Re: Stop me from buying a car? Probably not.
"the most mediocre current car is more reliable and will last longer than even best Japan could put out in the 1970s"
My '72 Datsun 240Z (Nissan S30, Fairlady Z) has over 400K miles on it, with no more than routine maintenance. She still runs and drives just fine. Likewise, I've been racing her sister, a '72 510, for a long time now without anything but bodywork falling off.
On the otherhand, my Dad has had to junk four medium to high end Japanese sedans in the last dozen years because they fell apart to the point of being not worth repairing according to his insurance company. I gave him a newly restored '65 Mustang Fastback for his 85th birthday and told him to drive the shit out of it.
"Who carries a point contact file or knows how to adjust a distributor vacuum advance these days?"
My dad and I. We replace clutches, shim gears and adjust valves, too :-)
Seriously, it's not exactly rocket science. Having upwards of a dozen computers in one car that do everything and anything, probably up to and including letting you know when it's time to wipe your ass/arse? That is WAY past the ridiculous for a simple transportation device. My way can be repaired by the side of the road with nothing more than a nail file, some chewing gum, bailing wire and a length of tubing. I'm home while you are still waiting on a tow truck.