HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: harling@miki.pictel.com (Dan Harling)
Subject: Re: FWD vs. RWD, Which is best.
Organization: PictureTel Corporation
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 13:56:53 GMT

In article <13405@texsun.Central.Sun.COM> dbernard@thewho.Central.Sun.COM writes:
>In Article <51156 harling@miki.pictel.com> Dan Harling writes:
>
>>>>	Think of a snowmobile scudding quickly over a ten-foot deep snowbank.
>>>>	Then think of an M60 tank trying to plow through the same snowbank.
>>>>	Extreme examples, same principal, if you catch my drift.
>
>>That's fine, if you have skis on the front tires and treads on the
>>back.  With typical snow tires, how do you propose to exert *any* force
>>on the car if the wheels don't "dig in"?
>
>	I don't understand the question.  How do tires exert *any* force
>	on concrete if the wheels don't "dig in?"  Does this mean that
>	cars cannot drive on concrete roads?

By its context, the question clearly pertains to driving on snow.
Surface friction is greatly reduced from pavement to snow, packed or
otherwise.  Without biting into the snow, available traction is quite
limited.  Try driving on packed snow with regular street tires some
time, and notice how easily they spin and how hard it is to get the car
to change direction.


>	Between the extremes of sinking into quicksand, and sliding
>	along tractionless on glare ice, lies an infinite variety of degrees
>	of traction.  It is very possible to drive on snowpack.  People do it
>	along mountain roads, or did it on the Alaskan highway in pre-pavement
>	days.  In fact, because of a good snowpack the Alaskan highway was
>	easier to drive in winter than late spring, when the muskeg turned
>	parts of the road into mud bogs.

This is perfectly reasonable with the limited traction available,
provided all the turns are sufficiently gradual and you don't need to
stop very quickly.  Without additional grip on the surface, a car will
quickly become a hockey puck if the wheels break loose.  I wonder what
kind of tires they use?
____________________________________________________________________________
Daniel A. Harling                        (harling@pictel.com)
PictureTel Corp.             Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
Peabody, MA  01960                 PictureTel, but they ought to be!
From: lea00@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Larry Akers)
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 23:56:24 GMT
Subject: Re: Good/Bad Mazda Dealers?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: rec.autos

    MADZA does not care about its customers after they have purchased 
a MADZA.  I have been through all of the MADZA BS and I was only 
satisfied after I sold my 626LX.  I spent over $100.00 on phone calls,
always with the response that someone would contact me soon.  HA  HA..
They got me, I believed them for about the first 4 or 5 times, then
I told them that noone ever contacted me.  They said that they could
not believe that, but I can.  They never responded to my letters, and
the BBB (HA  HA), consumer licensing board, Paula Woodward (9 NEWS),
and a host of others also brought no help for me.  
    The only way MADZA will ever start listening to its customers
is when they all follow my lead.  NO MO MADZA in my family EVER...
MADZA will continue to ignore complaints as long as they keep on 
selling them carz....   

    NO MO MADZA'z in my family EVER...  MADZA if you're listening

              EAT   ME   RAW  !!!!!!!!!@!!



LA...  LA...  LA...  LA...  LA...  LA...  Later,,, Larry Akers...
   
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: eliot@stalfos.engr.washington.edu (eliot)
Subject: Re: Corrado SLC or 325is?
Organization: clearer than blir
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 06:15:34 GMT

In article <12110060@nmitd4.sr.hp.com> jcf@nmitd4.sr.hp.com (Jim Fuller) writes:
>   Let's see... The VW is faster, handles better, is more distinctive and
>   costs $10,000 less.  I don't see where there's much of a choice.  Buy
>   the Corrado.

Today I saw what I thought was a 4 door maroon colored BMW 325i.  It
wasn't until I came up close that I realized it was the latest Honda
Civic.  This is the side view that I'm talking about.  Has this
happened to anybody else?


eliot
From: mshar@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Mike Mshar)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Leaded gas and older engines
Date: 8 Oct 92 06:09:28 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

> geoff@netcom.com (Geoffrey Leach) writes:

>Here in California, leaded gas is no longer available.
>So what does one do if the car's engine is designed for leaded (i.e., 
>the old "regular")?
>
>Seems like there are three options:
>
>	Use unleaded regular
>	Use unleaded premium
>	Add "Lead substitue" to unleaded.

