Just thinking how helping strangers push a car was far more common in my youth...

[chazzy2501]

Was talking about old car stuff, When I was a kid my parents and neighbours would get up and start their car before breakfast too make sure it would! (the morning filled with urdurd durd durd's)

 

My mates first car that could have headlights OR windscreen wipers.

 

Some vtuber the couldn't understand the phrase "roll the window down"

 

  

[3s-gtech]

For Gen Y and older, we grew up with our parents having crap cars. Carb fed, rusty, miserable BL and Ford dross that was dependant on a prayer, Easy Start and a knackered battery holding a steady 11.5v.

 

Now - old cars are those made 20 years ago, and they are what is starting to be referred to as 'peak car'. Reliable, simple(ish), well built. This may not last as those fade away...

[MrEprise]

Ford wasn't too bad until they introduced automatic chokes. Stupid bi-metallic strip with a mind of its own. My Dad had bought Mum a 1982 Mk1 Fiesta Ghia so she could travel to work, as for a long time we were a 1 car family.

She had no end of trouble getting it to start that it put her off Fords for a long time, so much so she demanded my Dad's car and Dad ended up with the Fiesta. Mind you, although he had as much issue with it as my Mum, he did persevere with it, at one point cutting out the carb intake pipe to improve the air mixture and eventually fitting a Manual Choke kit to it which improved it no end!

 

Other cars my Parents had in my lifetime were mostly fine as they were driving what Japan had to offer (Subaru Leone GLF and then later a Toyota Carina II) and they were much better at mechanical reliability than the competition, although these unfortunately used to rust badly like most of the competition. Prior to my lifetime it was the miserable BL and Ford dross though at one point Dad had a Simca 1300 which he really liked and was quite reliable. He lost that one unfortunately to beer barrels falling off the back of a lorry and completely smashing up the front end.

[Davit2005]

Could be partly an issue with safety. If you are going to get out of a car to help do not leave your car running and lock it. Also would be fool hardy to get out on a motorway for a live lane, pull over and report the incident to the police, they can inform traffic control to light up warning signs and deal with it.

 

But If safe and I have the opportunity to help I always will as I'm sure others would too and seen others help.

Edited January 9 by Davit2005

[southhamster]

Also old cars were often pretty light. I could bumpstart my old MG Midget by running alongside with the door open , jumping in and putting it in gear and away we went. 

[FN-GM]

On 09/01/2026 at 02:34, MrEprise said:

Ford wasn't too bad until they introduced automatic chokes.

 

I don't know what a choke is and how it works...

[MrEprise]

56 minutes ago, FN-GM said:

 

I don't know what a choke is and how it works...

It's the method of controlling the Fuel/Air mixture into a Carburettor - i.e. it "chokes" the engine of air to allow more fuel or vice versa. Manual chokes are the preferred way of controlling this as you've got more control over keeping the engine idling whereas the Bi-metallic strip "auto" chokes adjust the mix based on how warm the strip got from the engine heat. Unfortunately, some of the strips would warm up and cut the fuel mix a bit prematurely which would result in a engine cutting out and as you then couldn't reset the choke, you'd have to wait a while for the strip to cool down before you could potentially re-start the car.

 

In Dad's case, he found he'd have to pump the accelerator before he could get his Fiesta to start.

[robintech]

On 08/01/2026 at 15:25, 3s-gtech said:

Now - old cars are those made 20 years ago, and they are what is starting to be referred to as 'peak car'. Reliable, simple(ish), well built. This may not last as those fade away...

 

I like the petrol 2010-2014? era , you don't usually get lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking,  LED headlights, and emissions aren't too onerous 

But you do get most of the safety for a crash and some things like Emergency brake assist and Electronic Stability Control are usually standard.

 

[3s-gtech]

Mmmhmm. That's also an era that I've seen some real clangers too, though it's all a scale and varies across brands, models, and engines (that's the period that dips into wet belt Ecoboost and PureTech). Time will tell really.

[Sirbendy]

Early mk3 Fiestas were a PITA....SPi, with a cold start injector to take the place of the choke.  The cold start injector would stick on and flood....

 

I had 2 Maestros, with the stepper motor autochoke.  Good idea, badly executed.  Replaced both with manuals.

 

Good old Skinners Union Carbs with dashpots you had to top up.

Edited January 13 by Sirbendy

[ICTDirect_Joe]

On 12/01/2026 at 11:17, robintech said:

 

I like the petrol 2010-2014? era , you don't usually get lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking,  LED headlights, and emissions aren't too onerous 

But you do get most of the safety for a crash and some things like Emergency brake assist and Electronic Stability Control are usually standard.

 

I absolutely second this. I've recently taken a backwards step and got a 2014 Citigo and it is wonderfully simple. I'm keeping physical buttons and knobs for as long as I'm able to, dumb cars only.

[LeMarchand]

18 hours ago, ICTDirect_Joe said:

I absolutely second this. I've recently taken a backwards step and got a 2014 Citigo and it is wonderfully simple. I'm keeping physical buttons and knobs for as long as I'm able to, dumb cars only.

 

Yep, given the regularity with which when I press something on a touchscreen it fails to register or otherwise doesn't work as expected I'd rather have buttons. I'm sure I read an article suggesting that they were making a comeback. Also a slightly better chance of being able to fix/get fixed without replacing most of the innards of the car.

 

Re push starts, I'm wondering if it's because cars tend to be more reliable and more people have jump leads or battery packs?

[3s-gtech]

There’s been a real push from the public and the motoring press about everyday controls being available with tactile, non-touchscreen controls. Heater, volume control, some adjustments in the cabin. Mk 8 Golf was the most obvious one - VW had to backtrack some controls on the .5 facelift.

 

Manufacturers like putting it all in software because it’s cheaper. When does that ever translate to better?

[MrEprise]

8 minutes ago, 3s-gtech said:

There’s been a real push from the public and the motoring press about everyday controls being available with tactile, non-touchscreen controls. Heater, volume control, some adjustments in the cabin. Mk 8 Golf was the most obvious one - VW had to backtrack some controls on the .5 facelift.

 

Manufacturers like putting it all in software because it’s cheaper. When does that ever translate to better?

How's the saying go: "Buy cheap - buy twice" or something like that? In this case it's manufacturer buys cheap so that the customer ends up getting shot of their fully touchscreen car to buy something better with physical buttons.

[Sirbendy]

2014 Berlingo.  I looked at everything i-Cockpit in the dealership.

 

"Nah.  I want buttons and knobs."

 

Being van/industrial based, Berlingos are less...consumer oriented.  Everything in mine is physical.  Love it.

 

Emissions, well, it's the "Airdream" model...stop/start etc etc.  96k on the DPF and happy, lovely pressure and flow rates. I've just reset the lifetime counter and refilled the EOLYS fluid on it for another 120k of fuss free motoring.

 

That's the thing with PSA group, they set in software the "lifetime" of parts..DPFs, "end of life" at 120k, even if they're fine.  EOLYS usually needs filling by then as well, so you can do that DIY and reset both to zero.  Thats the only software issue that I have to sigh about.  That and the programming of the AMT...second gear holds too long, down to sub 5mph.  Which means you go to give it beans on, say, a rolling low speed start on a roundabout and it flips it's lid, and cuts engine power while it searches for the correct gear for the power.  Then it goes off like  scalded cat.

 

Or it'll hold 6th on a hill, at 15mph and 800rpm, and I have to take over on the paddles.

 

It just makes me laugh..proof that computers are still fallible.