[KiloAlpha]

Having read all the comments about tubed tyres, distributors, overheating, reliability, etc., I thought back to the days I used to drive my grandfather's 1974 Ambassador - as a daily driver. You simply have to be an enthusiast to run those temperamental cars. But, having said that, I am an enthusiast so I got the old Ambassador to be more reliable than any of the modern cars my uncles and aunts had
So needless to say, I broadly don't concur with the sentiment expressed so far, about all the things that you all have so far said you are glad to not have any more.

BUT there is just one aspect of yesteryear's cars i really am glad we don't have any more, and that is the lack of safety features. I am so glad for crumple zones, inertia reel seat belts, airbags, ABS, traction control ...
And then, we humans compensate for it by driving like unparalleled idiots!

[Latheesh]

Originally Posted by porsche_guy

Mirrors!

What nonsense

Even recent cars like Tata Nano base variant (CX) did not have LH rear view mirror.

[SR-71]

While all of the above listed problems are gone, the age old sub-par dealership experience, shady services and annoying service centers continue to stick around... is there anyway these problems can go away :-)

[anjan_c2007]

Those old generation cars were no doubt fussy, attention demanding, slightly to more unpredictable (if not cared for) and even sometimes eccentric. But these all came with lots of learning lessons for their owners/users. And if looked after very well these seldom let us down. The toolkits (not those used by outlaws these days) would themselves weigh quite a few kilos.

The first thing in the morning before going on a drive one would have to do compulsorily was to check the engine oil and the radiator water levels. These used to consume engine oil and some oil would also drip drop by drop to the ground during the overnight parking or non use during holidays. Greasing was necessary regularly. And engine oil would have to be changed every 2500 kms (it was SAE 40 grade) and five litre tins with one litre ones for top ups would have to be fetched. I still have quite a few of these that were kept for utilisation but have now become souvenirs. The owners manual would ask owners to change the oil earlier if the car operated under dusty conditions.

I remember one incident from the monsoon of 1978 in Kolkata. It was reported by The Statesman newspaper. A brand new Ambassador Mark 3's owner came complaining to the showroom saying water is trickling during rains into the car's inside through some rubber beadings. The showroom person told him "don't see the body, see the engine."

Also I am recollecting a 1999 quip by someone who was driving an early 20th century car into Bombay. That was a intercontinental vintage driver's team celebrating 100 years of the motor car, from the UK who were driving further away through India.

Times of India, Bombay asked this driver - owner "are you not worried about the problems you could face with your car that may leave you stranded somewhere? "

The driver - owner replied "our old cars are very predictable and we know them in and out like the back of our hands. In fact, our better halves are more unpredictable."

This above retort beautifully summarises our sentiments about the older generation of cars which had a body and soul. The newer ones in most cases lack a soul.

[AYP]

This may not be an outright problem, but I'd like to highlight the tachometer. I have always driven around in cars which have had a tachometer and It's a different kind of fun watching the needle dance to your tunes.

In fact, the tachometer or the lack of it is why I'd get an equivalent Santro or a Tiago over the WagonR 1.2 VXI and a Kwid over the S-Presso and compromise a bit on the engine power.

With that being said, if I was driving in an era where the tachometer was a luxury item, I may have never gotten used to it. As of today, after A/C and power steering, the tachometer is the most important feature for me.

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by SR-71

While all of the above listed problems are gone, the age old sub-par dealership experience, shady services and annoying service centers continue to stick around... is there anyway these problems can go away :-)

Yes, once warranty expires don’t go to the dealership service centre, develop a trusted mechanic for annual servicing, ensure oem parts are still used (you can even buy yourself online).

For newer cars, use the owners manual maintenance section as a strict guide and remove any add ons the service centre adds to jack up their margins. Don’t use pick and drop and take out one day in a year to stand with your car when it’s being serviced, in my experience with different dealers you get better service and less mistakes are made. With all Honda dealers, the SA’s will allow you to stand next to your car provided you ask nicely and quietly observe for the most part. Cheers.

[porsche_guy]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

What nonsense

Even recent cars like Tata Nano base variant (CX) did not have LH rear view mirror.

So did it have drum brakes all around as well, just like the Padmini.

And the Nano was launched in 2008 which does make it a 14 year old car already. So I guess it can be called old

[SS-Traveller]

Old car problems that have bothered me (coming from the Ambassador), and I am so glad not to have any more:

1. No power steering
2. No air conditioning
3. No power windows
4. No central locking
5. No power brake
6. No rpm meter (had retro-fitted one to my petrol Amby in the 1980s)
7. Tubed cross-ply tyres (radial tyres were too expensive back then)
8. Distributors and contact breaker points that needed routine accurate adjusting & cleaning
9. Carburettor jets that needed occasional cleaning
10. Diesel engines that refused to start in mildly cold weather
11. Engine oil that would not last beyond 3000-4000 km

OTOH, I miss certain aspects of car ownership and driving from 30-40 years ago:

1. The fuel prices
2. The driving skills and courtesy of other drivers
3. The camaraderie and friendly attitude of truck drivers
4. The lack of rash and competitive driving
5. The willingness of mechanics to repair and not replace components
6. The acquired knowledge of automotive machinery by people who owned and drove cars
7. The empty roads & highways (most of the times)
8. The rustic dhabas with wholesome fresh food every few km

[Nanolover]

Happy that the below have gone

- pressing down the heavy spring loaded heater glow plug switch for a minute or more ( depending on ambient temperature) before starting my old matador diesel ambassadors and then wait for the oil pressure gauge to climb up to full pressure ( 2 to 4 minute routine every morning before setting off to office)

- pressing down the accelerator pedal and raising the rpm and then pulling the engine off switch on the matador diesel ( tricky if parking on an incline and if you pull the engine stop switch at idel,the vibrations will be so bad as you are literally chocking the diesel engine by cutting off its air supply)

- replacing engine oil and filter every 3000kms

- filling distilled water in the battery every week

- column shifting the non synchro gear box into first

- balancing accelerator and brake pedal on an incline ( half clutch) as ambys never had a functional handbrake

- heavy and poor drum brakes

- functioning air con ,( in the amby it is either ac or engine overheating. You have to choose which you want)

- dim/ dip switch by your feet. Can't imagine the acrobatics necessary if we still had this feature in 2021

- self cancelling indicators

- power steering

[landcruiser123]

My dad keeps telling me about legendary overheating problems on older cars (especially while climbing ghats) and how his first car (the modern '98 Maruti 800) was superior. Never experienced that first hand though

What I don't miss about older cars:
1. Rexine seats (was a disaster during hot summers in our '98 Maruti 800)
2. Tube type tires
3. Lack of rear seat belts/left ORVM (probably specific to India)
4. Cold start trouble in petrol cars without electronic fuel injection
5. Lack of standard AC/power steering (I developed an appreciation for drivers)
6. Low BHP/torque (AC off was boost mode in many cars)
7. Antennas which had to be extended manually
8. Weak headlamps
9. Extremely dark sun film
10. Lack of electrical (or internal stalk) adjustment for ORVMs. Imagine opening your window each time :P

[saket77]

No. 1: Battery and dynamo (charging) problems. With alternators coming in and much better electrical systems now; the old dynamo and cut-outs were a good riddance.

No. 2: Filling water in radiator frequently. One would top Up the radiator with water at every stop on the long highway runs. Also we used to check and top up the radiator with water before every day local runs. The coolant and expansion tank made this a history.

No. 3: Distributor timing adjustment and repeated cleaning of contacts inside the distributor. Now this ignition timing is taken care of by cam shaft position sensor.

No. 4: And the carburettor settings. Everything in top shape but a slightly badly tuned carb or an improper jet size would ruin the entire engine performance. Can’t thank enough MPFi systems.

No. 5: sometimes if our old car, Fiat 1100 D were stranded for long, I used to suck fuel by mouth and put it on the carburettor main Jet so that the car would start easily and without draining the battery too much by using the starter again and again. Electronic fuel pumps solved this issue for once and all.

[V.Narayan]

Statutory Warning: Hate speech ahead.

Oh God! don't get me started.

I won't talk about features that cars have today that the Premier Padmini & Standard Herald did not have. That won't be fair. But let's just talk of what those cars were, what they were supposed to deliver and what they actually delivered in the context of those times.*

Premier, Hindustan Motors and Standard Motors basically ran shoddy industrial units with worse than pathetic engineering standards. Any nostalgic member who wants a debate on this will earn one. Poor materials, almost zero anti-corrosion protection, parts of a brand new car that were unpainted or corroding on day of delivery, spot welding, improper wiring, weak brakes {even for those times} and a rather crappy attitude towards the customer at time of booking, time of delivery and ASS. ASS, what's that. It was not as if Indian companies of the era did not know good engineering. We had Tata, Leyland, Bajaj, Kirloskar, Larsen & Toubro and many others. But our car makers relished the protection from domestic and foreign competition that the license raj gave them and the customer paid for it. A Premier Padmini in 1980 cost Rs 60,000. That is about Rs 12.5 lakhs today. And this in an era when India's per capita income was 7X lower than today in real terms. imagine the pinch the buyer experienced.

So in a nutshell I do not miss the shoddy, third rate manufacturing and worse than third rate customer experience we had to put up with and the awful value for money we had to lump. Maruti changed all that with a bang.

*Drove my Dad's Herald 1978 -85, Uncle's Ambassador 1978-88. My own two Padmini's 1990-2000.

[thanixravindran]

There are plenty I would say.

Some were solved by regulations evolving over a period of time like Safety. Example - Not very recently most cars have the two airbags in the top most version. Now it is a must to sell a car.

Some were solved by technological advancements. Example - Ready made coolants, Direct injection systems.

Some were solved by the maturity of our market. Example - New age features like Air conditioning and several comfort features others have listed here.

For me, safety as option is the biggest problem that is being overcome with each year passing. Though opinion is divided, 6 airbags becoming standard soon is step in the right direction. We no longer have to select variants based on safety.

[Tgo]

Stuff I don’t miss from the bygone era:

-No Central Locking

-Need to lift the door handle and shut a locked door

-Poor ICE installs and jazzy stereo fascias

-Hub caps/wheel caps flying off

-Extending/retracting the antennas manually. Even the rear view mirror requiring a manual adjustment from the outside of the car.

-Poor NVH, lack of insulation

-Zero seat bolstering

-Flimsy (cardboard) door trim. No storage space in them.

-Loose jacks, spare wheels and floor boards

-Fabric seats which somehow caught a lot of sweat and dirt and ended up smelling

-Non retractable seat belts

-Non standard number plate fonts

-Limited seat travel for adjusting the driver’s seat. No adjustment for the passenger.

[airbus]

My father purchased a Maruti Omni in late 1989. Here are few problems that I can think of:

• Did not have a Maruti dealer nearby, had to travel to Guwahati, 400 kms from our place to take delivery.
• No power steering.
• No seat belts. I had retrofitted front seat belts several years later.
• No left ORVM.

I would also have added five months waiting period as a problem, but looking at the current waiting period of some cars, that was much better.