Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Markjay on 02 February 2008, 19:58:45
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OK, this thread is about automotive inventions that seemed like a great idea, and while they did not flop as such, they just never caught on...
When I say 'never caught on' it does not necessarily mean they have been condemned to oblivion, it is just that they have not been universally accepted by car buyers (and therefore by car manufacturers), so they do exist the offering is limited and remains a niche market in the main.
The point is that you would have thought that if something is a good idea, it would catch on and become commonplace. Some examples for ideas that did catch on are ABS brakes, Airbags, in-car SatNav, electric windows, central locking / remote control locking, etc.. there are many others, these are just to demonstrate what happens when an idea is good and receives general welcome and implemented by a wide range of manufacturers on many if their models.
So this thread is not about any of these these...
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OK, this thread is about automotive inventions that seemed like a great idea, and while they did not flop as such, they just never caught on...
When I say 'never caught on' it does not necessarily mean they have been condemned to oblivion, it is just that they have not been universally accepted by car buyers (and therefore by car manufacturers), so they do exist the offering is limited and remains a niche market in the main.
The point is that you would have thought that if something is a good idea, it would catch on and become commonplace. Some examples for ideas that did catch on are ABS brakes, Airbags, in-car SatNav, electric windows, central locking / remote control locking, etc.. there are many others, these are just to demonstrate what happens when an idea is good and receives general welcome and implemented by a wide range of manufacturers on many if their models.
So this thread is not about any of these these...
BMW drivers using indicators, that never caught on.
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OK, this thread is about automotive inventions that seemed like a great idea, and while they did not flop as such, they just never caught on...
When I say 'never caught on' it does not necessarily mean they have been condemned to oblivion, it is just that they have not been universally accepted by car buyers (and therefore by car manufacturers), so they do exist the offering is limited and remains a niche market in the main.
The point is that you would have thought that if something is a good idea, it would catch on and become commonplace. Some examples for ideas that did catch on are ABS brakes, Airbags, in-car SatNav, electric windows, central locking / remote control locking, etc.. there are many others, these are just to demonstrate what happens when an idea is good and receives general welcome and implemented by a wide range of manufacturers on many if their models.
So this thread is not about any of these these...
BMW drivers using indicators, that never caught on.
;D
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#1 Headlamps that steer with the wheels.
First pioneered by Citroen on late-models DS, seemed like a cracker of an idea, but then disappeared for five decades. Why? Surely not just due to cost, especially as it would not bee too difficult to do nowadays with modern day electronics.
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
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....... and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... .....
It was the Go-Faster Maestro MG. A mate used to have one.
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#3 Permanent all-wheel-drive for road cars
Audi pioneered this idea in the early nineties, and it has been initially copied by many manufacturers from Fiat (4x4 panda) to Ford (4x4 Sierra) to Vauxhall/Opel (4x4 Calibra).
Nowadays still the stronghold of the VAG groups, with various Audis and Volkswagen are being offered with 4 wheel drive. On yes, there's also Subaro. But none of the luxury (Merc, BMW, Bently, Rolls...) or sport car manufacturers adopted it seriously..
Again, cost, weight, and complexity are not the only reason. If it is such a cracking idea why aren't all of the more expensive cars on the market offered with it? Surely the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Maserati, are not deterred by the cost or by the engineering challenge?
So I think this goes in the category of 'did not catch on'....
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Four wheel steering :-/
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Audi pioneered this idea in the early nineties ......
I think you'll find that Jensen (http://www.thejensenff.com/) beat Audi by about 30 years
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#1 Headlamps that steer with the wheels.
First pioneered by Citroen on late-models DS, seemed like a cracker of an idea, but then disappeared for five decades. Why? Surely not just due to cost, especially as it would not bee too difficult to do nowadays with modern day electronics.
That one is back under 'adaptive headlights'. One that really didn't catch on was a light sensor in the grill that automatically dipped your headlights when it saw oncoming headlights.
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Austin All Agro's Quartec steering wheel! ;D ;D ;D ;D
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The K series Engine.... ::)
Flat head engines
Hydrospastic suspension
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ford Granada Scorpio the one that looks like a ruptured clown
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Audi's ProCon Ten. A very simple idea that tensioned seat belts & pulled steering columns away from the driver with out fancy electrickery. But because every one else had air bags & Audis therefore appeared to be short on the safety features they dropped the idea & kow towed to the rest. :-?
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Audi pioneered this idea in the early nineties ......
I think you'll find that Jensen (http://www.thejensenff.com/) beat Audi by about 30 years
Audi made it mainstream. I had a '76 Dodge pickup with full-time four wheel drive but it was an oddball.
This can be found in many brands of cars, but even Audi doesn't use true full-time four wheel drive on many of the cars that are labeled as quattro. However, Audi, Porsche, and Subaru are still the only main brands that have AWD connected to their brand image - not just special models or Chelsea tractors.
