After the apocalypse I would love one of these to run around in.

[BDG]

If it has points, a coil or a condensor, you are in a petrol vehicle and have just about reached the end of the line anyway.

Never discount something because it has an ECU. It really is nothing more than a old mans whinge that 'oh they are all computer and complicated and cannot be fixed'. Sure, ECU's had problems late 1970's / early-mid 1980's. What goes on such cars are the sensors, and if you know your car and have done a bit of research, you will have a good idea of what sensor has gone by the symptoms. Most cars do not have lots of sensors to fail anyway.

Think about it like this - you could go and buy something like a Rover 45 with 80K miles on it for £800, run it for a year, do 12k miles without a service and it will still keep going. Get a decent moggie with say 40K miles on (its going to cost you x5 of the rover) and try doing 12k miles in it without any servicing - the engine will have gone, the wheel bearings gone, the carb will be so far out (and empty of dash pot oil) the engine will not run (even if the lack of oil changes had not killed it)... you get the picture.

Really, the argument that 'to difficult to work on' should be 'do not need to work on as those parts you replaced, emery papered, adjusted and tinkered with simply do not exist'.

When did you last grease bearings on a modern car, or grease points, or have to have a wheel bearing changed?

Look at parts too - sure, I can order stuff from Rimmer Bros for a moggie, an MGB, a TR6 and they have enough parts for me to pretty much build a new car. With a modern, I can go to the dealer, Eurocarparts, the local independent and get the parts. I can get parts from local scrappies (say with the rover, I could get 45 parts off a 400, a 25, a 200, lots of different Honda Civics). I can get tyres designed for the car rather than have to order them.

Really, have something 10 years old, learn how to maintain it, learn what goes on it, get a copy of the dealer manual for the car.

Or be really sensible, buy a non high pressure diesel on a 4wd with a ladder chassis.