FAO car makers

[Station]

After a couple of years on these things, I would like to propose to car makers:

 

 

This area between the rear door and the wheel.

Don't make this area out of metal. Just get rid of the area, and have a piece of plastic clipped on or something. This area should never be metal.

 

Thanks!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Likewise, 

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Have you been prodding at that Rover 213?

[Bren]

I've been saying it for years - ka's should have been made from bakelite.

[Micrashed]

 

See this?

 

Fuck this right off.

 

Cars should have a few wires a carb / NA diesel system only. Having a little box filled with imps with handfuls of wire which resembles vomitus in a spaghetti orchard is bad enough. Having the same repeated for every little tiny "improvement" is plain ridiculous.

 

Apparently the C8 has the following ECU's all coupled to ropey Froggy Wires

Engine

Anti Pollution

Airbags

Seat pretensioners

Door control and entertainment system

Lighting and wipers

ABS

ESC

 

I swear there is a box under the bonnet Marked Hal9000

 

[Station]

Have you been prodding at that Rover 213?

 

No, the 213 sold last week. Funnily enough, that was fine.

[jonny69]

When there's so much power assist on the brakes that braking becomes an exercise in how well you can hold your foot OFF the pedal, you have defeated the object of brake power assist. If I have to push the pedal with my foot at the same force as it takes to stop me nodding forwards, you got it bang on. Just let me have some involvement.

[Station]

I remember driving a brand new automatic Isuzu truck/cab SUV thing in Thailand, and nearly put the back passengers through the windscreen!

[DodgyBastard]

If they could make a van as dated looking as this until 2004, why can't the make a car in the same manner...

 

[garethj]

I don't think there's much wrong with car electronics.  I think the main problem is the design office is a room full of boffins with PhDs and more degrees than a thermometer, while the mechanics who have to fix the things have to pass around the same O level.

 

The designers never fully test the stuff so they don't find all the ways it can fail, and unless the diagnostic system can pick it up (which it can't if something fails in a different way) you're paying the garage to change parts at £80 an hour, plus parts, plus vat.

[rml2345]

Car makers should subject new designs for test by the Post Office and then the MOD. If postmen can't break it, then squaddies can. Anything that can survive service with both can be deemed consumer proof.

[Felly Magic]

The scary thing is, now Postman Twat is driving Fiat vans around here! They will last all of 5 seconds in the hands of their 'drivers'

[ruffgeezer]

If they could make a van as dated looking as this until 2004, why can't the make a car in the same manner...

 

 

 

That's not fair, I have a C15 shaped gap in my life just now, and I haven't found anything to fill it with.

[UmBongo]

These things, as previously mentioned.

 

 

Why were Ford allowed to continue producing these for years with no obvious design changes to prevent rust build up around the rear wiper and the fuel cap?

 

T'was a fooking disgrace!

[rml2345]

The scary thing is, now Postman Twat is driving Fiat vans around here! They will last all of 5 seconds in the hands of their 'drivers'

That's about right, actually. The local depot has burst three Doblo engines already and no one appears to know or care what a DPF is or why it needs a regen. This is the same depot that ripped the sump off a Combo van and wedged a high top Convoy parcels motor under a bridge amongst other tales of vehicular catastrophe so perhaps they're especially skilled. 

Doubt it. 

[vulgalour]

These things, as previously mentioned.

 

 

Why were Ford allowed to continue producing these for years with no obvious design changes to prevent rust build up around the rear wiper and the fuel cap?

 

T'was a fooking disgrace!

 

I think you've found the one picture of a Ka that doesn't demonstrate their water air soluble nature.  This is a problem associated with cars normally found at the opposite end of the financial spectrum.