HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: walkerr@yaya.WPI.EDU (Robert A Walker)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: FWD vs. RWD, Which is best.
Date: 30 Sep 1992 19:27:57 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: yaya.wpi.edu

>   The pinto was rear wheel drive. It's replacement, the escort is FWD.
>Bean counters are responsible for the replacement of bad cars with
>worse cars. Yer Ma must have had great traction, rotten gas milage,
>and horrible acceleration.

I was too youndg to care and my MA don't care as long as it sort of goes
you know with woman if they can use plastic to get it ie gas,  then 
they don't care.  I know its stereotypical, but its true, women don't
care if it goes fast.  Especially old ones.
>
>PLEASE EXCUSE MY OBVIOUS IGNORANCE.

What ignorance?



From: ggg@hpsad.sad.hp.com (Gary Goodlund)
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 22:35:08 GMT
Subject: Re: Re: (Defeating) The Club
Organization: HP Signal Analysis Division - Rohnert Park, CA
Newsgroups: rec.autos

Hi Jason,

The ignition lock that you're refering to will come out in about a
second and a half with a slide-hammer(available in the auto parts store
for about $5).  A determined car-thief can break the steering wheel lock
with a solid kick.  If that isn't successful and he ends up breaking the 
steering wheel or the dash, he won't care very much.  He'll just look for
another car and trash it.

That "Club" is said to work pretty well but I don't know anyone who owns
one.

Good Luck,
  Gary


Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: wwein@scott.skidmore.edu (warren wein)
Subject: Re: FWD vs. RWD, Which is best.
Organization: Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs NY
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 15:47:57 GMT

kpjone01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu wrote:
: Anyone have any comments/arguments on whether Front Wheel Drive (FWD) or
: Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) is better for handling?  Obviously this is a very broad
	If you drive on mostly dry roads and regularly push your car
towards the limits of its handling ability, then rwd is better.
You can use the throttle to position your tail as you go through a
corner. 
	However if you drive in inclement weather and don't regularly push
your car to the limit, fwd is probably better for you.  Fwd cars
understeer at the limit which is easier to control for inexperienced
drivers.  I am not saying that some fwd cars don't have excellent
handling.   Those that come to mind are the Alfa 164S and Lotus
Elan(RIP).  


							-Warren
							wwein@skidmore.edu

: subject but I have a friend that says FWD is best and I do not agree.  Anyone
: have some proof of either?
:  
: Kevin
: 
: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: Kevin Jones                                   KPJONE01@ULKYVX.CT.LOUISVILLE.EDU
: Lab Supervisor                                KPJONE01@ULKYVX.LOUISVILLE.EDU
: Computing and Telecommunications              PHONE:  502-588-6303
: University of Louisville, KY                  FAX:    502-588-0150
: 
: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: 
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"In no sense?  Nonsense." AON

"Female Cathons pick their mates by the size of their balls" -TN
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: hugo@bluehau.bubble.org (Hugo Bueno)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Cooling problem
Date: 30 Sep 92 00:18:37 GMT
Organization: The Blue House

paulman@hkmeg1.enet.dec.com (Paul Man) says:
>
>I hope here is the right place to post my question.  Recently I
>bought an 85, manual transmission, Honda Civic.  Don't know if 
>it's my imagination or what, I think my car has some cooling 
>problem.  The water in the plastic cooler tank dries out very 
>fast.  There would be less than 1/5 of water remaining in the 
>tank after a 200 km (or so) drive, so I have to fill it up again 
>every two or three days.  I had an 81 Ford Escort before and it 
>never have this kind of problem.
>
>The reading of the temperature meter is also funny.  The reading
>stays at the 1/3 position (normal position) if I am driving on
>highway, that means high speed and non stop.  However, if I go to
>places with lots of lights and traffics, that means low-gear, start
>and stop very often.  The reading will go up to 2/3 position.  If
>the meter is functioning properly, does that mean the engine is
>running hotter in low speed???!!!
>
>Except these, my car seems to be normal.  Can anyone of you tell
>me if my car is really in trouble?  Minor or serious?

