HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dallen@iftccu.boeing.com (Donald Dallenbach)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Caravan Advice needed
Date: 25 Aug 92 15:37:35 GMT
Organization: Boeing Commercial Airplane Group

/ iftccu:rec.autos / msc@druwy.ATT.COM (ChangM) / 12:04 pm  Aug 24, 1992 /

	I am considering to buy a 92-93 CARAVAN. Consumer Report states
	that I should get a short wheel base with V6/3-sp automatic
	transmission. But I am also thinking about the long wheel base (GRAND)
	with V6/3-sp automatic transmission.

	I need some advice from the friendly net. My questions are?

	1. What is the power difference between grand and short wheel
	   base with V6/3-sp automatic transmission especially in the
	   Rocky Mountain area?

	2. What is the quality or reliability of the grand with v6/3-sp
	   automatic transmission?

	Please email to me if possible.

	Thanks in advance.

						Ming S. Chang
						(303) 538-1629
----------
From: erich.lim@cutting.hou.tx.us (Erich Lim) 
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: CIVIC SI QUESTION
Date: 2 Sep 92 14:43:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Cutting Edge - Houston, TX - 713-466-1525
Reply-To: erich.lim@cutting.hou.tx.us (Erich Lim) 

-> My '92 Civic Si is coming up on 1000 miles.  When I picked it up they
-> told me to bring it back for a "1000 mile checkup."  The salesman
-> said they would change the oil and "calibrate things."  This is not
-> listed in the maintainence scheduled in the manual.  I'm all for
-> changing the oil pretty soon, but I'm suspicious about anything else
-> they're going to want to do to extract money from me.  Anybody have
-> advice/experiences?
->
-> Also, my manual says that I need a Honda wrench to get the oil filter
-> off. Is this true?  Do I really have to have their wrench?  How much
-> do they cost? Do I have to get it from the dealer or would a normal
-> auto parts store have that?

  I think your dealer is trying to scam you.  The oil shouldn't be
changed until at least 3,000 miles and stuff like Slick 50 shouldn't be
put in until at least 15,000 miles.  The earliest scheduled maintance is
the 7500 mile one that consists of changing of oil filter and oil.  The
clutch and parking brake is adjusted and the suspension bolts are
tightened.  Most everything else is just inspected, such as brake pads,
exhaust sys, cooling sys, fluid pressures, etc.  This usually runs about
$175 at Honda dealers.  The same thing can be done at a non-Honda dealer
that has Honda trained mechanics and charges $120.    If anything needs
to be "calibrated" at 1,000 miles, it should be done free (under
warranty).

  You don't REALLY need to have a Honda oil wrench, but it's ALOT easier
to take out the filter if you had one.  You can only get them at Honda
dealers and I think they cost about $20.


Erich Lim
                                                    
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.sport,talk.politics.drugs,talk.politics.misc
From: jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond)
Subject: Re: NHRA announces Piss Testing
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 92 04:41:15 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

geoff@ITcorp.com (Geoff Kuenning) writes:

>I have a couple of questions here, which relate to my own personal
>biases regarding piss tests:

>(1) Does the NHRA have a history of serious personal injury (including
>    death) which is traceable to substance abuse?

No.

>(2) Are there substances which have been demonstrated to improve NHRA
>    race results?

Hmm, sniffing nitro fumes might make your throttle foot vibrate :-)
Nothing else I know of.  Besides, NHRA's announced plan is to only
test for illegal narcotics.


>If the answer to (1) is yes, then I believe piss tests are justified
>in the interests of general safety.  Despite my generally rabid
>attitudes on personal freedom, I would even support drug testing when
>the only person endangered is the user, UNDER THE CONDITION that there
>is strong pressure from outside parties (such as sponsors) to win.
>(The latter sentence is based on the situation on bicycle racing,
>where the pressure is so strong that otherwise-sensible individuals
>have been known to endanger their own health to achieve better
>results.)

The only problem with this is piss testing only tests for past use.  It
will not detect current use, particularly since the samples are sent
off to a lab.  I share your concern about rider/driver safety and 
the way to address that - if there is a problem - is to test AT THE TRACK
for physical impairment.  Impairment caused by drugs, booze, emotional
problems, a fight with the spouse, lack of sleep, etc.  Commercial
testers are available.  NHRA is not concerned about impairment or
safety.  They are concerned that they present the politically correct
public posture.