Yeah. No matter what you do, if the engine was designed for leaded gas
(pre 1972), than use lead substitute in the gas. Why? Lead was originally
put into gas for two reasons: To increase octane rating, and to reduce
burning of the exhaust valve seats. Before about 1972, the cylinders heads
on cars contained exhaust valve seats that were not hardened, like they are
these days. When leaded gas was used, the lead would form a protective
coating on these seats so they would not burn up. If you run unleaded,
you run the risk of damaging these seats, which will mean a premature
valve job. 

I say this assuming that the engine was never rebuilt. Sometimes when 
people rebuild older engines, they install the hardened valve seats
during the process. You might want to check this out, if you know the
previous owner of the car.

You might also want to consider the use of higher octane gas, since your
older engine probably has a high compression ratio and will be prone
to spark knock. 

Hope that answers your questions...

-- 
|       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 <<<____|
From: shyguy@ocf.berkeley.edu (David S. Shy)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: '93 Probe vs. Celica
Date: 12 Oct 92 03:53:39 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandstorm.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Oct11.183247.4126@unixland.natick.ma.us> bill@unixland.natick.ma.us (Bill Heiser) writes:
>aledm@ncd.com (Aled Morris) writes:
>
>>The probe I'm looking at has the (Mazda?) 6 cyl engine, 24 valve, 5sp manual
>>transmission.  It seems to be the more modern car.
>
>The 6 cyl engine is a FORD product, not Mazda.

Really!  I thought the engine was the Mazda 1.8L version blown
up to a 2.5 L version.  At least that's what C&D said... (maybe
it's assembled by Ford or something... but the engineering?)

David Shy
shyguy@ocf
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: sbender@navajo.dsd.es.com (Steve Bender)
Subject: Re: HELP!!!!!!  Engine Knock in '92 MAZDA MPV
Keywords: Mazda sucks
Organization: Evans & Sutherland
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 92 17:11:14 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.162907.6034@samba.oit.unc.edu>, Bob.Smith@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Bob Smith) writes:
|> Just to be contrary and confuse themselves further, the service
|> manager at the local dealership says:
|> 
|> 	"They all do that!  It's piston slap, because Mazda went to a
|> 	 short skirt piston design 2 years ago."
|> 
|> Anyone have any knowledge or experience with this.  My mechanic says
|> it's either piston slap, rod knock or possibly valve train problems.
|> Mazda has already changed all the hydraulic lash adjusters (aka
|> lifters), and I believe the problem actually got worse after that.
|> No performance problems exist, although the vehicle has never gotten
|> close to EPA guesstimates.

You dealership/mechanic has obviously not tried to help you... Generally
speaking, it is trivial to determine whether an engine knock is in the 
bottom-end or the top-end.  You can determine this yourself with a timing-
light... if the "Knock" occurs twice for each flash, the problem is in the
bottom-end (connecting-rod or piston)... if you get one "knock" per flash,
the problem is in the valve-train.

-- 
Steve Bender
Evans & Sutherland
(801) 582-5847
Salt Lake City, UT 84108

sbender@dsd.es.com

Xref: sparky rec.autos:24016 rec.autos.tech:14033 pdx.general:1247
From: thomas@bit.UUCP (Thomas Walter)
Newsgroups: rec.autos,rec.autos.tech,pdx.general
Subject: DATSUN ROADSTER Mailing List - monthly posting
Keywords: DATSUN convertible Sports roadster
Date: 14 Oct 92 22:39:22 GMT
Article-I.D.: bit.444
Organization: BIT, Portland, OR


Monthly posting regarding the DATSUN ROADSTER MAILING LIST.

If you own, or are thinking about buying, a Fairlady, 1600,2000 
Datsun Roadster, join the mailing list! We are a group of Datsun
roadster owners/enthusiast who share technical, restoration,
and ownership information.