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Audi's ProCon Ten. A very simple idea that tensioned seat belts & pulled steering columns away from the driver with out fancy electrickery. But because every one else had air bags & Audis therefore appeared to be short on the safety features they dropped the idea & kow towed to the rest. :-?
Yeah, that was a wild system. Is it Renault that has the peel-away seatbelt anchors used as force limiters? Mad trickery!
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does adaptive cruise control count as in the one that clarkson showed mercs was it
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Audi pioneered this idea in the early nineties ......
I think you'll find that Jensen (http://www.thejensenff.com/) beat Audi by about 30 years
Jensen nor exactly mass-production car but fair comment...
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does adaptive cruise control count as in the one that clarkson showed mercs was it
That's available on may higher-end cars for a price. It needs to get cheaper, but when people like Audi think climate control is worth 1,100 quid when aircon is standard it ain't gonna happen soon! >:(
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...Flat head engines...
..as in VW Beetle / Porche 911 / Alfasud & 33 / Subaru / Totoya Previa?
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#4 Volvo SIPS (or whatever it was called)
Crash zone in the middle of the car... nice, but why didn't anyone else do that?
I remember the Volvo TV advert where the cassette pops out of the tape right into the driver's hand in a side crash...
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Tri-rotor Wankel. :y
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DAF variomatic drive....
'Forwards for forwards, back for back. Its as simple as that' as per original TV advert....
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hydronumatic spheres Citroen RR Bentley
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DAF variomatic drive....
'Forwards for forwards, back for back. Its as simple as that' as per original TV advert....
Never heard of that. Some version of CVT?
Reminded me of push-button transmissions. Push a large button on the dash to select a gear. I wonder why it didn't catch on? ::)
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DAF variomatic drive....
'Forwards for forwards, back for back. Its as simple as that' as per original TV advert....
Was that the one that relied on rubber bands for transmission?
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DAF variomatic drive....
'Forwards for forwards, back for back. Its as simple as that' as per original TV advert....
Was that the one that relied on rubber bands for transmission?
Yup .. :)
http://www.classic-daf.nl/indexb.html
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DAF variomatic drive....
'Forwards for forwards, back for back. Its as simple as that' as per original TV advert....
Was that the one that relied on rubber bands for transmission?
sure i saw a similar thing on American hot rod
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
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DAF variomatic drive....
'Forwards for forwards, back for back. Its as simple as that' as per original TV advert....
Was that the one that relied on rubber bands for transmission?
Yes. The idea that Ford improved beyond repair when they changed the rubber bands for a metal reinforced(?) band. My Mum had a CVT Fiesta for about a fortnight (couldn't manage manual choke). What a wierd sensation that was to drive! :o
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hydronumatic spheres Citroen RR Bentley
still being used today in Citroens.....
When it works it is one of the most comfortable rides you will encounter
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
was that the 1 with led dash ?
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How about the windscreen wipers that worked off the induction manifold (I think)? They used to go slower the faster your drove. ::)
Ford Consuls/Zephyrs used to have them, IIRC.
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How about the windscreen wipers that worked off the induction manifold (I think)? They used to go slower the faster your drove. ::)
Ford Consuls/Zephyrs used to have them, IIRC.
Yeah, vacuum powered. Some 60's Fords had them, like the Bronco.
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hydronumatic spheres Citroen RR Bentley
still being used today in Citroens.....
When it works it is one of the most comfortable rides you will encounter
i used to run a BX as a taxi pita
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
was that the 1 with led dash ?
yeah, that's another idea that really never caught one, digital dashes
Maestro, Astra GTE, Carlton GSi and a few others have had them, but yet we always return to dials
I would go so far as to say any instument panel that doesn't have normal dials on has faded out.
BL used a tape design with the 1100's and 1300's
Citroen used rotating guages
Jag dabbled with LCD's
Aston Martin Lagondas got a terrible reputation because of thier dash
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
was that the 1 with led dash ?
yeah, that's another idea that really never caught one, digital dashes
Maestro, Astra GTE, Carlton GSi and a few others have had them, but yet we always return to dials
I would go so far as to say any instument panel that doesn't have normal dials on has faded out.
BL used a tape design with the 1100's and 1300's
Citroen used rotating guages
Jag dabbled with LCD's
Aston Martin Lagondas got a terrible reputation because of thier dash
My Vaux Viva had a moving strip of red tape, if I remember..... End of the tape equalled the best guestimate of ballpark approximate figure of what it might actually be close to guessing, all other things being equal.... ;D
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
was that the 1 with led dash ?
yeah, that's another idea that really never caught one, digital dashes
Maestro, Astra GTE, Carlton GSi and a few others have had them, but yet we always return to dials
I would go so far as to say any instument panel that doesn't have normal dials on has faded out.
