There are to indisputable facts that favor the cars from "the old days".
Anybody with little more than a basic understand of mechanics could generally repair whatever went wrong with them himself,and if he didn't know enough or have the tools,he usually had a neighbor that did and would be happy to help him out.
If something major went wrong the typical home mechanic wasn't equipped or capable of fixing in the driveway,like a blown engine or transmission,there were plenty of junk yard around with modern wrecks they could buy the engines or transmissions from,and then do the swap the next weekend,right in their driveway.
Most of the people I know that used to work on their cars are bewildered when they raise the hood of a new one and see all the hoses and wires running all over the place,and realize they can't even SEE the engine.
This includes me. I used to build cars from the ground up,and now I just take them to a pro shop when something needs to be done. It's cheaper to do that than it is to buy all the specialty tools and test equipment needed to repair the new ones.
I'll turn that around from the other direction a bit
@sneakypete ...
I am more a tinker than a mechanic - I fix everything/anything. I especially like fixing weird things no one else would think to mess with. I love fixing smalls... Picking up some old piece of junk at some garage sale and bringing it back to its former working order... An old personal desk fan from the 50s, a jukebox, some ancient farm implement or tool... weird and wider ranging than your average mechanic.
In the course of such a thing, I have a tendency to orient toward folks of a kindred spirit in various fields of endeavor. I have a fair finger on the pulse of such folks.
And I can tell you, it is a dying art. Back when Hector was a pup, it was not uncommon to find a master working out of a fully outfitted shop in some 2 car garage. It was common to find such people. And they were good, seat-of-the-pants folks with an inherent knowledge and a raft of Snap-on or other fine tools in neat rows in multiple cabinets.
Those folks are not represented in society anymore.There are no young kids coming up with that in their blood. My younger son is one such, and he is very rare today. And it is a crying shame.
Back in the day, nearly every guy I knew had a side-hustle that was a labor of love - A shade tree mechanic, a back alley computer guy, some dude that just liked building and fixing go-carts and mini bikes... Anything and everything could be found in those garages out of the way of main street, and all it would take to tap that expertise was showing up with a friendly camaraderie, something to offer in the way of your own ability or specialty, and a cold pack of beer.
Such a far flung wealth of real world knowledge and it is nearly gone. Most kids today can't fix a damn thing they use, and don't have that inbuilt compass leading them to something they love to do. And that is just awful.