America Sets a New Record for Old Cars
June 27th, 2012Via: CNBC:
Feel like you’re driving an old car? You’re not alone. In fact, the average age of vehicles in the U.S. has hit a new all-time high. Experian Automotive says the average age of the 245 million vehicles registered in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year was 11 years.
That’s an increase of just over 2 months compared the first quarter of last year.
What’s behind the increase? Part of it is because the recession and sluggish recovery forced many people to put off buying or trading-in for a new or used car. Another factor is the fact cars and trucks are built to run longer. That quality improvement picked up momentum in the early ’90s. Now, many of those cars and trucks are 13 to 22 years old, and yes there are millions of them still on the road.
And this is AFTER hundreds of thousands of cars were permanently taken off the road by the “cash for clunkers” program: http://tinyurl.com/mcqlu6, i.e., one arm of the taxpayer bailout of the auto industry.
I am happy to drive an old car; many advantages including insurance … but the main reason:
Event Data Recorder – Supported Vehicles List!
http://www.rimkus.com/uploads/pdfs/Event_Data_Recorder.pdf
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Systems are now built into the cars to shut them down if a car payment is missed.
Hacker shut down 100 TX cars remotely
Former employee charged with computer breach
Updated: Thursday, 18 Mar 2010, 10:23 AM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 17 Mar 2010, 11:37 AM EDT
http://www.wishtv.com/dpps/news/strange/hacker-shut-down-100-tx-cars-remotely-_3278695
AUSTIN (KXAN) – More than 100 Austin car buyers had their vehicles disabled or triggered to continuously honk after police said a former employee hacked into the company’s account.
Police said the terminated Texas Auto Center employee accessed the computer system to disable the online account that allows the company to deactivate the starters and activate the horns and GPS of many of the vehicles.
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Mandatory U.S tracking technology for 2015 new car models.
What could very well become law beginning in 2015, all new cars in the United States will likely need to be fitted with data-recording devices very similar to the devices currently used in aircraft. The U.S. Senate has already passed a bill that will make the devices a requirement, and the House is expected to approve the bill as well. Section 31406 of Senate Bill 1813 states that mandatory event data recorders must in installed in all cars starting in 2015, and it outlines civil penalties that will be levied against violators.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=322441
My most recent vehicle purchase was done very intentionally. It’s a newer Chevy Tahoe (if 1999 is newer), but compatible with older parts. I just redid the fuel and ignition systems, so they are no longer computerized. That was part necessity, and part “oh my god what a mess”. The transmission and transfer case are next.
The biggest question is “why”. Because I can very easily get replacement parts. Because I know it can take a beating, and run almost forever. Because if I should become unable to fix something (like my arms and legs fell off), every shade-tree mechanic can open the hood, look at it, and know exactly what to do. “Oh, smallblock chevy with a carb, no problem.”
And, with these last few changes, the black box may be accidentally removed. Wires to electronics that are no longer needed (or no longer exist) are coming out.
If you take a peek at what people drive in Cuba, you’ll see what they’ve done, from necessity. With the US trade embargo, they get along quite nicely with 1950’s vehicles. It’s only recently that citizens have been allowed to purchase anything newer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15100697
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Cuba#Automobiles
I’m not sure it’s really great to compare the America’s transportation to a country that’s been economically crippled by the US for decades. It’s basically saying that the US crippled their economy, so they made do. Now the US has crippled it’s own economy, which is something that signing off on abandoning a trade embargo won’t cure.
When visiting Mexico I notice that they are somewhat of a welfare state paid for by the US. They have all the old stuff we do not want: dial phones, old cars, etc… anything that works, but we consider obsolete.