BL used a tape design with the 1100's and 1300's
Citroen used rotating guages
Jag dabbled with LCD's
Aston Martin Lagondas got a terrible reputation because of thier dash
My Vaux Viva had a moving strip of red tape, if I remember..... End of the tape equalled the best guestimate of ballpark approximate figure of what it might actually be close to guessing, all other things being equal.... ;D
Was that a HB or HC viva
and yes it was a bit hit and miss....especially if it was cold, it seemed to underestimate (we called it hibernating ;D )
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
was that the 1 with led dash ?
yeah, that's another idea that really never caught one, digital dashes
Maestro, Astra GTE, Carlton GSi and a few others have had them, but yet we always return to dials
I would go so far as to say any instument panel that doesn't have normal dials on has faded out.
BL used a tape design with the 1100's and 1300's
Citroen used rotating guages
Jag dabbled with LCD's
Aston Martin Lagondas got a terrible reputation because of thier dash
My Vaux Viva had a moving strip of red tape, if I remember..... End of the tape equalled the best guestimate of ballpark approximate figure of what it might actually be close to guessing, all other things being equal.... ;D
didnt hillman hve the same type of thing
hunter i think it was minx ??
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
was that the 1 with led dash ?
yeah, that's another idea that really never caught one, digital dashes
Maestro, Astra GTE, Carlton GSi and a few others have had them, but yet we always return to dials
I would go so far as to say any instument panel that doesn't have normal dials on has faded out.
BL used a tape design with the 1100's and 1300's
Citroen used rotating guages
Jag dabbled with LCD's
Aston Martin Lagondas got a terrible reputation because of thier dash
My Vaux Viva had a moving strip of red tape, if I remember..... End of the tape equalled the best guestimate of ballpark approximate figure of what it might actually be close to guessing, all other things being equal.... ;D
Was that a HB or HC viva
and yes it was a bit hit and miss....especially if it was cold, it seemed to underestimate (we called it hibernating ;D )
Had an HB as a first car, HC as second. Cannot recall which of the two it was, to be fair....
Even VX seemed to get in on the deal by leaving the end of the tape on a chamfer instead of a straight up and down edge, if I recall.... ;D
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DAF variomatic drive....
'Forwards for forwards, back for back. Its as simple as that' as per original TV advert....
Was that the one that relied on rubber bands for transmission?
Yup .. :)
http://www.classic-daf.nl/indexb.html
Yup. Think it started on the DAF 33 which became the DAF 44, which became the Volvo 343 etc when bought over by Volvo.....
Not the worst idea in the box as far as OAP's and the hard of thinking, but simply did not catch on. Ford reincarnated it in the CVT Fiesta but again, did not really catch on too much...
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How about the windscreen wipers that worked off the induction manifold (I think)? They used to go slower the faster your drove. ::)
Ford Consuls/Zephyrs used to have them, IIRC.
Lotus Elans developed that idea too with their pop head lamps. The faster you went, the lower your head lamps went! :o :o Especially as they got older, the section of chasis they used as a vac tank used to rot through & just added to your lack of light in front of you. The road UNDER the car was flooded with light! ;D ;D ;D
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....... Ford reincarnated it in the CVT Fiesta but
again, did not really catch on too much...
As said above. If you've ever driven one you'll realise why. ;)
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
was that the 1 with led dash ?
yeah, that's another idea that really never caught one, digital dashes
Maestro, Astra GTE, Carlton GSi and a few others have had them, but yet we always return to dials
I would go so far as to say any instument panel that doesn't have normal dials on has faded out.
BL used a tape design with the 1100's and 1300's
Citroen used rotating guages
Jag dabbled with LCD's
Aston Martin Lagondas got a terrible reputation because of thier dash
My Vaux Viva had a moving strip of red tape, if I remember..... End of the tape equalled the best guestimate of ballpark approximate figure of what it might actually be close to guessing, all other things being equal.... ;D
Was that a HB or HC viva
and yes it was a bit hit and miss....especially if it was cold, it seemed to underestimate (we called it hibernating ;D )
Had an HB as a first car, HC as second. Cannot recall which of the two it was, to be fair....
Even VX seemed to get in on the deal by leaving the end of the tape on a chamfer instead of a straight up and down edge, if I recall.... ;D
Think it was the HC, couple of uncles had em when I was a kid.
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#2 Voice commands, voice alerts.
Most science-fiction movies of the seventies featured cars that talk, and take voice commands. Not just cars, but also space ships, aeroplanes, computers, etc. ('...Dave.... Can you hear me Dave....' by HAL 9000).
With minor exceptions such as TrafficMaster and some models of Austin Allegro (or was it the Marina)? cars do not talk these days... yes there are the likes of Merc that have this as optional feature, but in the main cars just don't talk. Again surely not down to cost, speech synthesisers are dead cheap these days. It seems that the driving public is just not interested in having conversations with their motors...
It was a good idea, but soooooooo bloody irratating.
Used to have a 1.6 MG maestro, the stupid woman moaned more than my missus about my seatbelt, the lack of fuel....and take it about 80 and she reminded you that you were above the legal speed limit......
was that the 1 with led dash ?
yeah, that's another idea that really never caught one, digital dashes
Maestro, Astra GTE, Carlton GSi and a few others have had them, but yet we always return to dials
I would go so far as to say any instument panel that doesn't have normal dials on has faded out.
