HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: wentz@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Brian Wentz)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: 5-speed in the snow
Date: 13 Dec 92 05:23:59 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Virginia Tech Computer Science Dept, Blacksburg, VA

> So, does anyone have any recommendations for driving a 5-speed FWD car
> in the snow for someone who has only previously had the chance to
> drive automatics (RWDs & then FWDs) in the snow?

Drive in the highest gear possible, without "lugging" the engine.
This will give you the least torque possible.

You'll be able to control your torque, and thus unwanted wheelspin,
much better in a car with a manual transmission, making your life much
easier in the snow.  In really slippery weather, you may also find 
starting in second gear helps you get going better too.

Of course, the usual stuff helps too, like snow tires, narrow tires, etc...
-- 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% =;^) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 "Don't say the electric chair's not good enough for king-lazy-bones
  like myself.  More coffee for me boss, because I'm not as messed up
  as I want to be."    - TMBG
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: cloos@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU (James H. Cloos Jr.)
Subject: Re: 5-speed in the snow
Organization: Cornell Information Technologies, Ithaca, NY 14853
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 10:09:38 GMT

cloos> I noticed in looking at a review of the car, and doing some
cloos> figuring based on the gear ratios as reported, that in 5th gear
cloos> the torque peak hits at 65mph (2400 rpm).  Does that sound like
cloos> pure coincidence?  Or would that, esp given the low torque
cloos> peak, suggest that they chose the top gear ratio such that the
cloos> (advertised) torque peak would be near 100km/h?

mchaffee> Why?  I can't imagine that being much of an asset; the only
mchaffee> plus that would come of having the torque peak come up at
mchaffee> 65mph in top gear would be that you might have less trouble
mchaffee> accelerating in traffic without having to downshift.  Of
mchaffee> course, if you need anything resembling max torque when
mchaffee> accelerating, you'd be better of downshifting so you have a
mchaffee> bit more acceleration, should the need arise.  It sounds
mchaffee> like you're asking whether the reason is for 0-100 km/h num-
mchaffee> bers, but of course when you're accelerating the car to 100
mchaffee> km/h as quickly as possible, you're going to be in 2d or 3d
mchaffee> gear when you get there anyway.

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of fuel economy than
standing acceleration numbers.  I certainly should have been more
clear in that postscript.

One other issue I forgot to mention is wrt tires.  The car comes with
Goodyear GT+4s on it.  Does anyone have any comments on how GT+4s
handle in the various road conditions?  Also, why are steel wheels
recomended over alloy ones for use in snowy conditions?  Does the
unsprung mass make that much difference in terms of traction on soft
surfaces, like snow?

-JimC

-- 
James H. Cloos, Jr.		include <std/disclaimers.h>
Cloos@Theory.TC.Cornell.EDU     include <std/qotd>
Cloos@Batcomputer.UUCP 		Phone:  +1 716 866-5249
Cloos@CrnlThry.BITNET 		Snail:  POBox 1111, Amherst, NY 14226-1111
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: draughn@iitmax.iit.edu (Mark Draughn)
Subject: Re: Staying Alive, Autobahn Speedlimits, Grassy Medians
Organization: Illinois Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 20:23:55 GMT

In article <1992Dec14.150942.14006@cbnewse.cb.att.com> waco@cbnewse.cb.att.com
(john.l.broughton) writes:
>Isn't it nice how the average U.S. interstate was designed with those smooth
>grassy medians, for the most part?  IMHO, if states and the federal government
>are interested in reducing deaths on interstates, there would  be barriers
>in medians; trees, shrubs, concrete, whatever, to keep vehicles from crossing
>over and having head-on collisions with traffic travelling in the opposite 
>direction.  This seems to be a very common cause of fatalaties on interstates
>and expressways.

While putting trees, shrubs, and concrete in the median would keep
vehicles from crossing over and having head-on collisions with traffic
travelling in the opposite direction, it would do nothing to keep
vehicles from entering the median and colliding with the trees,
shrubs, and concrete.

If a road has a lot of traffic and the opposite lanes are close
together, then any car leaving the road would be highly likely to
enter the oncoming lanes and cause a fatal accident.  If a barrier is
erected between the lanes, any car leaving the road will strike the
barrier.  Since the risk of a head-on collision is high, it's probably
better that drifting cars hit the barrier.

