bbforks,
I understand your view point very well. There was a time when one could repair any Ford (when Found On the Road Dead) with a pair of pliers and some baling wire or fix a worn fuel pump push rod with a dime too (first car was a '51 Ford and I did) - alway kept a dime, pliers & wire in the trunk along with some aluminum cloths pins for summer fuel vapor lock fixes. But time changes every thing - I spent 4-3/4 years in college to earn a degree in Automotive Engineering & Technology and used to do all my repair/maintenace work on my cars. Tune-up were done w/ a timing light & a dwell/tach. It is almost impossible to change a spark plug today w/o special hand tools. But INMO by and large today's cars and lift trucks are better today than yesterday - those old flat head continetal were good for about 8000 hours, then throw them over the fence - todays engines go 12k and more w/o issue. I have a 1998 Ford Explorer w/ a lot of plastics but with 269,000 miles (it is now my full time vehicle to take my 18' fishing boat to the lake) & only replaced the heater blower fan. But I changed oils and fluids very frequently, like engine oil changes evrey 3k miles - three things I learned while **** off in college was oil is always cheaper than metal, proper maintance does not mean maintaining a full tank of gasoline and always put your tools back in the same spot you find them - each time & every time.