HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987)
Subject: Re: Unsafe Safety Belts - CBS 'Street Stories' Report
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 05:51:47 GMT

Jim Frost (jimf@centerline.com) wrote:
: hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987) writes:
: >Yes, the mouse-belts are annoying, but they are certainly safer than the
: >ones that are attatched to THE DOOR of the car.  When the door pops open
: >in an accident, you aren't being held in by anything, so SPLAT!  Talk about
: >stupid. 
: 
: You might not know this, but beware that some of the mouse belts
: retract when the door opens even if the car is moving, thus making
: those cars the worst of all possible worlds.  I suggest that if you're
: buying a car that has mouse belts you try opening the door to see what
: happens.

I don't know about the other manufacturers' belts, but on the SAAB the inertial
belt keeps the mouse belt from letting you go after rapid deceleration
(read: crash or having excessive fun in a parking lot).  However, it's
just another reason why I'm ripping them out at 100,000 miles, when the
warranty is up.

--

Dave Hinz  -  Opinions expressed are mine, not my employer's.  Obviously.
SAAB - Because you get what you pay for.
hinzd@picard.med.ge.com
From: pedersen@aio.jsc.nasa.gov (Richard Pedersen)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Passive or Attack Belts
Date: 8 Sep 1992 20:23:31 GMT
Followup-To: rec.autos
Distribution: na
Organization: NASA Johnson Space Center

In article <1992Sep8.150708.17048@pmafire.inel.gov>, russ@pmafire.inel.gov
(Russ Brown) wrote:
> 
> 
> 1. What are the safety disadvantages of the motorized seat belts?
> 
> 2. Is there any trend in the direction of eliminating them?
> 
> 3. Does the Federal government plan to require them?
> 
> Why do they exist?


Last question first.  They exist because of a government mandate that all
new cars have some form of passive safety.  They want us to be safe whether
we want to or not.  The auto companies came up with three basic solutions
to this problem. 

1.  Motorized Seat Belts (mouse, attack belt, etc.)  This is a seat belt
whichis attached to the door and automatically moves to secure the driver
in place when the door is closed (or the car is started, etc.).  This
design still requires the driver/passenger to manually buckle the lap belt.
 

2.  Continuously latched seat belt.  This seat belt is supposed to stay
latched all of the time even while trying to get into/out of the car.  The
seat belt is attached to the door and is supposed to move out of the way
when the door is opened (does not work in practice).  

3.  Air bags.  Protects the driver from contacting the steering wheel,
dash, etc. in a frontal impact.  

I have some safety concerns with the first two designs.  They are both
attached to the door.  In most cars, the door frame is much weaker than the
frame or "B pillar" of the car.  This shouldn't bee a problem if the door
was designed right but it is still weaker.  The big problem, as I see it,
is that the mounting point is moved forward (especially in small 4 door
cars) so that it is in front of the driver and the belt provides no side
impact protection.  The fatal flaw of the motorized belts (besides the fact
that they are annoying) is that the lap belt must be manually attached. 
Most people I know with these types of belts forget or ignore the lap belt.
 The shoulder belt without the lap belt is very dangerous, in my opinion.  

The continuously latched belts are not a big problem to me and most people
who have these belts don't even know that they can get out of the car
without unlatching the belts.  

Most cars with air bags have "normal" seat belts attached to the B pillar
(certainly some exceptions, esp. if the air bag is an option).  

I have heard some talk of eliminating the motorized belts but I haven't
kept up with the topic.  I would like to see them eliminated.  


Richard Pedersen
From: dbernard@thewho.Central.Sun.COM (Dave Bernard)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: I HATE MY DODGE
Date: 10 Sep 92 12:18:52 GMT
Reply-To: dbernard@thewho.Central.Sun.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems


> Until their reputation changes and they show a desire to stand behind
>  what they sell, no matter how great an LH may be, I wouldn't p*ss on a
>  Chryler even if it was on fire.

I would agree, and based on personal experience with a 92 Jeep, would extend
that Chrysler attitude to the Jeep line as well.

