velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Get a Reliant Robin like me..................
I'll get my coat
I'll get my coat
Cars - have we really moved forward?
- Thread starter legrandefromage
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cherrybomb
Old School Grand Master
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Petrol engine design was set back decades by the American big three (Ford GM & Chrysler) when they forced the adoption of catalytic converters to reduce emissions because they refused to invest in the development of engines using lean burn technology.
Lean burn engines are a much better bet for reduced emissions and improved fuel efficiency than the engines we are still stuck with, but since it is now written into legislation that catalytic converters must be fitted to all vehicles with petrol engines the technology is dead in the water. Exhaust gasses from lean burn engines would destroy a catalytic converter because they run too hot.
Lean burn engines are a much better bet for reduced emissions and improved fuel efficiency than the engines we are still stuck with, but since it is now written into legislation that catalytic converters must be fitted to all vehicles with petrol engines the technology is dead in the water. Exhaust gasses from lean burn engines would destroy a catalytic converter because they run too hot.
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Car? Flinkin Blip who needs a car?
Seriously I drive something newish because I know it's not going to drop dead half way to the south of France and I want something that I believe the 5 month old is going to be safe in. I do keep cars for 5-6 years before I trade them in; but I suppose that's no excuse.
Must be getting old though.... Have moved to diesel. They are much cleaner than they used to be; I don't get a nice face full of hot particulate these days where one goes past.
Seriously I drive something newish because I know it's not going to drop dead half way to the south of France and I want something that I believe the 5 month old is going to be safe in. I do keep cars for 5-6 years before I trade them in; but I suppose that's no excuse.
Must be getting old though.... Have moved to diesel. They are much cleaner than they used to be; I don't get a nice face full of hot particulate these days where one goes past.
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an A3 when a Golf would have done.... :roll:
elitist
Ford had the 1.4 'lean burn' engines in the '86 Escort
elitist
Ford had the 1.4 'lean burn' engines in the '86 Escort
cherrybomb
Old School Grand Master
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legrandefromage":3o8n5rvp said:
Bloody ironic isn't it? :roll: :?
Unfortunately the American market was much more important and they were reluctant to junk all the 40+ year old engine designs 'cos they 'needed' V8 engines in everything even if they did struggle to produce any more power than a 2L four pot ricer motor. :shock:
J i m s t e r
Senior Retro Guru
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The £2K "Green Incentive" to "Recycle" your "Banger" is a joke. People aren't buying cars because they are holding out for a bargain; they are not buying them because they are worried they will soon have no income.
Fix that.
I drive "Old" cars because I can't afford a new one. Nor do I need one. They could price Lambos down to £10K but it's still £10K I don't have.
Fix that.
I drive "Old" cars because I can't afford a new one. Nor do I need one. They could price Lambos down to £10K but it's still £10K I don't have.
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legrandefromage":3vy8l500 said:an A3 when a Golf would have done.... :roll:
elitist
I totally agree - who would want to drive around in one of those when I can buy something that is very similar for a couple of grand less?
Me.
My Mrs used to have a company Golf and it was rubbish. I had an A4 at the time that was a far better car and I thought with getting into the family way recently that I should get something a bit more practical but still with a little bit of style. A Golf just would not do that hence the A3. Goes better than my A4 did anyway; probably because I thrashed the pants off that
(Nothing against Volkswagen in general, I have a couple of Beetles sitting at my in-laws waiting for work to be done. They would have been finshed by now but I found this bloody place
)Just a few thoughts on the old versus new debate and what i have read above....
Based on an average 10 year life cycle, a car produces 92% of its polution during manufacture. New cars are therefore anything but green.
Acording to the chart in my local MOT station, a 2007 Ford Fiesta 1400 weighs the same as a 1988 Ford Sierra Estate :shock: :shock:
New cars are safer than old? I dare anyone to pull out on my Interceptor, two and a bit tonnes and a huge tubular chassis with a 28cm diameter main tube running on each side front to back, even the grille weighs 24lbs. You can have as many airbags as you want when that bad ass hits you at 50mph :twisted: I will be a hatchbacks length away fromt point of impact.
New cars? No thanks
Based on an average 10 year life cycle, a car produces 92% of its polution during manufacture. New cars are therefore anything but green.
Acording to the chart in my local MOT station, a 2007 Ford Fiesta 1400 weighs the same as a 1988 Ford Sierra Estate :shock: :shock:
New cars are safer than old? I dare anyone to pull out on my Interceptor, two and a bit tonnes and a huge tubular chassis with a 28cm diameter main tube running on each side front to back, even the grille weighs 24lbs. You can have as many airbags as you want when that bad ass hits you at 50mph :twisted: I will be a hatchbacks length away fromt point of impact.
New cars? No thanks
