HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: aland@informix.com (Colonel Panic)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: 1993 Ford Probe GT - a good buy?
Date: 29 Dec 92 01:45:48 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Helen Keller Bondurant's Performance Driving School for the Blind

In article <1992Dec18.231128@micro.caltech.edu> azirger@micro.caltech.edu (Art Zirger) writes:
>I'm shopping for a car to have loads of fun with and the new Probe GT has been
>getting lots of praise (even Consumer Reports!).  What is the net's feeling?  I

The net can't drive.  But, if it *could*, ...

>was comparing it with the Acura Integra GS-R, but the GS-R just doesn't have the
>low RPM kick that the Probe does.  I drove the Probe (albeit an automatic) around
>Southern California the last couple of days.  It was a blast.  Maybe it's just
>because I own an '88 Hyundai Excel...  I'm just about ready to plunk down my hard
>earned cash; I'd appreciate any words of wisdom.  Thanks.
>
>Art Zirger.

Several of the participants in this group own one (including me).  I've had it
since mid-September, and I have the following gripe list:

    1) gas tank is too small -- 300 mile range in mixed driving, if I'm lucky.
    2) the optional rear wiper has no "intermittent" setting.
    3) Ford dealers that I have checked charge too much for regular servicing.
    4) cupholder is too small, and using it gets in the way of the shifter.

Yup.  That's about it.  Otherwise, it's awesome for the money.

--
Alan Denney      aland@informix.com      {pyramid|uunet}!infmx!aland

"I'm so tough, my mother never tucked me into bed, she *stapled* me in."
"I'm so tough, I get my girlfriend to iron my shirts... while I'm wearing 'em."
"I'm so tough, when I go down to the beach, I kick sand in my *own* face!"
    -- George Smilovich
From: stecz@pencom.com (John Steczkowski)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: CB Walkie-Talkie
Date: 29 Dec 92 15:30:44 GMT
Reply-To: stecz@pencom.com
Distribution: austin
Organization: Pencom Software

In article <72513@cup.portal.com> Harv@cup.portal.com (Harv R Laser) writes:
> To wrap this tale up, when we got back to his car to wait for
> the AAA truck, there were 3 or 4 other cars behind his, all with
> flat tires, all from having hit the same ladder. 
> 
> Harv

Why didn't you move the ladder?

--
--
  John Steczkowski                        stecz@pencom.com
  "Achilles raised his spear, took careful aim, and hurled."
  					    from the Iliad
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: morton@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (Brent Morton)
Subject: Re: 1990 Audi 100 SUCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!e+10
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Univ. of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 00:37:32 GMT

In article <mills.725056973@dialup.athena.lkg.dec.com> mills@athena.lkg.dec.com (George Mills) writes:
>I could understand if it was someone driving the car out of the show room.
>But these folks had been driving the cars for a while. A car becomes a
>natural extension of the body very quickly. Why, all of a suden, would this
>extension break?

It was discovered that the people having trouble operating their Audis were
mainly those who had owned the car a relatively short while. I imagine that
there were people out there who accidentally stepped on the gas instead of the
brake, realized their mistake before anything major happened, and taught
themselves not to do it.

>I just rented a Bobcat for the first time a few months back. Never drove
>anything like it before. Oh, and to add to that the rig I had on it had to
>be driven backwards ! Oh, and by the way the rig wieghed about 4000 pounds
>making it very teeter toter (could not hit brake or gas to fast). Oh, and
>by the way your hands are throttle and steering at the same time. How,
>many people you ask did I run over? None. The machine was in working
>condition and so was this average FAT footed american. It was a fun
>challenge to drive. I had the arm dropping, bucket tipping, turning and
>backing up all at the same time in just a couple hours.
>
>When I returned it, I asked how many accidents do you have with these
>things. He said once in a great while they get tipped over if working
>on inclined areas. These are 90% new drivers on a very different driving
>machine.

