Oznog said:
and i discovered that the 78L08 certainly does not work in a automobile without it's capacitors, the circut loses its linearity totally.
You should NEVER use a 78xxx regulator without the capacitors, they are there to stop it oscillating. As Oznog says, even if it doesn't oscillate when you test it, it's certainly likely to do so under varying conditions during use.
As it's an automobile application you want MORE components in the PSU, not less, as you are already aware the power supply can have high spikes and noise levels.