Well, my wife's old Honda was doing the same thing, so we
traded it in for new car.  I suspect the head gasket was blown.
This happened at about 120,000 miles. It was an 85 CRX with the
1.5 liter engine.
-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hugo Bueno  |Delphi  : MRGOOD  CIS: 71211,3662
Fanwood, NJ |Internet: hugo@bluehau.bubble.org
CoCo 3 UUCP |UUCP    : ...!s4mjs!bluehau!hugo
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: bradstoc@ravel.udel.edu (Craig A Bradstock)
Subject: Re: chevy pickups going kaboom like a pinto
Organization: University of Delaware
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 00:46:53 GMT

>>According to the TV program, only 27 people are known to have died in 
>>accidents related to the Pinto problem.  Over 300 are thought to have died
>>from the pickups.  This problem is apparently much worse than the Pinto one.
						^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How many Pintos were made?  How many Chevy pick-ups have been made in the 
10 years or so that they are supposed to blow up?  It's not the total number
of occurances, it's the RATE.

Craig
.
From: damong@wpi.WPI.EDU (Damon Francis Gentile)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Timing belts on Honda
Date: 5 Oct 92 21:51:32 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu

In article <2AD075ED.16870@ics.uci.edu> craigm@ics.uci.edu (Craig MacFarlane) writes:
>In article <1aorh8INNdn9@bigboote.WPI.EDU> damong@wpi.WPI.EDU (Damon Francis Gentile) writes:
>>
>>
>>Every belt in every car should be changed at least every 4 years regardless of
>>mileage. If your timing belt goes and you aren't in the middle of nowhere,
>>you're still fairly screwed. A friend of mine has a `79 Fiat X1/9 (and I
>>have a `74...) and he got 112,000 miles from his timing belt.....
>>Unfortunately, he was driving it at the time... He needed a total head
>>rebuild to get his car running. And the bills from the parts supplier,
>>machine shop and mechanic were nothing to be swept under the rug. (They
>>couldn't fit...)fit....) I think you should definitely change it... even for
>>peace of mind..... a $20 belt vs. a $700 head job ?
>
>More like $100 - $150 in parts and labor.

Ummm..... yeah, but how about the valve job at the machine shop ?

>
>I wouldn't recommend replacing a timing belt by yourself until you have
>watched somebody else do it first.  If you do not do it correctly, you
>may end up with bent valves. (Just what you were trying to avoid
>by changing it in the first place :)
>

If you do it yourself, just be sure of where the timng marks should be.
You can consult any shop manual on these and they are fairly easy to 
find......  one on the crankshaft pulley, one one the camshaft pulley.

Damon

questions? email: damong@wpi.wpi.edu
From: aland@informix.com (Colonel Panic)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Looking for tire recommendations: P225/60HR14, Celica GTS
Date: 29 Sep 92 02:30:57 GMT
Organization: Helen Keller Bondurant's Performance Driving School for the Blind
Originator: aland@ten_forward

Well, the old Celica is due for its third set of tires, and I'm wondering
what's transpired on the tire front in the past few years...

The car shipped with Bridgestone Potenzas originally (quite good, but a bit
quirky in rain).  They lasted over 60K miles, at which point I replaced them
with Michelin XZXs (which have lasted about as long, and were also good
overall, perhaps a bit better in rain than the Potenzas).  It's hard to
be sure about the wet handling, since it's hardly rained here in the 7+
years I've had the car.    ]-:

Any particular recommendations?  I'll be selling the car soon, so I don't
want to spend an ungodly amount.  4Day carries most major brands at good
prices, so I'm open to another brand.

Thanks in advance.


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

  Smith and Wesson: the Ultimate Point-and-Click User Interface.
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: grante@aquarius.rosemount.com (Grant Edwards)
Subject: Tire width vs wheel width question
Reply-To: grante@aquarius.rosemount.com (Grant Edwards)
Organization: Rosemount, Inc.
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 01:43:30 GMT

I did some shopping for tires today after stopping at the library and
doing a little research by looking up tire reviews in various
car/consumer magazines.

Several of the magazine articles explained the tire size scheme (you
know, 205/70R15).  This I already knew.  None of the articles ever
mentioned wheel width vs. tire width.

How do you know what tire sizes will fit on a given width wheel?  I've
seen OEM arrangements with 185mm tires on both 5.5 and 6 inch wide
wheels, and 185mm or 195mm tires on 6 inch wide wheels.  It appears
that on some width wheels (6.5 inch?) you can use either 205mm or
215mm tires.

Assuming that I'm bright enough to pick the aspect ratio to get the
height I want, how do I know what widths can be mounted on a given
wheel, let's say 15 X 6?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I spent a couple hours trying
to figure this out to no avail at the library.  Thanks.