BL used a tape design with the 1100's and 1300's
Citroen used rotating guages
Jag dabbled with LCD's
Aston Martin Lagondas got a terrible reputation because of thier dash
My Vaux Viva had a moving strip of red tape, if I remember..... End of the tape equalled the best guestimate of ballpark approximate figure of what it might actually be close to guessing, all other things being equal.... ;D
Was that a HB or HC viva
and yes it was a bit hit and miss....especially if it was cold, it seemed to underestimate (we called it hibernating ;D )
Had an HB as a first car, HC as second. Cannot recall which of the two it was, to be fair....
Even VX seemed to get in on the deal by leaving the end of the tape on a chamfer instead of a straight up and down edge, if I recall.... ;D
Rover P6 2000 also had the strip speedo, and possibly the 3500, in early guise before they introduced the round dials.
Thinking of the P6 you could put the spare wheel on the boot and save space inside, what would the Omega look like, do you think with a round LPG tank on the boot???
:) :) :)
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I had a 1966 P6 2000 SC with cream leather, i can still recall how that car smelled 8-)
That too had a tape speedo, i never new exactly how fast i was going, because it would wave about :-/
Bloody good car though, one of many Rover's that iv'e owned through out my driving history. :)
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I had a 1966 P6 2000 SC with cream leather, i can still recall how that car smelled 8-)
That too had a tape speedo, i never new exactly how fast i was going, because it would wave about :-/
Bloody good car though, one of many Rover's that iv'e owned through out my driving history. :)
my dad had a p6 2.2tc what a beast that was i used to love the way the dash lit up. wicked sound when you put your foot down
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I had a 1966 P6 2000 SC with cream leather, i can still recall how that car smelled 8-)
That too had a tape speedo, i never new exactly how fast i was going, because it would wave about :-/
Bloody good car though, one of many Rover's that iv'e owned through out my driving history. :)
my dad had a p6 2.2tc what a beast that was i used to love the way the dash lit up. wicked sound when you put your foot down
Yeh, had a 2.2 TC too, that was cream velour & a deep red solid colour, swapped it for a Tobacco leaf brown V8 P6 auto with black leather (lost me virginty in that car). 8-)
I allways wanted an SD1 & eventually bought one in Chocolate brown (typical 70's colour) another V8 & that was the start of many Rovers, still have one (my Coupe Vitty)
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I had a 1966 P6 2000 SC with cream leather, i can still recall how that car smelled 8-)
That too had a tape speedo, i never new exactly how fast i was going, because it would wave about :-/
Bloody good car though, one of many Rover's that iv'e owned through out my driving history. :)
my dad had a p6 2.2tc what a beast that was i used to love the way the dash lit up. wicked sound when you put your foot down
If you thought the 2.2 sounded nice then you should try the V8
Bestest sound ever, had a V8 Auto for a long time but used more fuel that any Omega.
I used to like the side light indicators on the top of the lights, at night.
Lovely comfy car, as good as many today but without the complications, except for the rear brakes.
;D ;D ;D
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I had a 1966 P6 2000 SC with cream leather, i can still recall how that car smelled 8-)
That too had a tape speedo, i never new exactly how fast i was going, because it would wave about :-/
Bloody good car though, one of many Rover's that iv'e owned through out my driving history. :)
my dad had a p6 2.2tc what a beast that was i used to love the way the dash lit up. wicked sound when you put your foot down
If you thought the 2.2 sounded nice then you should try the V8
Bestest sound ever, had a V8 Auto for a long time but used more fuel that any Omega.
I used to like the side light indicators on the top of the lights, at night.
Lovely comfy car, as good as many today but without the complications, except for the rear brakes.
;D ;D ;D
They where very fragile, because they could brake off when you where washing it, every one i saw was missing them (bloody good idea though)
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I had a 1966 P6 2000 SC with cream leather, i can still recall how that car smelled 8-)
That too had a tape speedo, i never new exactly how fast i was going, because it would wave about :-/
Bloody good car though, one of many Rover's that iv'e owned through out my driving history. :)
my dad had a p6 2.2tc what a beast that was i used to love the way the dash lit up. wicked sound when you put your foot down
If you thought the 2.2 sounded nice then you should try the V8
Bestest sound ever, had a V8 Auto for a long time but used more fuel that any Omega.
I used to like the side light indicators on the top of the lights, at night.
Lovely comfy car, as good as many today but without the complications, except for the rear brakes.
;D ;D ;D
They where very fragile, because they could brake off when you where washing it, every one i saw was missing them (bloody good idea though)
I will get shouted at I know but I quite like the 800 series as well, a hell of a lot of car for very very little money.
Had a 2.7 Auto for a couple of years, did mega mileage in it fast, comfy and competent on the road. Bought a 2.0L one bit of a dissapointment, crappy montego gearbox.
:) :) :)
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There's nowt wrong with an 800 matey, had a few & i couldn't/can't fault them :y
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There's nowt wrong with an 800 matey, had a few & i couldn't/can't fault them :y
Apart fom their 100 ft turning circle ....... ;)
I was lent one for the day. :-?
