Author Topic: Anything related to automobiles  (Read 100698 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Chino

  • Be excellent to each other.
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 25282
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #245 on: January 05, 2015, 08:02:11 AM »
What's the mpg like on that thing?

Offline Chino

  • Be excellent to each other.
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 25282
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #246 on: January 13, 2015, 10:24:35 AM »
Man... the new Raptor is gorgeous.


Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #247 on: January 22, 2015, 11:45:42 AM »
This was in a Cracked photoplasty and it really is quite amazing. Malibu driver would have limped away while the Bel Air driver would have been liquified. And this was only at 40mph. A good highway collision would have been even worse. A fine example of design beating the shit out of brute force.

Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Offline jasc15

  • Posts: 5022
  • Gender: Male
  • TTAL: Yeti welcome
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #248 on: January 22, 2015, 12:02:22 PM »
I should show this to the folks who still think older cars did better in crashes.  Mostly, they compare heavy steel bumpers to new plastic ones.

Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #249 on: January 22, 2015, 12:23:26 PM »
I should show this to the folks who still think older cars did better in crashes.  Mostly, they compare heavy steel bumpers to new plastic ones.
Do a search for Malibu vs Bel Air and read the comments on any of the articles. Those guys are out in full force about it. "They removed the engine!!!" "The frame is all rusted out!!!" The physics behind what's happening here aren't complicated at all, so it baffles me that people would really put up a stink about it.
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Offline Chino

  • Be excellent to each other.
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 25282
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #250 on: January 22, 2015, 12:23:54 PM »
I should show this to the folks who still think older cars did better in crashes.  Mostly, they compare heavy steel bumpers to new plastic ones.

Ugh. I can't stand those people. Fucking red necks bitching about the new aluminum F150s and how Ford caved to the liberal earth lovers and the elite that want to make vehicles less safe for population control reasons.

Offline jasc15

  • Posts: 5022
  • Gender: Male
  • TTAL: Yeti welcome
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #251 on: January 22, 2015, 12:37:31 PM »
I actually just showed it to a guy, and I said "its pretty much disintegrated", to which he replied "yeah, the malibu"...  Amazing how you can see what you want to see.

Offline vtgrad

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 927
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #252 on: January 22, 2015, 12:50:59 PM »
 :o That's a hot knife going through room-temp butter.  I had to watch that a few times to get the full effect.

Regarding the bumper comparison comments, I've always been of the opinion that once you exceed 10-15 MPH, the material that the bumper is made from is of little consequence... it all comes down to the cage/frame structure that's built into the car. 

Alternately, having been in two higher speed crashes myself (70+ MPH; both single car, both my fault of course), the older auto performed much worse than the newer auto.  Thanks be to GOD that none of the occupants of my first crash were seriously hurt.

Honestly, I'd trust my mostly aluminum 2007 Dodge Magnum over my mostly steel 1998 Jeep Wrangler in any crash over 15MPH.

I should show this to the folks who still think older cars did better in crashes.  Mostly, they compare heavy steel bumpers to new plastic ones.

Ugh. I can't stand those people. Fucking red necks bitching about the new aluminum F150s and how Ford caved to the liberal earth lovers and the elite that want to make vehicles less safe for population control reasons.

 :lol Never seen that argument before
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."  Ecclesiastes 12:13

Now with Twitler taking a high end steak of this caliber and insulting the cow that died for it by having it well done just shows zero respect for the product, which falls right in line with the amount of respect he shows for pretty much everything else.- Lonestar

Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #253 on: January 22, 2015, 01:02:29 PM »
If anybody is actually arguing with knuckleheads defending the older cars, ask them if that Bel Air was safer without seatbelts, which were an upgrade at that point of time.  :lol  The only reason that dummy didn't follow the windshiled down the street was because the steering wheel plowed into it's head.
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #254 on: February 25, 2015, 12:14:04 PM »
on my Datsun 280Z
Had one of those myself. A lot of trouble, but I'm certain that phenomenal front end save my life on one occasion whilst regrettably emulating one of the aforementioned heroes.

I ended up hitting a tree head-on at 60 mph, no seatbelt, and walked away with only a slight concussion, broken nose, and some cuts and bruises, in no small part because of that front end.