--
Grant Edwards                                 |Yow!  Loni Anderson's hair
Rosemount Inc.                                |should be LEGALIZED!!
                                              |
grante@aquarius.rosemount.com                 |
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: rec._autos_, pal, rec._autos_
From: derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne)
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 92 00:50:45 GMT
Organization: Fujitsu New Zealand

In article <3859@unisql.UUCP> wrat@unisql.UUCP (wharfie) writes:
>In article <6953@transfer.stratus.com> cdodson@beast.cac.stratus.com writes:
>>You forgot one key category . . .
>>    Superbikes     <3    <11   FJ1200, ZX-11, CBR1000, etc
>>Maximum performance for 1/2 the price of the cheapest car on this list !
 
>	And you don't have to worry about getting them repaired after
>the accident.
 
>	Nahh, *you* forgot one key category . . . 
 
>	Jet Fighter Aircraft     <.1 <1 F111, etc.

The difference is - we have to share the roads with motorbikes - not 
(thankfully) with jet fighter aircraft

>	Weenie.  We're talking about cars.

The biggest Weenies are the ones who drive cars in the < 7 second bracket 
and assume that there is nothing which can out accelerate them and therefore 
don't look.  

The Bikes are there whether you like it or not.  When you are pulling on to 
the motorway - it's clear ahead - foot on the gas - yeah - one eye on the 
second hand - one eye on the speedo - penis directly linked to the rev 
counter - moving over into the fast lane.

Spare a thought for the guy on the superbike who is having the same thought 
at the same time.  He may just get to the space you're heading in before you 
do.

Think once,  think twice,  think superbike.

Derek Tearne

Oh, by the way I don't ride a motorbike, never have, probably never will.
Well not on a major highway or in a city.


-- 
Derek Tearne. -- derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz --  Fujitsu/ICL New Zealand -- 
Some of the more aware dinosaurs were worried about the environmental
consequences of an accident with the new Iridium enriched fusion reactor.  
"If it goes off only the cockroaches and mammals will survive..." they said.
From: jpd3@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (JEFFERY PAUL DILLMAN)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: downforce and cornering g's (was which car handles the best?
Date: 29 Sep 92 15:02:48 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

In article <8199@lee.SEAS.UCLA.EDU>, sourlas@babbage.seas.ucla.edu (Dennis Sourl
as) writes:
>In article <1992Sep28.133110.20448@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> dpaper@nyx.cs.du.edu (D
avid Paper) writes:
>
>before the F40 there was another exotic car that featured net positive
>downforce.  anybody remembers which one it is ?
>
>dennis / ucla /
>
  The 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C  pulled 1.2g's on the skidpad - as tested by
  Motor Trend Magazine in 1967.   Of course, it also did 0-60 in 4.2 sec and
  0-100-0 in 13.9 sec.  The Cobra was the quickest production car ever made
  until 1990, when a Porsche finally bet it with a 4.0 0-60 time.  Yes, this
  was an American-made car with rear wheel drive, not an all wheel drive
  system like the Porsche, nor did it use unnatural-aspiration.
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: mshar@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Mike Mshar)
Subject: Re: taking fuses out
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 19:32:23 GMT

> jailbird@next03wor.wam.umd.edu (serial killer) writes:
>
>
>Hey guys anybody ever take a fuse out to protect someone from stealing  
>your car.  I was thniking if there's a fuel pump fuse I can take it out 
>when I get out of my car and then put it back when I want to drive.
>I figure if anyone steals the car they wont get very far since the only  
>fuel they'll be able to use is in the fuel line.  It seems that this is  
>the cheapest way to do it without installing an alarm.
>Any suggestions?

I have put a kill switch on my car. It is spliced into the very wire that
powers the distributor, so the only way the car will start is if the thief
finds the switch. This cheap method will stop most thiefs from stealing
my car. 

If I am not mistaken, any car with an electric fuel pump (i.e. fuel
injected) will have a fuse in the fusebox to protect it. Removing this 
fuse would help,in this case. In fact, I think it would be kind of funny
to see a thief start the car, drive for a few feet, and then have it die on 
him. Would not be that funny if he broke the window and steering column,
however. 

Bottom line is if a thief really wants your car, he will get it. He 
might even watch you take the fuse out, so he will know what to do when
the time comes to take your car. But for the everyday average rouge, 
this would work. One question you might want to ask yourself, however,
is if a thief breaks your window, steering column, and dash (when he 
steals the radio), then do you really want the car back? Or would it 
be better to let the thief have the car and collect the insurance? 


