Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > The Golden Age of Model Rocketry > Kit Collecting
User Name
Password
Auctions Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts Search Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #31  
Old 06-07-2011, 10:03 AM
luke strawwalker's Avatar
luke strawwalker luke strawwalker is offline
BAR
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Needville and Shiner, TX
Posts: 6,134
Default

Another thing I can't figure out is these 'Smart Cars"... Mom and Dad went and looked at one... they were wanting something to take on vacation road trips... they once put 5,500 miles on the Festiva on vacation, travelling all over the US over a period of a couple/three weeks. They liked the Festiva because it was pretty roomy, which is saying something when you're 400+ lbs like my Dad has gotten, and 350+ lbs like my Mom, and hauling a bunch of stuff in the back... They drove their Dodge minivan on their last vacation but it only gets about 26 mpg or so on the freeway, versus right around 50 for the Festiva... and with gas prices through the roof, they wanted the better mileage... but the Festiva is kinda worn and they don't trust it on that long of a road trip in their condition, and my mom wants A/C, so...

If you've ever seen 900 pounds of fat people get into a two seat smart car, it's something to see... thing is, a smart car only gets about 42 mpg or so TOPS, and has NO back seat, NO trunk, NO cargo capacity whatsoever; yes it has A/C but that's it... and the mileage is STILL rather sucky compared to the Festiva which had a 1.5 liter (1500cc) four cylinder gas engine and 5 speed manual, and was really quite peppy despite being a small car... we used to p!$$ people off because when we'd get into the hill country with passing lanes, we'd be passing people in big cars, pickups, and Suburbans with V-8's like they were standing still going uphill... they'd get PO'd that this little Festiva passed them and they'd pass you going about 80 going downhill just to 'show you up'...

The smart car AIN'T CHEAP either, and I told them they'd have to drive on vacation for the next 40 years in order to save enough gas money to make back what the stupid dinky car cost, and they STILL would have to find a way to carry their suitcases and junk on vacation... no sale...

LateR! OL JR
__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!
Reply With Quote
  #32  
Old 06-07-2011, 10:41 AM
Doug Sams's Avatar
Doug Sams Doug Sams is offline
Old Far...er...Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Plano, TX resident since 1998.
Posts: 3,965
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by A Fish Named Wallyum
I've also seen some cool things done with Pacers...
One of this car's problems was that its styling was way ahead of the times. While it also had reliability problems, its looks and innovative use of space were pushing the envelope. But many found the looks difficult to like. People gotta warm up to stuff like this.

Yet only 10 years or so down the road, the successful Taurus wagon looked very much like a stretched Pacer.

Doug

.
__________________
YORF member #11
Reply With Quote
  #33  
Old 06-07-2011, 10:49 AM
Doug Sams's Avatar
Doug Sams Doug Sams is offline
Old Far...er...Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Plano, TX resident since 1998.
Posts: 3,965
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by luke strawwalker
Four bolt rims are the six cylinder models...
Yeah, I knew that. It justs rubs me the wrong way

I think Ford was still doing that on the Mustangs, at least until recently. But I'm not sure if the most recent, fastback, 70-ish retro Mustangs include the 4-bolt wheels on the 6-banger versions or not.

Doug

.
__________________
YORF member #11
Reply With Quote
  #34  
Old 06-07-2011, 10:58 AM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default

A pair of brothers here used to be the Mecca of AMC Javelin and AMX cars from the late 70's through the early 90's. They restored them, raced them, bought them, sold them, scavenged for parts across the country, etc. Their daily drivers were Javelins too. They used to run a pretty big auto salvage here, so they had the infrastructure and contacts to find the hard-to-find stuff. The tricked out AMX that they raced was on several national magazine covers over the years. I remember one cover from a big event at Beach Bend where the AMX was launching and they caught it in a nice wheelie. I'd like to see that cover again someday. There are still a few Javelins and AMX's in the family, but they don't actively deal with them any more. I graduated with one of their cousins. He had a Javlin that he fixed up, wrecked, fixed up, wrecked, fixed up....etc. He would brake torque it in the school parking lot and smoke the tires just about every week. How he never got in trouble is beyond me. Heck, how he afforded the tires, bondo, and paint every few months is beyond me!
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
  #35  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:00 AM
Doug Sams's Avatar
Doug Sams Doug Sams is offline
Old Far...er...Rocketeer
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Plano, TX resident since 1998.
Posts: 3,965
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by luke strawwalker
I used to have a 73 Mustang-- before they became TOTAL CRAP and UGLIER THAN SIN...
No doubt, the downsized, Pinto-based 74 'Stangs were aesthetically displeasing (not to mention quite boring performance-wise), but I thought the last of the big ones, circa 72-73, were getting kinda unappealing, too. The fastback rear windows were nearly horizontal, the cars were nearly as big as the Torinos, and the power-plants were pretty lame by 73. They needed to do a clean sheet start-over. Alas, the 74 was a pretty poor result

Doug

.
__________________
YORF member #11
Reply With Quote
  #36  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:12 AM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Sams
No doubt, the downsized, Pinto-based 74 'Stangs were aesthetically displeasing (not to mention quite boring performance-wise), but I thought the last of the big ones, circa 72-73, were getting kinda unappealing, too. The fastback rear windows were nearly horizontal, the cars were nearly as big as the Torinos, and the power-plants were pretty lame by 73. They needed to do a clean sheet start-over. Alas, the 74 was a pretty poor result

Doug

.

