Jump to content

Automotive bull5hit facts thread


Taff

Recommended Posts

A Zetec head will bolt straight on an A series engine in a Morris 1000, and can then run on diesel

I heard that the Zetec will run on diesel if you swap the spark plugs for glow plugs and run an Austin Maxi diesel injection pump off the alternator drive belt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gordini are best known for tuning Renaults, but few people know that Amadee Gordini originally started in the car business when his engineering firm won the contract to build the Horsey Horseless under licence. For the French market the car was renamed the Cheval Nechaval Pas

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gordini are best known for tuning Renaults, but few people know that Amadee Gordini originally started in the car business when his engineering firm won the contract to build the Horsey Horseless under licence. For the French market the car was renamed the Cheval Nechaval Pas

 

 

Then who was it making the Cheval sans Cheval? Is that an early Andre Citroen model?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Learning from his original mistake with the Morris Minor being too narrow, when Andrew Issigonis designed the Austin Allegro he deliberately made it 4" wider than any competitor on the market for unbeatable interior space.

However early market research suggested that this would be unable to fit in a standard garage and would hurt sales, so the design was reduced in width - but not before the first 800 cars had left the production line ready for press use and photo shoots on launch. These cars had the engines removed and were cut down the middle, having the 4" removed by an elaborate band saw, before being welded back together the engines and glass were refitted.

 

Unfortunately this centre 4" of the dashboard contained the buttons for the cruise control, heated seats and electric mirrors, so many of the technical innovations that had gone into the Allegro were missed out, the initial run of 250,000 brochures being corrected with Tipp-ex by a work experience girl called Laura. It also meant that the standard fit radio missed out 90-200KHz on the LW band, and the heating had the choice of "cold" or "hot" with no "warm" available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

When a car's wheels move clockwise, the earth moves (infinitesimally) anti-clockwise.

 

In peak hour traffic, when many cars are doing this together, the unwanted rotation of the earth is cumulative.

 

This has gradually led to a drifting of the earth's orientation w.r.t. the sun, and is thus the true cause of climate change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When a car's wheels move clockwise, the earth moves (infinitesimally) anti-clockwise.

 

In peak hour traffic, when many cars are doing this together, the unwanted rotation of the earth is cumulative.

 

This has gradually led to a drifting of the earth's orientation w.r.t. the sun, and is thus the true cause of climate change.

At a quantum level, you are probably right so .... WRONG THREAD :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The nickname 'bridge' for scrapping a car came from when the Forth rail bridge was made entirely out of old cars melted down on site and 'spun' into girders. A by product was a filthy orange liquid consisting entirely of rust in suspension. The canny scots who don't like to waste anything sold this on as an appetising drink for children, hence irn bru, made in Scotland from girders was born.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When new Mini chief designer Ron Stuartson noticed that his new clay concept design vehicle was missing an exhaust pipe, he snatched a can of pop out of one of his assistant's hands, guzzled it in two seconds, crudely hacked the bottom open with a fork, and had himself embedded in the rear of the car, while holding the can in the correct position.

Ron's lank, emaciated frame is still embedded in the concept car today (which is on display in the British Museum of Cars, in Birmingham) and can be heard occasionally murmuring 'did we win?'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...