God, I miss that car.  It was a horrible orange color, but I had a relatively rare 2+2, and mine was the first year with the fuel injection so except for the aforementioned tranny and changing out injectors like light bulbs, I didn't have much trouble.
Man, what was with those injectors? At one point the guys at a stealership actually slathered RTV all over one, which in retrospect is probably the best possible solution. Still, replaced quite a few before that came up as an option. Mine was the 2+2, but thankfully it was the classic metallic silver. And in my case it was the front end handling that saved my ass. Managed to somehow keep me on the road (barely, I could feel it breaking) on a sweeping entrance ramp at about 3 times the posted limit.

For shits and giggles I went online to see if there were any available (I'd go back to a 260, but I want to stay away from the 300s) and there are, but finding one that is a) not modded out the wazoo and b) reasonably priced for a 35 year old car with miles on it is seemingly impossible.  For some reason, people LOVED swapping out the Japanese engines for some Detroit muscle, and for the life of me, mine didn't need it. That was a fast car as is.
Yeah, they were quick at the time but in retrospect quite underpowered. I suspect gear ratio factored in pretty heavily to their speediness, also. I wouldn't turn it into a muscle car, that's not what it was meant to be, but I'd certainly consider a bit more oomph to bring it up to modern standards. I believe those were 2.5s, NA or turboed, and throwing in a used BMW M52 in that displacement would certainly be a hoot.

This is making me wish I coulda have inherited my Dad's 280. I fucking LOVED that car.
Heh, I got ya beat. My old man drove one of these for a while. Traded the thing in for a damned Buick Regal. Fuck, maybe I should have left this in the role model thread.  :lol
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Offline JayOctavarium

  • I used to be a whorejerk
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 10055
  • Gender: Male
  • But then I took a Hef to the knee...
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #255 on: February 25, 2015, 12:48:45 PM »
Dayum.


My dad's was black with the red interior. 5 Speed. I don't remember much about it... but I do know it sat for many years due to a charging issue that plagued it for the entire time he owned it. He finally donated it when I was like 12 after my step bitch nagging him to get rid of it. He then turned around and bought a motorcycle. Haha
I just don't understand what they were trying to achieve with any part of the song, either individually or as a whole. You know what? It's the Platypus of Dream Theater songs. That bill doesn't go with that tail, or that strange little furry body, or those webbed feet, and oh god why does it have venomous spurs!? And then you find out it lays eggs too. The difference is that the Platypus is somehow functional despite being a crazy mishmash or leftover animal pieces

-BlobVanDam on "Scarred"

Online Fiery Winds

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 2959
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #256 on: February 25, 2015, 02:20:15 PM »
My dad had a '68 Firebird 400 that he bought from his step-dad. After getting married, he sold it to a young teenager only after the kid's father insisted he was responsible and would take good care of it. 2 weeks later he wrapped it around a tree.  :'(

Offline JayOctavarium

  • I used to be a whorejerk
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 10055
  • Gender: Male
  • But then I took a Hef to the knee...
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #257 on: February 25, 2015, 03:06:39 PM »
Fuuuuuuu
I just don't understand what they were trying to achieve with any part of the song, either individually or as a whole. You know what? It's the Platypus of Dream Theater songs. That bill doesn't go with that tail, or that strange little furry body, or those webbed feet, and oh god why does it have venomous spurs!? And then you find out it lays eggs too. The difference is that the Platypus is somehow functional despite being a crazy mishmash or leftover animal pieces

-BlobVanDam on "Scarred"

Offline Dublagent66

  • Devouring consciousness...
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 9695
  • Gender: Male
  • ...Digesting power
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #258 on: February 25, 2015, 03:26:28 PM »
What's the mpg like on that thing?

Hey, sorry for the extremely delayed response.  I haven't been in this thread for a while.  To answer your question, I've been averaging around 15.5 mpg in the city and that's taking it relatively easy through the gears.  It's a 6 speed manual and 5th & 6th are overdrive so I would imagine on a long highway trip, I could get maybe close to 20 mpg.  6th gear at 70 mph is around 2000 rpm's.  Not bad at all for cruising.   :biggrin:
"Two things are infinite; the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein
"There's not a pill you can take.  There's not a class you can go to.  Stupid is foreva."  -Ron White

Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #259 on: February 25, 2015, 03:38:55 PM »
It's funny how wimpy a lot of those older cars were compared to modern ones. My old man's Opel would get blown away by an Astrovan nowadays. Our Z cars wouldn't fair much better. Yet some of them are so stylish it's ridiculous. Bandit's '77 Black Edition TA is so fucking cool it belongs in a museum, yet it was pretty pedestrian, honestly.
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #260 on: February 25, 2015, 03:44:14 PM »
What's the mpg like on that thing?