That just isn't the same. People don't re-learn how to drive a car each time
they get into a different one they've never driven before, especially if the
new car's an automatic. You just get in and start driving, because you already
know how to use the machine. Problem is that the new machine has slightly
different controls than you're used to, and perhaps the difference is slight
enough that you don't notice it, causing you to incorrectly operate the 
controls. You can make a conscious adjustment to the new car if you notice the
difference, but an unconscious adjustment , on the other hand, takes time, and,
as I said, the people who had problems with their 5000s tended to be relatively
new Audi owners.

-- Brent
morton@artifis.gaul.csd.uwo.ca
From: dwrig@tog-34.hac.com (David Wright)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Emblems, names and meanings...
Date: 23 Dec 92 01:08:05 GMT
Organization: Hughes Aircraft Company, Fullerton California

>>Most of these logos probably have no specific meaning.
>
>>Does Chrysler's?

The pentastar originally stood for the 5 divisions of Chrysler.  At the time
it first came out, these would have been Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and
Imperial.  When DeSoto was phased out, Dodge trucks took it's place in the
count.

David Wright - 65 Plymouth Belvedere II 4-door 273
	       74 Dodge Challenger Rallye 360
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.tech
From: dmmatt@bigez (Mike Mattix)
Subject: Re: Car Insurance
Organization: Monsanto Agricultural Company
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 12:51:05 GMT

In article <BzGtI4.LAn.1@cs.cmu.edu>, darcy+@cs.cmu.edu (Darcy Bullock) writes:
> 
> 
> I am not sure if this is the correct group to post to or not, but here goes.
> 
> Our current Car insurance carrier is Nationwide.  At the end of the month we
> are moving from Pennsylvania to Louisiana.  Louisiana happens to be one of
> three states that Nationwide does not write policies in so we must find
> another carrier.
> 
> However, my wife had an "at fault" collision in August of 91 and our carrier
> paid $450.00 to fix the other guys bumper.  Nationwide did not raise our
> premiums, but now that we are shopping for a new carrier our premiums will
> more then double.  Does anybody have a suggestion on how to get car
> insurance at a "reasonable" price?
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Darcy Bullock                                 Phone:    412/268-3781
> Carnegie Mellon University                    FAX:      412/268-7813
> Department of Civil Engineering               Internet: darcy@cs.cmu.edu
> Pittsburgh, PA  15213
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  In Louisiana with an at fault??  GOOD LUCK!!  Many Louisiana Insurance companies
are going belly up and more and more national firms refuse to do business here.  
There is a 'No Fault' bill in committee in Baton Rouge but with the millions the 
ambulance chasers will lose you can bet they will fight it to the end.  And around
here the end is usually the one with the biggest payoff to the state/local officals.
Sorry to sound so pessimistic but I am currently paying $3500/yr for three vehicles
and an 18 year old son and feel I am getting a DEAL..

-- 
Mike Mattix
Agricultural Group of Monsanto
P.O. Box 174
Luling, LA 70070
INTERNET Address: dmmatt@bigez.monsanto.com
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: snuffy@zelator.in-berlin.de (Ronald_J. Bartle)
Subject: Workshop in Berlin xmass!??
Organization: Puplic-Access-Xenix-System
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 92 05:19:36 GMT
Summary: twinpile gasket needs special ltools or a ramp/pit to fix got part
Keywords: Lada Exhaust twinpile gasket

Who has a ramp or pit in or near Berlin Germany I can use in next day
or two to do a quick job on my lada samara car - or who knows a
workshop open over the Christmass (other than the one in alt Biesdorf
which is overloaded!)??
All the best to car owners everywhere for '93 - why is the tax so high
on petrol and so low on booze in germany!?


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 EMAIL:snuffy@zelator.in-berlin.de  			 Ronald_J. Bartle
 "Ron is looking for new work Berlin"         (voice)+49.30.68963546
               I can no longer rent rooms"     Fax: +49.30.6860053
===============================================================================
From: david.bonds@cutting.hou.tx.us (David Bonds) 
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Notchy Shifter Solution?
Date: 30 Dec 92 13:53:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Cutting Edge - Houston, TX - 713-466-1525
Reply-To: david.bonds@cutting.hou.tx.us (David Bonds) 

  >Any ideas would very much be appreciated.  I'm afraid that if I take the
  >car in they'll make up something complicated (and expensive) up when it
  >might be something easily fixed.  If you have any ideas, please let me
  >know.  Thanks.

