Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech
Subject: AutoNotes #7
From: dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us (Dave Williams) 
Date: 10 Jan 93 15:15:00 GMT
Reply-To: dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us (Dave Williams) 
Distribution: world
Organization: The Courts of Chaos * 501-985-0059 * Public Access Usenet


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AutoNotes #7, 01/10/93                   copr. 1993, Dave Williams
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  BIX: 'dave2'     CIS: 72571,3542      dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us
               The Courts of Chaos BBS, (501)985-0059
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 As of July 1, 1992 there were 123 million automobiles registered in
the USA.  According to my 1936 Dyke's Automotive Encyclopedia, there
were 26.5 million registered in 1936.  Not bad for the Depression.

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 Most chassis designers don't worry about Ackerman angles any more.
With today's wide tires, Ackerman plain doesn't work.  That's why I
was astonished to see a photo of the front end of Jim Yates' 500 CID
Pontiac Pro Stocker.  It has massive amounts of, not Ackerman, but
anti-Ackerman, which is sometimes used on autocrossers and lower-
speed open wheel cars, but seems awfully out of place on a drag-only
ride.
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 The California Highway Patrol has some new Crown Victorias.  They're
a little faster than the average Vicky, thanks to Paxton superchargers.
One hopes they've received official blessings from the C.A.R.B.

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 Lucas' new ABS system is supposed to be lighter, smaller, and cheaper
than contemporary units, and will incorporate a "gee, why didn't *I*
think of that?" feature - a built-in hill-older for manual transmission
cars.  It's about time!

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 Chrysler claims they'll be adding passenger-side airbags to all their
new models within the next two years.  Don't blame me if the things
blow your eardrums out when they go off - airbags are downright
dangerous, despite what insurance company and NHTSA propaganda says.

 Nissan is at least aware of the problem - if you order their rear seat
airbag, the passenger/front bag is deleted so the compression doesn't
blow your brains out like squeezing a zit.

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 Jolly good:  After relying on other peoples' engines for thirty years
(though their 3.8 Turbo variant of the ancient Buick 215 was HOT),
they now have their own engine - a 4.0 liter V8 with a 75 degree
cylinder bank angle, 180 degree crank, SOHC with two valves per
cylinder, and it's designed to work as a stressed chassis member.
They claim 363hp @ 7000, 348 ft-lb @ 4500 for the standard motor,
with 505hp @ 8000 with the hipo model.  Frankly, even considering
the ratings are almost certainly for non-US-emissions motors, I
think they're lying through their teeth.  348 ft-lb out of a two
valve, 240 inch street motor is right out at the outer limits, and
that'd be one wildly cammed mofo.  With the weird 75 degree vee *and*
a flat crank, it oughta shake more than yer average paint mixer too.

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 BMW was widely criticized for their drive-by-wire throttle control.
The pedal on the floor connected only to a position sensor, which
then actuated the throttle body as it saw fit.  Now Detroit is
jumping on the bandwagon, but they're carefully avoiding the term
"drive-by-wire."  In New Acronymese, it's "ETC", or Electronic
Throttle Control.   Pretty soon you'll be able to just sit in your
swivel chair and drive your car around with your computer.

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 Talk about Slick 50 has probably consumed more usenet bandwidth than
Craig Shergold's business cards.  Now to throw some gas on the fire,
Allied Signal, maker of Fram filters, has reputedly done a study of
Teflon oil additives, and claim they're passed right through Fram
filters and remain in the oil.

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 The '93 Corvette's run-flat tire option is foreign made.  The '95s
will have special Goodyear Eagle run-flats as standard equipment.
This will eliminate the spare and jack, but nobody in their right mind
ever crawled under a Corvette to get the f***ing tire out of its
pickup-truck style mount if a wrecker or AAA was handy anyway.

 In other Corvette news, the '92 LT-1's magnesium valve covers have
quietly become plastic.  Talk tech all you want, but plastic is
still plastic to me.

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 Supidity compounds:  GM is reputedly studying the possibility of
building a V-10 engine for their full-size pickups and the Corvette.
You've heard my opinions on the V-10 layout before.  The silliest
part is, GM's 454 just went through major redesign to become the
Mark V and is in current, smog-legal production.  They're selling
the 501 as a crate motor, but certifying it would be trivial.  There's
no *reason* to make a V-10.  If they wanted more cylinders, the
obvious choice would be to add four to the 350, like Ryan Falconer's
Chevy-based V12.  Yep, Falconer casts his own blocks and heads; the
engines are frequently used in drag boats.

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 The new Camaro looks like it just blew the Mustang completely out
of the water.   Sure, it's double coyote ugly, but the detuned LT-1
350 and Warner six speed should give it The Power.  McPherson struts
are gone (yay!) replaced by conventional A-arms (yay!).  Oh, and
for name droppers, the project managers of the new Camaro project
were Dave Hansen and Jim Westby.  The cars will be built in Canada.
ABS is standard, and GM claims 160mph top speed for the LT-1.
Unfortunately, dual air bags are standard.

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 Oldsmobile wanted Cadillac's Northstar V8 *bad*, and they got it.
It's downsized to 4 liters and 250 bhp, and most of the major parts -
like the heads, rods, crank, and pistons - are unique to the Olds.
It evidently won't bear the traditional "Rocket V8" tag due to some
weird internal GM politics.

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 Ever wonder what happened to steel shim head gaskets?  One problem,
which they have in common with solid copper gaskets, is fretting.
That's why major racing teams have mostly gone back to cardboard
(excuse me - high tech composite) with steel O-rings.  The fretting
problem is aggravated with engines using iron blocks and aluminum
heads, so AE Clevite has introduced a new graphite-coated head
gasket.
                            ================

 Cadillac's little-loved Allante is scheduled to bite the big one at
the end of the '93 production run.  Of course, if previous sales are
any clue, new '93s will probably rot in the showrooms until the turn
of the millennium.
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 Are you lazy?  *Really* lazy?  GM's adding a power operated side door
to the '93 Lumina van and its variants.  Of course, it has so many
safety features it's a pain in the ass to use, but no pain, no gain,
right?

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AutoNotes will be published irregularly as the mood hits.  Contains
no cyclamates, backwards-masked messages, FNORDs, or recycled fibers.
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Newsgroups: rec.autos.tech