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Post by the light works on Dec 19, 2014 16:08:22 GMT
It looks like the equivalent of UK Ford Escort Mk3, XR3i. The paint job is horrible, no one "diggs" that failed red, the matching bumpers fade slower than the rest of the paintwork, so it looks terrible 10 yrs later. And its a classic Fix-Or-Repair-Daily with plenty of wiring faults that mean if you lock the boot the windscreen wipers do an intermittent wipe. If that realy is a 'Stang, it should have a decent engine... I suspect it came with a lack-lustre 2ltr detuned clunker. Like the English one did.(Basic model was 1600...) the bottom of the barrel was a 1.8 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder. (legend had it it was built on the same casting Henry built the model A engine on) the "deluxe" engine was a 5 liter V-8. - which was the same casting the engine I threw away from my Jeep was built on. and no, the wipers have no connection to the boot, because the boot doesn't have an electric lock. addendum: my hometown had one in blue with painted steel wheels and baby moon hubcaps. - but not a convertible. but legend has it when they were new, they were a pretty quick car - they'd go around anything but a corner. |
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Post by silverdragon on Dec 20, 2014 16:18:41 GMT
Funniest thing posted here today...
It actually did create audible laughter from my office.
Early XR3i's here experimented with central locking.
That worked on either the key in the door, or the button on the dash...
The key in the back hatch, because it ran through some strange places from door to dash, would short circuit now and again.
Frequently that would either be an indicator fault or windscreen wipers.
I had one that on damp days the lock would cycle open-shut-open-shut every ten seconds or so?...
I disabled the central locking and relied on they keys only from then on.
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Post by the light works on Dec 21, 2014 15:17:48 GMT
Funniest thing posted here today... It actually did create audible laughter from my office. Early XR3i's here experimented with central locking. That worked on either the key in the door, or the button on the dash... The key in the back hatch, because it ran through some strange places from door to dash, would short circuit now and again. Frequently that would either be an indicator fault or windscreen wipers. I had one that on damp days the lock would cycle open-shut-open-shut every ten seconds or so?... I disabled the central locking and relied on they keys only from then on. true story - the police agencies only bought the mustang for a couple years - and nearly every police mustang had front end damage. - the purchasing was discontinued because too many of them went straight when the road turned. the official reason for discontinuing the use of the mustang was because of bad cornering. ( I make the same jokes about my truck, but that's because the turning radius is so wide it takes the full width of four generous lanes to make a u-turn.) |
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Post by silverdragon on Dec 22, 2014 10:13:17 GMT
I generally think anything that can turn in its own length has a tight radius.
Anything that can turn in three times its own length is doing pretty good...
Then you have articulated, that if you know what to do, can turn in less than their own length....
The thing to remember is that the trailer will back up a little on full lock, so be careful what you have behind you.
Worst cornering is a Transit Van fully laden "at speed"....(normal legal driving speed that is?...)
Them things can go from understear to overstear in the blink of a gnats wing, and if the load takes over, your deleted... literally deleted....
Thing about Transits, people forget, and dont think they need to tie things down.
They are WORSE than any other form of transport, they go faster, stop faster, turn faster, there is more stress on the load than any other form of transport, so why dont people tie things down?....
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Post by the light works on Dec 22, 2014 15:50:37 GMT
I generally think anything that can turn in its own length has a tight radius. Anything that can turn in three times its own length is doing pretty good... Then you have articulated, that if you know what to do, can turn in less than their own length.... The thing to remember is that the trailer will back up a little on full lock, so be careful what you have behind you. Worst cornering is a Transit Van fully laden "at speed"....(normal legal driving speed that is?...) Them things can go from understear to overstear in the blink of a gnats wing, and if the load takes over, your deleted... literally deleted.... Thing about Transits, people forget, and dont think they need to tie things down. They are WORSE than any other form of transport, they go faster, stop faster, turn faster, there is more stress on the load than any other form of transport, so why dont people tie things down?.... there was a clip on youtube of a tanker truck (billed as fuel, but I make no claims) pulling out of an alley, making a full lock turn on a two lane road, and driving back up the alley he pulled out of - all in one motion. my personal best was turning my Jeep and a Hobie Cat around in a parking area big enough for three average American cars to park without getting in each other's way - but not so big as to allow people to park carelessly. - the width of the paving was less than the bow to rudder length of the hobie plus the width of the Jeep. (by which I mean the tail of the boat was hanging over the lawn in the course of making the turn.) by transit van you mean the one we yanks just call a van? the wallowing is the problem with those. and the big problem we had with them over here is that people would get them in 12 passenger configuration, which basically welds on another seating row on the back of the van; then load them with 12 people plus all of their stuff, and maybe pile some on top - as in about 500# per person payload weight. Then they would put a greenhorn kid behind the wheel. keep in mind we are talking about 10-12 men, with gear, in a van that might be rated for up to 4000# of payload. - and most of the dense stuff in the very back. |
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Post by silverdragon on Dec 23, 2014 15:45:16 GMT
I know that from rude experience, I have been asked to drive something like that, and refused.