-- 
|       Michael G. Mshar        | My Life-Long Goal: To keep common sense    |
|   mmshar@mn.ecn.purdue.edu    | alive and keep the idiots from taking over.|
|  mshar@mentor.cc.purdue.edu   |     \\President, Nice Guys Anonymous//     |
|____>>> United States Steel, Mechanical Engineer, Technical Services <<<____|
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: paul@xcluud.sccsi.com (Paul Hutmacher)
Subject: Re: Jeep Wrangler - bigger tires
Keywords: Jeep
Organization: Greater Montrose UFO Appreciation Society & Data Haven
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 11:40:57 GMT

In article <1992Oct1.034429.12039@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca> q1hl@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (Nameless CS Student) writes:
>When these tires wear out (Goodyear Wrangler SG), I'll probably go
>for bigger.... :-)  I love not having to shovel the driveway.

Ditto here.  I wish I had gone ahead and added 32x12.50's on mine instead on 
the 31x10.50's.  By the way, I've got a 3" Skyjacker suspension lift and it
rides like a truck.  A *big* truck.
-- 
Paul Hutmacher
paul@xcluud.sccsi.com
{lobster,nuchat}!xcluud!paul
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: atovorni@engr.UVic.CA (Andreas  Tovornik)
Subject: Re: Whats a Geo Metro (explained)
Reply-To: atovorni@engr.UVic.CA
Organization: University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 18:46:43 GMT

In article 10111@bsu-ucs.uucp, 01ksdavis@bsu-ucs.uucp (Rebel without a clue.) writes:
>In article <3TN7RB1w164w@cellar.org>, blu@cellar.org (Dan Reed) writes:
>> Geo Metros
>> ^^^^^^^^^^ - Please Explain This!
>> 
>> A Geo, is a car comany here in the states, that sells several small, crummy, 
>> magot shit box cars under the Chevy name.  The cars are made by Isusu, 
>> Toyota, and Diahatsu (sp?).  All sold under the Geo name.  One such car, the 
>> Geo Metro, is a small, 4 person car.  The car, is *Very* small, and sports (I 
>> think) a 3 cyl. engine, and gets 56Mpg.  Needless to say, this car, does not 
>> have that much power...
 
GEO METROS are made by SUZUKI. Add that to the list.
 
>> ----- 
>>  Dan Reed (Blu-Max) blu@cellar.org - AutoCad Geek - VW Lover - InlineSkater 
>> 68 Cougar XR-7, 89 VW Golf, 72 Honda CL360Twin, Ti/99/4a, Vextrex, Timex
>-- 
>	Indeed, the air-conditioning and an automatic tranny on this car puts so
>much strain on the engine it won't move.  

METROS also have the WORST FWD understeer problem with those skimpy tires.

>	Another thing about the metro-I have seen the afters.  Can you say
>death-traps?  Can you say I feel safer in my unsafe-at-any-speed VW BUG or Chevy
>Corvair?  Can you say Ralph Nader only persecutes cool cars?

Sure, I can also say that GEO is a marketing strategy from hell!!

Andy.



Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: hhm@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (herschel.h.mayo)
Subject: Saturns are really RATtle traps!!
Organization: Chicago Home for the Morally Challenged
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 21:44:09 GMT
Keywords: rats


NAW, your mechanic has it all wrong. Saturns are RAT traps, not rattle traps.
Spring Hill is surrounded by docks and trash dumps. Rats sneak into the factory
and jump into Saturns as they go down the assembly lines.

When I got into my SC, I started hearing squeeks. Funny, I thought, the car
isn't running or moving, but it's squeeking like crazy!! I didn't think 
anything about it until my lunch started disappearing. At first, I thought
I forgot it, but when I started finding chewed up paper on the carpet, I 
started getting suspicious. 

One day I saw a wire hanging down from under the dashboard. I reached down 
and pulled on it. YEEOOOOOWW!!! Out plopped a great big rat!! Well, I threw
him out the window. 

I looked down at the floor, and suddenly realized that the carpet was supposed
to be green, not grey black. YEEOOWWWWWWW!!!!!. It was dozens of closely packed
rats sleeping off the effects of a bottle of scotch that had also dissappeared
from the back seat.

