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AutoNotes #13, 03/18/94 copr. 1994, Dave Williams
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Huntington Beach, CA police are now using radar to combat a new type
of speeder - bicyclists. The city has a 10mph bicycle speed limit.
Violators are ticketed.
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Meanwhile, police in Manhattan beach, CA are training neighborhood
watches to use radar guns so they can set speed traps in their own
neighborhoods. Sounds like a real nice place.
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One highly touted advantage of laser radar is that it is so accurate
- the beam is only 4 feet wide at 1/4 mile distances. Tests run by
Automobile Magazine showed that it was rather difficult to actually
pick out a particular vehicle at that range. The radars they tested
also didn't care much for dark colored cars.
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Plastic body panels may have problems other than sun warp. I've come
across three reports of Fieros being chewed by dogs, and one of a
Mustang's air dam. Hmm, tasty...
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During the 1992 racing season the Williams-Renault F1 team used a
specially blended fuel that cost $165/liter. The cars' fuel tanks
held 200 liters, or $33,000 worth of 'the precious juice.'
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GM wants gas companies to develop a driveability index to use along
with the present octane rating system. The driveability index would
take into account starting and cold weather operation. GM also wants
a reduction in sulfur content, which they say will help extend the
life of catalystic convertors and oxygen sensors.
While a DI is probably a reasonably good idea - I have one vehicle which won't idle on gas with alcohol, and one which can't even be started on MTBE-contaminated gas - GM has evidently forgotten how stubborn the oil campanies can be. The DOT's original octane grading scale was scheduled to go into effect on March 15, 1972. The oil companies reponded with a barrage of lawsuits and simply ignored the ruling. Octane ratings didn't hit the pumps widely until 1978.
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Modern catalytic convertors require an exhaust generated by a mixture
that's pretty close to stoichiometric; that is, neither too rich nor
too lean. Toyota and Cataler Industrial Corp. have developed a new
catalytic convertor that will work at lean mixtures up to 22:1.
Toyota is also working on their own two stroke engine. The prototype is rated at 64 PS. There's that dang outdated German pferdestarke again. What's going on here, anyway? What happened to JIS, DIN, or SAE horses, or even SI kilowatts? Or is PS something new using the same old PS abbreviation?
Toyota also has a Miller Cycle engine program, a new piezeoelectric fuel injector that's supposed to be 5x faster than normal injectors, and some other stuff. Sounds like Toyota's R&D had a windfall appropriation.
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Comcorp's new "Comfort Pedal" is an adjustable pedal assembly that
slides toward or away from the driver. Several Detroit automakers are
reportedly looking at it with interest. The idea is at least thirty
years old, though. Heck, Marcos has been doing it just recently.
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In 1992 Michael Landsell hit 130 mph at Pendine Sands, Wales, site of
several early British speed record attempts. 54-year-old Landsell may
now have the world speed record for blind drivers. Ayup.
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When Johnny can't read: John Young Stewart dropped out of school at
age 15 due to dyslexia. He later went into motor sports, which is
somewhat unusual as dyslexia is frequently associated with minor motor
disorders. (the non-POCO word is 'clumsiness'). Race fans may
recognize John under the handle of "the wee Scot" aka Jackie Stewart.
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Ford's aerodynamics experts have supposedly identified the world's
most streamlined land animal: the turtle. No word yet on whether
that's with or without the legs retracted. And I suspect the
armadillos want a recount...
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Wouldn't you rather drive a Cadillac? American M-5 tanks in WWII
were built by Cadillac Division of GM. Cadillac was proud enough of
it to take out ads for their tanks during the war, when they weren't
allowed to sell cars.
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Raymond Leowy, famous for his '53 Studebaker Starliner and '61 Avanti
designs, also styled the Sunbeam Alpine, otherwise known as the Tiger.
Well, Leowy actually didn't design the Starliner, though he was boss
of the project. The actual design was done by Robert Bourke. Bourke
in turn had worked under Virgil Exner for a while. Exner penned most
of Chryslers horrendous 1950s show cars. Good thing Exner's styling
ideas weren't contagious.
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Two-thirds of all the land in Los Angeles is tied up in roads,
parking lots, garages, gas stations, and auto dealers, according to
Road & Track.
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Everyone knows about the recents deaths of NASCAR drivers in light
aircraft. Automaker Dante Innocenti died in a light plane, as have a
surprising number of race drivers and rock and roll performers.
Oddly, the only famous people I could think of who died in car wrecks
were George Patton, Jean-Paul Sartre, and James Dean. In fact, they
all died within a few years of each other. What's the point? Don't
ask me, I just work here.
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A Duke University study showed drivers with a master's degree are 28
times as likely to fall asleep behind the wheel as drivers with only a
high school education.
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The New York Post said 10 garbage trucks were stolen in a five-month
period in 1993. A Corvette I could see, but a garbage truck?
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