To join, or ask, about the mailing list, contact:

		datsun-roadsters-request@hoosier.cs.utah.edu
					         ^^ (new as of June 92)
To post to all on the list:

		datsun-roadsters@hoosier.cs.utah.edu
				         ^^ (new as of June 92)

Cheers,

Thomas Walter			Internet:  bit!thomas@cse.ogi.edu
Beaverton, Oregon		(punt it)  thomas%bit@cse.ogi.edu
'67 & '68 2000 owner		(use above address - header address is
				 corrupted).
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: wesf@boi.hp.com (Wes Fujii)
Subject: Re: Insurance Advice for Muscle Cars
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 18:26:04 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]

: I recommend staying away from state farm.  Recently my brother hit a lady who
: ran a red light in our 65 stang.  State farm gave us $2200 for the totaled 
: car.  It happened to be an all original, one owner (my dad) Mustang.  They
: didn't take any of that into consideration, among the myriad of other things
: mustang buyers would look at in this car.   Make sure the insurance company
: understands that it is a 1970 ROADRUNNER and not just a 1970 plymouth(sp?)

Apparently, the vehicle was insured as a '65 Mustang, plain Jane, average
miles, average condition, and for a car with that age, it's perceived value
is indeed LOW.  What needed to have been done was to insure it under STATE
FARM'S Antique/Collectors category which does provide better coverage.  There
are a few restrictions though.  It is intended for occasional use/recreational
use only (like to shows and such), mileage limits apply and it will cost you
more.  

Wes Fujii

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Wes Fujii               *           JAPANESE BUSINESS MOTTO           *
* Boise, Idaho            *        You can buy anything you want        *
* wesf@hpdmm12.boi.hp.com *             with a lot of money             *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
From: mjc5@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael J. Cavotta)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: 1970 HiPo Mustang For Sale, Cleveland area
Date: 13 Oct 92 19:34:42 GMT
Article-I.D.: usenet.1bf8ciINNqb0
Reply-To: mjc5@po.CWRU.Edu (Michael J. Cavotta)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc5.ins.cwru.edu


For Sale: 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback
31,000 original miles on chassis
Nuclear Yellow Lacquer Ext
Dark Green Int, Mint Cond
Custom Hood 

Custom Built 302, less than 2k on rebuild
14:1 Heads
Best of everything...Moroso, Erson, Holley, Pete Jackson

Ford 4spd Top-Loader Transmission, Close Ratio
Ford 4.11 Posi Rear-end

Too much to list....

Appraised at $7,000  must sell for college tuition... asking *$5,500*

Email if you have any questions...
-- 
Michael J. Cavotta

"You either ride the steam-roller, or you stand there whining and die..."
From: limaj@elmer1.bobst.nyu.edu (Jose Lima)
Subject: Bra for a Nissan 200sx
Organization: NYU Bobst Library
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 23:10:22 GMT

I would like to get a full bra for an 87 nissan 200sx.  I've been looking 
around but haven't seen one for the 200sx with a good snug fit around 
bumper, fender and headlights.  It should also allow me to open the 
hood with out taking off the bra.  Anybody have any ideas what company 
make a good one, and where I can get it?; mail order, store (NYC area).
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: EXOTIC CARS
From: johns@trident.datasys.swri.edu (Stephen Johns)
Date: 16 Oct 92 15:18:31 GMT
Organization: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio

In article <12517.74.uupcb@cutting.hou.tx.us> erich.lim@cutting.hou.tx.us (Erich Lim) writes:
>-> > >    Once saw an F40 while driving in Houston--no joke--it was
>Lotus galore...   San Antonio also has a couple of Ferrari's and Lotus's
>floating around.  Seems like they have more than Houston.

  In San Antonio, I have seen (2) Lambos and 1 F-40 in the last year.
  All on the road.  There is a fair number of 308's, NSX's and nicer
  Porsche's.

-- 
Stephen Johns, Research Analyst
Southwest Research Institute, SA, TX 78228 (512) 522-5751
From: mshar@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Mike Mshar)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: downforce and cornering g's (was which car handles the best?
Date: 9 Oct 92 17:53:43 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

> aphilip@cbnews.cb.att.com (ashwin.k.philip) writes:
>
>
>n earth wouldn`t you be able to exceed 1 g? there is 1 g pushing down but
>that has nothing to do with the max lat acceleration...?!
>turn it around and say : well..the max down force is equal to the lateral
>acceleration.. that is obviously false... so what are you talking about?

Oh, no. Another person blind to physics. Very simply, because I am in a hury...

Frictional force is equal to the Normal force that the road puts on the
tires multiplied by the coeffiecient of friction for rubber on cement.

In other words...      F(fric.)=F(norm.)xU    where U is the friction coef.