Hey, sorry for the extremely delayed response.  I haven't been in this thread for a while.  To answer your question, I've been averaging around 15.5 mpg in the city and that's taking it relatively easy through the gears.  It's a 6 speed manual and 5th & 6th are overdrive so I would imagine on a long highway trip, I could get maybe close to 20 mpg.  6th gear at 70 mph is around 2000 rpm's.  Not bad at all for cruising.   :biggrin:
The city side of that is actually quite good; better than my 325s got. The HWY side is absolutely appalling. Amazed it'd drink that much gas at 2k.

Drove an Audi back from Cali with a CVT and it was pretty strange. From 65-85 sat pretty close to the same 2k RPM (only the gear ratio changes, not the engine speed). Cruising along at 65 it'd show 400 miles range remaining, and then you bump it up to 82 or so and now you're looking at 460 (which you'd never, ever get realistically).
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Offline Dublagent66

  • Devouring consciousness...
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 9695
  • Gender: Male
  • ...Digesting power
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #261 on: February 26, 2015, 11:56:26 AM »
Yeah, that 20 mpg hwy estimate is probably on the low side.  Hoping to get closer to 25.  However, I knew going in that gas mileage wasn't at the top of my list anymore.  Especially with a $1,300.00 gas guzzler tax.  This car is all about performance.  Hell, the tires can't even be rotated because they are directional and the rear rims are an inch wider than the front.  I won't be able to realize it's full potential until I get it out on a track and that's expensive in itself.
"Two things are infinite; the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein
"There's not a pill you can take.  There's not a class you can go to.  Stupid is foreva."  -Ron White

Offline jasc15

  • Posts: 5022
  • Gender: Male
  • TTAL: Yeti welcome
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #262 on: March 02, 2015, 06:13:15 AM »
Time for yet another brake job.  I changed the brakes on my wife's Hyundai about a month before we lost our cars to a flood during hurricane Sandy.  Then we replaced it with a Toyota, which got new front brakes after last winter destroyed the roads around here, resulting in a pothole impact that seized one of the calipers.  About a week later, that car got rear ended and was totaled.  Now we have a Volvo, and I've noticed the rear rotors look a bit grooved and rough.  During an oil change I also had the tires rotated, and the mechanic suggested I replace them since they look warped.  I had a mental note to do that at some point, so I decided to order the parts after hearing what he had to say.  I'm not in any rush to do it since the front brakes are fine, and the weather is too damn cold to spend crouched in an icy driveway, but I did order the parts.

Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #263 on: March 02, 2015, 08:26:12 AM »
After what you've described I think I'd rather take my chances with the bad brakes.
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Offline jasc15

  • Posts: 5022
  • Gender: Male
  • TTAL: Yeti welcome
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #264 on: March 02, 2015, 11:34:02 AM »
Yeah. I'm not superstitious at all, but damn, all that is enough to make me hesitate on this job.

Offline Chino

  • Be excellent to each other.
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 25282
  • Gender: Male

Offline Chino

  • Be excellent to each other.
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 25282
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #266 on: July 20, 2015, 06:52:17 AM »
https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/182229/teslas-gone-plaid-ludicrous-mode-for-the-model-s?cid=CS-CNN-HL-182229

Quote
EO and wunderkind Elon Musk just announced its Spaceball One “Ludicrous Mode” upgrade for the top-of-the-line P85D Model S electric sedan.

The cars 0-60 time improves by 10%, down to 2.8 seconds

Offline Phoenix87x

  • From the ashes
  • Posts: 8386
  • The Phoenix shall rise
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #267 on: July 20, 2015, 08:13:54 AM »
That's awesome.

I think I'll wait till they go to plaid though  ;)

Offline Kotowboy

  • Yes THAT Kotowboy.
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 28561
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #268 on: July 21, 2015, 08:05:26 AM »
Came Here to post my dream cars :P

1. Bugatti Veyron
2. Pagani Zonda
3. Dodge Challenger ( the one from Vanishing Point )
4. Delorean ( obviously money no object - i'd give it a complete overhaul from top to bottom )
5. Ariel Atom


Offline Kotowboy

  • Yes THAT Kotowboy.
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 28561
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #269 on: July 21, 2015, 08:07:27 AM »
I drive a fully insured 2001 VW golf, I'm 26 and I only $67 a month. Fairly cheap insurance, my motorcycle insurance is much more.

I was stunned at how cheap it was to tax my 125 for a year

£17 !  :rollin

The insurance was £115 but spread out over a year at £11 a month

I cannot even believe they let me pay my £17 tax in 12 monthly payments of £1.50 a month :lol

The MOT will probably cost the most but whatevs. That's the last thing to pay for in a while.

Offline Stadler

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 43016
  • Gender: Male
  • Pointing out the "unfunny" since 2014!
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #270 on: July 21, 2015, 08:41:05 AM »
I should show this to the folks who still think older cars did better in crashes.  Mostly, they compare heavy steel bumpers to new plastic ones.

Ugh. I can't stand those people. Fucking red necks bitching about the new aluminum F150s and how Ford caved to the liberal earth lovers and the elite that want to make vehicles less safe for population control reasons.

You're as predictable as the sun.  :)   One can be a Luddite without being a "conservative". 

Offline Chino

  • Be excellent to each other.
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 25282
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #271 on: July 21, 2015, 08:44:19 AM »
I should show this to the folks who still think older cars did better in crashes.  Mostly, they compare heavy steel bumpers to new plastic ones.

Ugh. I can't stand those people. Fucking red necks bitching about the new aluminum F150s and how Ford caved to the liberal earth lovers and the elite that want to make vehicles less safe for population control reasons.

You're as predictable as the sun.  :)   One can be a Luddite without being a "conservative".

The sun is pretty unpredictable. I didn't say anything about conservatives.

Offline Stadler

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 43016
  • Gender: Male
  • Pointing out the "unfunny" since 2014!
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #272 on: July 21, 2015, 08:47:43 AM »
It's funny how wimpy a lot of those older cars were compared to modern ones. My old man's Opel would get blown away by an Astrovan nowadays. Our Z cars wouldn't fair much better. Yet some of them are so stylish it's ridiculous. Bandit's '77 Black Edition TA is so fucking cool it belongs in a museum, yet it was pretty pedestrian, honestly.

That's the thing, though; those old cars had SWAG.  I don't know what it is, though I suspect it's the same thing that makes the Astrovan a challenge; they get designed by man but optimized - read:  homogenized - by computer. 

They can make some of those engines so much smaller and more efficient these days.   I remember my Dad had a 'Vette with a 454 in it ('67?  '69?); that's INSANE, and totally unnecessary to get the same performance today. 

Offline Chino

  • Be excellent to each other.
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 25282
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #273 on: July 21, 2015, 08:57:56 AM »
It's funny how wimpy a lot of those older cars were compared to modern ones. My old man's Opel would get blown away by an Astrovan nowadays. Our Z cars wouldn't fair much better. Yet some of them are so stylish it's ridiculous. Bandit's '77 Black Edition TA is so fucking cool it belongs in a museum, yet it was pretty pedestrian, honestly.

That's the thing, though; those old cars had SWAG.  I don't know what it is, though I suspect it's the same thing that makes the Astrovan a challenge; they get designed by man but optimized - read:  homogenized - by computer. 

They can make some of those engines so much smaller and more efficient these days.   I remember my Dad had a 'Vette with a 454 in it ('67?  '69?); that's INSANE, and totally unnecessary to get the same performance today.

The 5.0L mustangs from the 90s made just over 200HP and had crap fuel economy. Today, Mini can squeeze nearly 230HP out of a 1.5L and still average 33mpg.

Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #274 on: July 21, 2015, 09:54:48 AM »
It's funny how wimpy a lot of those older cars were compared to modern ones. My old man's Opel would get blown away by an Astrovan nowadays. Our Z cars wouldn't fair much better. Yet some of them are so stylish it's ridiculous. Bandit's '77 Black Edition TA is so fucking cool it belongs in a museum, yet it was pretty pedestrian, honestly.

That's the thing, though; those old cars had SWAG.  I don't know what it is, though I suspect it's the same thing that makes the Astrovan a challenge; they get designed by man but optimized - read:  homogenized - by computer. 