If a road has very little traffic and the opposite lanes are far
apart, then any car leaving the road would have to wander across maybe
50 feet of shoulders and median before entering the oncoming lanes.
Even then, since traffic is light, there's a very good chance that the
car will simply cross those lanes without incident, perhaps finally
hitting something after leaving the road.  Also, if there's no
barrier, the driver has more time to try to regain control of his car.
In a situation with a low risk of head-on collision, it's better to
give the driver the opportunity to prevent an accident than to force a
collision with the barrier.
-- 

Mark Draughn    | <draughn@iitmax.iit.edu> or <SYSMARK@IITVAX> on BITNET
----------------+ Academic Computing Center, Illinois Institute of Technology
+1 312 567 5962 | 10 W. 31st Street, Chicago, Illinois  60616
 
"The 2nd amendment was never intended to allow private citizens to
 'keep and bear arms'.  If it had, there would have been wording such as
 'the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'"
-- Ken Konecki on Usenet, on 27 Jul 1992
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: kevinq@Ingres.COM (Kevin Quinn)
Subject: Re: Re: (Defeating) The Club
Reply-To: kevinq@Ingres.COM (Kevin Quinn)
Organization: Ask Computer Systems Inc., Ingres Division, Alameda CA 94501
Date: 11 Dec 92 18:59:02 GMT

Just a note: saw a clip on one of the TV tabloid shows (48 hrs., or something
like that) where some former car thieves cut through the steering wheel
in about 15 seconds.  And this was a demo, where speed was *not* a requirement.

Seems like the club _might_ deter a casual, unprepared joy rider - but that's
about it.


kbq

--
Kevin Quinn                         | kevinq@ingres.com
                                    | {mtzinu,pacbell,ll-winken,sun}!ingres.com
My opinions are my own.  Should you think otherwise, think again.
From: blu@cellar.org (Dan Reed)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Staying Alive, Autobahn Speedlimits, Grassy Medians
Date: 18 Dec 92 16:02:13 GMT
Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system

russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto) writes:

> In article <1992Dec14.151650.1471@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com> c23st@kocrsv01.del
> 
> >The purpose of the median is that it provides a permanent U-turn lane for
> >cops cruising with the radar on on the other side, or a nice HIDING place
> >for speed traps...
> 
> This reminds me of one of my favorite sights.  A cop, just having
> given a ticket to some guy in a jacked-up pickup, found himself unable
> to get back out of the median which the pickup had driven up and left.
> 

Which always makes me want to sneak out on 295, and plant a few mines where 
the cops hide.   I could do it around 3 am, when there is 0 traffic.  Heh.. 
the mind reels...  just think, if we started mining them, they could have to 
call in large mind-sweepers, and check out each place.  I bet that would make 
cops a lot easier to spot! 

The mind RELLS at the thought,...

     Dan Reed - blu@cellar.org - AutoCAD Geek -Industrial Music Lover
      68'Cougar, 89'VW Golf, 74'Honda Cb360, 89'Rollerblade Zetras'
  "Anyone can get a gun Otis. You can make a phone call and get a gun."
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: hoffberg@medusa.aps.anl.gov (Mike G. Hoffberg)
Subject: Saab 9000
Summary: Couple of quick questions
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago Illinois
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 15:00:59 GMT


Oh no... this is going to be another one of those "I know that this
does not belong is in this news group, but I am going to ask it
anyway."

I would like to ask a couple of quick questions to any Saab 9000
drivers out there.

Please e-mail me if you are interested in helping me out.

hoffberg@phebos.aps.anl.gov

MIKE

-- 
Michael Hoffberg               /.\ <Build APS>   ~\   /~  "Jeez, am I the
hoffberg@phebos.aps.anl.gov   // \\ Argonne        \ /     only one who paid
hoffberg@anlaps.aps.anl.gov  //_O_\\ National       |      full price?" F.F.
                            /__| |__\ Lab   Boola! _|_ Boola!
From: leonglaw@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com (Lawrence LEONG)
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 08:06:13 GMT
Subject: Re: 65mph saves lives!?
Organization: HP Singapore
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving

In rec.autos.driving, milo@dorm.rutgers.edu ( mielo) writes:

| In article <1992Dec4.172815.25664@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>,
| mf@dancer.cc.bellcore.com (fusco,marc) wrote:
| > 
| > 	This is a critical point!
| > 	When I was in Germany (around Munich) this summer, I rode
| > the Autobahn a bit and I can tell you that the drivers I saw were
| > much better (skill-wise and considerate) than drivers in the US.
| > BTW-most of the Autobahn I was on had posted speed limits of 100K (60mph)
| > but many cars were travelling much faster in the left lane.
|
|
|     The posted speed limits are usually there for comercial vehicles like
| trucks.
|      The only time I saw posted speedlimits were within city limits or on
| most autostraBe(secondary roads)
|     There are some other areas with limits but these are usually high
| fatality areas and the limits only apply for short distances

There is more than just speed limits.  In Netherlands, Germany and Austria, I
noticed that there were limits, but you wern't penalised for it unless you did
something stupid (eg road hogging) or had an accident.  The places which had
limits (strictly observed) were those where absolutely necessary, eg
residential areas, schools etc.  Over there speed limits were placed for a
reason other than revenue collection, people know why the limits are there and
so observe them.

I must admit it was good cruising in the slow lane at 100+mph without having
to watch for cops.


still in a place where speed limits = revenue collection
lawrence
From: jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Car-to-car contact at high speeds
Date: 14 Dec 92 17:10:43 GMT
Organization: CenterLine Software, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: 140.239.3.202

kaminl@rebecca.its.rpi.edu (Matt Garretson) writes:
>PS- What would be the implications of being rear-ended on the highway at
>high speed? Someone said it wouldn't be too bad (relatively speaking). But
>I'm sure that my car would stall in such a case. Might this cause other
>problems?

I'd be very surprised to see your car stall.  There are two obvious
ramifications: 1) loss of rear wheel contact (will cause lateral
instability and easy oversteer situations); and 2) induced lateral
vector.  The combination could cause sudden oversteer, particularly if
the car behind is turning to avoid contact.  If you're braking hard
this could conceivably put you in a spin.

You'd have to get hit pretty hard to induce these kinds of effects
though.  I suspect you'd just get pushed forward.

jim frost
jimf@centerline.com
From: jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Driving in Vermont
Date: 16 Dec 1992 14:59:52 GMT
Organization: CenterLine Software, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: 140.239.3.202

jmoreau@lynx.dac.northeastern.edu (Jeffrey P. Moreau) writes:
>I plan to do a lot of driving through Vermont this month (mainly the 
>interstates) and was wondering if anyone knows what to watch out for
>concerning poilce etc...Are there lots of speed traps?  Are the police
>there really strict about the speed limit (being able to drive 10mph 
>over the speed limit (65 I assume?) without having to worry about it.
>  Just wondering.. not too urgent.. it is just that there are lots of
>very straight open highway on the interstates...

A couple of people have talked about I91, but none about I89.  I've
done a lot of I89 running (it's 123 miles from NH to Rousses Point :-)
and found that they very seldom put speed traps on it, except up near
Burlington (where traffic gets particularly heavy and everyone slows
down anyway).

The limit is 65 but most traffic is doing well over 70.  My last trip
I averaged over 75 the whole length of 89 and I was not the fastest
car on the road by any means.  Just about everyone was doing 75 or
better which is right at my comfort point for long trips.

Keep with the pack and they'll leave you alone.  The pack is usually
going plenty fast enough anyway.

I89 in NH is a different story (I mention this because 93-89 is a
common route).  There will be at least one trap on it and they're
pretty happy with instant-on.  Since there's seldom much traffic a
detector won't do you much good -- they got me on my last trip.

I'd hope this isn't necessary but: if it's bad weather slow down.
They won't generally stop you for speeding in bad weather because
they're too busy picking up the pieces of other Massachusetts people
who continue to drive 70mph in the snow, but you don't want to become
one of the accidents.  If the locals are doing 60mph there's a damn
good reason for it.

jim frost
jimf@centerline.com
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving,rec.autos,rec.autos.antique
From: lstowell@pyrnova.mis.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving,rec.autos,rec.autos.antique
Subject: Re: Mexican leather Upholstery
Date: 11 Dec 92 21:38:19 GMT
Reply-To: lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corp., Mountain View, CA