Now, the normal force (force that the road puts on the tires) is equal
to the sum of the forces that the four tires put on the road. This force
would of course be equal to the mass of the car multiplied by the acceleration
due to gravity. This is the wieght of the car. So now the equation becomes...

                       F(fric.)=WeightxU

Now, if the coefficient of friction between rubber and concrete is about
1 in an ideal case, then the equation becomes...

   F(fric)=Mass x Gravity     where Mass times Gravity is the car`s weight.

Now, force = mass times acceleration. So if we substitue this into the
above equation, we get...

   Mass x Acceleration = Mass x Gravity

Of course, the mass cancels on both sides of the equation, so it simply
becomes....

                  Acceleration = Gravity

Gravity at sea level is about 9.8meters per second^2, or about 32.2 feet
per second^2. So, in an idealized model of a turning car, the maximum
lateral acceleration cannot be more than the acceleration of gravity. 
But, as I stated in a long article previously, a turning car does not
follow all of the ideal rules. You might want to read it sometimes, but
then again, you might want to pick up a physics book first.      

Mike 

-- 
|       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: harling@miki.pictel.com (Dan Harling)
Subject: Re: FWD vs. RWD, Which is best.
Organization: PictureTel Corporation
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 14:52:39 GMT

In article <13401@texsun.Central.Sun.COM> dbernard@thewho.Central.Sun.COM writes:
>In article <BvrGqF.31s@news.cso.uiuc.edu> (Khan) writes:
>>
>>You seem to be equating "sinking in" with "bad handling in snow." This
>>is incorrect. As a general rule of thumb, the more weight you have over
>>your drive wheels, the better your traction will be. Compare the
>>traction of a semi to that of a Geo Metro. Why do you think people with
>>RWD cars put 100 lbs. of kitty litter in their trunks in the winter? So
>>they can sink in and get stuck in the snow? ;-)
>
>	Think of a snowmobile scudding quickly over a ten-foot deep snowbank.
>	Then think of an M60 tank trying to plow through the same snowbank.
>	Extreme examples, same principal, if you catch my drift.

That's fine, if you have skis on the front tires and treads on the
back.  With typical snow tires, how do you propose to exert *any* force
on the car if the wheels don't "dig in"?
____________________________________________________________________________
Daniel A. Harling                        (harling@pictel.com)
PictureTel Corp.             Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
Peabody, MA  01960                 PictureTel, but they ought to be!
From: kwang@phantom.mti.sgi.com (Kwang Min Lee)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Need Price info on Handa Accord
Date: 8 Oct 92 00:11:32 GMT
Reply-To: kwang@phantom.mti.sgi.com (Kwang Min Lee)
Organization: Mips Computers, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: phantom.mti.sgi.com

I am thinking of buying either 1992 (or 1993) Honda Accord LX 4-door
sedan (or station wagon), automatic transmission.

Since I will have to bargain with the salesman soon,
I want to find out what might be fair price.

I also want to find out which Honda dealer has good deals/reputation
in Nothern California (especially Bay Area).

Please send me e-mail.

Thanks in advance...


Silicon Graphics
Kwang	X8180
From: kai@iastate.edu (Kai Sun)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Help me with car electronic problem
Date: 13 Oct 92 20:54:50 GMT
Article-I.D.: pv054d.kai.719009690
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA

Hello folks:

I just fulfilled one of my dreams, bought a 1987 Mazda RX7.  I love it very much.  However, after a while, I found some minor electronic problems with the car.  The previous owner could not help me.  I am trying to see if I could fix it before bring to Mazda dealer.  So any help from you car experts is greatly appreciated.

The problem is like this:

First, the car ceiling light does not function untill key is turned to ON position.  That is, there is no power to the ceiling light when teh car key is at OFF and ACC positions.  Second, the car steoro lost its memory after approximately half a hour (or shorter, I am not so sure).  That is, if I set up a station to memory, then take car key off, I could still get back the stored station if I turn it on within about half hour.  If time is longer, the staton will be lost.

This seems to me that some power which should be normally on is not.  So I checked the fuse box.  I found that the fuse labeled "room" is broken.  That could explain the above problems.  If I replace with a good fuse to the "room" fuse, the will work all right.  However, the car meters will be on all the time.

So my conclusion is that connections coming out of "room" fuse and "meter" fuse are somehow shorted.  The reason the ceiling light works when car key is at ON position is because ift draws power from the "meter" fuse.  There are so many wires around the fuse box, I am really lost to do any check.



