Media | Articles
The Reliability of Vintage Cars … Unexpectedly Continued
Two weeks ago, I went into a fair amount of detail about how, although we love our vintage cars, you’re delusional if you think they’re as reliable as anything remotely modern, and if you can’t fix them when they break—which they will when it’s the least convenient moment for them to do so—you’re not going to be happy.
When you write something that strident and opinionated, one of two things is likely to happen: You’re going to be proven absolutely right, or you’re going to be proven completely wrong.
Guess which one of them it was.
The day after I sent that piece in, I got both Lotuses—Lolita the ’74 Europa, and Meghan Markle the ’69 Elan +2—out for a spin after the snow had fallen, the roads had been salted, and a few days of good hard rain had washed it all away. I’d done quite a bit of work on the Elan since its single 20-mile post-inspection drive in mid-November. In addition to the de-mousing, I’d replaced a bad U-joint in one of the rear half-axles, sorted out the loose steering (a bad column bushing and a needed inner tie rod shim), replaced the rear rotors and pads, and addressed a hot-running issue that I’d traced to two hose connections weeping coolant. I first ran the car in ever-widening circles around the block, then pulled it back into the garage to check for coolant leaks. When I was satisfied that I’d nailed the coolant leak, I set out to take it on a short drive on my usual route out Rt. 30 through the adjacent town of Weston with its twisty roads. The +2 still idles poorly, buffets slightly when run below 3000 rpm, and has a few body / suspension thunks and clunks to be sorted out, but the reek of mouse infestation, the clanging from the bad U-joint, the steering play, and the brake pedal pulsation from the warped rear rotors were gone. And the car actually had working, clean-smelling heat. I was livin’ the dream, stealing time in the cold December sun in the beautiful little red car before the weather goes to hell.
All was well until I crossed over the I-95 interchange. There the car stumbled, lost power, then died, literally blocking the on-ramp to the Mass Pike. I got it started and lurched it forward 10 feet into a breakdown lane patch about the size of the car. Then it died and stayed dead.
Marketplace
Buy and sell classics with confidence
First, deep breath. I was maybe two miles from home. I would’ve prefered this happened someplace with less traffic, like on a wide rural road or on some small side street, but at least I was somewhere highly visible and not unsafe. If I needed to call Hagerty Roadside Assistance for a tow home, it would be a hit to my pride, and I’d need to be vigilant about how they winched the fragile little car onto the slide-back ramp, but there would be no other real consequences. I switched the hazards on and put the hood up, but I was keenly aware that I was now “that guy” in a hobbled red expensive-looking vintage sports car on the line between the affluent communities of Newton and Weston. And in winter, no less. Any car folks who saw me were likely thinking, “What idiot would be driving that Lotus this time of year?” Even to non-car folk, the Elan +2 certainly looks like the kind of car you garage before Thanksgiving and roll out Memorial Day weekend.
I checked that all four spark plug wires were attached and that the distributor cap wasn’t askew, but this felt more like a fuel delivery issue than an ignition issue. In general, ignition issues in vintage cars tend to present either as the car suddenly dying completely (coil not being triggered due to points closing up, 12V coil power wire breaking off, or condenser not being grounded), or the engine feeling like it’s not running on all cylinders due to a bad plug wire, whereas fuel delivery issues in carbureted vintage cars tend to make them gradually lose power as the float bowl runs dry.
There’s an adage that if a car feels like it’s running out of gas, it probably is, at least on some level. This car has a retrofitted electric fuel pump in the trunk. I turned the key to ignition-on, popped open the trunk, laid my hands on the pump and the fuel hose, and didn’t feel them pulsing. Voltage is supplied to the pump through a male-female quick-connect flat-blade connector pair often incorrectly referred to as “spade connectors.” While I was sorting the car out in the garage and testing things like the directionals, lights, and blower fan, several times I had the key cracked to ignition-on but had disconnected the coil and unplugged the pair of fuel pump connectors, as I didn’t want these things running while the car was sitting for the stretches during which I was testing. I wondered if in doing this, I hadn’t fully mated these connectors. I separated and then reseated them, and the pump sprung to life and the car restarted. This is about as trivial as a “car died” problem can get. I made a mental note to recheck the connectors and make sure the problem wasn’t a bad crimp, and replace the connector pair with something whose connection is designed to be made and broken repeatedly.
Still, I took it as something of an omen, did not take my pleasure drive through the twisty roads to the west, and instead proceeded straight home. I tucked Ms. Markle back in the garage and went for a short spin in Lolita. When I did, I was struck by the fact that, even with the month of work on the Elan, the Europa is still an obviously better-sorted, better-running car. It starts easily, it idles fine, there’s no low-rpm hesitation, and it’s actually freer of thunks and clunks.
So the prettier car is actually the rattier runner, and the rattier car is actually the better ride and drive. Maybe, while sitting alone and bored in the garage, Lolita and Meghan did a Freaky Friday. Hey, they’ve both got Lucas electricals. Anything’s possible. Who needs reliability when you’ve got Lindsey Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis?
***
Rob’s latest book, The Best Of The Hack Mechanic™: 35 years of hacks, kluges, and assorted automotive mayhem, is available on Amazon here. His other seven books are available here on Amazon, or you can order personally inscribed copies from Rob’s website, www.robsiegel.com.
Find more values
Search for prices of other cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles
Years ago, I recall someone recommending the belt-and-suspenders precaution of soldering a crimped connection, to remove all doubt. Then, unless I’m mistaken, it’s just a matter of confirming the interference fit of the connectors are properly engaged, making contact.
If you have Lindsey and Jamie, I guess I’ll have to settle for Meg Ryan and Nicole Kidman, or was that Naomi Watts and Gal Gadot?
Yeah, I think my Midget is related to Phyllis Diller somehow……
Even on my really old cars I use modern connectors, whether they be Delphi/Aptiv or TE or whatever. No solder, positive locking, weatherproof. Sure doesn’t look like it belongs there, but but I’d rather have a connection out of place under the hood than a car out of place on the side of the road. What’s going on under there with Radio Shack connectors and worm gear clamps on fuel lines is very upsetting to my OCD brain.
What have you got against screw clamps? They are my go-to for everything up to 150 psi.
As long as they are quality clamps, I also tend to use them on all sorts of things. Only crimps on hydraulics of course, but for 4-6 lbs. of fuel line pressure, I think good wormscrew clamps are fine.
Yes, but the key word is “good” wormscrew… Noot the hose grating, sharp edges cheapos.
Not to be too nit picky, but Lotus has designated that plural of Lotus (cars) is, in fact…. Lotus.
https://lotus-library.com/found-in-the-archive-scarab-transporter-2-3/#:~:text=May%2016%2C%202020%20May%2016,that%20said%20'Elan‘).
With apologies to my Utah neighbors, maybe it’d be appropriate to term more than one as a “swarm of Lotus”, to impart how much trouble they seem to be for Rob…
Which happens to stand for Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.
You sounded surprised when you mentioned Lucas electrics. If so why? My MGA 1600, TR4, Healy Sprite and AH 3000 plus my Jag xk120 all suffered under the dark Lord …Lucas. Never again English. I switched to an MBZ 280 SL with no electrical problems since.
You want electrical troubles try a Lamborghini Espada on for size – – -Not a modular connector on the whole car. Mostly those darn “bullet” connectors than are the scourge of early British wiring – and the harness, if you can call it that is a loosely associated bundle of spaghetti of various combinations of body and stripe colours and guages. Each wire has a spot of paint on the connector and a “matching” spot of paint on the switch/device terminal it connects to. With 3 switches in a 6 inch space, each one with 6 wires on it and only a very limited number of colours for the paint spots life can get pretty interesting when re-assembling a 30 year old (somebody elses) project, and troubleshooting gets VERY INTERESTING. I’ll take an old BMC Nini ANY day!!! (and I’ll be getting the “chance” to work on a couple Lotus electrical issues come spring – – –
On the other hand…so as not to denigrate everything Italian (and their accompanying Magneti Marelli electrics), my 1948 Fiat 500B’s wiring system has tiny aluminum tags attached to each wire in the harness–at each end of each wire–with a number printed on the tag. The owners manual has a two page wiring diagram–with separate illustrations for each major junction (ignition switch, generator etc) that identifies each number.
My ’59 Renault 4CV accomplishes the same thing with different colored wires and insulator sleeves–and a centerfold wiring diagram in the owners manual identifying every connection by wire and sleeve color.
Had my Elan +2S die on the way to my parents house for Thanksgiving. I was so piised off about that and the cost of parts (in the 70s) that I yanked the engine out and stuffed a Mazda rotory in it. Took a lot of time and ingenuity but I ended up with a pretty reliable and fast Elan.
I think you could improve your reliability by renaming the car. “Meghan” is a known problem child. :^)
Save those kind of comments for another blog.
When you bring up “Meghan Markle”, you’re looking for comments.
Like hell you are. Keep that stuff out of here, please.