In article <1992Dec9.153647.28620@mcnc.org> brooks@mcnc.org (Ted Brooks) writes:
>
>I worked with a guy once who was stationed in Texas while in the army. A
>friend of his took his car to Mexico to have it reupholstered. He ignored
>the advice to watch them while they reupholstered it, choosing instead to
>sit in a bar across the street and chase senoritas. Apparently, the 
>upholstery was beautiful, but a few days later he noticed a funny smell.
>Turned out the seats were padded with _used_ straw from a local stable.
>
>I can't say for sure that this story is true, but I pass it along for what
>it's worth - probably about as much as you paid for the advice. True or
>not, it points out an age-old truth - it's better to deal with people you
>_know_ are honest.
>
    Hmmm, a friend-of-a-friend story, huh?   Why does that trigger
    my BS detector?

    Please, you crapheads left off the old one about not buying
    boots made in Mexico because the leather is cured with
    horse-piss.

    And that crack about "people you know are honest?"   Grow up.  
    Magically honesty disappears and rip-offs appear only as you
    cross the border?   Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.   

    Like, only "good ole Bubba" at the corner store is honest?

    There are some excellent upholstery shops in Cuidad
    Jaurez...they are a bit cheaper than in the US, but not THAT
    much.  But their work is craftsman quality compared to anything
    you'll get in just about any place in the US.  

    There are also cheap shops on both sides of the border that'll
    do a cheap job if you insist on a cheap price.  And if you go in
    there with the attitude that you're gonna be ripped off because
    you are a gringo and they are greasers, what the heck do you
    expect?    

    And, no it wasn't a friend of a friend, it was me and a friend
    both had upholstery done.  His tuck and pleat with beading was
    immaculate and still in excellent condition 20+ years later in a
    MG-TC.   
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving,rec.autos,rec.autos.antique
From: hacker@cco.caltech.edu (Jonathan Bruce Hacker)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
Subject: Re: Calling CAA for a jump start
Date: 14 Dec 1992 21:36:05 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: punisher.caltech.edu

jeff@crash.cts.com (Jeff Makey) writes:

>In article <1992Dec11.160059.24492@news.cs.brandeis.edu> st901745@pip.cc.brandeis.edu writes:
>>One of the reasons I would never buy an automatic transmisison'ed vehicle
>>(unless I have no choice, ie: Mercedes :) ) is that I never have to
>>worry about a dead battery... giver 'er a little push and I'm all set..

I have never been able to successfully jump start my manual gearbox
fule-injected Supra.  It seems that to just run the fuel pump and
injectors takes a healthy battery.

-- 
Jon Hacker
Caltech, Pasadena CA
hacker@tumbler-ridge.caltech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond)
Subject: Re: Car-to-car contact at high speeds
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 92 05:56:37 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

tedebear@leland.Stanford.EDU (Theodore Chen) writes:

>In article <-#h2caq@rpi.edu> kaminl@aix.rpi.edu (Matt Garretson) writes:
>>   Suppose I'm going along in the left lane maybe 70mph, and a car to my
>>right starts to come into my lane where I already am (i.e. to bump into
>>my right side). There is no shoulder to the left to swerve into safely-
>>only a guardrail (or oncoming traffic! :( ).  
>>a situation like this? I know there are many variables, but any
>>comments would be appreciated.

>if you're driving a callaway sledgehammer corvette, stomp the gas.
>if you're driving a more mundane car, hit the brakes.
>the tailgaters are going to have to take care of themselves.
>countersteering after contact has been made is a good idea, but
>it's better to get your car out of the immediate vicinity.  if he's
>moving into your lane, it's probably because you're in his blind
>spot (which means your car will be further back than his).  it takes
>only a fraction of a second of hard braking to put your car behind his.

This is really dumb advice.  Neither accelerating nor braking will
get you out of the way of a lane changer in time.  

To answer the question, situations vary of course, but assuming a quick 
toot on the horn does not stop the move, the safest thing to do is to 
steer INTO the oncoming vehicle.  This is about the first thing you 
learn when you set wheel on a stock car track.  The object is to balance
the forces so you both stay headed in the same direction.  Better 
a bit of bent sheet metal than one of you spinning or going over the guard
rail. 

As soon as contact is made, the idiot will bezerk, of course, so you
should be prepared to get on the brakes HARD the instant contact is 
broken.  You want to be out of the way of the carnage as the idiot 
jerks across two lanes of traffic on the other side of him.

