Must be getting old
 

I’m consistently amused by many of the comments here, and on other forums, complaining about not having automatic HVAC, steering wheel controls, power seats, poor radio quality, purpose of the soundtube, funny noises and rattles, automatic windows that don’t work, and questions about how to drive a manual transmission. I’ve been a car guy since age 3, learned to drive a manual at age 6 driving my fathers’ MG TD with an unsynchronized first gear, no radio, and plastic flaps for windows. My uncle had a 49 VW beetle with an unsynchronized transmission-called a “crash box” because you had to double clutch every shift. My dad also had a 1950 Mercury coupe with a 3 speed on the column and an overdrive that was engaged by pulling a lever below the steering column. High beams were turned on by a button on the floor that you hit with your foot. Starting procedure was pulling out the choke lever, pumping the accelerator 3 times turning the ignition key and pushing the start button. No air-conditioning, no power windows, and a heater that used a slide lever. Did have an AM radio and a manual antenna and an electric analog clock. Changing oil at 3000 miles because you had to, and lubing all the front end joint zerk joints. Having to change sparkplugs every 10,000 miles or when you flooded the engine and had to take them out to clean. Actually doing, and being able to do, a tune up with new points and condenser and then making sure the timing was right, and cleaning the carburetor jets. Adjusting the valves on his 46 Chevy. Enduring vapor lock when the temperature and engine got too hot-pulling over to the side of the road and lifting the hood to let the engine cool and actually hearing the gas in the carburetor boil. Hearing the engine backfire out the exhaust and through the carburetor. Actually having to change a tire yourself. Always taking a full tool kit, including a hammer, duct tape and bailing wire. Carrying a water bag on the front of the car when we drove through the desert. Having to turn the heater on to get more water through the cooling system when the engine ran hot. Actually having to check the oil at every fill up because sometimes it used oil. No windshield washers and only 2 speed vacuum operated windshield wipers that slowed down if you accelerated. Periodically having to change out those cylindrical glass fuses. Gas was $.19 a gallon at the cheap gas station in the “bad” part of town.

Finally my dad updated and bought a 57 Cadillac Fleetwood. Four speed hydramatic automatic transmission, air conditioning, electric windows and trunk, automatic station seeking radio, electric antenna, and “electric eye” automatic high beam dimmer, and power front seats. 300 horsepower V8 with and automatic choke. We were in heaven.

My how times have changed.:)

I agree this is the whiniest (sp?) forums I've been on in over 10 years. The new generation expect flawless cars apparently. There's a bunch of threads showing off single rock chips!

UGGHH.. Double clutching a V-dub... You just brought back LOTS of nightmarish memories for me.

I'm right there with you on some of the complaints here. The first cars I bought were old VW Beetles, and then my first 'newer' car was a 94 Jeep Wrangler. Talk about lack of amenities.

THAT said, in comparison to most newer vehicles built around creature comforts, and more things that used to be 'add-ons' becoming 'standard equipment' to entice the buyer, the FR-S is a bit of a shock in how bare bones it is. I think its just the juxtaposition of expectation built on what people have grown accustomed to over the last 10 years or so against the reality of the car.

And personal opinion here: I really don't think ANYONE should be learning straight drive in this car.

haha i agree completely. It is humorous to see a daily thread about some tiny annoyance from a car. People go out of their way to make youtube videos about these annoyances to. Im like not only did you complain online about it but you wasted time filming and editing a video to voice your complaints.
My first car was an 1982 Mercedes 300D. I was forced to dump 100 bucks or more a week on parts just to keep it running properly. And the car was in fantastic condition!

There will never be a perfect car..ever.

Here's some chees with your whine.

I'm 16 and I agree about most of these things.

Sure, the automatic HVAC looks better, but is it really worth the extra money? Manual HVAC works just as good. If you're cold turn the heat up, if you're hot in the winter turn it down and in the summer you can use the AC, no AC roll down the windows for a breeze.

