How long do old skool engines have left..?

[John K]

@ Lyonspride... Been ages since you had a good rant..!

 

Have you been at the blue smarties again LOL

[jeff oakley]

Said lots of stuff I tend to agree with!

 

As for classic and kit cars, we as a minority have little power versus the brainwashed consumerist majority. The folk who believe they're saving the environment by buying a new car every 2 years. They too will either be dead against our cars, believing they are dangerous and polluting, OR they'll say "meh, I don't care, it doesn't affect me".

 

The idea of allowing only qualified mechanics to work on cars is one that's probably being pushed by the bosses of the big garage/service chains, car dealerships and of course the automotive manufacturers themselves.

The reason this is being pushed is due to the number of complaints that come from all garages, including main dealers. The likes of the Citizens advice, got together and told the bodies that represent the garages that they were going to raise a super complaint due to the number they see. This comes about when a consumer takes the car in for a repair and feels ripped off. Now with no facts or knowledge most drivers see the car as something they don't want to spend money on. So when they are told they need a clutch and Dual mass flywheel at £1k, they feel cheated, regardless.

So various bodies get involved including the EU who feel the only way is to regulate it. So BS kite marks, and other training bodies all want their version adopted and in the meantime we now see the good garage scheme and others to raise standards and also offer consumers somewhere better than CAB to ask technical questions.

I think we have a long time before too much changes in the UK but you struggle to build or alter anything in many EU countries, Westfield sell a version that has small volume type approval, but it cannot be altered in anyway in France and others.

Whilst we are allowed, our hobby will adapt in the UK, smaller power units will be used, SBD have a new development of the Ford ECO boost, which has an engine block that sits on an A4 piece of paper and from 1600cc they can get 200bhp.

Old skool will still be there for a long time but the future is technically advanced engines

[pistonbroke]

Dont personally know many people who buy new cars at all let alone every two years 

[tisme]

The first engine I took to bits was an old Briggs & Stratton side valve in my dads lawn mower - I learnt a lot ! 

 

Followed then by all the usual ones as I bought and rebuilt cars (Mini 998's, Ford X-Flow, Lotus Twin cams etc). I've coped with most but even on my XE now I get a bit twitchy about the fine tolerances, the torque and stretch one use bolts and the ease with which it can turn into a pile of scrap if something goes wrong.

 

But of course the performance levels have risen at almost unbelievable rates (helped no end by the engineering first seen in the small Japanese bikes with their multi valve screaming motors). The latest developments from the likes of Ford and others with their "eco" engines is indeed impressive, but like the engines in F1 at the moment, they leave me cold in terms of ever wanting to rebuild or "tinker" with one (simply because I suspect unless you have a shed full of high tech electronic and specialist equipment, you can do little other than change the oil  ).

 

In a way should this all matter? - yes i think it does as it will inevitably "dumb down" the generations who used to want to know how things worked and how to fix them (warning: rant coming ) - these days we have a disposable mentality or one that simply isn't bothered how things work - just replace it or "get someone to fix it" - no wonder there are so many wolves out there just waiting to pounce (and that's the price you pay).

 

Projects like the Bloodhound land speed record vehicle http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/ are essential to keep the lights burning on engineering skills and mechanical "enthusiasm" but I feel we will one day view kit cars and "old school" engines (i.e - those you can fix at home with a spanner) in much the same way as we see the veterans on the London to Brighton rally .