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There's nowt wrong with an 800 matey, had a few & i couldn't/can't fault them :y
Apart fom their 100 ft turning circle ....... ;)
I was lent one for the day. :-?
I was hired a facelift 827 sterling by work to go on a business trip to Telford many years ago when they first came out (they'd run out of escrots, it seems). I remember a certain amount of "honing" of my skills on that journey, to coin a phrase, and on the M54, as it happens. [smiley=evil.gif]
Kevin
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.......
I remember a certain amount of "honing" of my skills on that journey, . [smiley=evil.gif]
Kevin
Do they do 159 mph? ::) ::) ::) ;D
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There's nowt wrong with an 800 matey, had a few & i couldn't/can't fault them :y
Apart fom their 100 ft turning circle ....... ;)
I was lent one for the day. :-?
I was hired a facelift 827 sterling by work to go on a business trip to Telford many years ago when they first came out (they'd run out of escrots, it seems). I remember a certain amount of "honing" of my skills on that journey, to coin a phrase, and on the M54, as it happens. [smiley=evil.gif]
Kevin
All the way up to 70 :) They certainly were fast, the Police used to use them, a pity they never did an estate, I think not doing estates throughout their 'executive' market range ( P6 SD1 800) helped to kill them off, Volvo estates took off for the family minded executive. imho
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Can't believe that no one has mentioned the 'Clutch and Manual Gearbox'.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Can't believe that no one has mentioned the 'Clutch and Manual Gearbox'.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Whats them then?
:D :D :D
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Can't believe that no one has mentioned the 'Clutch and Manual Gearbox'.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I remember those! And 8-tracks, and front bench seats for 3! :P ;D
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Can't believe that no one has mentioned the 'Clutch and Manual Gearbox'.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I remember those! And 8-tracks, and front bench seats for 3! :P ;D
Isn't progress a wonderful thing?
;D
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Can't believe that no one has mentioned the 'Clutch and Manual Gearbox'.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I remember those! And 8-tracks, and front bench seats for 3! :P ;D
Isn't progress a wonderful thing?
;D
:y ;D
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Can't believe that no one has mentioned the 'Clutch and Manual Gearbox'.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Careful! You'll start Paul M off again ....reading the road ahead .... in control ........... ::) ::) ::)
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Can't believe that no one has mentioned the 'Clutch and Manual Gearbox'.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Careful! You'll start Paul M off again ....reading the road ahead .... in control ........... ::) ::) ::)
He feels the road through the gear lever? Odd. Is holding the gear lever replacement therapy of some sort? :-? ;D
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DAF variomatic drive....
'Forwards for forwards, back for back. Its as simple as that' as per original TV advert....
Was that the one that relied on rubber bands for transmission?
Yup .. :)
http://www.classic-daf.nl/indexb.html
Yup. Think it started on the DAF 33 which became the DAF 44, which became the Volvo 343 etc when bought over by Volvo.....
Not the worst idea in the box as far as OAP's and the hard of thinking, but simply did not catch on. Ford reincarnated it in the CVT Fiesta but again, did not really catch on too much...
Afaik Volvo bought DAF because they wanted the CVT system for their smaller cars, and DAF's was patented.... Obviously Volvo thought that CVT will be a hit. Ahem...
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hydronumatic spheres Citroen RR Bentley
still being used today in Citroens.....
When it works it is one of the most comfortable rides you will encounter
Yes, but again it seems that great travelling public are not really interested in cars that go up and down....
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As for digital dash, e.g. Astra GTE style, it is interesting how thing have come 360 degrees... new Mercs now have a small LCD display instead of the instrument panel, and the display is showing an image of.... a good old round analogue speedometer ;D
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Tri-rotor Wankel. :y
I wouldn't rate this the same as the others... Wankel failed not because it did not pick up in the market, but because the engines were very short-lived with typical life span of 20-30k miles before major overhaul.
The thing bankrupted NSU in the seventies (they bet heavily on their Ro-80 exec saloon) and were then taken over by Audi.
So even though it was adopted by Mazda for the RX7/8, I would say it was a technological flop at the time rather then just a good/reasonable feature that the market did not warm up to.
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#5 Heated front windscreen (Ford Granada style)
OK, so it does bring costs up a bit, but it can't be that expensive... I have it on my Scorpio at the time and it was very useful.
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#6 Inboard brake discs
As discussed in another thread... Alfa did it initially on their RWD cars, the discs were attached to the diff on both sides i.e. were on the inner sides of the drive shafts, and then they did the same for the front discs on the Alfasud.
They said at the time that this was done in order to reduce the 'unsprung' weight' of the road wheels, i.e. reduce the mass that is made to go up-and-down thus allowing much better adherence to the road surface.
Again, great idea that comes with no extra cost (the only potential complication is that disc brakes near the diff are somehwat vulnerable to oil leaks).
So if it is so brilliant, why isn't everyone doing it?
