ill take a old disco anytime any day over these plastic expensive toys i love my old cars and fixing and maintaining is a hobby

 

Well, when I had lots of time on my hands I helped rebuild a 1934 Terraplane, that was a big job and parts were very hard to find/make. Mechanical brakes and a hydraulic clutch, I'll take modern technology for driving safely thank you, unfortunately vehicle tech is changing fast and we are all going to have to accept the fact that change is inevitable. My life experience is physics/electronics so the control systems on modern vehicles are sort of understandable, but as far as the average person repairing these machines, that appears to be getting to be nearly impossible, which is too bad. Our society is too much throwaway in so many ways, mainly because we can't easily fix the stuff that we buy, a perfect example is a Fitbit with a dead display but otherwise working. I took it apart but could not get another LED display so had to get an Apple watch for my better half, thus relegating the Fitbit to the landfill (minus the Li-Ion battery). I'm afraid that the situation is going to become even worse with the upcoming EV stampede, incompatible parts, charge technologies and even tire/wheel sizes make owner repairs even more difficult. I have no answers, so I guess we'll all muddle our way through it somehow...

Edit: For a quick look at EV charging standards see https://www.electronicdesign.com/pow...hicle-charging which gives a peek at the time requirements for AC/DC charging

 

When we become a fully EV society in the next two decades, you will see the value of older cars and trucks skyrocket because of their simple reliability, character, and rareness. The EV's will be nothing more than a glorified microwave. When it breaks, toss it and buy another. We are sort of there now. I would even venture to say that EV's will be made to be disposable and have a shelf life. They won't even hide it. It will become the norm to own a vehicle for 5 years and then be expected, even mandated maybe, to trade it in for a new one. Mark my words, it is coming.

 

Well I sure hope that mandated trade-ins don't happen, we don't need to be that much of a throwaway society. When you examine the complete picture of an all electric society it is not as rosy as some would have us believe, where is the mining infrastructure required for the huge increase in lithium and other near exotic materials required for a huge increase in the EV market? Where are the solar, wind and nuclear power plants for the huge increase in electrical power required including efforts (California) to get rid of natural gas cooktops, water heaters and furnaces, especially here in North America where many use natural gas to heat their businesses and homes AND to generate all that electricity? There are a lot of questions and not very many practical answers for the average person, so I'm not selling my oil based energy company shares just yet...

By the way, I really enjoyed helping out with that old Terraplane...

 

My dad owns an old model of Bronco, and he was happy that after years of waiting a new one has been released.

 

I'm confused...the front and rear bumpers on our Dll's are plastic...actually...crappier plastic than most plastics...actually...probably the crappiest plastic of any crappy plastic ever made.

 

What am l saying???...there is no probably about it.

 

Hah! That was us.


We sold one of our LR3's and used it as the down payment on a Bronco Sport and the bride couldn't be happier. She gave up some greenhouse and some interior space but I am really impressed with the Broncette so far and will swapping the remaing LR3 for a Bronco once we decide if I can get away with the 2 door or whether we really need the 4 door.
Roof comes off. Doors come off. Ford has built a better Defender than Land Rover did.

 

side by side LR3 and big Bronco
So that was the Sport, and this is a full size 4 door.
The full size is a beast, looks to be bigger than the LR3, there's a lot I like and some I don't.
I believe some of the ride may be related to the suspension and tires on the one we test drove, but the LR3 has a far superior ride to the bronco. The seating postion is down a bit so not the stadium seating of the LR3, but on a nice day there is no substitute for the top down and LR has completely forgotten about that part.

 

I was really gung ho about the new Bronco but unfortunately it looks like Ford cost saving and incompetence has been at work. After having a 2015 Mustang that would have been a good car but was ruined by poor engineering, I was hoping Ford was just having teething problems with their new direction and 6 models years later things would be sorted. NOPE!

Case in point, they employed an off-road traction control system similar to what Land Rover has been doing for 20 years and unlike Land Rover, it is useless.


Really embarrassing to see a 4runner with a knockoff system make easy work of that obstacle.