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BS: cars to avoid
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BS: cars to avoid |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Escamillo Date: 30 Apr 00 - 11:29 PM Thanks for your comments, Larry, in fact if someone tells me that the car is absolutely condemned to death, I would fall into such a depression that I would have to book a place in the NYCFTS ! Though 50% of parts are unavailable in Argentina, my hope is that they will be available in USA for some years more, so I can get them by mail or someone travelling. Two years ago a thief broke my right rear window, and a local dealer asked me 400 $ for the replacement. I cut a piece of fine plexiglass and installed it and kept it for one year, until my son went to Miami last year. Then he brought my window, for $ 22 ! (Then I helped him to change his own car, and it costed me 2000, but that's another story..) Un abrazo - Andrés
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: rangeroger Date: 30 Apr 00 - 11:39 PM Hagbard, I always felt that when I had parts left over after working on my British cars, it was because I had done such a good job that I had actually reengineered the car.Better than the original engineers. rr |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Bugsy Date: 30 Apr 00 - 11:47 PM 1971 VW Kombi Camper. 1600cc motor. Had it since 1987. just Been around Aus in it and in 30000kms, apart from petrol, had to replace 2 tyres and one litre of oil. Not even a service. neat eh? Also great for going to gigs. Just park in the carpark and move on the next day. Cheers Bugsy |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Cap't Bob Date: 01 May 00 - 12:14 AM Two of the most memorable cars I've owned were made by the British. One was an MG and the other was an Austin Healey 3000. Great cars and fun to drive. If I could afford it today I'd most likely be driving a Morgan. Nothing to do with cars but the boat that I sail is a Westerly Nomad (English made) very sturdy, comfortable, who needs to go to weather anyway? Cap't Bob |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Bert Date: 01 May 00 - 10:38 AM Probably the best vehicle I had was an old Ford truck. Drove that thing back and forth up gravel roads in the Colorado Mountains for years. When something wore out it was really easy to fix. The worst was a '76 Volvo 242. That car was so poorly engineered it was laughable. If I'd turned out crappy designs like that when I was an apprentice I'd have got my ass kicked. I will NEVER EVER buy another Volvo. I'm driving a Nissan at the moment, gets very good mileage, seems pretty good, I'll wait to see how it lasts. Bert. |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: M Date: 01 May 00 - 01:42 PM Escamillo--KEEP IT!! If you love it, keep it until it dies (like a pet). I have a 1969 Chevy Camaro, V8 350, which was (basically) totaled when it came into my life over 15 years ago. Nobody believed it was worth the effort, and it still isn't totally restored even today, but he's my baby. Everything's been replaced body-wise and mechanically, except the rocker panels, trunk lid and one door. Living in New York, where they keep the road salt companies in business, hasn't helped, though I don't drive it in the winter anyway. I have been offered money (not much) but I will not part with this car, EVER. With access to the web, you should be able to find used parts. Most Chevy stuff is stock, interchangeable, and still available. Also, there's a company in California, Classic Industries, that has orignal and NOS stuff, anything you want. Good luck. Keep it running. Besides that wonderful piece of machinery, I've had a 1965 Bug, that wouldn't quit, until the floors rotted out in 1986. And my 1986 Toyota pick-up, which I got from a friend 7 years ago. 266.000 miles and still the most reliable, problem-free vehicle around. The bed is shot (same NY winter/over- salting problem), but check this out--the water pump went at 170,000, and I decided maybe it was time to change the (ORIGINAL) belts. Aah...I love my vehicles, regardless of gas mileage or what they look like. My solution to the high cost of repairs is to do all the work myself (I'm a girl), and I have been since, probably, 1984. I don't think I'll ever get a new vehicle. It seems that older ones are more durable and reliable. (My latest is a 1959 Nash Metropolitan, which is at the beginning of a ground-up restoration.) So I guess I don't really know what cars to avoid--I've been pretty fortunate in my driving history. Don't overheat 'em and change the oil every 3000 miles, that's all I can add. M |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: GUEST,Steve Latimer Date: 01 May 00 - 02:21 PM You've been a girl since 1984, what were you prior to that? BG |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: M Date: 01 May 00 - 02:55 PM Smartie. It being in parenthesis, the proceeding referred to the main subject--car work. I was a slightly smaller girl...wait, no I'm probably smaller now. You figure it out. |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: kendall Date: 01 May 00 - 03:41 PM Bert, I have never heard anyone bitch about Volvos before, can you be more specific? Some years ago, I had an antique Chevvy, and, I could get any part I wanted for it. I remember ordering motor mounts, and they were made in South America!