>But it seems to me that the only
>valid reasons for regulating *any* racing behavior are (1) general
>safety, and (2) protecting the little guy from manipulation by the big
>guy.

Item (2) is a laudable goal but impractical in practice.  Probably the 
largest advantage the big guy has over the little guy is a crew to
work on his car and money to pay 'em with so he can sit in the transporter
and rest and psych himself up.  That's worth more than any amount of drugs.

John
-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
Performance Engineering Magazine (TM) |
Marietta, Ga                         |Interested in high tech and computers? 
jgd@dixie.com                        |Write me about PE Magazine
Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.vw,rec.autos.sport,rec.autos.tech
From: brad@buck.viewlogic.com (Bradford Kellogg)
Subject: Corvair (was Re: Polish VW Joke)
Originator: brad@buck
Organization: Viewlogic Systems, Inc.
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 20:12:15 GMT


In article <BtuwJx.IpA.2@cs.cmu.edu>, michal+@cs.cmu.edu (Michal Prussak) writes:
|> In article <1992Aug28.231329.2437299@locus.com> jle@locus.com (John Elghani/10000000) writes:
|> >A man was sentenced to 4 years in Poland because he was caught
|> >smuggling an engine in the rear trunk of his VW Bug.
|> >
|> >jle
|> 
|> 
|> Obviously, this joke is funny only to the ignorant Americans, who never heard
|> of any other cars with the engine in the rear. If you care to know,
|> the most popular car in Poland (Polish made Fiat 126) has an engine in the
|> rear. Also some models of Chech Skodas, Yugoslav Zastavas 750 and Soviet
|> Zaporozhets all had engines in the rear.

|> Michal

Americans might have more cars with rear engines, but the most notable
American car with a rear engine, the Chevrolet Corvair, got a bit of
bad press from some guy named Ralph. True, GM did not adequately test
the rear suspension design, with some disastrous results, for which they
should have taken substantial heat. But even after they fixed it, Ralphie 
got on their case, and they responded very badly.

It's too bad, really. If it had survived in name and concept, like the
Corvette, the Corvair could be a very intriguing car today.

-BK
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: lenny@icus.icus.com (Lenny Tropiano)
Subject: Re: I love Saturn!
Precedence: bulk
Organization: ICUS Software Systems, Austin, Texas
Errors-To: owner-saturn@oar.net
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 05:04:25 GMT

Recently posted in rec.autos ...

In article <1992Aug31.210839.26010@fid.morgan.com> joec@fid.morgan.com writes:
>We own a 1991 Saturn SC and my wife called me said the brakes
>failed, i.e. she had a problem stopping. The car has 12,100 miles
>on it. We have had it for 14 months or so.
>
>My wife is not car-savy, i.e. a consumer only, knows little
>about cars. She didn't try the parking brake or see what brakes 
>were really available. 
>
>I called the Saturn Assistance Center and they immediately dispatched
>a tow truck to where my wife was. They towed it some 25 miles or so to the
>dealer. The dealer said the brakes had simply overheated (she was stuck 
>in stop/go traffic). The brakes had recovered themselves automatically
>but the dealer carefully checked the car out anyway. No problems found.
>The brakes apparently are somehow self-adjusting and the brake system
>recovered itself within 10 minutes or so. The dealer says the brake system 
>cannot totally fail, due to its design. Normal recovery time when brakes
>fade like this is about 10 minutes.
>
>This cost me NOTHING although the car was out of action for 2 hours 
>or so. While the car was there, they performed the normal 12000 mile
>service as well (for the usual fee). Lastly, they noticed our passenger 
>side door was damaged and said it would be fixed, for free. They would
>replace it, not repair it, for free.
>
>I have NO complaints - the service manager had said 'please bring it in -
>Lets make SURE there are no problems'. All too often, a car dealer
>might say 'tough' - this dealer and Saturn went out of their way to be
>supportive.
>
>Joe
>joec@morgan.com


--
| Lenny Tropiano           ICUS Software Systems        lenny@icus.ICUS.COM |
|               ...!{ames,cs.utexas.edu,pacbell}!icus!lenny                 |
+---------------- 14300 Tandem Blvd #222, Austin, TX 78728 -----------------+
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: aefron@cornerstone.com (Andy Efron)
Subject: New Probe/Old Celica Styling
Reply-To: aefron@cornerstone.com (Andy Efron)
Organization: Cornerstone Research, Cambridge, Mass.
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 23:56:08 GMT

Has anyone else noticed that the Probe's styling (from the doors back, viewed 
from the side) is almost exactly that of the previous generation Celica?  The 
back half of the Probe looks exactly like my '87 Celica hatchback, with a 
long rear/side window, invisible C pillars and short rear deck.  It also 
looks like the angle of the rear glass is nearly the same.  The automotive 
press appears not only to have missed this entirely, but have praised the 
styling as fresh and innovative (to paraphrase several articles).  What gives 
here?


