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We are never going back to the days of carbs, mech fuel pumps run off the cam, and standing in the engine bay while working on the car's engine. But what can I buy new or slightly used that isn't a death trap, and can most likely be repaired at home with a decent set of hand tools and a jack if something goes wrong? No removing the front end bodywork to get to a windshield washer pump (Subaru), no jacking the engine off its mounts to get to an alternator (Mazda), no disassembling the engine bay to replace a sensor (VW). And for f**k's sake, no turbo or hybrid anything (Ford).

We are never going back to the days of carbs, mech fuel pumps run off the cam, and standing in the engine bay while working on the car's engine. But what can I buy new or slightly used that isn't a death trap, and can most likely be repaired at home with a decent set of hand tools and a jack if something goes wrong? No removing the front end bodywork to get to a windshield washer pump (Subaru), no jacking the engine off its mounts to get to an alternator (Mazda), no disassembling the engine bay to replace a sensor (VW). And for f**k's sake, no turbo or hybrid anything (Ford).

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[–] • 4 pts

That shit bugs me. What do you mean I have to remove a structural support to change the battery? Wtf?

Or pulling the oil drain plug causes the oil to splatter everywhere off of the suspension arm or frame? The engineers didn't know cars have wheels and suspensions? Wtf?

[–] • 5 pts

It's bad design, that's all it is. To make things easy to work on requires a little thought and a little more money. The car makers are short on both.

[–] • 3 pts

Same with oil filter why do i i have to unscrew it horizontally so oil gets all over my other engine components. Want to change a headlight or air filter? Better remove all these other parts first.

[–] • 1 pt

My massey furgusen has a vertical oil filter because it's designers weren't idiots

[–] • 1 pt

FFS, I had browed a friends car. He had a blinker that was out and lived in a big city. As a "Thank you" I replaced the fing thing for him because he was lazy.

IT TOOK AN HOUR AND I HAD TO REMOVE THE BATTERY. For A damn turning signal. What a POS.

[–] • 0 pt

I assume they have a special oil pan for dealer service shops. I don't think a professional car mechanic would put up with that nonsense.

[–] • 1 pt

Not that that doesn't suck but I got a fumoto oil valve and makes it a lot easier to change the oil, especially if you've got skid plates all over the place.

[–] • 1 pt

Because the dealer sucks the oil out rather than drain it

[–] [deleted] • 1 pt

They're outsourcing all kinds of engineering to Asia, not just software, and it shows.

[–] • 1 pt

Falcon radiator swapover involves infinitely more time and temper tantrums than the four bolts and two hoses and pull on a Holden Commodore....