I remember those days...but I also remember getting faulty parts right out of the box back then too.
I once took a Chrysler factory starter back 3 times before I got a good one about 40 years ago.
It’s too easy to think the “good old days” were really that much better. Reality is, they weren’t.
Cars were only built to last 100k miles and most were getting major mechanical work at 50k miles...or less. I was replacing factory rear axle bearings on my Dad’s ‘66 station wagon at 40k miles and had to rebuild the entire front end on my Mom’s ‘64 Dart at around 30 k miles.
Believe what you want...but I have a different perspective based on my experience.