Andy





----------------------------------------------------
"I didn't do it to make history.  You do something
that you want to do or feel you have to do, because
you like it and love it.  And if it turns out to be
history, well, so what?"

				--Carroll Shelby,
					from "The Cobra-Ferrari Wars"
----------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: minor@rtsg.mot.com (Kevin Minor)
Subject: Re: Broken seat back ('86 Mustang LX) Ford in general
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 18:59:39 GMT

dosbears@netcom.com (David R. Preston) writes:

|>The bolt that holds the seat back in place on my '86 Ford Mustang
|>LX sheared off the other day, leaving me flat on my back while driving.
|>Fortunately, I was stopped at a light and had no problem maintaining
|>control of the car. If I'd been moving at the time it could have caused
|>a serious accident. It seems to me that this part should never wear out
|>under normal use (which is certainly what the car has had). Am I right
|>in thinking that Ford should fix this for free and be thankful that I
|>wasn't in some horrible accident that I could sue them for? I took it
|>to the nearest Ford dealer and they weren't real excited about it. They
|>said that there wasn't a recall for that problem and that the part would
|>cost me $109. I suggested that they call Ford and see if they didn't want
|>to fix it for me. I should hear back tomorrow....

I DO NOT WANT TO START A USA vs JAPANESE car war, but ...

I'm very concerned about US car company dealer service. I continue to
hear stories like this one above about how Ford treats its customers
for service.

On my Honda, my warranty quickly expired since I had really high
mileage, but Honda paid for a lot of things after the warranty.
They even paid for some things which I had planned on paying for
myself. 
Perhaps, I've just found a couple of good dealerships.

Until recently, I would never buy a Ford. The majority of people I know
with Fords have them in the shop frequently.
But being in the market for a SUV, the explorer is definitely under
consideration. But is this the kind of service that I should expect from
Ford ? What are other Ford owners experiences ?
-- 
	/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\
	|	Kevin Minor	UUCP: ...uunet!mcdchg!motcid!minor	|
	|			Mail: minor@rtsg.mot.com		|
	\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/
From: erich.lim@cutting.hou.tx.us (Erich Lim) 
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: RADAR DETECTOR: WHICH ONE
Date: 24 Aug 92 20:09:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Cutting Edge - Houston, TX - 713-466-1525
Reply-To: erich.lim@cutting.hou.tx.us (Erich Lim) 

  In my experience, Cobra Trapshooters and Uniden's don't work to well
and false alot.  I hate trapshooters!! (Don't mean to offend anybody who
hasn't had any trouble with their's and likes trapshooters)
 I own a Solo and it's made by  Cincinatti Microwave, the same company
that makes Escort's and Passport's.  I and several owners of Solo's find
it wonderful and has saved me from a couple of tickets.  I would
strongly suggest purchasing a Solo, as it is also run by a 9v battery,
so you don't need to plug it up to the cigarette lighter.  I think the
Solo is slightly better than the Passport at early detection, because my
friend has a Passport and mine sounded before his and also, the Passport
has just a little more false's than Solo.  The Escort and Solo are about
the same with some of my friends saying the Escort is better and some
saying that the Solo is better.
 BEL also makes some hiqh quality radar detectors that are also about as
good as Escort's, but I prefer Escort's.

Erich Lim
  Internet add.-  erich.lim@cutting.hou.tx.us
                                                                                                         
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe)
Subject: Re: Strike at Saturn?
Organization: Miners for a Heart of Gold
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 92 03:54:47 GMT

In article <1992Aug28.164502.26612@midway.uchicago.edu>
ar12@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>I just heard some bits & pieces about a strike at Saturn- what's the scoop?
>Once again the UAW rears its ugly head-eh? While we're on the topic let me
>say that the situation discusts me- regardless of who people want to put the
>blame on for the decline of the American auto industry (polititians, the
>Japanese, Management, etc.) the truth is that a large part (if not the
>majority) of the blame lies with the UAW, and if the reason isn't self
>...

