Flapz was showing me his new work truck the other day. Big Ford King Ranch or whatever it is these days. It had a beautiful brown leather interior. Apparently it can drive and park itself. The gear shifter folds down and a motorized desk surface slides over it when ya want to get your laptop out and burn off some emails and homework during the daily pit stops. It does other miraculous things too. Of course it has tilt steering, electric seats, power windows, yadda yadda yadda.
A part of me was impressed…but I just can’t shut down the snarky bean-counter cortex in my thinkin’ meat. “Can you imagine the electronic hell going on behind that dashboard? Look at all these fripperies that would cost a fortune to repair! Do you really want a truck that drives itself? Do you really want a full blown computer in your truck that ya set up through your cell phone?”
Am I nuts? Or just old and stupid?
Don’t answer that! HAR HAR HAR!!!
and cost more than my house. no thanks.
ReplyDeleteI despise these "road princess" trucks. I want a real work truck, 4x4, standard transmission, bench seat, AM/FM radio, heat, manual windows and door locks. Bring back the corner vent windows. AC is nice on a long trip but not a deal breaker. I beat the hell outta my pickup hauling firewood, hay bales, dirt, rocks and manures. The last thing I need is more electronic gadgets to break!
ReplyDeleteMy current ride is like Highlanders dream. 99 Suburban, crank windows, AM/FM Cassette, it does have electric door locks but no remote. No carpet, just a rubber mat front to back. My daughter found it and used it when the kids were small. I replaced the alternator for them when they were camping at Garner State Park. I replaced the water pump on a visit to Lubbock. (I forgot my travel tool box and had to buy some tools :/). It got wonky, and they quit using it. Found out the passive aggressive security board was intermittent. It's a runner now, with just over 100K miles. Paid $750 and a BBQ pit. I put maybe another $1000 into it with tires, shocks, and such.
ReplyDeleteNext up is a 95 F150. She runs great, but it's radius arm bushing time. I like the older stuff.
I remember a report from a few years ago that listed the top brand cars like BMW and Mercedes that had more service repairs performed than the lower end brands like Hyundai and Kia. The report did go on to claim that the majority of the service repairs on the top brand vehicles had to do with the luxury electronic accessories, rather than mechanical issues.
ReplyDeleteIll let ya in on another wonderful secret. A few years back some major manufacturer decided to change from an oil based wire covering to a soy based wire insulator. Come to find out that soy based wire insulator also attracts hungry critters like mice and squirrels. Good luck.. The new world order will not be orderly. .
ReplyDeleteI just had to rewire a handful of wiring that a rat ate into on my nieces car. Engineering Brilliance. Right on par with changing the bentonite clay kitty litter to some green alternative, sparking the nuclear wasted fire in New Mexico a few years back.
DeleteMy work truck is a 1978 Chevy Silverado. No power windows or door locks. AM-FM cassete and an automaitc transmission. I'm keeping it.
ReplyDeleteAnd it usually IS the "the electronic hell going on behind that dashboard" that goes bad! A new truck with yesterday's minimalist nature and today's better metallurgy and precision would be a DREAM machine!
ReplyDeleteStupid waste of money in my opinion. I'm still driving my 2003 GMC work truck. 4x4 is all I cared about. No fancy crap at all. I did pay to install a nicer radio though. If it gets dinged I don't give a crap.
ReplyDeleteOlder trucks with minimal electronics will be the next big thing. If I had the $$$, I would stockpile them.
ReplyDeleteThat ain't truck.
ReplyDeleteIt's a car with a piece of wasted space at the back end.
Never wanted one and will never own one.
My work truck is a 1993 Dodge Ram 3500 - yes, dual wheels and Cummins engine - 12 valve era. Love that truck and it has been pretty bullet proof for me.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, my "retirement" car has all of the bells and whistles that modern electronics can offer. I don't even want to think about what the main computer would cost to replace.
Yeah, just more expensive shit to break and have to replace. No thanks.
ReplyDelete