Trivial things that you wonder about certain car models
Trivial things that you wonder about certain car models
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LT1987

Original Poster:

30 posts

75 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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What are the really trivial / geeky things that you wonder about certain car models (that you have not had chance to research)?

A few I can think of:

- Why do early Ford Mondeo's - 1993 to 2000 - have cracked rear bumpers?

- On Mk1 Insignias, why does the exhaust (under the car, mid section) always look like it is hanging off / hanging down sightly? (this has been the case since they were brand new).

- Why do the Mk1 "New" MINI's resist rust (quite) well?

- Why do a significant number of Peugeot 206's / early 207's have "blowing" exhausts?


Can you think of any more?... and/or answer any of the above?

Lester H

4,382 posts

134 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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LT1987 said:
What are the really trivial / geeky things that you wonder about certain car models (that you have not had chance to research)?

A few I can think of:

- Why do early Ford Mondeo's - 1993 to 2000 - have cracked rear bumpers?

- On Mk1 Insignias, why does the exhaust (under the car, mid section) always look like it is hanging off / hanging down sightly? (this has been the case since they were brand new).

- Why do the Mk1 "New" MINI's resist rust (quite) well?

- Why do a significant number of Peugeot 206's / early 207's have "blowing" exhausts?
The new MINI was built to high standards as, apparently BMW executives were appalled at the poor build quality of the original Mini, the dreadful fit of the doors being one example.The Mini had barely been developed in all its long life. They wanted it and Land Rover for the name.
As far as recurring faults go, the rear apron or valance below the bumper on the first series Yaris is very often, seemingly almost always, dented.
Can you think of any more?... and/or answer any of the above?

Rich1973

1,279 posts

206 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Why do the door seals hang down on Ford focus

Biker's Nemesis

41,413 posts

237 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Years ago if you spotted a car at night with a light out it was a Vauxhall.

Malcolm E Boo

287 posts

101 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Why are the rear headrests on Fiat 500 always at the highest position?

Sofa

694 posts

121 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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How did Nissan fk up the boot trim on the Mk1 Qashqai so badly that every single one seems to fall off? (Or be held on by Gaffa tape)

Gibbler290

718 posts

124 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Why does the J20 Landcruiser have those tiny, weak and too low down side lights in the rear bumper when there is a light cluster higher up the car that would have been much better?

hungry_hog

2,902 posts

217 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Which Porsche models have PSE available. For example I think the 911 Turbos don't have it. but the 2.7 Boxsters do

Do new Audis have the funky solar panel fresh air gadget like the original A8

How do people park old cars with no parking sensors e.g. Rolls Royce Corniche

What size of estate car could accommodate a 6 foot person sleeping in the boot. A6 size?





caffeine

41 posts

76 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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The mk1-2 Mondeo bumper trope has come up before I’m sure, I think it had an unusual bumper construction of mostly rigid foam with an ultra thin plastic outer ‘veneer’ - the plastic over time would become brittle, crack and separate from the foam backing, and quickly get worse as the ‘flapping’ bits get caught in the wind.


Edited by caffeine on Sunday 7th April 21:10

sparkythecat

8,097 posts

284 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Gibbler290 said:
Why does the J20 Landcruiser have those tiny, weak and too low down side lights in the rear bumper when there is a light cluster higher up the car that would have been much better?
Because like many 4x4s, it has has a side opening rear door, which when open, obscures the higher mounted offside light cluster.

blaineuk

2,615 posts

276 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Why does almost every fiesta have at least one brake light bulb out.

Monkeylegend

29,238 posts

260 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Why do electric cars catch fire so often paperbag

Missy Charm

1,515 posts

57 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Rich1973 said:
Why do the door seals hang down on Ford focus
The mark three Focus is the one that suffers from this. Ford decided to make the car cheaper by doing away with the usual method of securing the seals - a metal rib pressed into the door that the seal folds round. Instead, the mark three has a seal shaped like a rubber sausage that is simply glued to the flat metal bit at the bottom of the door. Owing to that, the repeated action of opening and closing the door dislodges the seal fairly quickly, leading to the often-seen issue of sections of rubber poking out from beneath the door.

The problem is non-existent on the mark one and two, as their door seals are retained in the proper manner. I don't know if it was fixed on the mark four, however pretty much every mark three seems to suffer from that fault. It can't be fixed - at least not properly.

Missy Charm

1,515 posts

57 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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hungry_hog said:
Which Porsche models have PSE available. For example I think the 911 Turbos don't have it. but the 2.7 Boxsters do

Do new Audis have the funky solar panel fresh air gadget like the original A8

How do people park old cars with no parking sensors e.g. Rolls Royce Corniche

What size of estate car could accommodate a 6 foot person sleeping in the boot. A6 size?
Old cars did have parking sensors. One activated them by getting out, approaching the nearest person and saying, 'here, do you mind awfully seeing me into that space?'. The parking sensor would tell you where to stop and, in ways more sophisticated than the cars of today, which way to steer. They were great.

hungry_hog

2,902 posts

217 months

Sunday 7th April 2024
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Missy Charm said:
Old cars did have parking sensors. One activated them by getting out, approaching the nearest person and saying, 'here, do you mind awfully seeing me into that space?'. The parking sensor would tell you where to stop and, in ways more sophisticated than the cars of today, which way to steer. They were great.
sounds dreadful. I think I prefer the screen and beeps thanks

bsp23

51 posts

98 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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Bars behind BMW grilles? No idea if standard or not, but I'm seeing many 1 Series drivers like to decorate them!

hidetheelephants

35,854 posts

222 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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hungry_hog said:
Missy Charm said:
Old cars did have parking sensors. One activated them by getting out, approaching the nearest person and saying, 'here, do you mind awfully seeing me into that space?'. The parking sensor would tell you where to stop and, in ways more sophisticated than the cars of today, which way to steer. They were great.
sounds dreadful. I think I prefer the screen and beeps thanks
Or learn to park using the depth perception that binocular vision gives the human being.

the-norseman

15,798 posts

200 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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Why do Mercedes insist on putting 4 screws in all new cars rear plates?

underwhelmist

2,050 posts

163 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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On mk 2 Honda CRVs, the spare wheel cover has a “bar” that is never horizontal. I’ve set mine to horizontal and after a few miles it starts rotating, I think it something to do with the “pile” of the tyre or the inside of the cover, and the way they interact.

RSTurboPaul

13,090 posts

287 months

Monday 8th April 2024
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sparkythecat said:
Gibbler290 said:
Why does the J20 Landcruiser have those tiny, weak and too low down side lights in the rear bumper when there is a light cluster higher up the car that would have been much better?
Because like many 4x4s, it has has a side opening rear door, which when open, obscures the higher mounted offside light cluster.
But surely that is just the sidelights being needed to be in a position not blocked by the door - they could have wired both sets to be on as sidelights/marker lights and then have the boot-level lights act as the brake lights at more of an eye level than the bumper lights??