They can make some of those engines so much smaller and more efficient these days.   I remember my Dad had a 'Vette with a 454 in it ('67?  '69?); that's INSANE, and totally unnecessary to get the same performance today.

The 5.0L mustangs from the 90s made just over 200HP and had crap fuel economy. Today, Mini can squeeze nearly 230HP out of a 1.5L and still average 33mpg.
And creak, rattle and shake while doing it.  :P
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Offline Chino

  • Be excellent to each other.
  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 25282
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #275 on: July 21, 2015, 10:19:16 AM »
It's funny how wimpy a lot of those older cars were compared to modern ones. My old man's Opel would get blown away by an Astrovan nowadays. Our Z cars wouldn't fair much better. Yet some of them are so stylish it's ridiculous. Bandit's '77 Black Edition TA is so fucking cool it belongs in a museum, yet it was pretty pedestrian, honestly.

That's the thing, though; those old cars had SWAG.  I don't know what it is, though I suspect it's the same thing that makes the Astrovan a challenge; they get designed by man but optimized - read:  homogenized - by computer. 

They can make some of those engines so much smaller and more efficient these days.   I remember my Dad had a 'Vette with a 454 in it ('67?  '69?); that's INSANE, and totally unnecessary to get the same performance today.

The 5.0L mustangs from the 90s made just over 200HP and had crap fuel economy. Today, Mini can squeeze nearly 230HP out of a 1.5L and still average 33mpg.
And creak, rattle and shake while doing it.  :P

I'll admit, outside of my whole two waterpumps dying before 30k miles, I haven't had a single issue. I'll be passing 70k miles next week.

Offline Cable

  • Posts: 1513
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #276 on: July 25, 2015, 02:22:00 AM »
So due to personal/family circumstances, I'm dumping a 2014 Subaru Forester for a 2015 Toyota Prius C. The Forester was a great vehicle, but too much car for my needs and interests vs. when I got it. Only complaint with it really was the interior and radio. I feel aesthetically the 4th gens became worse than the 3rd gens with interior.

I'm of course loosing a bit of my shirt on the switch, but the process was easy. And it makes me happier, as I have always wanted a hybrid. The only thing that blows is most of my driving in on the highway  :lol.



Drove an Audi back from Cali with a CVT and it was pretty strange. From 65-85 sat pretty close to the same 2k RPM (only the gear ratio changes, not the engine speed). Cruising along at 65 it'd show 400 miles range remaining, and then you bump it up to 82 or so and now you're looking at 460 (which you'd never, ever get realistically).

The Forester had it, and an older car my wife had used one. While I am a fan of the concept and how they work, it's a bit false advertising IMO. And I don't know why they cannot have lower RPM's after 55mph if it is truly Continuously Variable. It's a concept that continues to elude me on car makers- why is 55 the optimal speed for mileage vs. 65mph or greater. The interstate speed limits for most states outside of urban areas has been 65+ for decades now. Most people stick to interstates vs. state roads/routes that are 55.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2015, 02:30:48 AM by CableX »
---

Offline mrrct

  • Posts: 347
  • Gender: Male
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #277 on: July 25, 2015, 11:43:46 AM »
Part of the problem with the Fox body Mustangs of the eighties and early nineties was the hatchback configuration.  The fastback coupes that followed (I had a 2000 and currently have a 2011) do not have (in my experience) the creaks, rattles, and shakes that the hatchbacks had (I also had a Fox body Mercury Capri).

Yes, it's true that the pushrod Windsor V-8s were low in horsepower (peaking at 225 from 1987 to 1991), but they also had 300 lb-ft torque, all available at a fairly low rpm compared to the OHC Modular engines, so they weren't lacking in every-day driving power.  Top speed, 0-to-60, or quarter mile times doesn't matter for most people, 30-70 times merging onto the highway is probably the most important performance factor in automobiles. 

My 2011 V-6 has 305 hp, which is plenty by most people's standards, but it doesn't feel like that much.  I've driven many pushrod V-8s with less hp, and they would have probably been better merging than my OHC Stang because of the full torque being available at a lower rpm.  It also doesn't really take off until I reach highway speed, with 0-60 being about average, but then once I'm there, it gets up to 90 in the blink of an eye if you're not careful.