Try using Redline MTL (Manual Tranmission Lubricant) at your next transmission
change.  It'll smooth out the shifting a bit, and last longer then the organic
stuff you've probably got in there now.  I put some in my '89 SHO (known for
notchy shifters), and it helped quite a bit.

If all you're afraid of is dishonest mechanics, then find a honest one, they
are out there, all you have to do is look.

Don't have the number for Redline handy, try 1-800-555-1212 (1-800 Directory
Assistance).  If you absolutely can't find it, I can probably come up with
it from somewhere, just let me know.

- David Bonds                                      The Cutting Edge  -
- Internet : David.Bonds@cutting.hou.tx.us          (713) 466-1525   -
---
 . KingQWK 2.00 .6 # 145 . If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt. 
                                                                                                  
----
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Cutting Edge BBS (cutting.hou.tx.us)    A PCBoard 14.5a system  |
| Houston, Texas, USA    +1 713 466 1525          running uuPCB       |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.tech
From: Mike.Oniffrey@launchpad.unc.edu (Mike Oniffrey)
Subject: Re: What is the resonable oil comsumption?
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 15:47:53 GMT

<gong@cbnewsc.cb.att.com> (jiechen.james.gong) writes:

	I have a 68000 milse '86 190E/2.3.  It needs more than a
	quart of oil between 3000 miles oil change.  The compres-
	sion test showing the engine is still like new. What is the
	your experience on the engine oil consumption for this car? 

Of course, an engine in good shape should burn little oil over the body of
its lifetime, but parts wear, and there comes a time when one must make a
judgement call.  A rule of thumb is as long as yer block is
burning/consuming (god forbid any leaks onto the clean road!  :) ) less
than a quart in 500 miles, let it go. When you pass this threshold, it's
rebuild-time.  Granted, this came out of an early-70s theory book; mebbe
these days, with today's environment, this rule of thumb should be amputated.

onif

Onif of UNC-TV, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, can be reached at:
mike.oniffrey@launchpad.unc.edu
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: ph279sw@prism.gatech.EDU (FR Siqing WEI)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Car phones
Date: 22 Dec 92 19:50:56 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology


I hate people talking on the phone while driving. How often
the driver, while talking on the phone, is concentrating
on the road?

I believe the guy, on the phone, is making a deal of his
life, only sometimes, he includes other people's lives in
his deal.

Wei
From: scvax@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Impact is DEAD [was: Electric Vehicles]
Date: 24 Dec 92 11:51:17 CST
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <1992Dec24.135201.8745@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, 
  bqueiser@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Brian J Queiser) writes:
> 
>  [discussion of Impact demise deleted]
>
>Electric cars aren't gonna solve the problems,   [ ... ]
> 
I have to agree.  Its apparent to me that:

       1. Electric cars don't decrease the amount of pollutants in
          the atmosphere, they just move them somewhere else. (think
          of the electrical connection as a long, thin exhaust pipe)

       2. An Impact purchased in 1996 would not get a 1967 Impala off 
          the road.  They would be replacing 1993 Hondas, which aren't 
          the root of the pollution problem.

Getting "dirty" cars off the road and increasing the use of propane for
motor vehicle fuel look to me like they would have a larger effect than
some small number of "zero emission" cars.

Just an opinion.

Dave.

p.s.  Pat Bedard's column in Car and Driver a few months ago had a great
      analysis of the inefficiencies of using electric power for cars.
From: ah190@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stuart Pearl)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Saturns and Resale Value
Date: 28 Dec 1992 20:33:32 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc10.ins.cwru.edu


A Saturn sales rep recently told me about a customer who brought
in a '92 Saturn and traded it for a '93.  In the process, she lost
around 15% through depreciation after having used it for 12 months.

