Automotive bull5hit facts thread

[Bear]

The original design for the BMC ADO 16 was rear-engined, hence the lack of a hatchback and the solid bulkhead behind the rear seat.

[quicksilver]

This one is a genuine 'fact' from MSN Cars so it must be true: the Allegro was designed by Alec Issigonis.

[Split_Pin]

Originally a sleek wedge shape from Harris Mann, Issigonis took over the project and wanted to make the car semi forward control with the engine under the bulkhead in a longitudinal position so the car could have a front and rear luggage compartment. This necessitated the increase in height of the car to accommodate this. When Issigonis stormed out of the company after a bust up with Pinninfarina over the steam powered Rover sd1 they were left with insufficient funds to be able to start again with the project. The transverse a series was hastily installed into the now portly looking bodyshell.

[Bear]

The Lada Samara was based on a copied Mitsubishi Colt.

[warren t claim]

Every time Jon Dugong Burgess has a wank God axle rapes a Piazza.

[Parky]

Old Fords never die, they just get more expensive

[inconsistant]

Britain's first motorway wasn't the M1, it was in actual fact the Prestwick By-pass

[fred]

The main reason for climate change is all the air trapped in tyres, twenty years time major scientists and Piers Morgan says we will all run out of air, and die horribly

eyes will pop out and much wailing will commence - data annalists reckon it will be Tuesday lunchtime 2035 5th June just before Bargain Hunt 

[Justin Case]

The twin-headed Horsely Horseless briefly held the World Land Speed Record in 1897.

[rml2345]

The Austin Allegro workshop manual is more aerodynamic when read backwards.

[fordperv]

Old Fords never die, they just get more expensive

This isn't the thread for a true statement

[anonymous user]

On that basis I will not say that there are now more preserved Escort Mexicos than were built in the first place, see also Mini Cooper.

[Justin Case]

On that basis I will not say that there are now more preserved Escort Mexicos than were built in the first place, see also Mini Cooper.

You are actually wrong; there are now so few Escort 1100Ls in existence that their value has increased exponentially to the extent that original Mexicos are now being converted to the more basic specification.

[fred]

The Sweeney killed off more MK2 Jags than where actually made

[purplebargeken]

The 'bullet riddled' Audi from Ashes to Ashes was bought back by Audi's promotional manager, Hans Eisenschwein and used as a static exhibit in the Audi museum. His reasoning for this was that he quite fancied Monserrat Lombard but she never returned his calls. A sad story really.

[Parky]

On the subject of Cop cars, Bergeracs Triumph was actually a kit car. The glass fibre bodywork hid a Triumph Herald chassis and a 1300 A series from a wrecked Marina

[brownnova]

just before Bargain Hunt

Talking of Bargain Hunt...

 

In an unaired episode of Bargain Hunt a certain Mr Billy Cavcraft confused the shows makers, when instead of buying antiques with the shows money he made offers for the stall holders cars. He ended up with a rusty mk3 Astra, a Rover 114 (with suspected OMGHGF), and a terminally rattling Volvo V40.

 

A quick fettling session later (off camera, and away from Wonnacot's eagle eyes of course) Mr C had got all three running adequately, and punted them off to the auction.

 

Astoundingly he made a profit on all three items, but lost it all when he accepted Jonty's bonus buy of a 19th century painting of a small white dog, ultimately losing to Brian and Judy from Shrewsbury (who had bought three silver spatulas of varying eras.)

 

The BBC deemed that the rules had been broken, especially when it was discovered that Tim Wonnacot himself had bought the Rover 114 as it matched the glasses he was wearing that day. As a result the episode was never aired and was replaced with a repeat.

[Sloth in a bowl]

It is commonly believed that the Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf were badge engineered variants of the classic Austin Mini.

 

The reality is that they were completely separate designs from the ground up with very few interchangeable parts from the Austin design.

The cost of producing them was one of the major nails in the coffin of both Wolseley and Riley as ongoing brands.

[Christine]

It's better to have an engine with a cam chain . They're gooder than a cambelt, as you don't damage the engine if they snap.

[Taff]

Concerns over the reliability of the K series engine caused management at MG several sleepless nights prior to the launch of the MGF. This reasoning prompted the decision to fit a warmed over 1275 A series to the original press fleet and thereby avoid any head gasket issues during the vehicles launch. In order to disguise their subterfuge, the design team  deleted the original design of a hinged engine cover and replaced it with one that uses 15 bolts, is hidden under soundproofing and carpet and takes half an hour to remove.

[John F]

Contrary to popular belief, 4x4s are actually good for the environment. That's why off-road driving is called 'green laning'.

[Station]

Genuine piece of platinum-grade twaddle imparted in my actual direction at a recent car show about Vauxhall C20XE 'Redtop' engines:

 

"If they tap loudly then it's a good one".

"If they tap loudly the lifters are blocked with hardened oil"

[fordperv]

The oil gets hard because its that excited it's in a redtop

[Bear]

The British Army used Bentley chassis for troop carriers, taking the "Fastest Lorry in the World" quote literally. Those troop carriers are now much sought after, though most in the 1950s were rebodied as LeMans replicas.

[DSdriver]

The Lada Samara was based on a copied Mitsubishi Colt.

Almost right, but actually it was the other way around, the Mitsubishi Colt was shamelessly copied from a Lada Samara that was bought on Ebay. To avoid any patent or copy right fees they chopped it in half longitudinally and widened it two and a half inches.

[New POD]

Honda make reliable cars.

[Tamworthbay]

A brand new CX5 will easily outrun a 160,000 mile £500 MX5 in a straight line (hope you are reading this Rich )

[Taff]

Pink OAT anti freeze as found in the ever reliable K series family of engines is a by-product of bubble gum

[Vince70]

The E46 BMW compact was actually a Rover Design and was originally supposed to replace the the then ageing 25/200 and the booted 3 series bmw was also going to be built at the Rover plant but with a bit of badge engineering involved and would of had the compact BMW front end grafted on and would of become the new 45/400

 

So most of the parts were interchangeable and a K Kettle can be fitted without any modification to a compact and the 3 series as both were originally intended to use the K series engine from the start.

 

Also did you know that K seal is called just that because it's designed for the K series engine and if you had put in the car when it was new the engine will last at least 500000 miles without as much as a service..

 

 

 

[fred]

Talking of Bargain Hunt...

 

In an unaired episode of Bargain Hunt a certain Mr Billy Cavcraft confused the shows makers, when instead of buying antiques with the shows money he made offers for the stall holders cars. He ended up with a rusty mk3 Astra, a Rover 114 (with suspected OMGHGF), and a terminally rattling Volvo V40.

 

A quick fettling session later (off camera, and away from Wonnacot's eagle eyes of course) Mr C had got all three running adequately, and punted them off to the auction.

 

Astoundingly he made a profit on all three items, but lost it all when he accepted Jonty's bonus buy of a 19th century painting of a small white dog, ultimately losing to Brian and Judy from Shrewsbury (who had bought three silver spatulas of varying eras.)

 

The BBC deemed that the rules had been broken, especially when it was discovered that Tim Wonnacot himself had bought the Rover 114 as it matched the glasses he was wearing that day. As a result the episode was never aired and was replaced with a repeat.

Good lord, I choked with laughing reading that - thank you - been a while since I chortled so much