I have a full Bus licence.
I know what driving a bus is like, and fully laden with passengers, its much like driving a Tanker, it is actually fluid dynamics, as the passengers shift weight with the road conditions and round corners....
But that van, for a camp holiday, was well loaded before the passengers got on...
There was supposed to be two crew buses but some twonka decided we only needed one.
ANY goods type vehicle, I put my fist on top of the tyre, in a fist shape, if it wont fit in there, under the wheel arch, its overloaded.
On the one I was asked to drive, the first speed hump it hit, you could hear the tyres grinding on the wheel arch.
It did get "There", but the driver they found hated me for a week afterwards for getting out of that one...
He still mentions it now and again.
"Nightmare".
I drove the support vehicle with the rest of the gear in....
A Small van, only two seats, and about the same space as a large Estate vehicle in the back, carrying stoves and LQ gas canisters and other bulky stuff, like water tanks (Empty) and chemical loo's.
I had the windows open on the way back....
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Post by the light works on Dec 23, 2014 15:53:32 GMT
I know that from rude experience, I have been asked to drive something like that, and refused. I have a full Bus licence. I know what driving a bus is like, and fully laden with passengers, its much like driving a Tanker, it is actually fluid dynamics, as the passengers shift weight with the road conditions and round corners.... But that van, for a camp holiday, was well loaded before the passengers got on... There was supposed to be two crew buses but some twonka decided we only needed one. ANY goods type vehicle, I put my fist on top of the tyre, in a fist shape, if it wont fit in there, under the wheel arch, its overloaded. On the one I was asked to drive, the first speed hump it hit, you could hear the tyres grinding on the wheel arch. It did get "There", but the driver they found hated me for a week afterwards for getting out of that one... He still mentions it now and again. "Nightmare". I drove the support vehicle with the rest of the gear in.... A Small van, only two seats, and about the same space as a large Estate vehicle in the back, carrying stoves and LQ gas canisters and other bulky stuff, like water tanks (Empty) and chemical loo's. I had the windows open on the way back.... the new generation of them moves the axle back and adds the extra bit in the middle - the old ones quite literally looked like they welded an extra three feet onto the back of the van (transit) which made them rather poorly balanced. as for your wheel arch test -- you would be hard pressed to do that on some of our newer rigs - a lot of them have added skirting close to the wheel to reduce spray on wet roads. not where it would hit the wheel on bounces, but close enough to prevent checking clearance. |
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Post by silverdragon on Dec 24, 2014 13:16:31 GMT
If you cant get your hand up in-between skirting and wheel, how are you supposed to check tyre condition?...
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Post by the light works on Dec 24, 2014 14:06:17 GMT
If you cant get your hand up in-between skirting and wheel, how are you supposed to check tyre condition?... the lower half is still exposed. how do you check tire condition in cars that have shrouded wheels? |
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Post by silverdragon on Dec 26, 2014 12:42:46 GMT
I am thinking hard, and apart from certain Citroen's, I dont think we have many of them in UK...
Nor have we ever had.
On the few trucks I have driven with anti-spray guards, those guards are easily removed for tyre inspection.
I Think That may be law?.. easy access to inspect tyres from road level?...
You are taught to inspect for visual faults on your driving test these days.
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Post by Cybermortis on Dec 26, 2014 14:02:18 GMT
My best, back when I drove, was turning a Mini-Mayfair around in a small parking lot by just turning the wheel in one go. No change of gear (1st all the way), no need to use the brakes or even slow down. The guy I was following had to do a three point turn, and try to ignore the smug look on my face.
Not that this has anything to do with the OP.
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