▲ 498 ▼ Americans are paying more than ever for cars. Cheap models are disappearing (edition.cnn.com) submitted 6 months ago by throws_lemy@reddthat.com to c/news@lemmy.world 163 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] LordCrom@lemmy.world 17 points 6 months ago (2 children) I just want a small car I can work on myself. 30 years ago, I could maintain my own car, do some shadetree mechanics... But all cars today are meant to be black boxes. All need proprietary tools and computers to do almost anything. Dear Santa, could I have a 67 camaro. permalink fedilink source hideshow 4 child comments replies: [+] JordanZ@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children) [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] utopiah@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago* (1 child) I have a gearless (fixie) bike since last Summer, I don't even have a manual for it, not do I really need one. Before that I had a fancy e-bike which nobody but the manufacturer could fix. Even bike shops would warn "We can fix the mechanical parts but we don't touch the electronics, if it fails while we fix it, it's on you." and basically saying they would prefer not to fix it. Now my bike is so basic I don't care and I think it's even safer from potential robbers. So... in my own experience, less is more! It's less maintenance, it's less money, it's less temptation for others, and ironically enough in this specific case it's even healthier. I use it everyday, from Sunny spring to rain and snow, it just works. Simplifying is empowering. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago* (1 child) I'm very pro simplifying, but you'll take my freewheel from my cold dead legs. The only part of my bike that I struggle to repair is I still can't true a wheel despite trying many times. Well also a broken frame permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] utopiah@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago Ah, pesky tiny ball bearings but honestly it's not so tricky, mostly patience. Also I did welding workshops so naively confident I could actually make a frame, not a good one though! I'm a bit too lazy for all that though so... now I just ride :D FWIW nobody should use a fixie rather than a freewheel unless they absolutely genuinely want to... because the first moment of inattention initially, being a bump on the road or just a turn they'll fall over the bike. After a few cold sweats though then it becomes automatic again, no thinking, just riding, and it's genuinely fun. permalink fedilink source parent [–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2 points 6 months ago I'll take more complex computers over trying to get KE-Jetronic to run properly any day of the week lol Honestly, things have gotten easier for me with the extra computers. Usually if something electrical is wrong, there's a code for it. Can't blindly trust the code of course, but it's usually a good place to get started when doing diagnostics. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Gathorall@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) Kias just a few years ago were copies of late 90s cars at a price reflecting that and low complexity making them efficient to maintain. Take a Kia now, it's just as expensive as everything else and will be scrapped in 8 years when one of the $2000 proprietary led assemblies fails. permalink fedilink source parent
[+] JordanZ@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children) [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] utopiah@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago* (1 child) I have a gearless (fixie) bike since last Summer, I don't even have a manual for it, not do I really need one. Before that I had a fancy e-bike which nobody but the manufacturer could fix. Even bike shops would warn "We can fix the mechanical parts but we don't touch the electronics, if it fails while we fix it, it's on you." and basically saying they would prefer not to fix it. Now my bike is so basic I don't care and I think it's even safer from potential robbers. So... in my own experience, less is more! It's less maintenance, it's less money, it's less temptation for others, and ironically enough in this specific case it's even healthier. I use it everyday, from Sunny spring to rain and snow, it just works. Simplifying is empowering. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago* (1 child) I'm very pro simplifying, but you'll take my freewheel from my cold dead legs. The only part of my bike that I struggle to repair is I still can't true a wheel despite trying many times. Well also a broken frame permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] utopiah@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago Ah, pesky tiny ball bearings but honestly it's not so tricky, mostly patience. Also I did welding workshops so naively confident I could actually make a frame, not a good one though! I'm a bit too lazy for all that though so... now I just ride :D FWIW nobody should use a fixie rather than a freewheel unless they absolutely genuinely want to... because the first moment of inattention initially, being a bump on the road or just a turn they'll fall over the bike. After a few cold sweats though then it becomes automatic again, no thinking, just riding, and it's genuinely fun. permalink fedilink source parent [–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2 points 6 months ago I'll take more complex computers over trying to get KE-Jetronic to run properly any day of the week lol Honestly, things have gotten easier for me with the extra computers. Usually if something electrical is wrong, there's a code for it. Can't blindly trust the code of course, but it's usually a good place to get started when doing diagnostics. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] utopiah@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago* (1 child) I have a gearless (fixie) bike since last Summer, I don't even have a manual for it, not do I really need one. Before that I had a fancy e-bike which nobody but the manufacturer could fix. Even bike shops would warn "We can fix the mechanical parts but we don't touch the electronics, if it fails while we fix it, it's on you." and basically saying they would prefer not to fix it. Now my bike is so basic I don't care and I think it's even safer from potential robbers. So... in my own experience, less is more! It's less maintenance, it's less money, it's less temptation for others, and ironically enough in this specific case it's even healthier. I use it everyday, from Sunny spring to rain and snow, it just works. Simplifying is empowering. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago* (1 child) I'm very pro simplifying, but you'll take my freewheel from my cold dead legs. The only part of my bike that I struggle to repair is I still can't true a wheel despite trying many times. Well also a broken frame permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] utopiah@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago Ah, pesky tiny ball bearings but honestly it's not so tricky, mostly patience. Also I did welding workshops so naively confident I could actually make a frame, not a good one though! I'm a bit too lazy for all that though so... now I just ride :D FWIW nobody should use a fixie rather than a freewheel unless they absolutely genuinely want to... because the first moment of inattention initially, being a bump on the road or just a turn they'll fall over the bike. After a few cold sweats though then it becomes automatic again, no thinking, just riding, and it's genuinely fun. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago* (1 child) I'm very pro simplifying, but you'll take my freewheel from my cold dead legs. The only part of my bike that I struggle to repair is I still can't true a wheel despite trying many times. Well also a broken frame permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] utopiah@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago Ah, pesky tiny ball bearings but honestly it's not so tricky, mostly patience. Also I did welding workshops so naively confident I could actually make a frame, not a good one though! I'm a bit too lazy for all that though so... now I just ride :D FWIW nobody should use a fixie rather than a freewheel unless they absolutely genuinely want to... because the first moment of inattention initially, being a bump on the road or just a turn they'll fall over the bike. After a few cold sweats though then it becomes automatic again, no thinking, just riding, and it's genuinely fun. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] utopiah@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago Ah, pesky tiny ball bearings but honestly it's not so tricky, mostly patience. Also I did welding workshops so naively confident I could actually make a frame, not a good one though! I'm a bit too lazy for all that though so... now I just ride :D FWIW nobody should use a fixie rather than a freewheel unless they absolutely genuinely want to... because the first moment of inattention initially, being a bump on the road or just a turn they'll fall over the bike. After a few cold sweats though then it becomes automatic again, no thinking, just riding, and it's genuinely fun. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2 points 6 months ago I'll take more complex computers over trying to get KE-Jetronic to run properly any day of the week lol Honestly, things have gotten easier for me with the extra computers. Usually if something electrical is wrong, there's a code for it. Can't blindly trust the code of course, but it's usually a good place to get started when doing diagnostics. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Gathorall@lemmy.world 1 point 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) Kias just a few years ago were copies of late 90s cars at a price reflecting that and low complexity making them efficient to maintain. Take a Kia now, it's just as expensive as everything else and will be scrapped in 8 years when one of the $2000 proprietary led assemblies fails. permalink fedilink source parent