First, I disagree with the premise of your argument. What the argument
fails to do is distinguish what and how the mods are performed, owner
"moditus" and how the car is driven.
But hey, it comes with age. Later on in life, we often make the mistake of
lumping things together in a poor attempt to gain a summation and some
clarity. It's the "its (they are) all alike syndrome". Areas of
discrimination and ability to distinguish are blurred into one happy pile
of conclusion, such as "All mods don't work because ......"
First, what:
There are many parts, some for street, some for strip, etc.. They are
different animals entirely.
Well-designed MILD, stable street mods do last If you use the right parts
for the right application. A 393 mod will generally outlast a 401 mod
because of many factors..generally. Even as fine a selection as the use of
what rings such as super hard ones that may hold up to limited abuse but
reduce longevity, generally. Harder and bigger are not necessarily better
(automotively speaking <grin>). Mixing and matching into what one lister
describes as "1 800 hotrod" is asking for trouble also. Package mods are
generally a little more conservative but they are often well engineered
because of the resources Ford, Edelbrock, Holley, and others have.
How: Not only does it matter what parts, but the careful, often meticulous
installation of such mods. This is critical and often dirty shops, poor
attention to detail, lack of consistency and experience, improper tools,
improper break-in, play crucial rolls in failure. The inability to
distinguish these areas obfuscates any argument.
"Moditus" : When to stop modding, how much modifying and/or speed are
enough??? For example, people into high end hi-fi are constantly working
on their system with various tweaks and upgrades. But to then attribute
this observation to "All high end equipment is faulty" and therefore "my
Sony is better" is faulty logic.
Driven: My Z3 Roadster would lose all dependability if pushed to the limit
on a regular basis even without any mods. Many drivers of modified cars and
some of those with BMW Roadsters have a tendency to push their vehicle too
often, too hard, and result in breaking down and numerous repairs. Drivers
of high performance vehicles tend to drive more often and more "spirited" as
opposed to drivers of Corollas and Tempos. IF the driver does not push the
vehicle to its limits on a regular basis. NO car can survive abuse and
modified or high performance cars are even more sensitive to this. Many
kids and immature adults drive modified or high performance vehicles. D'uh!
To then attribute " All modified cars are undependable, all BMWs and High
performance vehicles are undependable", therefore "my Sable is better" is
once again, poor logic.
The above factors introduce far too many variables to "sum them all up in
one lump". I can just as easily recall many mods being good, dependable
vehicles but EACH of these factors came into play.
The Bricklin came with many design flaws, from the doors, trailing links,
seals, a/c, gas tank, body, instrumentation, heat dissipation (engine and
passenger compartment), weight, the early 74 headlights, etc.., it is barely
driveable under OEM circumstances unless you turn a blind eye, deaf ear,
and lose all your other senses as well. Many consider it a plastic bubble
vehicle or garage queen, and stock, it generally is. The car was plagued
not only with flawed and crude engineering, but subject to poor and
inconsistent parts quality and workmanship. I recall looking at several
Bricks that the owners attested "it runs just fine" only to find my knuckles
white after the test drive concluded. Ah, love is blind. . .
So the questions remains - Can the Bricklin be a dependable, driveable
vehicle that can manage to get out of its own way and not put you in a ditch
or leave you soaked while doing so? Are we pushing the limits of the
vehicle in an attempt to make it a driver? Can we perform these mods and
still conserve the overall vehicle, that is, is it STILL a real Bricklin?
Personal factors play a huge roll in the answer. But then, the above
detailed factors can play an even more significant part in its conclusion.
stephan #2821 (getting off soap box now)
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