[oldE]

I can certainly attest to the build quality (or lack thereof ) in the late '60s and '70s. I remember going into the back shop of a GM dealer and seeing the inside driver's door panel removed. The mechanic working on this Buick said they had to go over every car they sold to make sure windows worked, latches were hooked up and nothing was going to fall off.
The old cliche of "Monday car" or "Friday cars" had more than a bit of truth in the bad old days.
A cousin of mine got two new motors from Pontiac because the drilled out oil passages of the 455 cu in. had not had the metal shavings removed. Within a few thousand miles the original motor and the first replacement destroyed their bearings. The second replacement was torn down by the dealer before it went into Jim's car to make sure there was no debris.
At the same time, another cousin would unload VWs off the truck at his dealership, check oil levels and tire pressures, wash them and hand the keys to new customers.
Quite a contrast.

Best
Les