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#7 Alloy engine block
Before you say that there are many cars that do have it....
Many automotive innovation were very quickly adopted across the industry: overhead valves (OHV), then overhead cam (OHC), then dual overhead cam (DOHC), and then alloy engine heads.... these features are now all commonplace.
But not so with alloy engine blocks... yes it is more expensive, but surely this will be offset by a massive weight reduction, which should aid both fuel economy and handling?
Yes still many new cars have good old iron blocks....
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#7 Alloy engine block
Before you say that there are many cars that do have it....
Many automotive innovation were very quickly adopted across the industry: overhead valves (OHV), then overhead cam (OHC), then dual overhead cam (DOHC), and then alloy engine heads.... these features are now all commonplace.
But not so with alloy engine blocks... yes it is more expensive, but surely this will be offset by a massive weight reduction, which should aid both fuel economy and handling?
Yes still many new cars have good old iron blocks....
If my memories correct, Rover used this idea for V8 that they bought from Detroit.
Correct me if i'm wrong :P
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The Americans had an idea of having a record player back in the 50's.
I wonder why it didn't catch on ::)
Did we have owt similar over here :question
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#7 Alloy engine block
Before you say that there are many cars that do have it....
Many automotive innovation were very quickly adopted across the industry: overhead valves (OHV), then overhead cam (OHC), then dual overhead cam (DOHC), and then alloy engine heads.... these features are now all commonplace.
But not so with alloy engine blocks... yes it is more expensive, but surely this will be offset by a massive weight reduction, which should aid both fuel economy and handling?
Yes still many new cars have good old iron blocks....
If my memories correct, Rover used this idea for V8 that they bought from Detroit.
Correct me if i'm wrong :P
It's used on quite a few engines, but the vast majority are still iron.
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#6 Inboard brake discs
As discussed in another thread... Alfa did it initially on their RWD cars, the discs were attached to the diff on both sides i.e. were on the inner sides of the drive shafts, and then they did the same for the front discs on the Alfasud.
They said at the time that this was done in order to reduce the 'unsprung' weight' of the road wheels, i.e. reduce the mass that is made to go up-and-down thus allowing much better adherence to the road surface.
Again, great idea that comes with no extra cost (the only potential complication is that disc brakes near the diff are somehwat vulnerable to oil leaks).
So if it is so brilliant, why isn't everyone doing it?
Inboard brakes don't get enough airflow for cooling. Also, the front brakes need to be the big ones, you need driveshafts to have them inboard, and there isn't enough room with transverse engines to have them inboard. Lastly, ride quality isn't as important in the back and servicing is harder.
Audi did inside-out rotors (nicknamed UFO's) in the early nineties. Worked great until they started to wear out or warp and then they were a nightmare.
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Tri-rotor Wankel. :y
I wouldn't rate this the same as the others... Wankel failed not because it did not pick up in the market, but because the engines were very short-lived with typical life span of 20-30k miles before major overhaul.
The thing bankrupted NSU in the seventies (they bet heavily on their Ro-80 exec saloon) and were then taken over by Audi.
So even though it was adopted by Mazda for the RX7/8, I would say it was a technological flop at the time rather then just a good/reasonable feature that the market did not warm up to.
I wasn't talking about regular dual-rotor Wankels. Those are/were in the RX2/3/4/7/8 and a few other models over a span of decades. The latest version is a good if thirsty engine.
There was a Corvette concept car in the 70's with a 3 or 4-rotor Wankel. If you want a lot of power in a small package maybe a 3 or 4 rotor Wankel with turbos . . . ;D
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#6 Inboard brake discs
.........(the only potential complication is that disc brakes near the diff are somehwat vulnerable to oil leaks)......
Exaserbated Made worse by the heat of the discs cooking the dif seals.
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#7 Alloy engine block
Before you say that there are many cars that do have it....
Many automotive innovation were very quickly adopted across the industry: overhead valves (OHV), then overhead cam (OHC), then dual overhead cam (DOHC), and then alloy engine heads.... these features are now all commonplace.
But not so with alloy engine blocks... yes it is more expensive, but surely this will be offset by a massive weight reduction, which should aid both fuel economy and handling?
Yes still many new cars have good old iron blocks....
If my memories correct, Rover used this idea for V8 that they bought from Detroit.
Correct me if i'm wrong :P
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
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Tri-rotor Wankel. :y
I wouldn't rate this the same as the others... Wankel failed not because it did not pick up in the market, but because the engines were very short-lived with typical life span of 20-30k miles before major overhaul.
The thing bankrupted NSU in the seventies (they bet heavily on their Ro-80 exec saloon) and were then taken over by Audi.
So even though it was adopted by Mazda for the RX7/8, I would say it was a technological flop at the time rather then just a good/reasonable feature that the market did not warm up to.
I wasn't talking about regular dual-rotor Wankels. Those are/were in the RX2/3/4/7/8 and a few other models over a span of decades. The latest version is a good if thirsty engine.
