The year is 2030 and will we....

In 2030 will we be restoring the cars from today? Are they too complicated to tear down and rebuild or will it be easier?

I just turned 50 and I am planning ahead;-)

I've wondered the same thing. I could only start w/ Vettes, Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers... I dunno what else tho

It will be the same. They are only complicated the first time or two you work on them. After that you will have the tools and knowledge for the next time. Today I tool the oil pan off an 01 A4. It sucked only because Corry did not tell me that there are 2 bolts you cant see. But must be removed from the pan if you wont it off You need to be able to turn the crank to align the cut out on the flywheel so you can get to the bolts with a 5mm Aleen wrench that has to be at min. 6in long. If you have that info be for you start its an EZ job. I did not. It sucked!!!!!!

The good news is It only needs a new crank and bearings. Anything is better than the timing belt To do the timing belt all you have to do is, stand in front of the car. Look at it,Now every thing that does not look like the front of the eng. Remove until nothing is blocking your vue. Now you can start on the timing belt.

40 years ago, people thought their brand new cars were way too complicated to ever be worked on by the average person.. today, people are restoring cars from the 80's- some people even understand the maze of vacuum hoses that they threw under the hoods of some cars from that era.. cars of today are actually pretty simple to work on- they've really gotten rid of a lot of unnecessary things thanks to the ability to draw and build everything on a computer before making a single part.

IDK, but in 3030 we'll be listening to Deltron Zero

I used to worry about stuff like that..but then saw some guys who've lived with EFI and computers install a Megasquirt on an RX-7 in the Road Atlanta infield over the course of a single weekend (Mitty 2009). A generation brought up with a certain level of technology will understand it. Like GVX said, it's all about what you're used to.

memba this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhNM2K8cmU8

no mention to cars tho

Cars from today are stupid-simple if you have the tools and documentation. If you don't, you are SOL.

The shadetree hackjobs are going away. The guys that can afford several-thousand dollar factory scan tools and understand things like VE tables will be the new go-to guys.

In reply to fasted58:

That was the first place I went, too...

93gsxturbo wrote: Cars from today are stupid-simple if you have the tools and documentation. If you don't, you are SOL. The shadetree hackjobs are going away. The guys that can afford several-thousand dollar factory scan tools and understand things like VE tables will be the new go-to guys.

don't forget about the people that can hack into the oem computers and make a program to allow a common laptop to not only interface with the ecm and output real time data, but also allow them to easily go in and change everything from fuel maps to make corrections for gear ratio changes..

If you think todays cars are complicated, just think about what the "current" ones will be like when ours are being restored in 30 years.

I remember in the '70s that folks thought no one would bother restoring those lowly 6 cylinder engined Mustangs because there were just so many Mustangs around to make it worth bothering with the cheap end of the spectrum. And at the same time, I was in a Ford dealership when a guy tried to get parts for his '50s T-Bird, but couldn't....the dealership (of course) no longer carried them, and re-pro parts were still few and far between.

What I wonder about is will we be able to keep some of today's cars going thanks to government intrusion? I mean, look at how many aftermarket parts suppliers for some models there used to be....and look at how many have gone out of business. And will we be able to afford to restore cars? It's getting harder to start a junkyard, the source for many afffordable / used parts, and the ones that are out there will often crush cars that the operators feel aren't worth keeping around....like obscure foreign makes.

Will the George Jetson thing finally kick in?

By then, Pertronics or someone will have a complete controller that will "hide inside that clunky old computer box, uplink with latest implants, provide real time monitoring and updates. Will even emulate OBD codes for that ultimate retro look."

All progress on cars is met with some trepidation...I remember cleaning out my Grandfathers garage with my dad and there were 3 starter cranks hanging on the wall. I imagine him telling my Dad "Keep your crank handy for when this futuristic crap fails!".

Dad was worried that some tech would make working on cars hard and he let me know that it took him a while to accept such changes as power steering, alternators and "all that vacuum stuff for the government". I remember how his attitude about me changed when I rebuilt my automatic transmission in my 69 Mustang one weekend and drove it to school on Monday. I was 16 years old! Automatic transmission was his "magic box" just as mine is the computer box on my modern cars. Difference is that I accept that it is learnable.

If you accept that it is "too hard" then it will always be too hard whether it is basket weaving or brain surgery!!

