Urban myths about cars
Discussion
stigmundfreud said:
yes the rear "quarterlight" is a lot bigger in the clay version
It's in a different place entirely, plus the crease down the side of the car (protrudes on the concept, is indented on the production model), plus the length, height, and frontal roundness (a technical term...) of the bonnet.heckler said:
Poledriver said:
The Mitsubishi Stallion should have had it's model name communicated in writing, not verbally!
BTW, are there any Starions still on the road?
Saw one this week in Leeds - was worthy of a double take!BTW, are there any Starions still on the road?
already covered-
my favourite most annoying myth relates to the mk2 golf gti..
"the 8v has more torque than the 16v"
assume it comes from people who havent driven both and dont appreciate the different driving styles and no you dont have to drive at 5k to get any response from a 16v.
my favourite most annoying myth relates to the mk2 golf gti..
"the 8v has more torque than the 16v"
assume it comes from people who havent driven both and dont appreciate the different driving styles and no you dont have to drive at 5k to get any response from a 16v.
Edited by aka_kerrly on Tuesday 1st April 15:52
aka_kerrly said:
already covered-
my favourite most annoying myth relates to the mk2 golf gti..
"the 8v has more torque than the 16v"
assume it comes from people who havent driven both and dont appreciate the different driving styles and no you dont have to drive at 5k to get any response from a 16v.
Road tests have consistently shown that low down the 8v was more accelerative than the 16v -but even then it would be technically incorrect to state "the 8v has more torque than the 16v" - what they should be saying is "the 8v is more flexible than the 16v" my favourite most annoying myth relates to the mk2 golf gti..
"the 8v has more torque than the 16v"
assume it comes from people who havent driven both and dont appreciate the different driving styles and no you dont have to drive at 5k to get any response from a 16v.
Edited by aka_kerrly on Tuesday 1st April 15:52
tali1 said:
Road tests have consistently shown that low down the 8v was more accelerative than the 16v -but even then it would be technically incorrect to state "the 8v has more torque than the 16v" - what they should be saying is "the 8v is more flexible than the 16v"
The difference in performance only became apparent after a few miles, so the road tests on factory fresh cars wouldn't have shown it. More about the Lotus badge if you can answer this:- It sports the letters 'ABCC' the CC part is easy, why/what AB there are 2 possibilities I've found, what is the correct answer?
Sam_68 said:
ELAN+2 said:
Another Automotive Lotus myth is the "Black Badge Models" supposedly the black badge was introduced on the death of Jim Clarke..not true... reality is that Lotus had a large batch of black badges made for the JPS sponsorship tie up and they were going to be fitted to the Elans/Europas/Plus 2s when stock of the original green/yellow badges had run out, some where fitted in error(possibly as a personal tribute to the late Jim Clarke by a production employee) and Mr C did his nut, demanding the yellow and greens were used up first. I pity the poor fools who pay a premium for "black badge " models, the two badges are interchangeable and the black one is cheaper!!
Not quite correct - we're at risk of creating Urban Myths about Urban Myths, here!The JPS sponsorship tie-up didn't happen until 1972 (or, to be strictly correct, the deal with Imperial Tobacco was long-standing, hence the previous Gold Leaf colours, but Lotus re-branded their cars as 'John Player Special Team Lotus' with black and gold livery to support Imperial Tobacco's new brand in 1972).
'Black Badge' Elans were around much earlier - back in 1968 (I know, 'cos I used to own one, though I certainly didn't pay a premium for it!). You'll also come across period photographs of the pre-JPS Lotus 62 (from 1969, in Gold Leaf colours!) and Rover V8-engined GKN 47D (from 1968), along with several of the press road test cars (including the original 1968 road test Europa and some of the early Plus 2's) carrying black nose badges.
But I've had the story direct from the man who ought to know - the late Graham Arnold; Lotus Marketing Director at the time, later chairman of Club Lotus - that the Jim Clark tribute story is indeed a myth. Arnold stated that he had arranged production of a batch of black badges, partly because he simply thought they looked classier and partly because the green in the centre of the traditional Lotus badge clashed with the red of the Gold Leaf colours that were then being promoted on Lotus race cars. He showed the black badge to Chapman, who didn't much like it and veto'd its use.