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Bert Date: 01 May 00 - 04:05 PM Just about everything I touched on the Volvo was poorly designed. It was a whole weekend's work just to change the blower on the heater. On my old Hillman Minx it was a ten minute job (lift the hood undo three nuts unplug the heater, replace do up the nuts and plug the new one in). On the Volvo, you had to take the front cover from the console, then you removed the side panels on the console, then you removed the Radio, then you removed the supporting corners for the console, the you removed the glove compartment, then you unhooked the ducting that was behind it. Then you removed the instrument panel and the ducting behind that. Then you lie down on the floor and unscrew the housing then you pull the housing forward so you can get to it then you unbolt the blower fan, Then you take a file and file out the housing because the new fan doesn't fit. Then you reverse the whole procedure to put it all back. AND when you switch it on it makes a godawful noise so you have to start again. The water pump doesn't have any bolts in the direction of the sealing face so you have to 'half tighten' the bolts on the front but leave one out so that you can get a pry bar in the bolt hole to compress the seal on one side then you put that bolt in and remove a bolt from the other side and do the same thing. The power steering rack is the same diameter as the seals so that when you replace the seals the rack tears up the new seals when you pu it back in. The air filter is wedged down under the bodywork so you can't replace it without squashing your new filter and then you have to straighetn it out again. The 'O' ring is too big for the groove and is held in place by a floppy plastic cover which pushes the 'O' ring out of it's groove when you try to replace it. The brakes.... the oil filter, the voltage regulator..... and so on, and so on. Oh! and you couldn't trust the local dealer to fix it. He returned it from a routine service one time without any oil in it. Bert - Well you did ask. |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Escamillo Date: 01 May 00 - 04:15 PM YEEESSS! I´ve got the replies I expected. If that Malibu doesn't die soon, it will probably survive me. (I´m 53 and it is in its 40s, for the life of a car). Un abrazo - Andrés |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Scotsbard Date: 01 May 00 - 06:41 PM I put 163000 miles on my '77 Gremlin AMX, and collected a shelf-full of trophies from several years of SCCA timetrial racing. Apart from wearing out clutches and transmission syncros, only the standard stuff such as belts, hoses, and seals needed replacement. The bright red paint with a racing stripe made it a ticket magnet for the local constabulary, and I paid quite a bit in traffic fines. It was still buzzing around town 5 years later. My '84 Mustang GT made 187000 enthusiastic miles before the oil pump cratered during a road trip, and I just signed the title over to the mechanic rather than pay for the repairs. The transmission and waterpump were replaced at around 120k, and the Texas heat kept loosening the headliner glue. I carried a staple gun around to tack the cloth back up when stopped at train crossings. Great fun to drive, and the maroon paint didn't seem to attract so many troupers. My '92 Lil' Jimmy has recurrent AC problems, but other than that has been reliable so far. The only time it's stopped in transit the mechanic had intalled the wrong sparkplugs, and eventually the electrodes burned down. At 160000 miles it still seems to be running strong. (So far, nothing but parking tickets ;) All of my cars have run OK so far, but the heat here seems to take a toll on the interiors. From other folks I've known, the Taurus and Dynasty series have been among the worst of the Detroit tincans during the last decade or so. Most of those little furrin' cars just don't seem to have enough elbow room for me, so I apart from a few years of racing a MG Midget (also tremendous fun!) all of my comments would be at least 2nd hand info. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: catspaw49 Date: 01 May 00 - 07:36 PM Scots...I assume that by time trials you are referring to Solo I & II events? On non-race weekends, I used to love running the pylons. We had access to a local oval track that was closed down ... 1/2 mile oval with a 1/4 mile oval inside, sharing a frontstretch. It made for some great course layouts and lots of good places to watch. Meets were held about once a month. The most memorable one to me was the Sunday that the Mercedes Club showed up as part of their "outting" that month. All kinds of Mercedes turned out....including a stretch limo!!!! The course was fairly tight since the Solomaster drove a TVR and we all got a kick out of watching the Benz folks go through. When the limo lined up, damn near everybody went to the hill where the grandstands used to be to get a good view and have room to laugh like hell. What happened instead was a completely AMAZING run by this guy. Never TOUCHED a pylon and was third fastest of all the Mercedes there!!! The comments were generally under breath and ran along the lines of "Gawddamn," "Holy shit," and "Geeziz this f****r can DRIVE!" As I recall, he ended up after three runs still in third place, but drivig a car that most of us agreed that we couldn't leave the line with without taking out the "Start" pylons. Simply amazing.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT THERE ARE SOME SICK PUPPIES OUT THERE IN THE VILLAGE OF MUDCAT!!!!!!!!!!!! Satisfied now? Y'all some horny folks......... Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: MK Date: 01 May 00 - 08:36 PM One thing I forgot to mention earlier. When my cell phone rings while I'm driving, I usually let it ring a few times before answering. That way, people will think I have a bigger car. *BG* |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: GUEST,Jimmy Date: 01 May 00 - 11:22 PM Those crazy guys from NPR's "Car Talk" recently came out with their ten worst cars of the Millennium. Hillarious! http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Worst-Cars/results1.html |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: kendall Date: 02 May 00 - 09:12 AM Spaw..you sure started my day with a "bang" LOL.. A couple of years ago, I had a problem with my knee, and a neighbor gave me a magnetic bandage to wear for a while. Forgetting that I had it on, I walked into a store in a rural Maine town, and a woman whom I bearly knew asked what I did to my knee. I always have trouble with people who ask personal questions, so, I replied "My wife and I were doing it dog style, and, she ran up under the porch." Instead of being shocked, she wet herself.. |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: catspaw49 Date: 02 May 00 - 10:17 AM LOLLOL....Well kendall, you certainly returned the favor with that story! Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Rick Fielding Date: 02 May 00 - 11:36 AM Most laughed at car I've ever owned? AMC Pacer! Most reliable? The dull Ford Escort I've got now. Most attractive to women car? Too long ago to remember...but folkie women tend to not be impressed with flash cars. Reasons for not buying a Volvo? Too late to become a vegetarian, and I don't have kids! Rick |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: GUEST,JulieF Date: 02 May 00 - 12:20 PM The worst car must have been the Ford Siera. It just wouln't go without a push. Towards the end we were even pushing it out of petrol stations because it didn't like being filled up. We had to park it facing down the hill ( fortunately we live up at the top of a large hill) and it was heavy. Once it even got a jump start from a Reliant Robin ( little 3 wheel car). It met its end when some one came the wrong way round the roundabout and drove into it. Then there was the flying pig - so named because the person who sold us it sold us a full MOT - oh yes - There's a flying pig. It has a tendency for all the lights going out. We have a Citron ZX now which is fine. I must say though , it probably has a lot to with the fact we can afford a newer car now. Julie |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: kendall Date: 02 May 00 - 12:31 PM flying pig? MOT?? what is all that? |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Scotsbard Date: 02 May 00 - 01:09 PM ... LOL @ 'Spaw's stretch limo story ... We had some events up at Texas A&M where some guy always turned up with a crew-cab Ford Pickup. The fun part was wagering on how many pylons he'd have stuck between the dual rear wheels when crossing the finish line. One of our family vehicles was a VW van, with a notoriously balky starter. Some mornings the whole clan would wind up pushing it halfway down the street before getting it bump-started. One gusty day we actually managed to point it downwind, open the doors and get it rolling fast enough to start. I dunno about *performance* in the VW van, but we had kittens littered under the back seat on the way to school one morning. One of those cats grew up to be a regular Tounces, riding straddled on the steering wheel or helping the driver turn. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Bugsy Date: 02 May 00 - 11:35 PM Kendall, All cars have to go through the MOT Test (Stands for Ministry Of Transport) for roadworhtiness. You've surely heard the saying with regard to outragous claims, " Oh sure, and if pigs had wings they'd fly". Well Julie's car was a "Flying Pig" CHeers bugsy |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Lonesome EJ Date: 03 May 00 - 01:54 AM Ever drive a Landcruiser in a snowstorm? The defroster is able to keep a three inch fan-shaped section of your windshield defrosted, dead center, so you have to lean over the stick shift to see out of it. I always kept a bandanna tied around the rearview mirror.In case of inclement weather, you could achieve a semi-transparent glaze of greasy mist across the inside of the windshield by constant wiping. |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: canoer Date: 03 May 00 - 02:06 AM Rick, if you have a Ford Escort that is reliable, all I can say is, you are leading an extremely charmed life. You mean you have not yet encountered the dreaded Timing Belt Separation at 70,000 miles and 70 MPH? |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: kendall Date: 03 May 00 - 06:16 AM It's amazing how many people buy a car, then totally ignore the owners manual. (See timing belt replacement) According to Click & Clack, the tappet brothers, the Escort is one of the better cars now. Perhaps its because they are now Mazdas under a different name. |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: GUEST,JulieF Date: 03 May 00 - 07:39 AM Sorry about not explaining myself properly - as I'm relatively new around here I tend to forget that I'm talking globally. I did think that Flying Pigs were universal. My favourite version is the Office Joke All Deadlines Met All Staff Happy All Pigs Loaded and ready to fly Pink Floyed were very into flying pigs as well. On a music note there is a sea shanty - 100 years that mentions flying pigs - or is that just the version that Sheaf Knot do in Sheffield Julie |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: GUEST,Skarpi Iceland Date: 03 May 00 - 08:46 AM well Ely , I think somethings was wrong with the Engine? it must be, why can I have a car witch is driven 160.000 miles today and she not ?.Well anyway if a car what ever his name is can get me from A to B then I am glad. Thats it. Three wheels under the car and on we go from here- up the road, down the road and on we go again. This is a lyric for a song here in Iceland about cars and roads. there are more verses but I cant remember them at the moment. Any way Ely I wish you luck with cars in the future. All the best skarpi Iceland, from work. |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: kendall Date: 03 May 00 - 10:52 AM We also have the saying, "When pigs fly" Just didnt make the connection. In the states, each state handles inspection of motor vehicles. Just as an aside. the US Marshals who fly on commercial flights are called "Sky Pigs" |
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Subject: RE: BS: cars to avoid From: Popular Halfwit Date: 03 May 00 - 03:10 PM A CAR TO AVOID. Whereas many females have wanted to kill me for one reason or another over the years, nobody has come closer to removing me from the world than Miss Karen Kilpatrick. If you are riding your motor cycle in the wilds of Wiltshire and concider life precious, avoid her dark blue PEUGEOT 205 at all costs. |