Well, back to the dealer I went. I told him the car was a RAT trap. "Uh, 
yea," he said, "I'll get around to it when I got time."  I slipped a 
liverwurst sandwich in his coat pocket while he was busy writing up the service
ticket.  "We'll get those rattles out," he said.  I smirked as I walked away.
"I bet you will."


                          (-:         


                                                              Larry
From: damong@wpi.WPI.EDU (Damon Francis Gentile)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Timing belts on Honda
Date: 5 Oct 1992 07:40:24 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu


>I have an '89 Accord LX with 45k and i'm concerned that the timing belt might
>break soon. Its suppose to be replaced at 60k, but i know lots of people with
>older Accords that had them break around much before 60k. One even had it break
>around 35k. Now i'm scared to take my car out of town cuz i'm thinking that
>my timing belt will break out in the middle of nowhere.
>i'd like to know how many people have had their Honda's timing belt replaced
>before 60k, especially on the 88/89 Accords. Should I go ahead and change mine
>before the recommended 60k? or would it be unneccesary?
>Also, i have a '92 Civic CX and i heard that its timing belt is suppose to
>last til at least 90k. Is that true?
>Jason


Every belt in every car should be changed at least every 4 years regardless of 
mileage. If your timing belt goes and you aren't in the middle of nowhere,
you're still fairly screwed. A friend of mine has a `79 Fiat X1/9 (and I
have a `74...) and he got 112,000 miles from his timing belt.....
Unfortunately, he was driving it at the time... He needed a total head 
rebuild to get his car running. And the bills from the parts supplier,
machine shop and mechanic were nothing to be swept under the rug. (They 
couldn't fit...)fit....) I think you should definitely change it... even for 
peace of mind..... a $20 belt vs. a $700 head job ? 

damong@wpi.wpi.edu


Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: synth@deepthought.unm.edu (Synth F. Oberheim)
Subject: Re: CAR ALARMS: My Story/FAQ
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 18:07:06 GMT
Organization: SynthMedia Productions Ltd -- Now Appearing Nightly With DON HO
Distribution: rec


[ useful features deleted ]

Another feature I would recommend is something usually called "Warn Mode",
which sets off a brief series of warning chirps if someone brushes up
against or bumps the car, and saves the main siren for stronger impacts.
Thus you can adjust your shock sensor to be very sensitive without
having the full siren go off from accidental nudges, or the occasional
SubwooferMobile passing by.

My Steal Stopper 80 by Directed Electronics (parent company of Viper) has
this feature, but I would think others employ it also.  Keep in mind that
it does require a special two-stage shock sensor.


===============================================================================
    :: :: :: :: ::     Synth F.    synth@deepthought.unm.edu    U S E N E T   
 :: :: :: :: :: :: ::  Oberheim    synth@yenta.alb.nm.us             in color!
===============================================================================
"My problem is I need to discipline myself.  I was
 having this large Dutch woman do it ..."   -- Emo Philips
From: rtener@pyrman2.mis.pyramid.com (Rex Tener)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: 3-series BMW Car Care Questions
Date: 1 Oct 92 22:27:01 GMT
Reply-To: rtener@pyramid.com (Rex Tener)
Distribution: na
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corp., Mountain View, CA


I have a question for the owners of the new 3-series BMW's.

How are you keeping your front and rear bumper caps clean and shiny?

How are you keeping your lower side sills clean and shiny?


Thanks,

Rex Tener                                                 rtener@pyramid.com
Pyramid Technology                                            A.M.A. #580669
"Radical is a man with both feet firmly planted in the air." - F.D.R. (1944)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: mark@wdcwdc.sps.mot.com (Mark Shaw)
Subject: Re: sho limits
Organization: Motorola Western MCU Design Center, Chandler Arizona
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 16:23:39 GMT

In article <147520022@hplsla.hp.com>, andyc@hplsla.hp.com (Andy Cassino) writes:
|> wrat@unisql.UUCP (wharfie) writes about his SHO:
|> 
|> > And then,
|> > of course, when you get off the pedal it switches to severe oversteer.
|> > I almost bought it this way on a tight S curve when I first had the car:
|> > took the second turn way too fast, started to plow, lifted to get traction
|> > to the front, and broke the rear loose.  Fishtail city.  
|> > ----------
|> 
|> Well, this isn't the car's fault per se, any FWD car will do this.

ANY car will do this with improper tire inflation.

Get a grip folks!