I hope I made the problem clear.  I would appreciate it very much if someone could get me a diagram about the electronic connections or could direct me how to fix it.

Please send response to my email address:
	kai@iastate.edu

Later I will summarize the response results to this newsgroup.

Thanks in advance

kai
-- 
*******************************************************************
* In business, customers gain;      |   kai@iastate.edu           *
* in war, all sides lose.           |   N1.Kai@isumvs.iastate.edu *
*******************************************************************
From: andyc@hplsla.hp.com (Andy Cassino)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: SAAB love (was Re: Saab 900i Problems)
Date: 16 Oct 92 00:44:31 GMT
Article-I.D.: hplsla.147520027
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA

wrat@unisql.UUCP (wharfie) writes:

>  Saab consistently
> ranks near the top of the list in returns under lemon laws

----------

Please cite the source of this information. It's not in Consumer Reports (I
suscribe) and I think it would possibly be more useful than Consumer Reports
in future vehicle purchases.

    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
    % Andy Cassino                                       %
    % Hewlett-Packard - Lake Stevens Instrument Division %
    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Newsgroups: rec.autos
From: synth@deepthought.unm.edu (Synth F. Oberheim)
Subject: Re: about to buy '85 MR2.  Good or bad move?
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 92 16:55:06 GMT
Organization: SynthMedia Productions Ltd -- Now Appearing Nightly With DON HO


groves@noao.edu (Lee Groves ) writes:

Lee> I am considering buying an 85 MR2 from my fiancee's uncle.

Lee> He is religious about how he cares for his cars, so I know it has
Lee> been maintained.

The jewel in the crown.  You really can't ask for more than this!

Lee> Is there some dark evil waiting to get me if I buy it?  I'd
Lee> appreciate all advice/info including anticdotal stories.

Rest assured, the car is not evil.  It's very reliable, wonderfully
balanced and solid, and a blast to drive.

Lee> I've probably got about six more child-less years before
Lee> I need more room and have to buy a mini-van... ;)

As long as we're pondering practicality, there are a few points I
would want to bring to your attention as you consider getting this
car:

- Weigh the fact that you have little storage space.  A road trip for
  two is not unthinkable -- soft luggage does wonders -- and the MR2
  does a lot better on storage space than, say, a Fiero or X1/9, but
  if you're used to something sedanish or hatchbacky you will feel the
  pinch.

- While the engine note is sweet, it can be loud -- take an extended
  highway test-drive to see if you can live with the decibel level.

- Because it's a mid-engine layout, maintenance or repairs are much
  costlier than normal cars.  And the car needs to be properly 
  maintained if you want it to last.

If you think you can live with these drawbacks, go for it and claim one
for your very own.  I did, and I love it -- it's an awesome little
machine.

p.s.  Keep the MR2 around when you finally do get your minivan. :-)


===============================================================================
    :: :: :: :: ::     Synth F.    synth@deepthought.unm.edu    U S E N E T   
 :: :: :: :: :: :: ::  Oberheim    synth@yenta.alb.nm.us             in color!
===============================================================================
1050 new dollars in alt.atm.money -- read now? [ynq]
From: MJV@brownvm.brown.edu (Marshall Vale)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Honda/Acura List Has Moved-New Addresses
Summary: Info on the new home of Honda-L (formerly Info-Honda)
Date: 13 Oct 92 04:12:39 GMT
Organization: Brown University - Providence, Rhode Island  USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: brownvm.brown.edu
News-Software: BNN via BNN_POST v1.0 beta


 The list for discussion of Honda/Acura automobiles has moved. The new
address for submissions is:

  HONDA-L@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU   (internet)

        or

  HONDA-L@BROWNVM.BITNET      (bitnet)

 If you would like to subscribe to the list, then send mail to:

  LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU       or
  LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BITNET

 with no subject and the following line for a message:

  SUB HONDA-L (your human name)

 to get off of the list, use this line for the message:

  UNSUB HONDA-L

 For more information on how to use LISTSERV, mail LISTSERV with the
following line:

  GET LISTSERV MEMO

 If you are unsure about anything, you can mail me at the address below.
The list will remain digested. If you were subscribed to the list before
the move then you do not need to resubscribe.

 Your new Honda-L moderator,
 Marshall Vale
 --mjv@brownvm.brown.edu