From: mills@athena.lkg.dec.com (George Mills)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Why is US engine technology so retrograde?
Date: 12 Jan 93 16:07:43 GMT

wlsmith@valve.heart.rri.uwo.ca (Wayne Smith) writes:

>In article <30075@castle.ed.ac.uk> wbg@festival.ed.ac.uk (W Geake) writes:
>>The statement about a big lazy V6 being just right for a trip to the
>>shops with the kids makes European blood boil.

>Is this jealousy? :)
>How about a trip to the shops with a V8?  :)
>(I'm rubbing it in, I know, but I can't help it)

>>That's an awful lot of
>>surplus mass to cart around for the sake of smoothness or longevity. 

>But that surplus mass gives you power on tap.  You only live once...

>>How many people keep the car until the engine is really shot (I mean
>>average people; not you great folks out there in net land)?

>Not enough.  Blame the automakers.

>>Why has US engine technology been so backward (at least for sale to the
>>public)?

>Give me a 1967 Chrysler 426 HEMI any day.
>I'll take 8 cylinders, cast iron, and timing chains any day.
>Keep your (hard to maintain/expensive to fix) 4 bangers.

>>a) your fuel is too cheap now, and has been for years.  Get that deficit
>>down and reduce CO2 emissions with a nice hefty tax (3$/gal would be
>>about right in European eyes).

>Ah, so that's the real problem.  Well, where is all your gas tax money
>going?  To pay for your farming subsidies no doubt.

>We (Canada) pay about $2 (US) per Imperial gallon, and, just like alchohol
>and tabacco tax, who the hell knows where this money is going.  Gas tax
>money is certainly not going back into road maintenence, or public transit.

>It's a crock, and I refuse to pay the same amount of money (adjusted for
>inflation) to go from A to B 20 years ago as I do now.  If gov'ts are
>forcing automakers to turn out 4 cylinder coffins (and believe me it's
>happening in the US), then people aught to take advantage of the fuel
>economy, not have the gov't tax it from them, especially since these
>new cars have less utility and transportability than cars or 20 and
>30 years ago, and are much more expensive to insure and maintain.
> 
>>d) The historically insulting attitude of "Put some more chrome (or
>>electric goodies or whatever) on for the new model - the old V8 motor
>>will do."

>Gone are the days when cars are built without gov't influence on the design
>being the over-riding factor.
>I guess building a car that consumers buy is an insulting attitude?

>>Thankfully, this appears to be changing.  In anticipation of a good Euro
>>vs US flame, Bill @ Edinburgh signs off.

>Should be interesting...

The hell with the next generation, right.
Who gives a shit what air we breath what resourses we gobble up.
Who gives a shit what world the next generation has to live in.

If your 16-18 years old then you are excused for being a jerk, most
of us go through that phase and then grow up.
If your over 21 then grow up.

Yes the Hemi was great engine of it's time. But anything that held
one was a piece of junk. I had a 69 Charger R/T with a 440 magnum
6 barrel carb. I was in heaven at the time I had it. But looking back
I realize what a piece of junk and it was and what a jerk I was.