Things the car factories did that made no sense to you

[OneWheelPeel]

I've had a bunch, I'm not a Ford guy but I like Mustangs. So the Stangs and one Foxbody Capri were very intentional.
The Crown Vic was a cheap car from a coworker and I really wanted one when all the cops used them, those days were over when I got mine but I needed a new commuter (because one of the Mustangs started to eat a cam!) so fell into it.
I've had two Rancheros because I wanted an El Camino but I can't find them for the same price the Rancheros go for. Other than the very last stang which was an 05 they were all pretty reliable and always ran well. I now have a Maverick and the jury is out on that one, if there were more options in that segment it wouldn't have been my first choice tho.

 

[ckessel]

427FE , 428scj, 429 and I really don’t think anything interchanges.. pretty smart..

Oil and filter.

 

[Kern Dog]

I understand that cars are not built with easy service in mind. They look to build them as fast as they can.
When you have to unbolt the engine crossmember and lower the engine and trans to get access to change spark plugs, you know that ease of future service was not a priority for any automaker.
It is interesting how up until the 1970s, the automakers made noticeable changes to the cars every year. In the mid 70s, cars didn't change much from year to year. Can anyone tell a 1976 Cordoba from a 1978? How about a 1973 Dart from a 1976?
Remember a few years prior, every year had a different grille, headlight trim, taillights, often the entire body looked different.
Fenders for a Charger for example....1967, 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72 were all different. The Aspen/Volare looked almost the same from 1976-80 except the grille. The M body Diplomat/Gran Fury/Fifth Avenue was essentially the same from 1980 to the end in 1989.
The Dodge trucks were basically the same from 1972 to 1993!

 

[Kern Dog]

Bob, the guy I wrote about in this thread:
Friends that you had to let go.

Post # 182.
Anyway, Bob spoke of how a Dodge dealer quoted $1200 to change the spark plugs in his 2019 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi.
Okay, it is not an easy job, there are 16 plugs to do with some obstacles in the way but TWELVE hundred dollars ??

 

[eldubb440]

 

[RemCharger]

Bob, the guy I wrote about in this thread:
Friends that you had to let go.

Post # 182.
Anyway, Bob spoke of how a Dodge dealer quoted $1200 to change the spark plugs in his 2019 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi.
Okay, it is not an easy job, there are 16 plugs to do with some obstacles in the way but TWELVE hundred dollars ??

That's a big number so I had to back- maff it.
And a grain of salt on numbers, but probly a few dollars either way. And people usually leave some important aspect out but anyways here we go;
16 high-end dual iridium ( insert your own cool element here) 16 x 25=400
3hrs labor ( not laboour!! ) x200 =600
1000x 10 % shop supplies =100
Tax? Up here round 10% ish. Not sure if Cali is TX free..
Anyways... that's how they add a number.
For me to do it for a customer likely in the 350- 400 arena.

 

[eldubb440]

tach on the console.......may as well text and drive

 

[toolmanmike]

tach on the console.......may as well text and drive

 

[toolmanmike]

Bob, the guy I wrote about in this thread:
Friends that you had to let go.

Post # 182.
Anyway, Bob spoke of how a Dodge dealer quoted $1200 to change the spark plugs in his 2019 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi.
Okay, it is not an easy job, there are 16 plugs to do with some obstacles in the way but TWELVE hundred dollars ??

AI Overview

The estimated labor time for a 2019 Dodge Ram spark plug replacement is between 2.3 and 3.0 hours, depending on the engine and specific labor time guides used. Factors like engine design, such as a 5.7L V8 or 3.6L V6, and the need to remove other components like ignition coils can affect the total labor time.

3 hours at even $150/hr. and 2 sets of plugs still isn't $1200

 

[Krooser]

I'll never understand why exhaust manifold threads reach into the coolant jackets

Because Chrysler wanted the end exhaust valves to run cooler so they made the coolant passages larger! Great engineering...

 

[RemCharger]

AI Overview

The estimated labor time for a 2019 Dodge Ram spark plug replacement is between 2.3 and 3.0 hours, depending on the engine and specific labor time guides used. Factors like engine design, such as a 5.7L V8 or 3.6L V6, and the need to remove other components like ignition coils can affect the total labor time.

3 hours at even $150/hr. and 2 sets of plugs still isn't $1200

You're trying to shrink- flate the number.. and I agree it's huge. I'm just splashing some dealer- reality at it. Not saying it's " fair" ( read the last part of my post)

I may have done some short changing on the plug estimation , tried to go cheap with rockauto..

 

[Kern Dog]

To me, only an idiot would spend $30 for one spark plug. I use the stock type copper core Champion plugs and they are maybe $5 each.

AI Overview

The estimated labor time for a 2019 Dodge Ram spark plug replacement is between 2.3 and 3.0 hours, depending on the engine and specific labor time guides used. Factors like engine design, such as a 5.7L V8 or 3.6L V6, and the need to remove other components like ignition coils can affect the total labor time.

3 hours at even $150/hr. and 2 sets of plugs still isn't $1200

I can do the spark plugs in my truck in 90 minutes. The longest time was 2 1/2 hours because a friend was over and we got to talking.
The 2009 and newer trucks did have the engine tucked under the cowl a little more than my 2007. That will add time to do but if a professional can't match my time, that is pathetic. Even giving them 2 hours at $200 an hour is $400. $1200 is a rape job.

 

[trishhritz]

Has anyone mentioned how the qtr window assemblies in the 1972 Plymouth Sebring satellites were way over engineered or that the amount of grease used on the window regulators was really, very abundant?

 

[Kern Dog]

I'm not familiar with that. I haven't even taken the quarter windows out of either of my '70 Chargers but I'm told that they are complicated too.

 

[Belvedere408]

View attachment 1928548

They have them on Volvos also, my 92 wagon has them. Maybe it's a European Swedish deal.

 

[toolmanmike]

You're trying to shrink- flate the number.. and I agree it's huge. I'm just splashing some dealer- reality at it. Not saying it's " fair" ( read the last part of my post)

I may have done some short changing on the plug estimation , tried to go cheap with rockauto..
View attachment 1928582

Dealer would charge twice that.

 

[furious70]

You forgot the 351m

It's not worth remembering

 

[ChipinAZ]

It's not worth remembering

I must disagree. My initial college vehicle was a 1978 Ford F-100 that I purchased for a whopping $1,200.00. It was equipped with a 351M 2bbl which ran great. It was smoking a bit on start up and I went to change out the valve stem seals. I took the top end of the motor apart and it looked as if it was covered in dark chocolate. A prior owner had apparently rarely, if ever, changed the oil. They just added more when it got "low". Took me a week of cleaning to get all the crud, dried up oil and carbon off the top end of that 351M. Even with poor or no maintenance it ran like a freight train. Ran even better once it was cleaned up. Owned it for two more months before it was stolen. I bleed Mopar, but I do miss that damn F-100.

With regard to the initial topic of this post, it WAS a bit of a nightmare to get parts for. Most of the parts manuals in the auto part stores didn't list this engine for 1978 in an F-100. I had to look high and low for simple things like a fuel pump or a power steering pump. Had to take lots of incorrect parts back to the stores. It seems like Ford was constantly changing things on their cars and trucks in the '70s. Easy to work on, but really hard to get the correct parts/pieces/etc.