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Mr 5 0 · 07-11-2002, 08:31 PM

Unit 5302:

Interesting post bit I think you're a bit too pessimistic about the rapid demise of the gasoline engine - much less the death of the street cars that we all know, drive and love.

Predictions are easy and I have no way to contradict yours except with my own perceptions of what the public wants, what they'll pay for it and how much government intervention will affect the situation.

I do know that in 1950 it was commonly predicted that we would all either be 'driving' cars that basically drove themselves or wizzed around the sky like in a Star Wars movie. Not even close, were they?

Electronics have certainly played a big part in engine development the last 20 years and will continue to do so in the future, that's clear. Whether this extensive use of electronics ends the automobile as we know it any time soon is still questionable.

I read lots of pie-in-the-sky predictions about the 'Car of the Future' in various journals that preclude the modified street car as you described it but most assume a lot, such as costs being feasible. Reliability factors are often ignored in these rosy scenarios, too.

Granted, in 1968, no one saw computers coming and no one saw the ECM becoming the brain of the average car in 20 years so anything is possible but people are still people and change is often resisted so a lot of dire predictions for the end of the gasoline engine don't faze me much, but then, as Dennis Miller used to say: I could be wrong.

One place you are very right is in your assessment of the HP ratings for 1960's Ford V-8 engines being way under-rated, mostly for insurance purposes, as you stated. This isn't arguable and those who do don't know all the facts and just assume that because the HP numbers were gross instead of net, they were wildly inflated. On the contrary. Even with the gross ratings, the HP ratings on the performance Ford engines were always low.

I forgot that the 5.0 SOHC is replacing the 4.6 so that will change things a bit. How much remains to be seen. In any case, I love the 5.0 and always will for many reasons familiar to all who know 5.0's.

The 5.0 pushrod engine will near-disappear in time, as the big blocks did, because they won't be manufactured any more, parts will dry up and folks will 'move on' to other engines to play with.

My prediction: We'll survive - and have fond memories of the mighty (pushrod) 5.0 to bore our grandkids with someday.

07-11-2002, 08:31 PM	#36
Mr 5 0 Conservative Individualist Join Date: May 1997 Location: Wherever I need to be Posts: 7,487	5.0 vs 4.6 Unit 5302: Interesting post bit I think you're a bit too pessimistic about the rapid demise of the gasoline engine - much less the death of the street cars that we all know, drive and love. Predictions are easy and I have no way to contradict yours except with my own perceptions of what the public wants, what they'll pay for it and how much government intervention will affect the situation. I do know that in 1950 it was commonly predicted that we would all either be 'driving' cars that basically drove themselves or wizzed around the sky like in a Star Wars movie. Not even close, were they? Electronics have certainly played a big part in engine development the last 20 years and will continue to do so in the future, that's clear. Whether this extensive use of electronics ends the automobile as we know it any time soon is still questionable. I read lots of pie-in-the-sky predictions about the 'Car of the Future' in various journals that preclude the modified street car as you described it but most assume a lot, such as costs being feasible. Reliability factors are often ignored in these rosy scenarios, too. Granted, in 1968, no one saw computers coming and no one saw the ECM becoming the brain of the average car in 20 years so anything is possible but people are still people and change is often resisted so a lot of dire predictions for the end of the gasoline engine don't faze me much, but then, as Dennis Miller used to say: I could be wrong. One place you are very right is in your assessment of the HP ratings for 1960's Ford V-8 engines being way under-rated, mostly for insurance purposes, as you stated. This isn't arguable and those who do don't know all the facts and just assume that because the HP numbers were gross instead of net, they were wildly inflated. On the contrary. Even with the gross ratings, the HP ratings on the performance Ford engines were always low. I forgot that the 5.0 SOHC is replacing the 4.6 so that will change things a bit. How much remains to be seen. In any case, I love the 5.0 and always will for many reasons familiar to all who know 5.0's. The 5.0 pushrod engine will near-disappear in time, as the big blocks did, because they won't be manufactured any more, parts will dry up and folks will 'move on' to other engines to play with. My prediction: We'll survive - and have fond memories of the mighty (pushrod) 5.0 to bore our grandkids with someday.