My favorite Stangs were the 1969's with the extra lights in the grill. The surrounding years were cool too, but the 1969 Mach 1, with the hood and side scoops were my favorite. I loved the Cobra Jet and Boss too....heck, a plain Stang would do.

I have a neighbor that dirt tracks Fords. He has a 1970 Mustang Cobra Jet that he restored. The interior and exterior is restored to factory look, but the classic engine and drive train are sitting in his shop. Instead, he's dropped in one of his racing engines mated to a modern overdrive transmission and a medium ratio rear end...low 3's, IIRC. He's getting well over 600 horsepower, but can cruise the interstate at a very respectable 27 mpg....according to him.
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
  #37  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:17 AM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Sams
No doubt, the downsized, Pinto-based 74 'Stangs were aesthetically displeasing (not to mention quite boring performance-wise), but I thought the last of the big ones, circa 72-73, were getting kinda unappealing, too. The fastback rear windows were nearly horizontal, the cars were nearly as big as the Torinos, and the power-plants were pretty lame by 73. They needed to do a clean sheet start-over. Alas, the 74 was a pretty poor result

Doug

.

Did you guys ever notice that the Cobra II they used in Charlie's Angels had a busted front spoiler/air dam about half the time in several episodes? I figure they had one car for all the parked or easy driving beauty shots and a few others that they beat the crap out for the action shots. They either didn't notice or didn't care about damage showing in the action scenes.
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
  #38  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:21 AM
ghrocketman's Avatar
ghrocketman ghrocketman is offline
President, MAYHEM AGITATORS, Inc.
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Nunya Bizznuss, Michigan
Posts: 13,443
Default

Mustangs have last had 4-lug wheels in 1993.
I had a 1988 Mustang GT 5.0L that had about double the horsepower it had from the factory.
The 4-lug Wheels WERE PLENTY. Number of lugs has NOTHING to do with load capacity if the fastener (stud) is appropriate. One theroretically could get away with three, but would be a pain to torque in a proper sequence.

I would not be caught dead in any rinky-dink car as small as a Festiva or Escort unless it was a Porsche 911 Turbo. If I had to spend 200K mi. in one I would consider it to be FETID.
4-cylinder econo boxes almost invariably are low content vehicles that would drive me nuts to be in for more than ten minutes...others like them but they are NOT my cup of tea.
The ONLY small cars that I consider to be DECENT are SPORTS cars with very high power-to-weight ratios.
I have the following four minimums I expect out of a DAILY driver for my 120mi commute:

1) 140+mph top speed (not joking)
2) 1/4 mile time 14.00 sec or less.
3) V8 engine
4) Horsepower level vastly exceeding that of virtually all common police patrol vehicles

There are ZERO four-cylinder vehicles that meet all the above criteria and very few can even meet two of the above.
Very few six-cylinder cars can meet 3 of the above criteria.

Most small cars react about like a BEER CAN when faced with some real iron in a wreck.

The Smart Car never was and never was intended to be CHEAP. It is produced by a division of Mercedes-Benz; most Mercedes HOOD ORNAMENTS are worth more than a 4-cyl econobox.

The Mustang II was a total pile of crap that was Pinto-based with sheet metal changes. The biggest engine one could get was a 130hp 302cid (5L) 2bbl carbed V8. Total Trash.
The Cobra II added hideously gaudy graphics to a pile-of-crap car...it was lipstick on a PIG !

Best Mustang ever was the 1969 or 1970 Boss 429; second place was the 1971 Mach1 Sports-Roof 429 SCJ with Ram-Air.

I would take a new 630+HP Corvette ZR1 or 525HP Corvette Z06 over ANY vintage musclecar. Faster and quicker along with about 25mpg.
__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL
, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !

Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !
Reply With Quote
  #39  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:38 AM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
4) Horsepower level vastly exceeding that of virtually all common police patrol vehicles

That one is starting to become a bit tougher these days. There are more and more Chargers being put into service now. Lower budgets have cars with V6's, but they still push around 300 hp. We have the small 5.7L hemi in ours, which I think is about 380 hp along with a bucket full of torque. I believe our state trooper cars have the small hemi.

Personally, I'd love to have a new Challenger with the big 6.4L 470 hp hemi. I'd also love to have a new Mustang sitting next to it with their brand new aluminum block 412 hp real 5.0 liter!!! (the old windsor block 5.0L 302ci was really 4.9L, iirc) Next to those, I'd love to have a pair of 69's! The Challenger with the classic 426 hemi and the Mustang with the classic (and outlawed by NASCAR thanks to Chrysler) 427 SOHC hemi!
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
  #40  
Old 06-07-2011, 11:43 AM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ghrocketman
The Smart Car never was and never was intended to be CHEAP. It is produced by a division of Mercedes-Benz; most Mercedes HOOD ORNAMENTS are worth more than a 4-cyl econobox.

Yep, but I think the engine is made by Mitsubishi.

Oh...and I've read that the Yaris is cheaper, gets better milage, handles better, safer in crashes, and has a ton more room. Smart cars ain't so smart.
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:49 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe © 1998-2024