Steering wheel controls? Everyone knows that a real drivers' car has nothing but the horn.

Power seats? Only for lazy people. Is it really that hard to position the seat by sliding and tilting for less than a minute? Not to mention how much weight it adds with all the motors inside the seat.

As for manual transmissions... I got the theory down, too bad I don't have a car to try and practice in :( I have a learners' permit (G1 for Ontario) and all I have to drive is a 2003 Camry, throttle response is pretty bad with throttle-by-wire, I prefer cable. Once I learn manual and get my own car for sure I'll be driving manual everytime.

Pays $30,000 for a small sports car.....expects $40,000 car luxuries.

http://i.imgur.com/4fZOq.jpg

By comparison I'm also a member of Jeepforum.com and people there don't tend to complain until the engine is about the explode or there are at least 3 electrical issues. Scratches and rock chips are battle scars and if you want A/C you ask the quickest way to take the top and doors off.

I think the target demographic for the car brings in a lot of first time new car buyers and being an inexpensive sports car has enticed some buyers that haven't yet learned how to control their personal/panic response to the car sliding.

If it's any consolation...I grew up with a grandfather who restores Crosleys...until you've driven a fridge with wheels, you got nothing to complain about...LOL

Ahhh the choke, the good ole 2 stroke days.

Im only 17 and i really dont care about heat seaters, hvac, led, push start button, power seats and all that stuff. My first car was a supra mk3, and I had to constantly fix my car, carry tools with me and etc. There is no super luxury dash/console. I had no HD music, NAV, AC, any of those stuff. Sure I wouldnt mind the FRS, but it bothers me how GT86 has everything while the FRS has nothing. Its the same car isnt it?

I know what you mean, I bought this car because it didnt have all those things, I get so sick of people telling me they have a voice activated gps and they still dont know how to use it. I got this car for the pure driving pleasure. I have a 530i that I got for 68k and its fully loaded with crap that breaks, New keys??? cost me 3000 to replace, computer needed reprogramming for 1500. For 27k I'm really happy with the car/frs. This is my car, wife cant drive a stick, and the kids dont fit.. just me..lol

I know the feeling, I always had a half set of tools in my Cobalt SS and now my truck (94 Ram).

You arent suggesting chokes are for 2 stroke motors only are you?

My first car ever was a 93 Honda Civic. I drove that thing for 25k miles without ever changing the engine oil and it was still running strong. I never knew there was such a thing as engine oil at the time, I thought you only have to fill up gas and go, lol.

Now with those hard lessons learned, I do have some very "minor" complaints going with this car, just simply because you would expect these newer technology and old lessons learned history that would already address these issues. But again, I am just fortunate to not have most of the big issues some of these people are having, but when I do, dont expect me to not complain.

I can point out some few flaws with this car if I want to, starting off with the holes on the underbody being one of them. For a new car, I know I have the right to complain about this, again, old lessons not learned yet? hmm..
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29193

I went to college in a 1976 beige Chevy Nova. The choke didn't work, so my dad hooked up a cable to the choke to a push-pull mechanism on the dashboard. The gas peddle would stick at about 5% so I would have to put my foot under the peddle and pull up every time I wanted to stop. In the winter I had to get the gas peddle and manual choke just right to start the car. It was crazy. Do you guys remember setting your timing using a timing light? Remember Bondo? Remember having to spray stuff into your carb in the winter when it wouldn't start? I restored out 1966 Mustang Convertible with my dad in the mid-80s. Nothing like cutting out rust in a 25 degree garage in upstate NY in January!

My first car I learned on was a 1974 Pontiac Catalina with something like a 400 cubic inch V-8, four barrel carb, and bench seats with only a lap belt. You have not driven a boat until you drive a car like that. Pretty much everything I drove was a POS until I bought a 3 year old 96 Corolla back in 1999.

In 8th grade we tour down and rebuilt a Briggs and Straton lawn mower engine. Pretty cool. I doubt they even teach auto body and mechanical repair in high school anymore.