From there, you're more-or-less back with the truth according to Mr Arnold... some of the black badges found their way onto cars for reasons unknown - probably simply because stock levels of normal badges had run low, and Chapman did indeed 'do his nut'; but because he thought Arnold had disobeyed him by fitting the black badges contrary to his veto, rather than because he wanted to see the stock of green and yellow badges used up first. The fact that several press demonstrators were fitted with black badges is probably not entirely unconnected with Mr Arnold, of course, since he was responsible for the preparation of these cars!
From my experience, the cars so fitted originally were all registered in the period 1968-1970 (before the JPS livery), but of course the ready supply of replica 'black badges' mean that many owners have fitted them as their own personal tribute to Jim Clark to cars built outside this timeframe.
Edited by Sam_68 on Friday 14th March 09:23
grahammay2 said:
More about the Lotus badge if you can answer this:- It sports the letters 'ABCC' the CC part is easy, why/what AB there are 2 possibilities I've found, what is the correct answer?
Impressive thread resurection, but your question is simple to answer. It's Chapman's full name: Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman.grahammay2 said:
More about the Lotus badge if you can answer this:- It sports the letters 'ABCC' the CC part is easy, why/what AB there are 2 possibilities I've found, what is the correct answer?
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman. I thought this was well established, no?
Another Lotus Urban Myth is why the company was called Lotus in the first place. I've read that it was either named after the Lotus blossom flower, or that Chapman sent one of his early cars/prototypes to an auction to generate some much needed cash- but it didn't find a buyer and so was listed as Lot U/S (unsold)... over to you chaps.
Futuramic said:
Another rumour about Ford security, this time concerning early Transits. Apparantly the rear door glass is slightly smaller than the frame apature, the gap is filled by the rubber seal - which also holds the window in place. I was told that it is possible to cut the seal all the way round the window with a craft knife, by slipping the blade between the glass and the frame. The window can then be taken out and entry granted to the van. God knows how true it is.
That would be true of any of the millions of older cars and vans that used a rubber seal to hold the glass in place instead of being bonded in as most modern vehicles are.Road_Terrorist said:
Wigeon Incognito said:
I'd love to believe it but the pictures of the clay and the final model are too different to be explained by melting of the clay.
Maybe the melting just gave them an idea for the redesign?Whitean3 said:
Another Lotus Urban Myth is why the company was called Lotus in the first place. I've read that it was either named after the Lotus blossom flower, or that Chapman sent one of his early cars/prototypes to an auction to generate some much needed cash- but it didn't find a buyer and so was listed as Lot U/S (unsold)... over to you chaps.
I've also heard that the urinals in Colin Chapman's local in North London were branded "Lotus" and that's how the name "stuck in his mind"
8400rpm said:
Most annoying urban myth for me, VTEC engines are completely gutless unless you're revving the nuts off them.
It does get very, very tedious. In 2002 the 2.0 in the Civic had 145lb of torque, comparible to pretty much the best of any manufacturer's engines of the same displacement/aspiration. It produced 90% of that from 3000rpm. It also produced nigh on 200bhp.Instead of people saying 'wow, it produces 200bhp' they like to say 'wow, it has low torque for a 200bhp engine', completely missing the point.
Having driven no end of diesels and supposedly torque laden engines, few of them get anywhere near the tractable behaviour of pottering around town at 25mph in 4th and pulling cleanly away to well beyond the national speed limit in a 'gutless' Honda engined car. Most modern diesels won't even entertain pulling cleanly from 1000rpm!
Edited by As you said on Wednesday 9th June 10:26
Hooli said:
liner33 said:
Hooli said:
speed kills - the biggest myth of all
Tell that to Donald CampbellHad he not been travelling as fast as he was the stop would not have killed him.
As a blanket statement it's not really true but travelling too fast does result in deaths.
Sam_68 said:
_Batty_ said:
and certain VAGs would drop all their windows if you put a empty biro in door locks?
Old Volkswagens (Mk II Golf generation) were absurdly easy to break into by driving a screwdriver in under the edge of the door handle in a specific location and flipping the lock.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff