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Old 08-28-2010, 02:01 PM   #81 (permalink)
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steep

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Originally Posted by Varn View Post
Too steep of glass can lead to very poor vision.

Here is one that I own. I keep talking about putting in an engine but it may be the only one in the country. It remains pedal powered.

In Hucho's book,he sets the limit at around 60-degrees before 'diffusion' becomes an issue.
Very nice trike.Reminds me of $10,000 Vector.

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Old 08-28-2010, 03:10 PM   #82 (permalink)
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I like this blog site mainly as I like old/new science. I bought a load of old Radio magazines when last in the States and paid extra to get them home - 50s tech, lovely.

Anyway, the 'new' Porsche Speedster - coupe. 125mp from 80 hp.



Hard to believe this is the same company that now thinks it is cool to sell the Cayenne w@nkermobile.

Also in this area is the Marcos Xylon - may not look too seamlined now but was quite sensational when new.



Same team made the Mini-Marcos (Aero coupe - Mini grubby bits)



and the Marcos coupe



Another one - Austin Healey 'Sebring' Sprite - also competed at Lemans and available as a kit for your own AH Sprite / MG Midget



I had a 1973 Midget with a 1293cc semi-race engine in it. Roundabouts = playgrounds.

And of course this



from here. Looks an interesting site but the link stopped working for me just now.

EDIT - It started working again, Neil's 'Pants' car is included in the list of home-built streamliners.
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Old 08-28-2010, 03:17 PM   #83 (permalink)
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Apologies for the double post but I couldn't resist this



Now if only BMW could fit them my life would be a lot less stressful...
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Old 08-28-2010, 04:37 PM   #84 (permalink)
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W................

I think the wanking is getting in the way of a lot of things.
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Old 08-28-2010, 05:24 PM   #85 (permalink)
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I think the wanking is getting in the way of a lot of things.
Keeps them out of trouble.

Anyhoo.

Automobile Traditions Challenged by First Streamlined Stock Cars

Interesting description of early wind tunnel.
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Old 08-29-2010, 12:30 AM   #86 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arragonis View Post
Anyway, the 'new' Porsche Speedster - coupe. 125mp from 80 hp.
The article may call it a Speedster, but that is actually a Spyder, one of the first couple of 550s that had a hard-top on it and ran at Le Mans. The Speedster proper was a later model, a bare-bones 356 convertible (rear engined, the 550 had the engine in the middle like any proper race car) that looked like an upside-down bathtub.


...Heh, this is the first mention of the Vector I've seen. I'm a little surprised that it's the first. They had (maybe still have?) the Vector hanging up in the San Jose Tech Museum. Some friends of mine built the Vector....

-soD
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Old 08-29-2010, 12:50 PM   #87 (permalink)
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From here

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Originally Posted by Sniff Petrol
With the launch of the acclaimed new 3-series, BMW has also revealed details of a sophisticated new electronics package that is aimed straight at the new car's core market.

Dubbed Bellendtronic, the new system is fully integrated into the car's control systems and allows a range of functions including full disablement of the indicators, perilously late activation of the brakes and an adapted radar cruise control that allows the driver to sit 4mm from your back bumper in the outside lane of the M6.

Amongst other neat touches, Bellendtronic can also apply light brake pressure at all times, covering the wheels in dust, something that will be a particular benefit if your fleet manager wouldn't let you specify alloy wheels and you want to disguise ugly plastic rim covers or the fact that if you weren't such an aspirational little tw@t you'd have gone for a rather better equipped Honda Accord.

Initially Bellendtronic will be available on the forthcoming 316i and 318i models only, but the system is expected to become standard fitment for all models in the smaller 1-series range within a year.

Other German makers are expected to follow BMW's lead, including Audi who is poised to make certain versions of the A4 available with a rival system dubbed 'Pushytw@t Plus'.
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Old 08-29-2010, 02:45 PM   #88 (permalink)
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For those of us who liked British made cars these two come under the 'If only' and 'what the hell were they thinking ?' categories.

