BS: How good/bad is your car?

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 07:47 AM

I want a load of magnetised yellow diamond shaped signs that say....

Small minded person on board.

One for every prat owned car I encounter that is parked over two spaces. Or I could just stick sanitary towels to these cars.... indicating the driver must be on the rag.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 08:25 AM

Yo, Ranger Steve...

The "Hornet", if I am not mistaken was a Hudson...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Mooh
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 08:28 AM

One year ago, almost to the day, we bought a 2008 Toyota Rav4, and it has been great. This week the windshield showed signs of not wanting to completely defrost, but was better this morning, and that's been the only issue. It's great in snow and on ice, and does have snow tires right now. It's reasonable on gas, carries a lot, pulls well for its size, is quite comfortable over long distances (we went to Nova Scotia from Ontario in 2 days last summer), came with a decent cd player, and the roof rack will actually function for the canoe.

Previous vehicle was a Plymouth Voyager which we drove into the ground, 340,000km, but it had little true character. Had lots of other cars and trucks, but my favorites were a '74 Volvo and an '84 Dodge half ton pickup...that is until the Rav4.

What the hell does Rav4 mean anyway?

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 09:43 AM

These are all the vehicles I've had since 1971

1.        Ford Cortina
2.        Morris Minor
3.        MG 1100
4.        Triumph Herald
5.        Vauxhall Viva
6.        Honda 50 [moped]
7.        Simca
8.        Morris Marina
9.        Nissan Cherry
10.        Renault
11.        Nissan Micra
12.        Peugeot 405 [Company car]
13.        Citroen [Company car]
14.        Kia
15.        Daihatsu Hi Jet
16.        Daihatsu Move
17.        Fiat Brava
18.        Nissan Micra
19.        Rover 416
20.        Renault Laguna
21.        Rover 214

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Amos
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 10:00 AM

Mooh:

Good choice!! My '07 RAV4 Ltd is a gem. The seats heat up, you can make phone calls fromt he steerign wheel and talk normally to anyone you like while cruising withthe cruise control set at 75, and the 6-CD player automatically waits for you to hang up before resuming play. It turns on the interior lights when you get on and when you stop so you can find your way in and out or gr5ab your parcels or what have you, and it locks itself when you press the keyfob and tells you politely it has done so. ("Beep! I'm locked"). The spare is accessible, the tools are adequate, the dash is informative, and the gas mileage is almost what my smaller 4-cyl Corrolla used to get.
All in all a wobnderful machine. It handles so well, it almost drives itself, but responds instantly if you need to intervene.

A

PS: The name stands for "Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive," although not all RAV4s have four wheel drive, which is optional in some countries.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 10:00 AM

Repeated from another thread for those who didn't see it first time around:

All answers are models of cars (with my usual warning about spelling variations). You are not required to give the maker's names, although "I've got a little list" in case they're wanted.


CHEERS
Nigel (Time Waster General!)

1       What name is given to a male deer, or an all male gathering?
2       Which everyday item of confectionary has the least fattening centre? (known by a different name in the states!)
3       Which island is in the bay of Naples?
4       What name for an unknown god, or for Brahma, is also used to describe one's soul or spirit, particularly in the title of a Dennis Wheatley book?
5       Which is the eighth sign of the zodiac, covering parts of October & November?
6       What measures 105mm * 148mm ?
7       What fruit is used to flavour Kirsch?
8       What is the favoured weapon of Whitbread & Sanderson?
9       What musical term means 'at a quick, lively tempo' (slower than Presto)?
10       What word describes the winner of a physical competition (usually male)?
11       Name the family, a Dr Who, The Monocled Mutineer, & Charlie Burrows (in The Upper Hand)?
12       What is the name of the hot humid wind originating in the Sahara which blows into the Med, and onto the Canaries?
13       What, according to Baden-Powell's original ideas, was the basic unit of the Scout Association?
14       What translation of 'Master' is often used to refer to a conductor?
15       Who painted the destruction of 'Guernica', the first victim of saturation bombing?
16       What word describes a skirt with the hemline above the knee?
17       Which Spanish island of the Balearic Islands lies southwest of Majorca. The island attracts tourists and artists and has Roman, Phoenician, and Carthaginian ruins?
18       What is the last word of the motto of the RAF ?
19       What word describes the outermost part of the rind of an orange, lemon, or other citrus fruit, used as flavouring?
20       From what is cochineal prepared?

Answers may be found at: SQ2 scroll down to 20 Sept 2006

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 10:57 AM

Mr H - being a pedantic b**tard I must point out that a Honda 50 is not a moped - To be a moped it must be capable of being powered purely by pedal power as well as the engine. Interesting thing about the Honda 50 - The further you advanced the timing the faster it would go. So, set at it's furthest using the vernier adjuster you could get nearly 60 out of them (down hill and with a good tail wind) It was pretty scary though. Crap at low speeds if you did and it wouldn't pull when you were 2 up but fun all the same:-)

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 11:09 AM

Years ago after packing up tent, bedroll etc after a festival & loading the 'nifty thrifty', I mounted it wearing a heavy Hi-pack & started off to go.

The bike started doing wheelies, the front end lifting right up!!

I had to stop & repack, distributing all the load more evenly

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Amos
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 11:27 AM

YEah, but it would have done wheelies even if it had been a VeloSolex with that load!


A

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Ed T
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 12:11 PM

Mr Happy, Which one of these cars made you happy?

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Goose Gander
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 03:39 PM

CHEVROLET S-10 Pick-up truck
1991
4.3 liter engine

Still running well, odometer is broken but I estimate I have around 300,000 miles on it. One problem - have to enter vehicle on the passenger's side because of bad ouch on driver's side door.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Phot
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 04:15 PM

I still have my brilliant Discovery, but at 20 years old is feeling a little tired in the body department, hence the Hybrid Theory thread. Currently have a Skoda Octavia SLXi 20 valve turbo, same engine as the VRS. So its stupid quick (Wheelspin in third at 60 anyone?) but with a light right foot will give 50mpg!

First car was a Mini Clubman estate then.....

Skoda 130 Rapid Coupe(Tuned to the max!)
Skoda 130 Rapid Coupe
Skoda 136 Rapid Coupe
Skoda 130 GL
Skoda 136 Coupe
Skoda Favorit GLXi estate (Bloody awful!)
Ford Escort 1.6
Volvo 260 GL
Landrover 110 V8 CSW
Range Rover Vouge HSE
The previous 110 V8 again!
Discovery V8........Soon to be a Hybrid
Skoda Octavia SLXi20VTurbo

Wassail!! Chris

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 19 Dec 08 - 09:01 PM

2003 Toyota Corolla for basic daily transportation. Great car.

2001 GMC Savanna cargo van. Strictly for haulin' pottery to art fairs and the occasional chore the Corolla can't handle. It's a tool, not a car.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: GUEST,JP2
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 07:59 AM

Current stable consists of
1952 Morgan F4 threewheeler
1961 Ford 100E Popular de Luxe
1999 VW Passat TDI 110
2005 Seat Ibiza 1.4S
1982 BMW R100 RS
1978 Honda 250 RS
and that's all we've got room for, although we did see a very nice 1953 Sunbeam Talbot 90 for the right sort of money recently.
Here in the UK the Morgan and the Ford don't pay Vehicle Excise Duty(Road Tax) and the insurance for both cars with UK and European recovery and unlimited mileage comes to the princely sum of £109-57!!
So they don't cost an awful lot to run and give us a lot of pleasure.
JP.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: GUEST,John from Kemsing
Date: 20 Dec 08 - 11:10 AM

Some time back, when representing my company, I had a super silver finish car. All the taxes, fuel, maintenance and repairs, where necessary, were paid for and should it be off the road at all, "BINGO", another one appeared. Now that`s what I call a good car.
My daughter once asked me, " Dad, what`s the best car to drive?"
I replied, "Somebody elses, my Pet!!"

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: GUEST,KP
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 09:24 AM

From Amos:
'That's a really serious issue, there, Steve. :D

It is interesting that the Japanese motor industry, which seems to garner all the kudos in this thread, was taught process improvement methods by an American business guru whose advices were being ignored by American industry untilt he great economic invasion by Japan in the 1980's. I have forgotten his name, unfortunately.'

This is the guy who taught the Japanese car companies all about quality

W Edwards Deming

Studiously ignored by the US car makers and much of the rest of UK/US manufacturing until the late 1990s.

KP
(drives a much loved but thirsty Mercedes E320 Estate - the old W124 series. 170k miles and gets a lot of guitars and amps in the back)

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Ed T
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 11:13 AM

People mentioned the good selling Chrysler K car's failings.

Well, there was the GM X car (ie the Citation and other clones) that has high sales but is seen as a failure because of many design flaws. As with the K cars, the X cars mostly brought GM into the front wheel drive generation in the 80's.

Ford did not fare much better with its Mercury Lynx and clones....that eventually led to the Escort. This car was so poor, the insurance agencies listed it as the least likely car to be stolen in the period (even the car thieves did not want it). Only much later did Ford do better when it linked up with Mazda, to produce the Tracer. But, it was built in Japan and Mexico (not Canada or the USA).

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: pdq
Date: 21 Dec 08 - 12:53 PM

GUEST,KP...

Here is another pioneer in industrial quality who helped the Japanese become competitive after WWII. Both he and Deming were trained by Western Electric/Bell Laboratories. Yes, the much-maligned phone company:

                                          Joseph M. Juran