	Dave


Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: mark@wdcwdc.sps.mot.com (Mark Shaw)
Subject: Re: car insurance, big surprise for me!!!!
Organization: Motorola Western MCU Design Center, Chandler Arizona
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 00:34:29 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.160540.6125@hubcap.clemson.edu>, jlysagh@hubcap.clemson.edu (james joseph lysaght) writes:
|> I recently told you all of the ease with which I made a comprehensive
|> claim and how my state famr agent assured me my premium would not go up
|> because of a claim.  Well, I get the car back from the painter tomorrow,
|> but yesterday i received an envelop from statefarm labeled, premium
|> notice, and it is not time for my notice to arrive so I was a little
|> worried to open it.  Big surprise for me!  The guy was honest, the
|> premium did NOT go up, in fact, the letter contained a check stateing
|> that they had over-estimated the costs of operation for the past year so
|> received a dividend check from them AND my premiuim has gone down
|> complete with a letter thanking me for being such a good customer and
|> for taking care of my vehicle in such a way as to help keep premiums
|> down for all the customers!!!!   Wow!!!! I was shocked to get all
|> this!!!!!!!
|> 
|> Any others out there receive such checks recently?


Don't get too excited yet, Jim!   It just may be that the repair bill has not
worked its way through their accounting department yet!   The State Farm policy
I have on indicates that if you make a claim is in excess of $400 in property
damage against State Farm, they will bump your insurance premium by 10%.  The
penalty gets worse if you do it again within a 3-year period.

For some strange reason there is no "trip point" for personal injury or
medical claims.   My son hit a city light pole (someone ran him off the road
into it and then drove off!) and the city wanted $1350 for the pole.   State
Farm's attorney talked them down to $385 and there was no increase in his
premium, despite nearly $8000 in claims for medical treatment and AirEvac
services.

Let us know how you come out in about 3 months.

Mark
From: lcheng@WATSON.IBM.COM
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Winter tires VS All-season
Date: 14 Sep 92 18:02:40 GMT

Recently, <eliot@lanmola.engr.washington.edu> and others wrote about
the thrills of winter driving with an AWD Eagle Talon.

ABS does not guarantee shorter stops in the snow.  For loose snow or
mud, locked wheels build up a wedge in front of the tire that
slows the car down much more quickly.  ABS cycles the brakes on and off
so the distances are ridiculously long in comparison.

People tend to assume that AWD gives you much more grip in the snow.
That's true, but only for acceleration.  What many forget is that
for braking, the total grip is roughly the same as with 2WD cars.

Look, having 4 snow tires with an AWD car in the snow is a lot of fun
but one shouldn't be seduced by the extra traction.  Prudence, as
always, is a must.

- Lawrence Cheng
  lcheng@watson.ibm.com
  Owner of an Audi Quattro and former SCCA rallyist; no flames,
  I'm no armchair driver.
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: jailbird@next06epsl.wam.umd.edu (serial killer)
Subject: 78-82 RX7, Datsun 280, Celica GTS? what should i get?
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 20:49:15 GMT


Yo duded I am looking for a 78-82 car and so far these are the
cars I'm thinking of looking at


Datsun 280Z (6 cilinder) 
RX7
Celica GTS

or anything else comparable.

I need something with a stiff suspension too handle the corners and 
have a good top speed, and minimum repair.
 0-60 isn't that important.

I'cm curently driving an 86 crown vic ltd with 400,000 miles on it
it's a police option vehicle and I don't think it's going to last me
more than another 50,000 miles

any advice would be greatly appreciated

later
jailbird@wam.umd.edu
From: C.Wong1@lut.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Superchargers...
Date: 9 Sep 92 14:21:39 GMT
Reply-To: C.Wong1@lut.ac.uk (C Wong)
Distribution: rec.autos, rec.autos.sport, rec.autos.tech
Organization: Loughborough University, UK.

In article <1992Sep8.161000.28648@athena.cs.uga.edu> dug@athena.cs.uga.edu (Douglas Brown) writes:
>I've been hearing some about the new "supercharged vehicles."
>
>Does anyone out there have any comments on these.  Are they good?  Are they
>bad?  Compared with a turbo charger?  What does everyone think?
>
>dug

in fact, superchargers are just mechanically driven air pumps, turbochargers
are air pumps driven by exhaust gasses.

Superchargers have been in use for many years, much earlier than turbos.
"Getting something for nothing" (turbos) had a much better appeal than
expending energy/engine power to force air into the engine. Generally
superchargers give you better initial response and instant torque, but
continual development of the turbo has somewhat eroded this advantage
of the supercharger, with technologies such as ceramic turbines, 
moveable/ variable vane .....

