Cars with strange mechanics

[pshome]

I can't find a thread for this...

 

Cars with odd ways to do mechanics, engine, drivetrain, electrics etc.  show them here.

 

Let me start with Peugeot running a belt around the corner.

 

[dollywobbler]

Honda Z600 did that too.

[pshome]

Mr. Ben Gregory not only turned the engine around,

 

 

he also build several rear engined cars with front wheel drive.

 

 

 

[Bianconeri]

I can't find a thread for this...

 

Cars with odd ways to do mechanics, engine, drivetrain, electrics etc.  show them here.

 

Let me start with Peugeot running a belt around the corner.

 

 

 

204 and maybe the 304? I seem to remember that my 204 used the alternator pulley as the 'top' 90 degree turn.

 

The 404 had a peculiar back axle arrangement too, put the wrong oil in it and it 'chopped' at 30mph in top.

[Asimo]

^^^^Worm gear final drive in the 404?

 

Odder than the 204/304's round-the-corner belt drive is that the final drive/driveshafts are at the front of the gearbox. Long wheelbase win!

 

A feature also to be seen on the Toyota IQ I believe. Short wheelbase win?

[Guest Conan]

Some that came off the top of my head.

 

Cars with bass ackward gearbox; Saab 900, various old Citroen.

BMW M70 V12 which have 2 of every electronic engine components. Because having to fix only one BMW component is too easy.

Honda S600 had chain drive like motorcycle.

Honda 1300 was a little 1960's saloon powered by air-cooled engine equipped with 4 carburettors and dry sump system powering the front wheel.

Toyota Hybrid "Power Spilter" Gearbox, after many years of trying to understand it I'm now convinced it's witchcraft.

 

There'll be more, but I need sleep badly.

[Skut]

Always thought the Mk2 Pandas and Y10s Omega beam rear suspension a little strange.  Partly a trailing arm, partly torsion beam.   

[pshome]

 

 

 

The first turbo charged passenger car.

 

It was not happy with just fuel, it needed this as well:

 

a water-alcohol mix that was injected to control knock of the 10,25-compression V-8.

[Timewaster]

Renault 4 and 5 with the gearbox infront of the engine.

 

Spitfire single transverse leaf spring rear suspension.

 

Sorry for lack of pics. Phone, see.

[Aston Martin]

Alfa twin spark?

[Guest Conan]

Spitfire single transverse leaf spring rear suspension.

 

 

Add Corvette, Volvo 960 and Smart car to the example list too.

[Lacquer Peel]

Add Corvette, Volvo 960 and Smart car to the example list too.

Nissan Serena 2.0 petrol too.

[pshome]

^^^^Worm gear final drive in the 404?

 

 

 yep and don't dare putting anything but castor oil in.

[Mrcento]

Land Rover TD5 engines that ran part of the engine loom through the oily bits.

 

I also find BMW E36 rear brakes a bit of an odder than standard design, the rear calipers are pretty standard, but don't have a handbrake mechanism. Instead they use the inside of the disc as a drum handbrake, complete with shoes and all supporting drum hardware.

 

The Fiat 1.2 and 1.4 16v engines don't have a rocker cover as such, instead they run their cams through a "cambox" rather than cams carried on the head itself, so only one cam is actually driven by the timing belt, the other is gear driven of the first one. If, for any reason you need into it (such as to replace a seal of leaking cambox gasket), it therefore becomes a full timing belt job.

[Bianconeri]

Renault 4 and 5 with the gearbox infront of the engine.

 

 

 

Both had unequal left and right wheelbases too I think.

[Bianconeri]

 yep and don't dare putting anything but castor oil in.

 

Inherited one that was 'chopping' and my Dad fixed it in 15 minutes, very impressive!

[pshome]

I also find BMW E36 rear brakes a bit of an odder than standard design, the rear calipers are pretty standard, but don't have a handbrake mechanism. Instead they use the inside of the disc as a drum handbrake, complete with shoes and all supporting drum hardware.

 

My Corolla has that as well, i was quite surprised when changing rear pads.

[Asimo]

Always thought the Mk2 Pandas and Y10s Omega beam rear suspension a little strange.  Partly a trailing arm, partly torsion beam.

 

See also SaaB 96 and close relatives.

[Timewaster]

BMW E36 rear brakes use the inside of the disc as a drum handbrake, complete with shoes and all supporting drum hardware.

Also mk3 Cavalier and others I can't think of right now.

[TripleRich]

 

 

[Asimo]

Add Corvette, Volvo 960 and Smart car to the example list too.

Also Fiat 128, 127, and possibly Ritmo/Strada. Mounted to the body in two places, the springs act also as anti-roll springs.

 

See also countless GM USA models of the recent past such as the autoshite Oldsmobile.

Like Smarts, Sprinter / Lt vans have transverse leaf springs at the front.

[Mrcento]

My Corolla has that as well, i was quite surprised when changing rear pads.

 

Same, my e36 was squealing on one rear side, thought it was a stone on the disc backing plate, stripped down the rear brake and it turned out it was a snapped retaining pin on one of the shoes inside the disc, something i didn't know it even had until i got the disc off!

 

Was a surprise!

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

I'll just leave this here:

 

 

Why?

 

My 635 has the internal handbrake shoes, and why wouldn't it when it has all that extra bollocks above? It relies on the brake backplate to mount it all. They rot quicker than the car!

[MikeR]

single transverse leaf spring on the

Fiat 126 front suspension and the rear driveshaft couplings . sloppy spline fitting ...

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

Funky tubes...

 

[Paul Dupart]

Viva/Bedford HA van had single transverse leaf spring front suspension also.

 

P6 front suspension set up with springs pressing against the bulkhead.

[pshome]

Peugeot again, this time ignition:

 

[Bianconeri]

Tatra 603 2.JPG

 

 

Marvellous! Saw some in Czecho in the mid 80s, they were bloody huge!

[pshome]

Peugeot spark extenders, why not use a longer cable?

[Matty]

Same, my e36 was squealing on one rear side, thought it was a stone on the disc backing plate, stripped down the rear brake and it turned out it was a snapped retaining pin on one of the shoes inside the disc, something i didn't know it even had until i got the disc off!

 

Was a surprise!

E39 and E46 too. Cos it's not dear enough buying bits for the feckers anyway. Mines sticking on at the moment. Grrr