Someone earlier in this thread complained about the transmission (automatic, I assume) on Mustangs.  Mine seems like it has a little difficulty staying at 6th gear (Overdrive) unless it is in cruise control, and seems to slip back and forth between 5th and 6th.  It's just a minor annoyance, since I normally use cruise for highway driving anyway.  I think that 90% of Mustang (and Camaro, Challenger buyers) buy these cars for the styling, and they aren't going to use the backseat for anything but their coats or briefcases/backpacks anyway.  Performance isn't that much of a factor in their decision to buy these cars.

I just read an article in C** And Dr**** (not sure if we're allowed to use magazine names here) that totally trashes the EcoBoost 4-cylinder.  Ford is forcing it on people by making the V-6 only available in Spartan, entry-level Mustangs with no options.  Despite having 10 fewer horsepower (which might be a marketing ploy and not really accurate), the six still outperforms the four in just about every performance measurement, and the savings in mileage isn't as good as it was supposed to be.  Plus, you'll probably have to replace your exhaust manifolds in 50,000 miles, like people who bought the EcoBoost six in F-series pickups instead of the Coyote V-8 are finding out.

While I don't want to eliminate the EPA or anything like that, I do believe that CAFE is killing the automobile industry.  Gas is expensive in the U.S., but nothing like it is in Europe, where it costs about four times as much as it does here, once the gallon to liter and dollar to euro conversions are made.  Ford was unable to offer an automatic in their Shelby and Boss 302 Mustangs because they would have sold too many and it would have hurt their CAFE numbers (although not too many people would have probably bought automatic Boss 302s, but the sixties Shelbys were always available with autos).  And other than the low-volume supercharged 6.2L in the Cadillac CTS, the regular LS3 engine was never available in the midline CTS (where most people would have probably chosen it if it were an option) or the RWD STS (which would have been an improvement from the mediocre optional Northstar) from the mid-2000s, probably because they would have sold too many.  I don't know how Chrysler isn't getting killed by the government because they don't sell a lot of Darts and 200s, and are still able to sell SRT 6.4s and single-digit-city mileage 707 hp Hellcats, even in tiny numbers.

Ford really screwed up with their EcoBoost program, whereas GM and Chrysler were smarter developing cylinder deactivation technology and beating Ford with eight-speed automatics compared to Ford's six-speeds.  The EcoBoost engines, with the exception of the 3.5L six (in the Taurus SHO and Lincolns, anyway) aren't particularly powerful and the mileage has been mostly less than expected.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2015, 07:28:28 PM by mrrct »

Online El Barto

  • Rascal Atheistic Pig
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 30572
  • Bad Craziness
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #278 on: July 25, 2015, 11:54:04 AM »


Drove an Audi back from Cali with a CVT and it was pretty strange. From 65-85 sat pretty close to the same 2k RPM (only the gear ratio changes, not the engine speed). Cruising along at 65 it'd show 400 miles range remaining, and then you bump it up to 82 or so and now you're looking at 460 (which you'd never, ever get realistically).

The Forester had it, and an older car my wife had used one. While I am a fan of the concept and how they work, it's a bit false advertising IMO. And I don't know why they cannot have lower RPM's after 55mph if it is truly Continuously Variable. It's a concept that continues to elude me on car makers- why is 55 the optimal speed for mileage vs. 65mph or greater. The interstate speed limits for most states outside of urban areas has been 65+ for decades now. Most people stick to interstates vs. state roads/routes that are 55.
It's not about optimizing the speed, but rather the engine speed. Ideally with a CVT you want the car to remain in the peak spot of its powerband. It would appear that 2k is the sweet spot in that car providing the most power/fuel. That tranny would keep it there through about 35mph on the highway. It didn't start creeping up until 85 or so. All that said, I really never noticed much of a benefit MPG wise. Got about the same mileage as any other 6-banger I've owned.
Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows.
E.F. Benson

Offline Stadler

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 43016
  • Gender: Male
  • Pointing out the "unfunny" since 2014!
Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #279 on: July 25, 2015, 12:41:33 PM »
No shit, in the coincidence department, but yesterday I was taking my daughter to camp and at the stop light, a late-70's black Trans-am with the gold hood decal and everything drove by me.  It appeared to be in great shape, though it was driven by what looked to be a soccer mom.  :)