In the 1960s Pininfarina did quite a bit of work for BMC. Legend has it that during a visit by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to BMC headquarters at Longbridge, Birmingham in the late 1950s HRH was annoyed by Leonard Lord (BMC chairman) going on about the royal family using Land Rovers instead of the Austin Champ 4x4 made by his company. So HRH was less than complimentary about designs for new cars which scared Lord into action. So he commissioned Pininfarina to redesign quite a few BMC models, ironically this sidelined his own (Italian) designer 'Dick' Burzi.

This relationship affected quite a few production cars - First up (not aero) was the A35 - before


After (as the A40 although it was exactly the same underneath)


The A40 Countryman (aka estate or station wagon model) was credited with being the first supermini with a hatchback. However several BMC engineers didn't like the designs. My namesake (<--i.e. Him in the photo - Alec Issigonis) didn't like styling at all, so he didn't use them unless he had to.

Later Pininfarina presented a couple of alternative designs to BMC. Firstly the 1100 - best seller in the UK. This is BMC's version originally designed by Issigonis but with final input from Pininfarina to make it less 'stark'.


Underpinnings were the same as the Mini except for a larger 1098cc (and later 1275cc) engine - gearbox in the sump of the engine.

Pininfarina version


Of course a few people took notice of these designs even if BMC (by then spiralling into bankruptcy and becoming BL) ignored them. For example the superb Citroen GS and GSA (GSA is GS with a hatchback rear end).


Citroen kind of envisaged a car with a Wankel style rotary motor but instead the GS got a flat four, air coolled unit - think 2x 2CV engines joined together.

Next up the 1800 - same engine as the MGB. BMC's rather stark and ugly version.


which needed a lot of fixing in production. It also had the gearbox in the sump and also had a transverse inline 6-cyl engine though which is an achievement - not a useful one mind - and it sold like ice cream at the beach in Iceland compared the (conventional, cheaper and more reliable) alternatives from Ford and Vauxhall. And then Pininfarina's version


And for comparison to show that others paid attention - the Citroen CX


Looks similar, no ? Of course Robert Opron designed the CX. Hmmm. Still want a 'CX25 DTR Turbo 2 Safari' though (this is the genuine badge on the back of the estate Diesel in 1992 )

After BMC failed, merged, was nationalised and so on, it also made the Princess

which is kind of similar to the Farina 1100 apart from the front lights and hatchback (which didn't come until 1980). The Princess was made bad by using the same engine and gearbox in sump as the 1800. Then of course came the Rover SD1 (aka Rover 3500) which had a hatch from new.



which was also sold in the US but suffered the same 'sealed beams are good' madness that the XM featured by PW above (as well as the Jaguar XJS, Citroen CX and any FIAT models) did.



I include the SD1 mainly as at the time of it's launch BL made a feature of it's shape claiming it would save fuel. Mind you the twin carb-fed 3528cc OHV V8 (actually a developed version of the 1950s Mercury lightweight alloy V8 bought by Rover in the 1960s) linked to a 3-speed auto kind of offset any advantage that aero may have given it.

My only memory of an SD1 is the V8-S (think V8 but even more thirsty but much faster) which was owned by the uncle of my friend. I sat in the front and savoured the V8 roar and neck-snapping starts...

...until the can of coke on the front shelf fell into my lap. Which was nice, especially as this was on my way to school. I was comfortable for the day sitting in a lot of sugar water.

Interestingly Rover thought the V8 was thirsty so they went for the Iceberg project which would turn the V8 into a Diesel engine. Not that this was ambitious of course - turning a light-alloy V8 into a long stroke Diesel engine...
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Old 08-30-2010, 03:30 AM   #89 (permalink)
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Sealed beams ARE good!

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Old 08-30-2010, 06:50 AM   #90 (permalink)
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Apologies for the double post but I couldn't resist this



Now if only BMW could fit them my life would be a lot less stressful...
BMW has announced that from 2011 all new models offered in certain European markets will not have turn signals. This will allow BMW to save money by not installing equipment which is not used in the local environment anyway. This will be standard in Poland, UK and a few Mediterranean countries, while in the remaining countries will be available as an option.

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