That sounds like a pretty high value retention figure for that first
year of ownership - by comparison someone told me that most other
American cars lose closer to 30% for that first year's depreciation.
Also, Saturn reps supposedly aren't paid on comission - that may 
account for the zero sales pressure I experienced.  Anybody else 
hear about those depreciation figures?

-stu
-- 
                   ---===<<< Stuart Pearl >>>===---
                           Cleveland, Ohio
                      ah190@cleveland.freenet.edu
                         --------------------
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: goudreau@batman.rtp.dg.com (Bob Goudreau)
Subject: Re: Car Phones
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 92 15:27:43 GMT
Organization: Data General Corporation, RTP, NC.
Keywords: Hand free operation

In article <22965@drutx.ATT.COM> klf@druwa.ATT.COM (FranklinKL) writes:
>
> Distribution: rec

[ "rec" is not a distribution.  If your news posting program is
  inserting this for you, then complain to yours news site
  administrator so that they will fix their software. ]

>
>>So I trust that you also never engage in driver-passenger conversation
>>while in a moving vehicle?  And if you do, please explain the
>>fundamental difference between that and hands-free phone use.
>
> There is a good deal of difference.
> In the first place, I don't EVER recall having to dial a code and press
> "SEND" to gain access to a passenger in my car.  The act of dialling
> is the kind of thing that can distract the driver from his most
> important function, controlling the car...

And so can operating the controls of any other instrument in the
car -- radios, tape or CD players, heating, air-conditioning,
rear-window defoggers, etc.  Sure, one gets accustomed to the controls
in a particular car after a while to an extent that many can be
manipulated without looking -- and this can even happen with phones.
In any case, do you *never* look away from the road when driving, even
for an instant?  If never, then how do you deal with, say, turning on
the defroster in an unfamiliar car (borrowed, rented, etc.)?

Anyway, even that problem is moot if your phone has a voice-activated
dialer, or if you're just *answering* a call (which probably just
requires a single button to be pushed).

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Goudreau			Data General Corporation
goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com		62 Alexander Drive	
+1 919 248 6231			Research Triangle Park, NC  27709, USA
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: svraust@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (TODD AUSTINSON)
Subject: Re: Chrysler Conquest....
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 28 Dec 1992 15:55 EST  

In article <Vk6ewB1w165w@willard.UUCP>, ninja@willard.UUCP (Sonic Druid) writes...
> 
>  Would that be the same as the Dodge Conquest - with the conquest
>itself being made by mitsubishi but sold by dodge....
> 
>  similar to the current: Stealth    

I suppose in other parts of the country Dodge might have marketed the car 
but around here it was sold through Chrysler dealers.  It is true that the 
car was made by Mitsubishi.

TODD

Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: svraust@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (TODD AUSTINSON)
Subject: Chrysler Conquest
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 21 Dec 1992 17:31 EST  

I apologize for the blank postings earlier but by computer admin is a moron. 
Anyway, I would appreciate any info on the Chrysler Conquest, specifically 
the '89 model year.  I am thinking about buying one but have reservations on 
reliability and cost of maintenance.  Thanks in advance.

Todd

Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: jcelam@confused (James Clifton Elam)
Subject: Re: Subaru Legacy??
Reply-To: jcelam%confused@glv.com
Organization: Encompass
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 14:42:44 GMT

In article <1992Dec21.122014.2531@eye.com> paul@eye.com (Paul B. Booth) writes:
> In article <livctmINN7um@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> tut@cairo.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill  
"Bill" Tuthill) writes:

> >qazi@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Aamir Hafeez Qazi) writes:
> >My wife rejected the Legacy because it has motorized seat belts.

Unfortunately you get either bogus air-bags and/or feeble motorized
belts these days. Thank congress for that.

I really like my Legacy though: for 15K I got AWD, anti-lock,
power everything, four doors, and  5 year/80K warranty. The
pick-up is better than my mom's Camry or my dad's Accord LXi.
The car is quieter, and has better fit and finish too.

