also well equipped with a hand throttle, choke, wing windows, a right and a left hood opening and the battery and master brake cylinder were under the floorboard. I traded in when it had about 88,000 miles on it. It would get 24 miles per gallon and gasoline was 17 cents a gallon.

   Brand new it had cost my Uncle $840.00. The sales tax on our (when new) 2008 Camry was twice that much!

BTW… I’m not going to say I’m old but the photo was taken when you were born.

Have a good one.. Don S..

   Those ‘58 Chevy’s were not to popular at the time (no finns) but I almost bought a used ‘58 Nomad wagon. That Nomad would worth a ton today. I bought that ’40 Plymouth when I was 13.5 and drove it from Rock Island Ill. To St. Louis then two months later drove it to Ft. Worth Tx all by myself. A couple of months later when I was 14 I got my first drivers license.

   The most challenging old car to drive was a Ford model T. The three peddles on the floor were not a throttle brake or clutch like modern cars. The throttle and spark advance were on the steering wheel. They didn’t have a water pump or a fuel pump and had an up-draft carburetor.

Have a cool one.. Don S..