John

-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
Performance Engineering Magazine(TM) | Interested in high tech and computers? 
Marietta, Ga                         | Send ur snail-mail address to 
jgd@dixie.com                        | perform@dixie.com for a free sample mag
Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: jern@visual1.jhuapl.edu (Bob Jernigan)
Subject: The Italian Job
Reply-To: jern@visual1.jhuapl.edu (Bob Jernigan)
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 92 17:17:50 GMT

I just read in Autoweek that Rover has produced a Mini in honor
of the 25th anniversary of _The Italian Job_.  I don't suppose
they have been federalized for import to the US.  Does anyone know
any details of this production model?

bob
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto)
Subject: Re: 5-speed in the snow
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 92 23:40:39 GMT
Organization: Project GLUE, University of Maryland, College Park
Distribution: na

In article <CLOOS.92Dec12032613@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU> cloos@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU (James H. Cloos Jr.) writes:

>So, does anyone have any recommendations for driving a 5-speed FWD car
>in the snow for someone who has only previously had the chance to
>drive automatics (RWDs & then FWDs) in the snow?
>
>Any other comments are welcome, too.

I find the 5-speed to be a heck of a lot easier than the automatic in
the snow.  You can make effective use of engine braking, and also more
easily keep from spinning the wheels.
-- 
Matthew T. Russotto	russotto@eng.umd.edu	russotto@wam.umd.edu
Some news readers expect "Disclaimer:" here.
Just say NO to police searches and seizures.  Make them use force.
(not responsible for bodily harm resulting from following above advice)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: jern@visual1.jhuapl.edu (Bob Jernigan)
Subject: Re: Snow and 4x4's
Reply-To: jern@visual1.jhuapl.edu (Bob Jernigan)
Organization: Johns Hopkins University
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 92 17:02:52 GMT

In article <Bz40ny.1Lr@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, mwbg9715@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Mark Wayne Blunier) writes:
|> 
... deletions...
|> I saw a similar incident this summer at the beach.  Vehicle #1 got stuck.
|> Vehicle #2 pulled Vehicle #1 out, but it got stuck in the Process.  Vehicle
|> one figures if he can barely drive around may he should get tow truck for
|> #2.  Very small tow truck comes, winches out vehicle #2.  Mean while 100 
|> yards away is vehicle #3 stuck down to the frame.  They were trying to
|> dig sand out from under the truck.  They waved the tow truck on, but he
|> waited anyway.   Seems none of them were smart enough to jack vehicles
|> up and fill the holes beneath the tires back up and then they have been
|> able to drive out!
|> 

I learned to drive in El Paso, Texas, where knowing how to drive in sand
was a must.  I've helped several people get unstuck from sand with a
very simple trick - bouncing the car up and down.  It help if you have 3
people.  One to drive, one to jump up and down on the bumper, and the
third to force some sand under the tires.  I've used this in the past
to drive a 2WD around a 4WD stuck to the axles.  ;-).  I you do a lot
of 2WD driving in sand, bad shocks help.

bob
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving
From: kaminl@rebecca.its.rpi.edu (Matt Garretson)
Subject: Re: Car-to-car contact at high speeds
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 00:20:53 GMT

Thanks to everyone who responded to my question. There was some disagreement,
but it seemed like that stemmed mainly from my failure to clearly define the
situation.

I was thinking of a situation in which I was going significantly faster than
the guy I'm passing. So, when he looks back to check the left lane before
he changes lanes (if he *does* check at all; he'd better!), I'm in his
blind spot. But by the time he actually starts coming into my lane, we're
basically even, side-to-side.

Also, I meant to ask what to do if the braking/honking method had been
used, or there wasn't enough time; i.e. if contact was unavoidable. I
wouldn't want to anticipate the accident and swerve into him beforehand;
someone mentioned that this would cause an accident that might not have 
otherwise happened.

BTW, since I spend a lot of time passing people on the left :-), I've learned
to be careful about spending too much time in the passee's blind spot. 

Thanks again for all the replies.

-Matt

PS- What would be the implications of being rear-ended on the highway at
high speed? Someone said it wouldn't be too bad (relatively speaking). But
I'm sure that my car would stall in such a case. Might this cause other
problems?
Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving