Dont you just love the modern car.

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doomy999, Nov 28, 12:07am
$6 a spark plug. I only need 4.
Went do to a sparkplug change and found part of the engine needs stripping to get at it.
Ok went to the shop to ask for a price.
Aprox $350 which includes the more expensive sparkplugs so that they dont need changing so often.
$350 to change a set of sparkyplugs!
Why cant they make them simple like they used to!
Yes yes i know, fuel economy and clean exhaust fumes.
what ever.

Some one please make a simple car so simple people like me can work on them.

harry353, Nov 28, 12:08am
You're just too old. Sorry.

doomy999, Nov 28, 12:13am
Like to see you diagnose and fix yourlate model fuel injected computer controlledwhat ever when it stops on the side of the road in the middle of no where at 2.am!

harry353, Nov 28, 12:14am
68 Firebird.

harry353, Nov 28, 12:14am
Audi R8 never a problem.

bellky, Nov 28, 12:17am
Sucker :)

"Some one please make a simple car so simple people like me can work on them."
They've been making them for years and years ;)

carolyn57, Nov 28, 12:26am
Copy that. you could buy 8 plugs and a heap of gas for $350 and your car wont sound like a gay sewing machine

doomy999, Nov 28, 12:29am
I think you are mistaking my kia with bulky's rotary.

theram1, Nov 28, 12:33am
Does an '83 Corona count as modern!.

bellky, Nov 28, 12:34am
Did someone say rotary!.
http://www.youtube.com/watch!feature=player_embedded&v=5x76jcJtULI
Needs solid mounting but yeah.
Edit: Not mine :)

jason18, Nov 28, 12:37am
Shit those are nice cars. Love the way the engine rocks.

bellky, Nov 28, 12:55am
That'd be one set of plugs and two tanks in a Discovery ;)

mirddes, Nov 28, 1:01am
wheres my hovering space disc!

curlcrown, Nov 28, 1:35am
Some one already is. This is the result.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustan_Ambassador

doomy999, Nov 28, 1:41am
Gee, I hope it drives a damn site better than the old morris oxford

theram1, Nov 28, 1:49am
Have a "bang" on this "number", then you might remember.

mirddes, Nov 28, 1:56am
im not sure i follow.

all i know is with free WIRELESS power being possible since the beginning of last century, petrol has been obsolete since the 1920s

meathead_timaru, Nov 28, 2:02am
Its so rare for that to happen now it's not even a consideration like it was in yesteryear.

However, the law of diminishing returns means that the mid-nineties models are IMHO the best to own for a good mix of cost/benefit. Why anyone would want 8 airbags is beyond me - just how often are they being involved in crashes to make them think all that is necessary and will pay for itself!

doomy999, Nov 28, 2:08am
I actually agree and yes of course you are right, they do hardly break down but when they do you are screwed. But thats not my problem. The problem is that I cant do anything on modern cars with out it having to go in to a grage. And things as simple as changing spark plugs shouldnt have to cost hundreds of dollars.
At some stage I am going to grab an older 70s or 80s toyota sw or similar as a hack. Thats if there are any left when i get around to it that havent got rotaries in them and hacked sawed suspension.

NZTools, Nov 28, 2:39am
It may cost a heap, but you now only need to replace the plugs twice or somethimes 3 times during the cars life.

Sending your car to the shop to have the plugs and points changed every 10,000 ks is fortunately a thing of the past.

My two vehicles have 290,000 and 340,000 ks on the clock, an nither have ever left me stranded on the side of the road.
Sure, if they did break down, re-gapping the non-existent points wont get me going again, but the point is, they dont break down.

Could the same be said for a Morris 8, MkIII cortina or anything with fibre timing gears for instance!

doomy999, Nov 28, 2:46am
"they USUALLY dont break down"
there, fixed for you nztools.

elect70, Nov 28, 2:48am
Spent 40 years messing with carsbut now rather be fishing & only domaintenance or repairson cars as required, dont trust garages these days,so manystilljust rip out & replace expensive parts untilits fixed , didnt matter much in old days . parts were cheap. Plugs ,points,leadsusually fixed it

doomy999, Nov 28, 2:55am
Why would you want to put your car in the garage to do points and plugs!Its so simple!

Every time I go near a garage withamodern car I need to have deep pockets.It's expensive to do anything.
With the old falcons etc with electronic ignition *forget the points* and spark plugs, there is nothing I couldnt do. I could even strip an engine down and rebuild if if I had to.Apart from parts that need machineing of course.
But with the modern engine there is virutally nothing I can do.
you just take one look under the bonnet at the massive tangle of wires and pipes etc and shake your head and go, stuff that. Off to the garage.

There is a hell of a cost saving by doing your own servicing and its not that hard to do. Well it never used to be. and thats my whole point.

I want to work on my own cars. I shouldnt need to be spending a fortune needlessly at garages.I dont want to go near a garage if I can help it.
These days you just dont have a choice.

theram1, Nov 28, 3:15am
Actually, I don't think that I follow.
Free wireless power since early last century!.

NZTools, Nov 28, 3:24am
Sorry, but I dont get it. You are capable of rebuilding an engine, but cant remove an inlet plenum!
Sorry, but it is just nuts and bolts, and not that hard.

The large, complicated wiring loom, still has plugs to connect it to each component, and beneath the smooth "aesthetically pleasing covers there still lies a cylinder block and head with the same if not somewhat refined internal rotating mass as an old falcon donk.

I've stood in front of a nissan 300 ZX twin turbo, quad cam wiring birdsnest of an engine that had to be removed to even begin repairing the waterleaks, and just reminded myself that it is "just nuts and bolts"