I like my greatnephews attitude about stuff like this.....After a day of building a chicken coop, maintaining his 4 wheeler (plug, filters, clean and tire pressure) I asked him if he could play the Ukulele?.... His reply?...."Probably!!" He is 5!

There any many cars from the late 80s and up that are already almost unrestorable (does anyone want to try to restore a BMW 750IL, Audi V8 Quattro, etc? I didnt think so). I think people will be restoring mid to early 80s and older cars as long as they are around (the cars you can actually do a traditional restoration), newer stuff in much smaller amounts, by using used and NOS parts, and then there will be like now a larger number of cars 10 years old or less like there are now that haven't been around long enough to need a huge amount of work. By the late 90s there really were not any cars anymore than could be practically restored like you can with something like a 69 camaro, Alfa GTV, Spitfire, etc.

hmmmmm .... in 2030 I'll be 81... hope I'm still driving though I doubt I'll be restoring much

wbjones wrote: hmmmmm .... in 2030 I'll be 81... hope I'm still driving though I doubt I'll be restoring much

Same age here wb. My Dad stopped driving when he was about 74. His own decision. My Mom about the same age. He had dementia before he died @ 80 and she has severe dementia now @ age 88. You never know what you'll have to face before departing this life. I think I'll have sense enough to stop driving when I no longer feel safe. To give us hope though, I saw a story on the early morning news about a guy who was 100 who: still drove; did his own shopping and cooking; played tennis regularly; and was on his way to Europe for an octogenarion tennis tournament. I seem to recall a certain P.L. Neuman who was still racing in his 70s and drove a sprint car when he was in his late 70 IIRC.

you're right ... I'm probably not remembering correctly but seems that Newman was still racing all the way to 80.... seem to remember his saying that the only thing that really bothered him was approaching 200 mph at night in the rain...

my Mom still drives at 86... Dad was still driving when he died 2 yr ago at 86... it was just about time for him to quit and Mom really doesn't drive well or like to drive, but is really scared the DMV will pull her license a yr from now ... guess my life will take another huge change when that happens

My father is still driving at 90 (tho partly out of necessity) since my Mom can't drive. He gets around okay, it seems, tho I imagine it won't be too much longer before he can't drive, either.

Would you want to restore a car in your '60s and '70s? You may decide you do.

the good thing about cars from the late 90s on up. Rust is almost a non-issue

The year is 2030, and gasoline will be $8/gallon, and think the states are fighting over water rights now, just wait....

Thanx, I was being an optimist

What kind of plans has anybody here made for their elderly parents when they quit driving?

Dad will turn 88 this month, still drives very well, recent cataract surgery, some vision loss at night but he restricts himself to daylight driving only. Physically fit and very active for his age, still rototills and maintains his own garden, up to a cpl yrs ago he cut MY grass... push mower, tractor and trimming just for the exercise.

Mom is 82, doesn't drive, osteoporosis, had a second mini-stroke in January but is sharp now except that she needs a walker. She did OK w/ PT after the hospital stay but has since slacked off. I've tried to get her to walk at the mall to get her strength back and hopefully ditch the walker but all attempts have failed.

They live 5 miles out of town and one or both need to come in town 3-4 times per week for docs, labs, scripts, groceries etc. We had 'the talk' about driving, he knows his limits and is ready to park it when the time comes. I monitor his driving regularly and see no decline in reflexes or ability.

Now my issue: I can't get them to discuss what will happen after he quits driving, their answer: we'll be OK, don't worry. They've relied on my retired cousin for rides before but she has her hands full caring for my 90 y/o aunt, neighbors are pretty much out of the question, public transportation is limited in that area (especially for handicapped patients). I have a flexible schedule right now and provide when necessary but I'm currently looking for work out of town which would severely limit my ability to provide. It's getting to the point of driving me nuts just winging it w/o any kind of future plans.

Anybody dealt w/ this?

All advice is highly appreciated.

I'm baffled

You really should start all you said as a new thread. This has been talked about before. But, start a new thread and you'll get more first-hand advice.

triumph5 wrote: You really should start all you said as a new thread. This has been talked about before. But, start a new thread and you'll get more first-hand advice.

Thnx, I may just do so... w/ the disclaimer of... I know it's all been discussed here before