The Yugo is coming back

[Falcon Ranchero]

1 hour ago, ChrisBcritter said:

In the States it's "Fix It Again Tony".

Don’t forget the forgotten Edsel acronym: Every Day Something Else Leaks

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Don’t forget the forgotten Edsel acronym: Every Day Something Else Leaks

Which, frankly, doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The majority of an Edsel under the skin is Ford, V8 engines being in the FE and MEL families, and the 223 six, with gearboxes and rear ends and most brake parts identical to other Ford lines.

While there were definitely build and and design and engineering and general quality control issues, IIRC the Edsel-specific "Teletouch" automatic transmission shifter was particularly problematic, with the control buttons in the center of the steering wheel. 

Many years after the fact, it's entirely possible to go through an Edsel carefully and end up with a car that's as reliable and easy to operate as anything else of the period...and done right, that's very reliable.

Unfortunately, Ford management badly misread the market, apparently failed to thoroughly develop the car prior to production, and wasn't particularly good with QC on the line.

Edited March 2 by Ace-Garageguy

[LennyB]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Which, frankly, doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The majority of an Edsel under the skin is Ford, V8 engines being in the FE and MEL families, and the 223 six, with gearboxes and rear ends and most brake parts identical to other Ford lines.

While there were definitely build and and design and engineering and general quality control issues, IIRC the Edsel-specific "Teletouch" automatic transmission shifter was particularly problematic, with the control buttons in the center of the steering wheel. 

Many years after the fact, it's entirely possible to go through an Edsel carefully and end up with a car that's as reliable and easy to operate as anything else of the period...and done right, that's very reliable.

Unfortunately, Ford management badly misread the market, apparently failed to thoroughly develop the car prior to production, and wasn't particularly good with QC on the line.

QC at Ford at that time left a lot of room for improvement. The '60 Ford had an abundance of issues when it came out to the point here dealers had to realign doors. Got better towards the end of the production run. Ford seemed to learn it's lesson after that as the '61 was much better put together.

[Tim W. SoCal]

9 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Like Bill has said, it is generally lack of proper regular servicing that lets many cheap cars down.

  Not only inexpensive cars! Unfortunately, most American drivers never understood or respected the amount of maintenance European cars required, especially when compared to American vehicles. Here in SoCal, used Ferrari 308s became fairly affordable and the singles' bar hopping disco guys scooped them up. They couldn't afford, or just refused, to properly maintain them, so they would drive them until the car quit and would leave them on the side of the road. Made me sick... I also saw a bunch of maintenance neglect on Porsche 924s, 928s and quite a few 911s that were bought to impress others, but not to be appreciated.

Edited March 2 by Tim W. SoCal

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, Tim W. SoCal said:

  Not only inexpensive cars! Unfortunately, most American drivers never understood or respected the amount of maintenance European cars required, especially when compared to American vehicles. Here in SoCal, used Ferrari 308s became fairly affordable and the singles' bar hopping disco guys scooped them up. They couldn't afford, or just refused, to properly maintain them, so they would drive them until the car quit and would leave them on the side of the road. Made me sick... I also saw a bunch of maintenance neglect on Porsche 924s, 928s and quite a few 911s that were bought to impress others, but not to be appreciated.

Exactly, sad but very very true.

Many beautiful cars were run into the ground by people who had no clue, and not just 308s and Panteras and Maseratis and Jags when they got cheap.

There was no shortage of American thoroughbreds like Corvettes and GTOs and Trans Ams and Mustangs and Challengers etc. senselessly destroyed or driven to death by (word I can't say here).

Edited March 2 by Ace-Garageguy

[LennyB]

53 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Exactly, sad but very very true.

Many beautiful cars were run into the ground by people who had no clue, and not just 308s and Panteras and Maseratis and Jags when they got cheap.

There was no shortage of American thoroughbreds like Corvettes and GTOs and Trans Ams and Mustangs and Challengers etc. senselessly destroyed or driven to death by (word I can't say here).

And that's why today cars have so much extra BS on them because most people just drive a car until it stops and then call for help. We need warning lights to tell drivers when a tire is low and when to change their oil or a CEL when things aren't kosher under the hood.  How many people actually listen to their car anymore and can tell by ear if it's not running right? Or pay attention to that clunk in the rear because their lug nuts are loose which they don't discover until the wheel falls off (saw two last week). Or wonder what that squealing coming from the brake sensors happens to be. How many drivers actually know how to change a tire. I see people along the side of the road regularly standing with their spare out  waiting for the HELP truck to change it for them. Those that have one that is but that's a whole different story.

Emission systems were created to keep cars running clean, adjust the timing and the fuel ratio for them because most drivers don't have routine maintenance like a tune up done when needed. They don't check fluid levels and air pressures regularly. But then again you go to a dealership for your 20K mile service and it's $900.00 for an oil change, tire rotation and air and cabin filter.  So in a way can you blame them for ignoring these things and just turning the radio up louder.

OK, time to get down from my soap box.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, LennyB said:

...So in a way can you blame them for ignoring these things and just turning the radio up louder...

Ummm...yeah.

I think that anyone who operates as complex and potentially lethal a machine as a car should have at least a basic grasp of how the thing works.

That used to come under the heading of "common knowledge", but not so anymore. (EDIT: Even the frilly little girls in my 6th grade class had to pass the same science tests as I did, including operation of IC engines, jet engines, wings, electric motors, how electricity is generated and distributed, etc.)

Obviously the majority of the "tech savvy" but in reality woefully technically and scientifically ignorant don't agree with me.

But that's OK. Nobody has to.

Just please don't crash into me as a result of your willful refusal to understand physical reality (NOT directed at YOU Lenny, just to be clear).

 

Edited March 2 by Ace-Garageguy

[Bugatti Fan]

Makes sense of that old statement.       'All the gear and no Idea!'