Really?

Mr. Andre, where's your G*d d*mn horn when the Japanese are forcing
the prices of vehicles like the Pontiac Grand Am to be jacked up
by 100% over the USA price?  I rarely, if ever, see any arguing that
the pricing system in Japan should be made fair.

By the way, where's your G*d d*mn horn when the Japanese laugh
at the inscription on the head of the Statute of Liberty because
they think that it's a joke?  You know.  "...send us your tired, your
poor, your wretched refuse from your teaming shores..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seikatsu no imi wa nan desu ka.            \|  |`      | Don't buy from Toyota;
Shitte itara oshiete kuremasen ka.          | -+-      | especially, don't buy
                                           /| / \      | from Capitol Toyota in
Copyright 1992.                                        | San Jose, California.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.tech,misc.consumers,sci.environment,talk.environment
From: mmf@evolving.com (Mark Frazier)
Subject: Re: Carburetors, gasoline, and why I don't recycle
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1992 14:17:08 GMT
Organization: Evolving Systems, Inc.
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

ejhupper@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Eric Huppertz) writes:
: 
: I refuse to recycle.  If I have an empty soda can, and there's a
: garbage can right next to a recycling bin, I'll throw it in
: the garbage can.  Same with newspapers, bottles, plastic jugs,
: you name it.  I say, into the trash with it.
: 
: So where are these miraculous systems?  Are they installed in our
: automobiles, reducing our fuel consumption and air pollution output?
: Of course not.  You know as well as I do where they are:  In the
: vaults of the world's major oil companies.  That's right, build a
: better carburetor and Exxon will beat a path to your door.  I can't
: imagine how rich the developers of these super-effient systems must
: be, now that the oil corporations bought their ideas and stapled
: their mouths shut with platinum stapleguns.

	Then there was my WWII history buff college roommate (one of my best
	friends from high school, but after rooming together, we weren't 
	best friends, just roommates). He pointed out that Germany fought
	for over 4 years with practically no oil supplies (can't vouch
	for the validity of this claim, save the flames). So his question
	was, where are the formulas for synthetic oil? Which side got 
	them?
: 
: So what does this have to do with recycling?  Everything.  These
: recycling programs are a waste of time, and I personally think that
: they have been implemented just to give Jane and Joe American a chance
: to feel that they are doing their little part to help "save the
: environment".  
: ......  I wouldn't be surprised if half the stuff
: we throw into recycing containers winds up in the landfills, just
: like the garbage.
: 
	My next door neighbor works for the local waste management tyrant.
	Unfortunately, you look at his front yard and think, "That guy must
	be a garbage collector....". Anyway, While my wife and I generate
	maybe two grocery bags full of garbage each week, he averages anywhere
	from 7 to 10 overflowing fullsize cans (for 3 people) .We're on the 
	recycling program, he is not. I would have expected the employees to
	be on the program, or encouraged to use it. So I'm always wondering,
	what does he know about the recycling program that I don't..........

MMF
Xref: sparky rec.autos:21131 rec.autos.driving:5215 rec.autos.tech:12000
From: chen@digital.sps.mot.com (Jinfu Chen)
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.driving,rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: Recommendations for Mini Van
Date: 31 Aug 92 20:16:05 GMT
Followup-To: rec.autos
Organization: Motorola, LICD, SPS, Mesa, AZ

In article <1992Aug25.205807.8062@aio.jsc.nasa.gov> cessna@kn5f.jsc.nasa.gov (Mark Taylor Evert) writes:
>Mercury is coming out with a new minivan which is a joint project with 
>Nissan called the Villager.  It will be built by Mercury and sold by both 
>Mercury and Nissan.   It's been getting rave reviews in many auto 
>publications.  It sounds like it is worth checking out.

Since we are about in the market for a minivan, I stopped by a Mercury dealer
and a Nissan dealer this weekend to check out the new minivan.  It's called
Villager under Mercury and Quest under Nissan.  The engine is a 3.0 V6 used
in Maxima GXE with 156 HPs and 175 lbs of torque.  Mercury designed the body
and Nissan (obviously) tuned the Maxima engine for better torque in low
speed.

They claim Villager/Quest is the second minivan passed the federal automobile
safety requirements, whatever they are, including side impact protection,
passive driver restraint (aka attacking seat belts), etc.  Unfortunately it
doesn't have air bag which I consider a major marketing fault.

