I’ve always had a stupid pipe dream of building an “analog” car if you will, where there are absolutely zero electronics in the car and it’s just pure road feel. Sounds really stupid and impractical in a modern context but was wondering when was the last time we had truly mechanical cars before electronic assistance became the norm?
Just rent a 1970s Cessna 152s or 172s and do a few laps in the traffic pattern with it. All analogue guages, carbureted engine with direct throttle and direct mixture control.
Even starting the damn thing requires manual priming with fuel. It’s doubly fun if you happen to flood it with too much fuel and having to do a flooded engine start.
Realistic answer would be a Go-Kart built with 2-stroke engines. Your butt is the suspension so you’d feel the road alright.
Yup, flying GA really makes you appreciate the technology in car engines.
Could even go further with a 1930s/40s J3 with no electrical system at all haha
Let’s go the whole way with this and not have power steering or power brakes either. Lotus Seven anyone? Yes please!
Edit: now that I think about it, my old Porsche 914 would also qualify, although it had a rudimentary form of fuel injection.
People are trying so hard to be pedantic without actually reading the question.
An electronic ignition is not “electronic assistance”.
An electronic fuel injector is not “electronic assistance”.
Why don’t you just build a kit car then
I miss cabled throttles, they were so much more responsive. These days you have to spend a grand on a custom dyno tune just program out the throttle lag from fly by wire throttles.
My biggest no-no on the new CTRs
Jeep 4.0 had it through 2006.
Ford lightnings and cobras through 2004.
Vipers had it through 06 at least maybe later.
I think LS motors as well.
go kart
Gonna have a bit of a hard time getting combustion without electronics lol.
You should probably drive an analog car before you start obsessing over building one.
F body camaros have mechanical throttle and an LS V8.
yea this is very stupid and impractical because you are 100% not realizing what it means to have a car with zero electronics.
you would basically have to go back to the very first cars ever made where you started the engine with a hand crank and your head lights were candles in a glass housing.
BMW had purely mechanical ECUs in the 30s, though I think most would prefer computer chips
That is super cool to see
what are you talking about…like 100% no electronics or majority of the car close to such? a 2002 camaro had a cable throttle body…1960’s sports cars had a ton of mechanical aspects minus ignition systems.
Generally…1960’s-1970’s
Pure analog or very direct feel? Carbs (even CV Hitachi, SU or Stombergs) don’t feel as instant as the EFI in 90’s sports cars.
The Lotus Elise S1 is the newest production car I can think that has:
- Mechanical Throttle
- No Brake Servo
- No Power steering
Obviously more focused track cars like Caterhams and Radicals maybe had them for longer.