Try that in any other brand!

In 44K miles I've had one warped rotor, replaced under warranty.

I would definitely buy a Subaru again.

--
James "Cliff" Elam   | jcelam%witsend@glv.com - NeXT mail!
(919) 460-3240 (v,w) | NeXTStep/Intel + IB + DBKit @ $200 !   
(919) 460-3295 (fax) | All I want to do is go home now, please.          
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: jnielsen@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (John F Nielsen)
Subject: Re: toyota trucks
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 18:17:10 GMT

In article <1992Dec27.144616.14940@nosc.mil> koziarz@halibut.nosc.mil (Walter A. Koziarz) writes:
>In article <1992Dec24.214649.11370@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> jnielsen@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (John F Nielsen) writes:
>
>
>naw, 'invoice' is bogus too...  the *only* way to compare is by *actual*
>*price* *paid*...
>

Huh? That does not make any sense. People pay all different prices
for the same car/truck. If you know how muhc it costs the dealership
you can go a lot farther. How would one find out what people have
been paying anyways?

The invoice cost is much more constant and gives you a pretty good
idea of how much you would end up paying for it. I really don't care
what others payed for it.

john

-- 
John Nielsen   MAGNUS Consultant            ______   ______   __  __	
jnielsen@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu         /\  __ \ /\  ___\ /\ \/\ \
                                           \ \ \/\ \\ \___  \\ \ \_\ \
  Back off man, I'm a Scientist!            \ \_____\\/\_____\\ \_____\
From: tut@cairo.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill "Bill" Tuthill)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Quietest cars on the market?
Date: 22 Dec 1992 01:14:23 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc., Mountain View, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: cairo

andrew@frip.wv.tek.com (Andrew Klossner) corrects my article:
>
>> "Each decibel represents a doubling of air pressure on the eardrum."
>
> Did Car & Driver screw this up?
> A doubling is 10*log10(2) = 3.01 decibels.

Yes, C&D did make a mistake here.  I took the decibel quote almost
verbatim out of their ratings table.  Several other mistakes I've
noticed are: they claim Camry wagons come with manual transmission,
and they claim Passat wagons come only with V6.  Not only are there
many inaccuracies in C&D, but their jokes aren't funny.

Is Road & Track a better magazine, overall?  It's enough to make you
go back to Consumer Reports!  :-)
From: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ron Bense)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Emblems, names and meanings...
Date: 22 Dec 92 16:07:45 GMT
Reply-To: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ronald Bense)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.autos, mchaffee@ux4.cso.uiuc.edu (Real Life?!?! HA!!) writes:
>wesf@boi.hp.com (Wes Fujii) writes:

>>I was just curious where some of the emblems and names from the
>>different manufacturer's come from (Ford is pretty obvious).
>>In these days of "customer recognition" I'm sure that much
>>attention is paid to these cosmetic details.

>Mercedes:  I don't know the origin of the three-pointed star, but it hasn't
>changed since at least the 1920's.

The three-pointed star inside a circle indicate the three divisions
of Mercedes engine use: Land, Air, and Sea. (Joepardy Question :)

>In all, it appears the Europeans take things like the name badges more
>seriously, and are more constant than either the Japanese or the Americans.
>Wonder why.....

Left overs from medeival times, perhaps? Those coats-of-arms are still
used and known by many, and were used for the express purpose of stratifying
society by class. This rigidity still holds over today, and can be witnessed
in a number of not so subtle ways. For instance, most European languages
have a formal pronoun for you, which is used in normal conversation
except between close friends, the closeness varying by country and area.
In Germany, you don't even use first names between fairly close friends,
although this is loosening up in recent years according to some Germans
I know.

So, tradition and a strong loyalty/implied importance to symbols have
probably worked in concert to keep them the same.

(Note: Keeping symbols the same has many benefits, such as recognition.
This comes from someone whose place of business has changed names so
many times in the last three years that no-one recognizes the lab he
works for. Originally, it was known as the David Taylor Model Basin.


Ron