Author Topic: National vehicle traits? (Read 2012 times)

Saintaw · « **Reply #30 on:** April 13, 2005, 10:52:18 AM »

I concur... Spooky's car matches his shirts.

lazs2 · « **Reply #31 on:** April 14, 2005, 10:01:58 AM »

skyprancer... if you say you have been here I will believe you... this is the first time I have seen (or recall seeing) you say that you had. This is a huge country... where did you go? When I was in england I put 1200 miles on a rental car. The place is absolutely tiny and claustrophobic to me.

If a Chysler rotted away and the electrics went south then the same environment that caused it would destroy a brit car in half the time. I have owned a dozen brit cars and bikes. Many more American ones tho.

lazs

Skydancer · « **Reply #32 on:** April 14, 2005, 10:19:40 AM »

I did 3000 miles round the midwest and South dakota in 98 with my ex. Took in Sturgis for the rally and got invited to a Sioux pow wow. Was cool. Liked that bit of your country and had a right laugh.

I traveled up and down the eastern seaboard in 87 plus visited relatives in Toronto, after spending 3 months working with underprivelidged kids on a summer camp scheme for those less fortunate than the rest of us.

All good stuff.

As for the relative merits of British stuff as oppsed to US stuff both have good and bad points. I guess they are designed for different jobs. As you say this is a little Island with twisty little roads. The chrysler I had wallowed like a boat round our bends. Was a total nightmare. Utterly useless. but it was designed for a country where a corner is a novelty and the speed limit is a paltry 55 or thereabouts.

Skydancer · « **Reply #33 on:** April 14, 2005, 10:37:00 AM »

A bit like thold Chrysler I had the misfortune to own!

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #34 on:** April 14, 2005, 10:43:41 AM »

America made few decent cars from about 73 to 84. Most were junk. They are much MUCH better now.

Skydancer · « **Reply #35 on:** April 14, 2005, 10:55:40 AM »

You are probably right.

This looks fine fine fine.

Generaly I'm a bike fan a car is just a tin box for lugging big stuff or dogs! But I'd consider the above;) ( now where is that lottery ticket! )

Heretik · « **Reply #36 on:** April 14, 2005, 02:52:00 PM »

agreed. Many new American cars are just plain smurfy, the beltlines are way too high. Especially on the new Chryslers. I'm sorry, I mean Daimler-Chryslers. How do you pronounce "Daimler-Chrysler" you ask? The "Chrysler" is silent.

cpxxx · « **Reply #37 on:** April 14, 2005, 03:24:55 PM »

There is a lot of truth in saying vehicles reflect national characteristics. At least that used to be the case when they were designed and built in their country of origin. There's always exceptions. The Spitfire was too beautiful to be British. The Hurricane was very British. I read somewhere that the F4 Phantom was too ugly to be American. It looked British.

I somehow doubt Skydancers Chrsyler was actually American. More likely it was French or something.

In any case these days everything is multinational. The new Mini is German masquerading as British. Opel is German, Vauxhall is British, Holden is Australian. But actually they are all American because they're owned by GM. National differences are beginning to fade.

lazs2 · « **Reply #38 on:** April 14, 2005, 03:28:28 PM »

I believe that the Mustang and viper and vette and even a few of the new 4 banger chevies are quite capable. We have a wide selection of vehicles from sports cars to trucks to luxury touring type cars. All are very dependable and built for the kind of road and weather conditions we have here. I think German cars are very much like American cars so far as that goes. There is even some inbreeding like chrysler.

American cars are a good deal so far as performance goes.

lazs

lazs2 · « **Reply #39 on:** April 14, 2005, 10:17:46 PM »

worked on my first BMW motorcycle today... it is amazing! built like a Harley in a lot of ways with a little more sophisticated engineering but.... everything hell for strong and well thought out... the thing had been in storage for over ten years and then beat to death by 4 or five 20 something kids... My son gave it to me. It ran great when I got it even tho the air filter was wasted and the oil filter came out in pieces... the points were probly original and the carbs were out of sync...

Weird... it starts a little better now and runs smoother but.... not so much that you would get all excited... it never really ran bad. it is like a tank. brit stuff was allways fussy and light and fragil.. everything was polished and fitted yet... they leaked oil and had crappy electrics. if they were the slightest bit out of tune they lost half their horsepower.

American stuff is like the german stuff... I have seen V8's with the spark plugs rusted in so bad that they wouldn't come out without breaking em.

lazs

Skydancer · « **Reply #40 on:** April 15, 2005, 08:48:55 AM »

Like I say depends where you live and what you want a vehicle to do. That old beemer is great if you don't want to look at it. Ugly trees grow BMWs ( particularly their motorcycles ) but they are built solid and thats why they make great overlanders.

As for Brit stuff being fussy, my Triumph seems to be built tough. All the Jap stuff I've ridden has fallen apart or got very tatty after riding through a winter or two. The newer Triumphs still look like new ten years on. My current bike is ten years old and still shines up good. And my old t100 is going great and its 45 years old. You don't see many 45 year old Jap bikes at the vintage rallys, but you do see a lot of Beemers, Harleys, Triumphs BSA's Nortons etc. All seem to last OK.

lazs2 · « **Reply #41 on:** April 15, 2005, 09:03:27 AM »

oh really? had a 200 triumph cub that fell apart but the electrics died long before... the trident solved the oil leak problem by butting a rumovable and cleanable sponge between the sidplate and the crankcase.. Jap electrics are ten times better than british ones... everyones is.. the jag didn't even become a dependable car until Ford bought it. shall we talk about the 441 victor or the old Nortons? the only thing that kept you from getting hurt on one was that they wouldn't start.

I have seen a lot of british tuff that looked like new when it was 30 years old... In europe... not here..it usually had more hours in care than driving tho. here it gets used and 5 years later it is due for a "restoration".

Old big Healeys were built pretty strong tho but with fussy carbs and electrics and a little girl of a transmission and throwout bearing. you couldn't even change that abortion unless you pulled the whole engine and trans. An American could kill 2 throwout bearings a year... same ones were used in jags up till the 70's. It was common to put chevy V8's in jag sedans so that you could depend on em.

The old BMW is ugly? Idon't know.. it is kinda masculine looking. it is a look od functionality. I don't see anything on it that doesn't help the function and isn't built very strong. the brit bikes look like everything else on the road. More people look at the old BMW than the neon things going by... It is easy to work on and makes sense.

lazs

lazs2 · « **Reply #42 on:** April 15, 2005, 09:11:41 AM »

as for seeing vintage bikes... Jap bikes were pretty much throwaways... very cheap to buy... they are gaining in value tho... friend has a Z1 kawi that has been across the country a couple of times without ever being worked on (imagine a norton or trumpet or beezer making even two states). Old indians and Harleys are worth a fortune and have you seen what they are getting for old BMW's? You can't give away old jags here unless they are VERY old and b3eingt sold to someone who will show not go.

most brit stuff is hand fitted... the guy who redid the seats on my Healey said.. "those friggin brits must have no home life... there is like 10 hours labor to cover one seat.."

Brit stuff is to look at not to use. if you want to use it then gut the driveline and electrics and put in American stuff.

lazs

MiloMorai · « **Reply #43 on:** April 15, 2005, 09:28:40 AM »

I think some have short memories regarding hogs. Old pans and shovels broke down all the time and you knew where they had been parked by the puddle of oil on the ground.

Skydancer, Canada has not become part of the USofA, yet. Toronto is in Canada.

Skydancer · « **Reply #44 on:** April 15, 2005, 09:28:47 AM »

Got ask Lazs...

Is there anything you like about us our country or our products?