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AutoNotes #15, 06/13/94 copr. 1994, Dave Williams
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Freightliner plans to use the 8.0L Dodge V10 in one of their smaller
trucks. Not the Viper V10; the iron V10 used in Dodge trucks.
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Need to look up some automotive history? The National Automotive
History Collection is housed in part of the Detroit Public Library,
and contained 450,000 items.
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More on the '95 L36 GM 3800 V6: block is 11 pounds lighter, rods are
.64 inches shorter, pistons are different, the main caps are powder
metal, the balance shaft now has a plain bearing in back instead of a
roller, a windage tray has been added, pistons have floating pins,
dual knock sensors are used, new ports and "symmetrical" combustion
chambers, lighter valve, investment-cast rockers.
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More on Ford's CDW27: 60 degree V6, 82.4 x 79.5mm bore and stroke,
365 pounds, 9.7:1 CR, forged crank with rolled fillets and offset rod
journals, main cap girdle with four bolts per cap, caps themselves are
forged steel (?!), rods are cracked powder metal, cast-in iron liners,
no balance shaft, anti-friction coated pistons, valvetrain is borrowed
from the 4-cam modular V8. The cams are sourced in Lichtenstein,
which also provided things like oil pumps for the now-discontinued LT5
V8 in the Corvette ZR-1. Lichtenstein must be a happenin' place, car-
wise.
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GM is seriously considering adding side airbags along with the ones
in front. Hit a deer - blow your eardrums out. They can do wonders
with hearing aids nowadays. Lotsa luck.
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VW has been playing around with thermal-sink catalytic convertors for
years. That's an insulated convertor that stays hot for hours after
shutdown. It saves money over an electrically-heated convertor, and
it's cheaper. Now the "National Renewable Energy Laboratory" (whoever
*they* are) has suddenly discovered the idea and is issuing press
releases.
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For the last four years, Ford Credit has been the largest profit
center Ford has. They accounted for 63% of the company's 1993 net
income. Hell, why bother to build cars? Just finance Chevys...
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Another group of looney-toons has filed against GM on the side
mounted fuel tank foofraw. The $100M suit claims GM conspired to hide
evidence about the danger of side mounted fuel tanks. This is getting
pretty old, particularly after GM cut NBC's Dateline "news" show a new
rectum by uncovering their fraudulent "evidence."
Hey, why not sue Peterbilt or Fruehauf? See that big old fuel tank,
hanging right under the cab? Bah. The safest place for the tank was
in the cab, where it was protected by Federal rollover and side impact
regulations. And that was where Detroit put them for 75 years, until
the safety Nazis got upset. There's no other place on the truck where
the tank will be protected as well as in the cab. GM's location of
the tank is about the same as most other truck manufacturers.
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State Farm claims their study of air bag deployments shows the bags
deployed "in every serious frontal impact." Odd, that's not what
other companies and the NHTSA find. However, State Farm admitted
airbag inflation could cause abrasions, cuts and bruises to the face,
arms, and wrists. I hope you aren't wearing glasses or smoking when
the bag goes off, either.
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If you thought the US EPA and DOT smog and safety BS was bad, check
out what's going on in Europe. The EEC seems determined to exceed the
US in rabid automotive political correctness. The latest is their new
noise regulation - 74 dBa. You can almost fart louder than that.
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A replacement alternator for a Kawasaki ZX-10 or ZX-11 is $550. The
dealer says it's a pretty common failure. A replacement alternator
for an Acura Legend is $696. This is f***ing ridiculous, you know?
If you're driving something with a plain old $39.95 AutoZone
Motorcraft, Delco, or Chrysler alternator, get down on your knees and
give thanks.
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Remember the motorcycle scene in the late '70s and early '80s?
Everyone went twincam and electronic ignition. V4s and transverse
sixes hit the scene. Shaft drive became common. Fuel injection.
Turbos. Displacement went up to 1000, 1050, 1100, 1200cc, even more
on the Harley-wannabee punkers. Antidive. Rear discs. Water
cooling. Four valve heads. Five valve heads. Six speed
transmissions. Power soared and ETs dropped into the low 11s. There
were seven or eight years of crazed fast-forward techno-extravaganza,
and then... bupkis. Development came to a smoking halt. Prices
soared - 600s cost more than 1200s did just eight years ago. Suddenly
the whole market was afflicted with 600cc mediocrity. Innovation?
The RADD front end on the Yamaha GT was the talk of the town - in
1984. BMW's frankly strange front end on some new models may be new,
but who cares? ABS is a *bad* idea for motorcycles. By and large,
we're time-warped in 1985. What happened? Beats me, bud.
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Those poky little 1.8 and 2.0L four cylinder engines used in GM's J
and N cars mostly came from Brazil, but some came from Holden,
otherwise known as General Motors/Australia.
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Michigan's M-185 at Mackinack may be the only state higheway in the
US that's never had a car wreck. Of course, automobiles have been
banned from Mackinack Island since 1896.
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Daufuskie Island, South Carolina had only 15 cars in 1979, but two of
them managed to crash together anyway. It was the 7-mile-long
island's first car wreck.
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Jack Yamaguchi's real first name is Kyoichi. He's written for almost
every major automotive publication since the mid-60s.
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The first car magazine published in the US was The Horseless Age.
The first issue came off the press in New York, NY in November 1895.
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According to the Michigan DOT, the first traffic light in the US was
installed at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Fort Street in October,
1920.
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As of 1983, 41% of all job-related deaths in the US happened in motor
vehicle crashes on the highway. If off-highway crashes are included
the figure goes up to 57%. Phew! You don't have to worry about
asbestos or blue food in the snack machines that much now.
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Everyone knows that Paul Newman is both a race car driver and an
actor, as was Steve McQueen. (McQueen also raced motorcycles) Many
people know James Garner did his own driving in "Le Mans." But how
many people know Gene Hackman used to drive one of Dan Gurney's IMSA
Toyotas?
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Didya ever wonder... if de gummit and Detroit are so damned anxious
for you to wear seat belts, why do they bury the buckles way down in
the crack of the seat? Remember the old days, when belts buckled in
front and were easy to get to? Probably something to do with making
sure the shoulder strap is at *just* the right angle to saw through
your jugular - that's why so many people drive leaning sideways now -
but it takes me two or three full minutes to fasten the damned belt
when I drive a late model car.
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Ever wonder why GM makes both Chevrolet and GMC trucks, and there's
not much difference between them? Because (depending on whose
statistics you like) 25 to 33% of all new vehicles sold are pickup
trucks. Chevrolet has its own truck line, but if an Olds, Buick, or
Pontiac dealer wants to cash in, they have to share the GMC lineup.
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Schneider is one of the large nationwide trucking firms. Their
bright orange trucks are easy to spot - both for you and for the
company. Each truck is equipped with a Global Positioning System
transponder to let the dispatcher know where each truck is. And if
that's not bad enough, other truck drivers refer to those orange cones
and drums on the freeway as "Schneider eggs."
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