The superchargers available currently are (which come to mind):
Rootes system, Sprintex (based on rotating screws) and the G-lader
(patented 100yrs ago ??, but manufactured by VW). There are probably
countless more, any one else like to enlighten our friend ??

regards

Chun

from sunny England, U.K. !
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.tech
From: brooks@mcnc.org (Ted Brooks)
Subject: Re:    Levi Jeep Stuff
Organization: MCNC Center for Microelectronics, RTP, NC
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 14:00:39 GMT

In article <92252.11551132HNBAK@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU> John Foster <32HNBAK@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU> writes:
>I have a 1977 Levi Jeep with a 304 V-8.  It scoots pretty nice and it
>has a new paint job on it (red) which makes it look even nicer.  The
>thing about it, though, is that the seats are a little beat up.
>
>If anyone has any info on getting some Levi Jeep bucket seats please
>send it my way.  I have the denim brown color ones, but it would be
>kind of cool to get the denim blue color.  I have two back seats, one
>brown and one blue, but the only bucket seats I have are the ones in
>
Have you thought about going to a fabric store and buying blue denim by the
yard? Any decent upholsterer should be able to stitch these up into some nice 
seat covers that should look like the originals.
 
Ted Brooks
 ______________________________________________________________________
| Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are my own, and do not reflect    |
| those of my employer. Advice is free, but you get what you pay for.  |
|                               ________                               |
|                         _____|  1955  |_______                       |
|                        /      Chevrolet      /                       |
|                       /______  BelAir  _____/                        |
|                              |________|                              |
|______________________________________________________________________|

Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: brad@buck.viewlogic.com (Bradford Kellogg)
Subject: Re: Does anybody have any advice about a Jaguar XJS
Originator: brad@buck
Organization: Viewlogic Systems, Inc.
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 16:31:37 GMT


In article <1992Sep14.163649.24582@lut.ac.uk>, elcc1@lut.ac.uk (C Callender) writes:

|> I'm planning to
|> buy a Jaguar XJS (well, my real dream car is an E-type but I don't
|> think I can quite run to that!). Having looked around, I think that I
|> could afford a 1983-84 XJS.  The recession in the UK appears to have hit
|> big thirsty car values pretty hard. Insurance and fuel costs probably mean
|> that I wouldn't consider a 5.3 litre V12, so (unfortunately), I will only
|> be looking at the 3.6 litre XJS's. My personal preferance would be to
|> go for a manual gearbox (more fun to drive, in my opinion!), but there
|> seem to be a lot more auto ones than manual around.
|> 
I wouldn't call it unfortunate that you feel compelled to look at a 3.6
litre XJS. And if there exists a manual shift in an XJS, this is really
quite wonderful. The only XJS available in the US is the V12 automatic.
I have long thought how nice it would be to take the engine from the
XJ6, combine it with a good 5 speed gearbox, and put it the XJS. The 
smaller engine would let you use less fuel, and the manual shift would
reclaim some of the performance. Sadly, there hasn't been a manual shift 
Jag in the USA for a long time. And with the spiritual successor to the 
XKE, it is certainly an act of criminal negligence that the 3.6 litre 
(or even the V12) with a manual shift never made it across the pond. 

My suggestion would be to look for a manual shift. If there is one to be
found, it is worth the search. Be sure you find one that has been well
maintained as is in GOOD condition. Otherwise, you may be in for much
suffering and woe. You could look through a magazine such as Thoroughbred
and Classic Cars (or something like that) which is a British magazine
full of ads for vintage cars and articles on restoration and maintenance,
and ads for parts and service suppliers.

Of course, a mid to late sixties Aston Martin would be a marvelous
alternative, but I fear they would come very dear indeed.

Good luck.

- BK
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 14:43:02 EDT
From: <KAA110@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Corolla, Prizm, or Mirage?

Mechanically, the Prizm and Corolla are (nearly?) 100% the same car.  The only
difference worth noting is the different name badges.  I'd probably go with the
Toyota, though, since the Mitsu (up till now) has been pretty lacking in base
model engine power.  Toyota or Geo, whichever you can get cheaper, would
probably be the way to go.  If I weren't a poor college kid, I'd probably go
with the Toy.

             Kev  (KAA110@PSUVM.PSU.EDU)
From: bowers@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov (Al Bowers)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Passive or Attack Belts
Date: 9 Sep 92 19:07:40 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: NASA Dryden, Edwards, Cal.