There was a Corvette concept car in the 70's with a 3 or 4-rotor Wankel. If you want a lot of power in a small package maybe a 3 or 4 rotor Wankel with turbos . . . ;D
Interesting... I did not know that. Thanks... :y
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
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#7 Alloy engine block
Before you say that there are many cars that do have it....
Many automotive innovation were very quickly adopted across the industry: overhead valves (OHV), then overhead cam (OHC), then dual overhead cam (DOHC), and then alloy engine heads.... these features are now all commonplace.
But not so with alloy engine blocks... yes it is more expensive, but surely this will be offset by a massive weight reduction, which should aid both fuel economy and handling?
Yes still many new cars have good old iron blocks....
Trouble is thta to make a block as strong as the cast iron equivalent, you need almost the same weight of alloy......or tolerate a weaker block or much more expensive precision casting setup.
They are more common place now though.........so its even more important to get the anti freeze mix right!
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#7 Alloy engine block
Before you say that there are many cars that do have it....
Many automotive innovation were very quickly adopted across the industry: overhead valves (OHV), then overhead cam (OHC), then dual overhead cam (DOHC), and then alloy engine heads.... these features are now all commonplace.
But not so with alloy engine blocks... yes it is more expensive, but surely this will be offset by a massive weight reduction, which should aid both fuel economy and handling?
Yes still many new cars have good old iron blocks....
If my memories correct, Rover used this idea for V8 that they bought from Detroit.
Correct me if i'm wrong :P
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
The Buick 215 engine........interestingly, Buick made more engines during the 2 years of production in the states than Rover did in the following 40 ish years of V8 production.
Whats worse is that they fettled the design and buggered the flow of the heads up (215 heads are highly sought after), the head mountings (they added an extra row of bolts which buggers the head gaskets on pre 95 engines) and quite simply worsened the original design.
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
No. There was a coupe & saloon in both straight 6 & V8 ie B for Buick form http://www.roverp5club.org.uk/
They would be towards the top of my lottery winning wish list.
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
No. There was a coupe & saloon in both straight 6 & V8 ie B for Buick form http://www.roverp5club.org.uk/
Ahaa. You learn sumat new every day :y
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Ahaa. You learn sumat new every day :y
It was cos the P5 was such a big heavy car that the original straight 6 was a bit under powered for it, hence the need for something with a little more poke.
Had been trialed as a marine engine before Buick abandoned it.
Head of Rover wouldn't let them put it in the car but the engineers did anyway.
Took MD along motorway at speeds that would now be illegal.
MD impressed when he learned.
[smiley=thumbup.gif] Gave go ahead
Rest is history .... blah blah
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
No. There was a coupe & saloon in both straight 6 & V8 ie B for Buick form http://www.roverp5club.org.uk/
They would be towards the top of my lottery winning wish list.
Indeed... one of the best looking cars ever... which was also the basis of the recent Chrysler 300C.
Incidentally... does anyone remember the opening scene in Wim Winder's 1991 movie 'Until the End of the World'? The one with the Rover and the 'kisses sweeter than wine' soundtrack? A classic....
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.....
Ahaa. You learn sumat new every day :y
It was cos the P5 was such a big heavy car that the original straight 6 was a bit under powered for it, hence the need for something with a little more poke.
Had been trialed as a marine engine before Buick abandoned it.
Head of Rover wouldn't let them put it in the car but the engineers did anyway.
Took MD along motorway at speeds that would now be illegal.
MD impressed when he learned.
[smiley=thumbup.gif] Gave go ahead
Rest is history .... blah blah
I always liked the look of the P5, especially the Coupe, but they where always too expensive for me at the time, so i had a P6 instead (well 3 actually) There was a black P5 that was local & it was a beaut.
It was driven by a young lad, only a bit younger than me & i always wondered how he afforded it ::)
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Ahaa. You learn sumat new every day :y
It was cos the P5 was such a big heavy car that the original straight 6 was a bit under powered for it, hence the need for something with a little more poke.
Had been trialed as a marine engine before Buick abandoned it.
Head of Rover wouldn't let them put it in the car but the engineers did anyway.
Took MD along motorway at speeds that would now be illegal.
MD impressed when he learned.
[smiley=thumbup.gif] Gave go ahead
Rest is history .... blah blah
I always liked the look of the P5, especially the Coupe, but they where always too expensive for me at the time, so i had a P6 instead (well 3 actually) There was a black P5 that was local & it was a beaut.
It was driven by a young lad, only a bit younger than me & i always wondered how he afforded it ::)
Selling drugs? ;D
Odd choice for a pimp car though ;D
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2 stroke Diesel engines?
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2 stroke Diesel engines?
Plenty of them in marine and rail use. Never seem to have made it down to the smaller scale a car would require.
I heard a rumour that Ford initially designed the Ka to take a new design of two stroke GDI engine but the EU started specifying not only what emissions standards car manufacturers had to meet but how they were to do it, and this rendered it still-born. So, they had a rummage in the parts bin and found the only engine that was suitable was the horrible old cast iron OHV engine it eventually got saddled with.
