Q I found out my ’88 Subaru needs a new radiator because it is spewing a little water, causing my motor to overheat about every seven miles. I asked my son if it could safely be put off for a while.

Chrome bumpers made a quick exit from the automotive scene in the late 1980s. In their place are elaborate but flimsy plastic covers hiding stamped steel impact beams—with a swath of Styrofoam ...