Will todays cars be working classics in 50+ years time?
Discussion
I was just thinking how you occasionally see cars from 1920's or before on the road. In 50+ years do you think we will see todays cars still running?
Given cars from the 1920's etc are mechanical, you can recreate parts using a lathe,milling machine,CNC machine,etc and in theory keep them going.
Modern cars are full of computers and sensors which once the supplies have dried up are going to be a pig to replace. The chips, boards, etc won't exist and who knows what computer chips will look like in 50+ years.
So are we looking at the possible death of the working classic car?
Given cars from the 1920's etc are mechanical, you can recreate parts using a lathe,milling machine,CNC machine,etc and in theory keep them going.
Modern cars are full of computers and sensors which once the supplies have dried up are going to be a pig to replace. The chips, boards, etc won't exist and who knows what computer chips will look like in 50+ years.
So are we looking at the possible death of the working classic car?
In theory, yes. I can see some modern cars becoming future classics. Although technology will move on, there will be people who would be able to recreate circuit boards, chips, etc. Manufacturing a new camshaft or pistons or so forth for a 1920s Bentley is going to be a specialist operation, not one that Joe Public has access too without enough folding. Same rules will probably apply in 50 years time, as everyone moves on from current tech.
I'm not so sure. Pistons and cam shafts can be removed and measured etc.
Pulling an ECU apart could be problematic, especially if technology moves on to the point your standard components of today no longer exist. If a chip has died your be relying on schematics etc being available to turn out a new one.
Pulling an ECU apart could be problematic, especially if technology moves on to the point your standard components of today no longer exist. If a chip has died your be relying on schematics etc being available to turn out a new one.
ovlov60 said:
IGiven cars from the 1920's etc are mechanical, you can recreate parts using a lathe,milling machine,CNC machine,etc
They didn't have CNC machines in the 1920's, so you're using modern tech to re-create something which was much harder to produce in its time. What makes you think that in 100 years we won't have similar "maker" machines which can pop out electronic components to a spec?mrmr96 said:
They didn't have CNC machines in the 1920's, so you're using modern tech to re-create something which was much harder to produce in its time. What makes you think that in 100 years we won't have similar "maker" machines which can pop out electronic components to a spec?
Perhaps there will be. There is also the software element to it, get the ecu working you need the map etc. It might not be such a bad thing if some cars cant be restored/recovered, daewoo matiz for example.
Wonder how much longer we have got on the petrol front. Does anyone really know?
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