In article <1992Sep8.221240.17297@viewlogic.com> brad@buck.viewlogic.com (Bradford Kellogg) writes:

>|> Why do they exist?

>Mindless, paternalistic idiots are practicing the ancient and completely
>futile art of protecting us from our own stupidity. They make the argument
>of the enormous cost to society because people won't use their seat belts
>voluntarily, but this is sophistry. If we were so concerned about costs to
>society, we would outlaw cigarettes, alchohol, guns, sex, fatty foods, and
>everything else with which people do damage to themselves. People should
>be informed about dangers they may pose to themselves, and given the option 
>of protecting themselves from these dangers, but that is where the
>government's role should stop.

Its actually worse than this.  Two companies developed `friendly
interiors'.  These interiors would protect the occupants _just as if
they had air bags_, but without the active systems required by such.
The DOT and NHTSA said "no dice".  Both companies had to develop air
bags _IN ADDITION_ to their already new interior designs.  Obviously
these two companies were quite upset, after having spent the money on
developing a new dash design and still being required to do the
_stupid_ thing.

BTW, the two vehicles with the friendly interiors were Chevrolet
(Corvette Convertible) and Alfa Romeo (Spider).

--
"But the fact that a 1938 touring bodied Alfa Romeo I once had is
worth $1 million sometimes bothers the hell out of me.  It's a
personal problem."                                     -Phil Hill
Al Bowers                                 bowers@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov
Iaido   Takamine   Hobie   Rossignol   Alfa Romeo  Ducati (DOD #900)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost)
Subject: Re: Door Horror
Organization: CenterLine Software, Inc.
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:43:18 GMT

tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan) writes:
>In article <ILH.92Sep9095500@winnie-the-pooh.lcs.mit.edu> ilh@lcs.mit.edu (Lee Hetherington) writes:
>>That reminds me.  The parking lot at my old high school had their
>>lines repainted from perpendicular to angled.  The idiot painting them
>>did not realize that by angling the lines the spaces got narrower.
>>They were ridiculously narrow.  There's one person who did not get
>>much out of math/geometry class!

>If the new spaces were ridiculously narrow, then it was entirely the
>painter's fault and had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that the
>spaces were rotated.

He didn't say the spaces were rotated, he said they lines were painted
at an angle.  I assume that the endpoints of the lines were the same
as they were when they were perpendicular.  That changes the
configuration of each space from a rectangle to a parallelogram with a
loss in area corresponding the sine of the angle the lines were
changed by.

jim frost
jimf@centerline.com
From: vlj@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Victor Johnson)
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 19:01:32 GMT
Subject: Re: I HATE MY DODGE
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: rec.autos

In rec.autos, Janviere S Thuman <jt3u+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:

> Please read this!!
> 
> I have  a problem that has been occuring for over 4 years with my 1988
> Dodge Daytona.(I bought the car new when I was 16 years old)
> 
> At 12,000 miles (while still under warranty) my brakes began to pulse
> violently. I realize that normal wear and tear on a car happens, but at
> 12,000 miles, no brakes should go bad! I didn't complain. I had the
> rotors turned and pads replaced etc, but began to experience the EXACT
> same thing in less than 5,000 miles. I am not an erratic driver. I live
> on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where it is FLAT and rural. To this
> day, the car is still in almost perfect condition (garage kept, cleaned,
> maintained, etc) (And I have a Jeep that I drive when the weather is
> bad) 

  ... stuff about getting consistent blow-offs by Chrysler deleted ...

> If anyone has any suggestions for what I can do please let me know. At
> this point I have lost hope but it would be interesting to know if
> anyone has had similar problems.
> Thanks-- shellie

  Most of the time, the root cause of warped rotors is improperly torqued
  lug nuts on the wheels.  Too many tire shops use air wrenches and too
  few use, *or even possess*, a torque wrench.  I have even witnessed some
  "tire care professionals" who do not even bother to tighten the lug nuts
  using a cross pattern.

  My car, an Accord, is very succeptible to this problem.  To prevent it
  from happening, I take the wheels off myself, have the tire droids do
  their thing, and then install the wheels back on the car using my own
  tools.  Regrettably, doing it myself appears to be the only way to get
  quality work.  Your case may warrant the same action.