The interior design is very pleasent, especially the clever seats
arrangement.  The middle seat (bench or captain) can be removed quickly by
unlocking latches.  The rear seat is the most interesting one.  The rearback
can be fold down, or the seat can be fold up like a folding chair.  There're
trakcs on the floor so the rear seat can be moved all the way to the middle
so the minivan becomes a supersize five seat station wagon.  With a few tools
the rear seat can be also removed from the minivan completely.

According to the specification, this van is heavy, over 4000 lbs, comparing
to 3500 plus in others such as MPV, Previa, and Grand/Caravan.  However, the
EPA mileage is about the same as the others (17/22).  The chasis looks like
the Tarus/Sable wagon although I don't have any fact to back this up.

I didn't have a chance to drive it because I didn't have time.  Both Mercury
and Nissan dealers were eagle to get me on the driver seat.  The main
differences between Villager and Quest are the front and rear end treatment,
one looks like a Sable and the other looks like a Maxima.  Others include
packaging, four-wheel ABS is standard in Villager whereas air condictioning
is standard in Quest.  Then there're several trim levels and colors.

Unless other minivan buyers have the same concern as mine for the lack of
airbag, this minivan could really compete with other minivans.  I didn't have
all the pricing information, the model I looked at listed for $23k with fully
loaded gadgets such as dual A/C, leather seats, about the same as a MPV I
checked on the same day.  I expect a Grand Caravan fully loaded is about the
same price or lower.
From: sontakke@helix.enet.dec.com (Vikas Sontakke)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: $758 for an oil change?
Date: 25 Aug 92 18:13:52 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


In article <14217@auspex-gw.auspex.com>, tpickett@auspex.com (Tom Pickett) writes...
> 
>The other thing I object to which several have indicated, is the attitude
>that a mechanic is not going to do a decent job on the car.  I think that
>you are assuming quite a bit to say that because you are not working on
>your car that it is not going to receive proper care and treatment.  A
>professional mechinic is just that -- a mechanic, and this is his or her 
>job.  
> 
>What you are saying is that this person takes no pride in their 
>work and doesn't make any attempt to do their job correctly.  I would
>take issue with that.  I don't feel like I have to do my own programming
>for everything -- I trust a programmer at Lotus to program 123, does that
>mean that I shouldn't use Lotus 123, because I didn't do the programming?
> 
>I don't think it is fair to make statements that apply to others which 
>may in fact not be accurate.  The mechanic at my Ford dealer may be 
>very good and may be a dedicated individual who does try to do his job
>correctly.  I imagine most mechanics do feel that way.  If they didn't they
>would not get much satisfaction out of their jobs and would probably quit to
>become something else.

I have had misfortune of personally watching Ford mechanics work on my car.
They were uttering obscenties at every second.  Nothing would have given them
more pleasure than to trash my car.  Fortunately, I did discover a better
mechanic BUT that happened because I took personal interest in finding him and
making sure only he touches my car.

I think your broken climate control even after visiting the professional mechanics
five times says quite a lot about their competence.

Frankly, the overall Ford renumeration system for the mechanics is
structured as to discourage good and honest people from being employed for a
long time.  It is no wonder if you get ten SHO (or Merkur) owners in one place,
nine will be willing to strangle their respective dealers.

Vikas Sontakke		Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard MA.
Internet:		sontakke@helix.enet.dec.com
    uucp:		{decvax,ucbvax,allegra}!decwrl!helix.enet!sontakke
			sontakke%helix.enet@decwrl.dec.com
From: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ron Bense)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: oil pressure and temp gauges
Date: 4 Sep 92 17:47:48 GMT
Reply-To: bense@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Ronald Bense)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.autos, gerber@solbourne.com (Andrew Gerber) writes:

>Castrol, too.  Now, in normal use, you shouldn't really need the
>temperature protection that GTX gives you.  But when the time comes
>that you need that protection, your engine will be happy.

All depends on your engine and driving habits. I drive a turbo, and
that 'extra' protection probably gets a workout. :) I've used Castrol
GTX almost exclusively for the last 40k miles. No oil related problems
yet, and 77k on the car. (Everything else, but no oil related problems:)

Ron

Potassium Benzoate included as a preserver.
From: jaym@hplsla.hp.com (Jay Miazga)
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1992 19:41:21 GMT
Subject: Opinions of Bronco II?
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA