the relics of more than 40 years

Every crisis has a iconic photography. One of those that summarizes resistance in the face of adversity. Images that show the light at the end of the tunnel, that remind us that there is hope.

With social networks almost omnipresent in our daily lives, the DANA from Valencia has filled our smartphones and televisions with moving images and videos. It is very likely that images like that of the thousands of volunteers crossing the bridge that separates the city from ground zero will remain forever in our collective imagination.

They will be accompanied by others such as neighborhood patrols organizing cleaning tasks or signs of encouragement and support. And, also because of its iconic nature, the video of a Mercedes W123 muddy up to the roof but circulating as if a historic flood had not passed over it.

It is not the only case. In the last few days we have seen classics that start walking, that start again despite the water and mud. Classics that leave behind much newer vehicles and that, one might think, are much better prepared for these circumstances.

How is it possible?

The damn electronics

In addition to the famous Mercedes W123 that went viral, other classic vehicles have resisted the Valencian DANA when no one expected it. They have been seen in images of Seat 600, a Mini and the owner of a Land Rover Santana Begging them not to move the car so we can repair whatever was needed.

The reasons why cars with half a century of life have resisted better than modern vehicles, which will total more than 100,000 affected units and it is believed that the majority are irrecoverable, is simple: electronics.

Electronics have brought great advantages to the automotive world. Right now we have in our hands the most advanced and sophisticated vehicles in history. To give us an idea, a car can add more than 40 kg of cables. An amount that could reach five kilometers in length if we spread them on the ground. Volume has grown significantly in just five years.

In Europe, furthermore, safety regulations have increased the importance of electronics. At this time, any car sold in our market must have emergency braking, a reversing camera, and a fatigue detector in its basic equipment, among other ADAS driver assistance systems.

Leaving aside the most obvious (cameras, sensors, 5G connectivity…), to all of the above we must add complex systems and components in the mechanics of the vehicle. Cylinder disconnection, variable compression, intelligent fuel injection or the ECU are essential elements to reduce consumption and polluting emissions in the approval exams.

Classic vehicles lack these systems. Its mechanics are much simpler but also much more robust. It is no coincidence that Toyota manufactures the same models in Gibraltar as in the 70s to dedicate them to humanitarian aid work.

This absence of electronic components prevents classic vehicles from suffering from short circuits or sensors reporting countless mistakes that prevent the car from starting and, of course, its good performance. All this allows that, once a garage has been emptied and with much of the water evaporated, the car can start running again.

In ABCpoint out different ways to act depending on the degree of impact on the water that the vehicle has had. They recommend, for example, paying special attention to drying the radiators or exhaust and, above all, not trying to start the car if the water has reached the upper half of the vehicle.

Furthermore, we cannot ignore that in a modern car, full of screens and all kinds of electronic components in the cabin, if water has penetrated it it is difficult to think that the car can survive and that the repair will compensate the money they can give us for it with the market value of the car.

With everything, from the Spanish Automobile Scrapping and Recycling Association (AEDRA) They remembered that it is one thing for a classic car to work punctually and another for it to be a guarantee for the future. Even if it starts and can move, it is essential to thoroughly check all of its mechanics as water and mud can penetrate the cylinders, collapse the injection systems or cause rust in the body if it is not treated in time.

Of course, the survival of these specific cars will be marked by the level of water that has been reached in the garage where they have been stored and that they have not been dragged by the current, which makes it impossible for them to collide with other vehicles or structures.

Photo | National Police

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