Design Philosophies

[18Fiatsandcounting]

(I posted here because my discussion isn't so much technical as just curiosity.)

For the past few weeks, I've been taking a break from working on my '69 and '71 spiders and I've spent some time on my '69 Chevy C10 inline 6 pickup truck (known as "Zeke the Deep Breather"). I have done virtually nothing to it since I bought it for $100 in 1992, so Ol' Zeke was really feeling unloved. The truck ran, not well, but it did run. However, so far, I have found:

1. The battery is from 2009 (from the date stamp).
2. The battery cable was only loosely connected to the starter (the nut was loose enough to unscrew by hand).
3. A few of the intake manifold bolts were only hand tight, so there was likely a vacuum leak.
4. One of the pushrods was broken (snapped in half), so that cylinder wasn't working.
5. Another pushrod had its rocker arm hanging loose, so there's another cylinder that wasn't working.
6. Last oil change was probably 5 years ago.
7. The radiator was down by about a gallon in coolant (or whatever the liquid was at this point).
8. The wrong spark plugs were installed (wrong heat range).
9. Ignition point gap was way off, and likely timing as well.
10. The last gas fill up was in early 2017 (I keep a record since the gas gauge doesn't work).
11. There's more, but you get the idea.

So, my point is NOT to get into a discussion of Fiat vs. Chevy, but I admit to being amazed that this truck not only started, but continued to run (for the most part) for all these years. I wouldn't try to tow a trailer with it, but for occasional trips to the dump or the like, it lumbered around well enough.

My impression is that this '69 Chevy is way overbuilt in many aspects, so that drivetrain components can be almost to the point of failure and yet the system still works. The design is simple, crude, heavy, but remarkably robust in terms of durability. I can only imagine that if my Fiats had even a few of the problems in the list above, they likely wouldn't run. Again, not a discussion of one design is better than the other, just an observation.

Thoughts?
-Bryan

[Nanonevol]

Someone should report you to the DAS (Dept. of automotive Service) for auto abuse.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Someone should report you to the DAS (Dept. of automotive Service) for auto abuse.

Hah! Right you are, and if it helps my case and gets me a lighter sentence, my other car is a '93 Jag XJ6 that is in pristine condition, inside and out.

-Bryan

[Nanonevol]

We'll suspend your sentence and give you probation.
Change your oil and filter on all your vehicles regularly and keep them washed and clean for the next 2 years.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

We'll suspend your sentence and give you probation.
Change your oil and filter on all your vehicles regularly and keep them washed and clean for the next 2 years.

Thank you, Kind Sir! I promise to behave myself when it comes to Ol' Zeke, and I just finished redoing all the connections and switches in the electrical system, so he's feeling some love these days. Now everything electrical works as it should. Oh, Happy Day!

-Bryan

[riverdadd]

had a 70 chevy c10 step side. lifter quit pushing oil up the pushrod. it wore a perfect circle in the rocker arm. that truck would take anything i could dish out. ( wish i had kept it).... let a fiat go down a cylinder, and you will notice it immediately.....

hurry Spring, hurry........ i need to drop the top!!!

[18Fiatsandcounting]

As I mentioned in my original post, I'm not taking sides of Fiat vs. Chevy, just noting the differences. It appears (based on some faded lettering on the sides) that the truck was used by a sheet metal contractor in the Los Angeles area. There isn't a square foot of exterior that doesn't have a dent in it, many more things were broken than in my original list above, and based on the wear in the paint job, it sat outside for much of its life. Based on the wear in the pivots of the clutch linkage rod, this truck appears to have had a LOT of miles. Several hundred thousand wouldn't be out of the question.

In short, this truck appears to have had a very hard life before I bought it, and yet it continued to run. And it doesn't even burn oil to any real extent.

-Bryan