> As I write, I am still conversing with some idiot at Chrysler. I think
> it is their plan to keep me in limbo until the car is completely out of
> warranty. And being in grad school far from home- those miles will rack
> up fast! I think Chrysler should "get out of the way"!!!!!! Toyota,
> Nissan, Porsche, anything. . . next year- after graduation- here I
> COME!!!

  Chrysler, despite all Lee's diatribes about competitiveness and being a
  leader, is not a consumer oriented company.  A friend had a paint job
  get "leprosy" on him only after a few months only to be told that the
  7/70 warranty didn't cover paint.  Other people have had warranties
  honored only after repeated visits, urgings and hassles.

  Until their reputation changes and they show a desire to stand behind
  what they sell, no matter how great an LH may be, I wouldn't p*ss on a
  Chryler even if it was on fire.

  Cheers,
  Victor Johnson
  --------------

Newsgroups: osu.for-sale,rec.autos,rec.autos.tech
From: ingram@sequent.com (Bill Ingram)
Subject: Re: I NEED 2nd CAR..$2-300..ADVICE?..SELLER??
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 21:23:11 GMT

In article <1992Sep9.173518.8297@mlb.semi.harris.com> jws@billy.mlb.semi.harris.com (James W. Swonger) writes:
% Also consider mid-to-late '70s Toyota Corolla/Corona models with the 20R
%engine. I sold mine with 180K on it, still running fine. 
%-- 

 Or mid to late '70s Toyota Corolla w/2TC or early '80s w/3TC engines.
 Mines' got 412K miles on it and STILL running!

 Bill

Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: ellisk@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Michael K. Ellis)
Subject: Re: Strike at Saturn?
Reply-To: ellisk@fido.Colorado.EDU
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 03:27:16 GMT

bakc@giraffe.ru.ac.za (MR KR COMAN) writes:

>Assuming a "level playing field" free of formal and informal trade 
>restrictions existed in Japan, and that Detroit engineered its current 
>products to accommodate such basic needs as right-hand drive:  just what 
>sort of market potential would exist for US vehicles in Japan?   Would 
>legions of typical Japanese consumers flock to buy shiploads of '92 
>Chevvies? 

Probably not. Unless they were 'vettes.  Everything else Chevy makes
that isn't a truck is, IMHO, nowhere near the standard of your average
Japanese car, including the Corsica I praised in an earlier article.
The 'vette is popular in Japan right now for its cachet.  Other than
that, can you honestly imagine Tanaka Ichiro driving a Chevy Lumina?
(Maybe I should say Full Sized truck.  I'd buy a Nissan 4x4 before a
Chevy S-10.)

Just to make things worse: any advantage Chevy can offer, which is
essentially reduced to low prices for bigger cars, would be nullified by
the cost of redesigning them for right hand drive.  I'll wait until the
new right-hand-drive Saturns come out before betting on a GM car in
Japan.  That could be pretty promising. Especially if Saturn keeps its
reputation for quality.

>Now THERE'S the essence of a free market!!!

Free Market?  Have yet to see one.

--
Michael K. Ellis
ellisk@fido.colorado.edu
From: ggg@hpsad.sad.hp.com (Gary Goodlund)
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 16:01:59 GMT
Subject: Re: Winter tires VS All-season
Organization: HP Signal Analysis Division - Rohnert Park, CA
Newsgroups: rec.autos

One thought you might consider...  Get the mud/snow (Winter) tires on 
plain old steel rims.  I know they don't look as nice but they're much
more flexible if you slide into something on those slippery roads and
you won't knock chunks out like you can with alloy wheels.  You can 
probably find a set in a junk yard that will fit your bolt pattern.
They also MUCH cheaper to replace.

  There is an old saying about 4wheel drive vehicles..."They'll allow
you to get just that much deeper before it really gets stuck!" :^}

  Don't pay any attention to him, just keep your foot down! :^)

Keep on 4wheelin'
            Gary
From: r2msm@vm1.cc.uakron.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Speaker Cover
Date: 9 Sep 92 16:38:47 GMT
Organization: The University of Akron


 
   Hello All,
 
   Forgive me if this is cross posting.
 
   Help!
 
   Recently, the cover of one of the speakers on the door of my car came
   loose and got lost while it was open. Could somebody tell me where I
   can get a new cover for this speaker. The stereo is pretty expensive
   and I'm not interested in buying new speakers.
 
   Thanks in advance...... Madhav (r2msm@vm1.cc.uakron.edu)
 
Newsgroups: rec.autos