Kevin
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2 stroke Diesel engines?
Plenty of them in marine and rail use. Never seem to have made it down to the smaller scale a car would require.
I heard a rumour that Ford initially designed the Ka to take a new design of two stroke GDI engine but the EU started specifying not only what emissions standards car manufacturers had to meet but how they were to do it, and this rendered it still-born. So, they had a rummage in the parts bin and found the only engine that was suitable was the horrible old cast iron OHV engine it eventually got saddled with.
Kevin
Alfa-Romeo had a 2.4l in the late 80's
2 strokes are in theory twice as powerful as 4 strokes & I'm sure that with today's technologies, emission concerns can be overcome
:)
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2 stroke Diesel engines?
Try fitting this under the bonnet
(http://pigeonsnest.co.uk/stuff/deltic/napier_deltic_animation.gif)
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
No. There was a coupe & saloon in both straight 6 & V8 ie B for Buick form http://www.roverp5club.org.uk/
They would be towards the top of my lottery winning wish list.
Indeed... one of the best looking cars ever... which was also the basis of the recent Chrysler 300C.
Incidentally... does anyone remember the opening scene in Wim Winder's 1991 movie 'Until the End of the World'? The one with the Rover and the 'kisses sweeter than wine' soundtrack? A classic....
i've learnt something new today.....and looking at it i can see the connection, high wasteline, small windows, big grill
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
No. There was a coupe & saloon in both straight 6 & V8 ie B for Buick form http://www.roverp5club.org.uk/
They would be towards the top of my lottery winning wish list.
Indeed... one of the best looking cars ever... which was also the basis of the recent Chrysler 300C.
Incidentally... does anyone remember the opening scene in Wim Winder's 1991 movie 'Until the End of the World'? The one with the Rover and the 'kisses sweeter than wine' soundtrack? A classic....
i've learnt something new today.....and looking at it i can see the connection, high wasteline, small windows, big grill
To confuse matters further....:
(http://www.mci-maestro.co.uk/mciautomotive/mci-147.jpg)
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somebodys been messing in photoshop !! :y
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
No. There was a coupe & saloon in both straight 6 & V8 ie B for Buick form http://www.roverp5club.org.uk/
They would be towards the top of my lottery winning wish list.
Indeed... one of the best looking cars ever... which was also the basis of the recent Chrysler 300C.
Incidentally... does anyone remember the opening scene in Wim Winder's 1991 movie 'Until the End of the World'? The one with the Rover and the 'kisses sweeter than wine' soundtrack? A classic....
i've learnt something new today.....and looking at it i can see the connection, high wasteline, small windows, big grill
To confuse matters further....:
(http://www.mci-maestro.co.uk/mciautomotive/mci-147.jpg)
God, if only, I am drooling, bit of a big rover fan on the quiet.
:y :y :y
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
[highlight]P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.[/highlight]
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
No. There was a coupe & saloon in both straight 6 & V8 ie B for Buick form http://www.roverp5club.org.uk/
They would be towards the top of my lottery winning wish list.
Indeed... one of the best looking cars ever... which was also the basis of the recent Chrysler 300C.
Incidentally... does anyone remember the opening scene in Wim Winder's 1991 movie 'Until the End of the World'? The one with the Rover and the 'kisses sweeter than wine' soundtrack? A classic....
i've learnt something new today.....and looking at it i can see the connection, high wasteline, small windows, big grill
Don't forget they carried the engine onver the the P6, and beyond, hence P6B
:D :D :D
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2 stroke Diesel engines?
Try fitting this under the bonnet
(http://pigeonsnest.co.uk/stuff/deltic/napier_deltic_animation.gif)
Flat (Boxter style) :question
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.......
Yep, from Buick, to be precise... hence the B designation in Rover P2B.
P[size=16]5[/size]B surely.
Yes ;D
My dyslexia is taking-over sometimes...
Wasn't the P5b the Coupe & the P5 a normal Saloon :question
No. There was a coupe & saloon in both straight 6 & V8 ie B for Buick form http://www.roverp5club.org.uk/
They would be towards the top of my lottery winning wish list.
Indeed... one of the best looking cars ever... which was also the basis of the recent Chrysler 300C.
Incidentally... does anyone remember the opening scene in Wim Winder's 1991 movie 'Until the End of the World'? The one with the Rover and the 'kisses sweeter than wine' soundtrack? A classic....
i've learnt something new today.....and looking at it i can see the connection, high wasteline, small windows, big grill
To confuse matters further....:
(http://www.mci-maestro.co.uk/mciautomotive/mci-147.jpg)
now if that was the real thing Rover wouldn't have collapsed into the mire it did....and i would be driving one now :-[
however it would need a head gasket at every service and depreciation would be even worse than it suffers as a Chrysler
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can I just remind people that the Rover 800 series was called the Rover Belgrano by the chaps in Blue ..... they were NOT popular round here.... where the Senny was the preferred weapon of choice !
;)
and rightly so !