Weird car facts...

[Alfa numeric]

GC8 said:

The Rootes Avenger was so structurally flawed that you couldnt fit an (remember these?) after-market sunroof - they couldnt cope with the lost rigidity!

Similarly if you were in the market for a new RS225 Megane you couldn't specify the cup chassis and a sunroof because the body couldn't cope with the slight loss in rigidity.

[blueg33]

GC8 said:

The Rootes Avenger was so structurally flawed that you couldnt fit an (remember these?) after-market sunroof - they couldnt cope with the lost rigidity!

Gosh, were they ever branded Rootes? They were always Hillman in my day. IIRC they were so bad they made the Marina look good.

[MotorsportTom]

Probably been mentioned before but I haven't seen it.

The early engines that we're tested for the 6R4 genuinely were cut and re-welded rover V8's before they made them properly.

[LuS1fer]

blueg33 said:

Gosh, were they ever branded Rootes? They were always Hillman in my day. IIRC they were so bad they made the Marina look good.

The Avenger was a far better car than the Marina and I find that claim about the sunroof hard to believe as I had an Alfetta with a full length Webasto sunroof which drove just fine. I imagine it might be more to do with the roof curvature or some other obscure reason as my Mustang cannot take a sunroof because of that factor.

[bikemonster]

Silent1 said:

In australia IIRC it's a legal requirement for the indicators to be on the right...

Nope.

My Subaru has indicator on the right.

Mrs monster's Mercedes has indicator on the left.

[LuS1fer]

bikemonster said:

Silent1 said:

In australia IIRC it's a legal requirement for the indicators to be on the right...

Nope.

My Subaru has indicator on the right.

Mrs monster's Mercedes has indicator on the left.

The legal requirement is for all cars to be RHD after a certain vintage meaning lots of very expensive conversions that, for example, tip a Mustang over $Aus100k.

[kambites]

I don't know how unusual this is, but I thought it was very odd when I first noticed it: the Elise's steering is perfectly round but the boss is mounted slightly below the centre so as you turn the wheel, the rim moves - when the wheel is upside down it's nearly 1cm lower than when it's the right way up.

[busta]

kambites said:

I don't know how unusual this is, but I thought it was very odd when I first noticed it: the Elise's steering is perfectly round but the boss is mounted slightly below the centre so as you turn the wheel, the rim moves - when the wheel is upside down it's nearly 1cm lower than when it's the right way up.

That's called British Engineering, isn't it? You're steering wheel is mounted centrally, within the standard lotus tolerance of 1/5th of an inch

[1a35]

MotorsportTom said:

Probably been mentioned before but I haven't seen it.

The early engines that we're tested for the 6R4 genuinely were cut and re-welded rover V8's before they made them properly.

I remember helping with the drawings for that one.

[Schermerhorn]

A Fiat Cinquecento has the same ignition coils as a Lamborghini diablo. Tru dat.

[Pat H]

kambites said:

I don't know how unusual this is, but I thought it was very odd when I first noticed it: the Elise's steering is perfectly round but the boss is mounted slightly below the centre so as you turn the wheel, the rim moves - when the wheel is upside down it's nearly 1cm lower than when it's the right way up.

Lotus have previous convictions for wonky steering wheels.

Have a look at their effort on my 1987 Esprit...

[myles1972]

XitUp said:

How are these weird car facts?

Who nominated you Weird Facts Police?

[LuS1fer]

myles1972 said:

Who nominated you Weird Facts Police?

He was nominated in January, seconded and there was then a general meeting of weirdos to select him as Weird Facts Police Commissioner last week. It was widely reported in the Daily Mail (possibly).

[Monty Zoomer]

MVDD said:

If you lock your keys inside your 996 you can open the front bonnet (boot!) with a hidden wire and then from there you can open the doors by pressing two hidden buttons....

Thanks I've always wanted a 996

[myles1972]

LuS1fer said:

He was nominated in January, seconded and there was then a general meeting of weirdos to select him as Weird Facts Police Commissioner last week. It was widely reported in the Daily Mail (possibly).

Thank you for the clarification LuS1fer

[XitUp]

LuS1fer said:

myles1972 said:

Who nominated you Weird Facts Police?

He was nominated in January, seconded and there was then a general meeting of weirdos to select him as Weird Facts Police Commissioner last week. It was widely reported in the Daily Mail (possibly).

Exactly, do your research.

[andymadmak]

The electric folding roof on a Maserati 4200 spyder will only activate if the car is not flat (ish) ground. Too much of a gradient and the system will not respond. (something to do with the C of G of the roof during the operation needing to be at a certain point if I remember correctly)

[Negative Creep]

Schermerhorn said:

A Fiat Cinquecento has the same ignition coils as a Lamborghini diablo. Tru dat.

I wonder what the respective dealer prices are......?

[GC8]

Stratos rear lamps were many times dearer than FIAT rear lamps, despite being the same part.

[Monty Zoomer]

blueg33 said:

When in BL's ownership, Land Rover made something like 6 weeks production of Range Rovers with wooden wheels.

Citation needed.