It’s really showing who didn’t read the article. Rob named the car that and says as much up top.
During a smog test that included rollers to check emissions at various speeds, the 911-964 refused to start when the smog lady tried it. I asked her if she had a hammer and she looked at me in shock, and as I was serious, she went into the back of the shop and found one. I got under the car located the proper spot and gave it a couple of light whacks, nothing too hearty. Car immediately roars to life at the turn of the key. I had to explain that when the fuel pump racks up a bunch of miles, the brushes get worn and the springs behind them don’t push as hard, so the brushes get stuck sometimes. A little whack and it was good for the next few months – till I did what I knew was necessary and got a new one. I believe she got an education that day – she’s looked at me with a twinkle in her eyes every time I bring it in for a test since then.
Hey, aren’t you the Tribbles guy? 😉
i drove a red ’70 europa s2 for 3 years during mid-70’s. it had the weber 45dcoe carburetor modification & was quite reliable. i also installed an electric fuel-pump on the bulkhead to deal with vapor-lock during summer. i believe the carb was mounted over the exhaust manifold… parts weren’t difficult to get from the dealer – lotus-northeast in the albany ny area. the europa was absolutely unmanageable in ❄️. but not a problem. used corvairs were available for $200-300. i traded my lotus for a ’66 porsche 911. I really did miss my europa when it was gone… 🙁
I did the same thing with a snowmobile (93 Arctic Cat Cougar–identical to Ann Margrets in Grumpy Old Men-wifes favorite) over the weekend. Instead of heading to the trail after problem ‘remedied’ in the field, headed straight back home for a real checkup. Then took out a newer sled…and it had no brake fluid in the reservoir first stop! Sometimes you just cant win…
Snowmobiles have brakes now? Wow, I’m VERY out of touch on some subjects, I guess!
Do this is chapter two…. I’m not sure what your take away is supposed to be.
1) You have a poorly installed cheap aftermarket fuel pump, that’s not a vintage car issue
2) You’re driving a Lotus, of course your view is that maintenence is hard, drive anything common(i.e. middle class vintage) and you can get most parts locally within a day
3) You have Hagerty for insurance, nothing against them at all, but you absolutely cannot daily drive a car with any collector insurance conpany, it violates their policy terms.
Talk to someone who actually drives a classic daily then write chapter 3
“1) You have a poorly installed cheap aftermarket fuel pump, that’s not a vintage car issue”
Well, it actually kinda is. A high percentage of “vintage cars” are going to have had some modifications done throughout their past lives – including poorly installing cheap aftermarket parts. So if one buys a vintage auto, there is a high percentage chance that they are going to have to deal with such things. You’re saying it’s not Lotus’ fault because they didn’t install that pump, and you’re correct. But the pump was installed at some point on what’s now a vintage car, so that’s reality, which is Rob’s message.
Loved the story about the two Lotus’s. Oops! Two Lotus.
“they’ve both got Lucas electricals. Anything’s possible.” Don’t try to blame this one on Lucas or Lotus. That’s a non-Lotus sourced pump and those are not Lucas connections.
Shouldn’t it be one Lotus, two Loti?
NO! See Chris’s comment above.
If it’s any consolation to you Rob, the pic of both Lotus side by side sure does look sexy, should print a large poster from the pic !!
I noticed an electrical short when the paint on the hood of my 1968 Porsche 912 started to bubble. It was a bright Sunday morning, and I was twisting the car around the empty streets of a new housing development. I quickly stopped and opened the hood. Backdraft! The beautiful powderpuff blue 912 was instantly engulfed in flames. My little fire extinguisher had zero effect. The fire department was on scene in 10 minutes but by then the vehicle’s glass windows were melting. I discovered that the metal of a magnesium vehicle burns. The fire department simply contained the fire to the vehicle. The 912 was left a charred shell and a complete loss. Regretfully, I did not have Hagerty insurance. I now have Hagerty insurance for my new toy.
Man, tough to have to relate that, I’m sure! Sorry for your loss, AJ.
I average 18k miles a year in my 73 Triumph GT6. In Colorado. I also put over 112k miles on my 78 Spitfire 1500 from 2010-19 in Austin, TX. I’ve had lots of other British cars and often whatever I had was my only car. I also relied on those cars to get to races around the country as a pro road racing cyclist.
The only thing I change is to electronic ignition and often an alloy radiator, sometimes thermostatically controlled cooling fans(s).
With all due respect (sincerely meant, as a Triumph owner), no Lotus is a good measure for vintage car reliability. These cars weren’t reliable when they were new.