Yet Another Sign That I’m Old

"lone_liberal" (token-liberal)
07/24/2020 at 18:08 • Filed to: None

I had an appointment to get the alignment done on my Camaro this morning. After I had maneuvered everything around and got the car off the dollies and made sure everything was ready to go they called me. The one guy who can do the alignment on that car is on vacation. I was under the impression that doing an alignment on a ‘71 Camaro was as basic as these things get but I guess it now requires a specialist. A specialist to work on a second gen Camaro. I need to lay down.

DISCUSSION (26)

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 18:26

Probably the only one in the shop trained to use an alignment rack.

After replacing everything I did the front end of my e38 with a plumb bob taped to the roundel and a tape measure , and actually nailed it. Mind you toe was the only possible adjustment, but even I was surprised.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 18:29

Don’t remind me, as for me it comes in the form of chiropractic alignment...

lone_liberal > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja:
07/24/2020 at 18:35

I think you’re spot on.

MM54 > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 18:44

It once took a shop 4 hours to align the Chevelle. I didn’t go back there.

lone_liberal > MM54
07/24/2020 at 18:56

I expect some kind of issues because it’s pretty evident that the car has been hit on the front right at some point in its history, but it still shouldn’t take that long to install some shims and adjust some sleeves.

Monkey B > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 19:06

songs from my 20's are now in rotation on the classic rock station...lesigh*

MM54 > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 19:25

Mine was just the guy not having knowledge/ parts. Mid-way through waiting, a truck from the local napa arrived with a box of shims...

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Monkey B
07/24/2020 at 19:30

THIS is what really hits hard for me.

ranwhenparked > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 19:43

I once had to call around to 3 shops to get an alignment done on an '84 Town Car. One refused to work on anything that old, one had a broken rack, and the third did it, but grudgingly - they commented to the effect that it was strange someone would still be driving something that old.

benn454 > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 19:46

It has been 50 years since it was new.

Monkey B > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
07/24/2020 at 19:53

then I remember there weren’t smartphones til my 30's...so I’m gonna call it a win for us. Growing up disconnected sure sounds pretty good th ese days!

lone_liberal > ranwhenparked
07/24/2020 at 19:54

That old! Definitely not Oppo material.

lone_liberal > benn454
07/24/2020 at 19:57

Don’t remind me. **groan**

They did make the same car until 1981, but I guess 40 years old ain’t that much better.

ranwhenparked > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 20:12

Yep, even with fairly new and still fairly common models, its getting harder and harder to get them serviced, let alone get replacement parts. I don’t even think of something from the 1970s as an “old car”, exactly. Its the era of air bags (however rare), 3 point belts, catalytic convertors, primitive engine management computers, crash testing, etc. That’s clearly early modern.

In your case, at least Camaros have a very strong and loyal enthusiast following, so parts are always going to be available. Its crazy how difficult its getting to source replacements for even mundane stuff from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

lone_liberal > ranwhenparked
07/24/2020 at 20:22

The aftermarket and repro support is strong. Not 67-69 strong but solid. The main trick is finding repro parts that don’t suck, because 80% of them do. There are also holes like no one offers an OEM style subframe for some reason. There are plenty of high buck, high performance options but no OEM. I should throw in that 70-73 parts can be scarce because the limited years and lower production numbers. Still much better than most cars of that age, though.

benn454 > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 20:36

Sorry.

I wish I had my dad’s ‘77. Unfortunately, he totaled it before I was born because some trucker decided to make a pass on a two lane road while he was headed to work. He had to swerve off the road to avoi d the oncoming truck and spun out and wrapped the passenger side around a tree. He was lucky to survive.

ranwhenparked > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
07/24/2020 at 20:49

Also, when they do those “reaction videos” of teenagers listening to the songs you listened to in high school, and they mention they grew up with their parents playing them around the house.

Monkey B > benn454
07/24/2020 at 20:49

my pop had a 65 Beetle that got creamed by an air traffic controller on his way to work...drunk. Wish I had it and the 73 AMC Ambassador we had.

benn454 > Monkey B
07/24/2020 at 21:06

Oof. Boy if that doesn't boost your confidence in air travel, I don't know what will.

glemon > lone_liberal
07/24/2020 at 22:31

My thought, but I have to admit I don’t know enough about how they do modern alignments, is the car isn’t in the computer, so the tech has to set it to spec manually, and only one guy knows how to do that in the shop.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > ranwhenparked
07/27/2020 at 11:03

haha yes - but then I also see some with some of the “biggest” “hits” of the early 2000s and teens looking all confused going wtf is this - and I think it’s a good thing our youth didn’t get subjected to THAT abuse. They’ll discover the good stuff when they’re old enough (if they’re cool enough, that is). I’ll be waiting in my NB sneakers by the grill.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Monkey B
07/27/2020 at 17:59

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
07/27/2020 at 17:59

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > lone_liberal
07/27/2020 at 18:02

“I was under the impression that doing an alignment on a ‘71 Camaro was as basic as these things get”

Hey... your Camaro is 2 years older than me!

“ I need to lay down.”

I suggest laying down, turning on the radio and listening to some ‘Fossil 103'

lone_liberal > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
07/27/2020 at 19:07

However, m y Camaro is the same model year as my wife. She has less rust.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > lone_liberal
07/28/2020 at 11:36

But what about rattles and funny noises?