Originally Posted by
foama
We had that decades ago, today it just doesn't cut the cake.
Daihatsu made a diesel version of their very modern overhead cams gasoline 3cylinder 1.0L engine in the late 70's. It was very economical, but never in your life would it meet today's emission standards, no matter what country.
Hey, its 2020, crude pushrod and side-cam engines turned customers away before 1960. Who with a straight mind would buy such trash today?
What about pre-war flat-head engines with side-valves or even sleeve valves, copper DIY head gaskets, lead main bearings, leather clutch or clutch bands like a tin Lizzy, and all the rest made of cast iron? Museums are full of antiques, but I don't want to have to rely on those.
I prefer a modern engine, made of high-pressure die-cast aluminium, overhead cams with variable cam control, four valves per cylinder, a modern ECU with at least 256 stored running conditions, and all the other stuff to make it pass emission tests and make it exceedingly economical, reliable, and last 3 times longer than a typical 1970 engine.