What are the famous design failure cars?

[Bicycle Bob]

Speaking of spark plugs, the standard GM van in the 70s + had one spark plug that was nearly impossible to access on the V-8. On the Camaro, the fast way to change the plugs was through the front wheel wells. The Triumph TR-2 (IIRC) had to be nearly stripped to the frame to access the heater.

Another way to branch this topic: Which cars were the most diminished by the production people? Lancias seem to have followed the designer's whims pretty willingly. GM cars used to get a last-minute hack from the beancounters, who would descend on each model just before release, and put on the skinniest tires that had an adequate rating, maybe take off a layer of undercoating, etc. to save about twenty bucks on each car. Both the Corvair and the Fiero may well have died because they wouldn't pay for enough suspension parts until the last year of production, when it was too late. But the one that really haunts me is the motor in the real Mini - the same old BMC "A" engine, now sitting on top of it's gears and sharing oil with them. Issigonis had drawn a lovely little flat four boxer for it.

[Galane]

I had a 1978 Chevy van with a 350. Some of the spark plugs were easy to get from inside with the engine cover out. The others were somewhat easy to get through the front wheel wells by using long extensions between the floor pan and frame rail.

Then in the 80's GM slightly widened the distance between the frame rails, IIRC that's when they first added the tilt steering option. That made it easier to get at the rear spark plugs - but *harder* to get the front ones because some idjit had small pieces of sheet metal welded in to *almost* fill the horizontal V shaped gaps between floor and frame. No more easy access from the sides, have to play contortionist reaching forward from inside the van. That was on a 1984 with 700-R4 transmission, coupled to the horrible gutless 304 V8.

The only purpose I can see for those panels is to make it more difficult to change the majority of the spark plugs.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by All Darc

In a TED-X video, a speaker said that the chance of die in a plane today it's 99% less than in the 70's. I know safety get quite better, and I would believe if he had said 80% or even 90% less likely to die in airplane. But 99% ????

It seems somewhat over-optimistic. Well, in fact the reliability of aircraft engines evolved a lot, to the point that twin-engined widebodies are now rated to perform commercial transoceanic flights that would be previously reserved for aircraft with 3 or 4 engines.

[All Darc]

How many of youy saw videos about this "legendary" "car" failure ?

Sinclair C5 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQetm_qWDg

[Bicycle Bob]

The Sinclair may be the most outrageous example of a design being ruined on the way through production. Detroit Iron in the 50's often turned out like a bas relief of the original model after the tool and die men saw the drawings, but this thing lost half its top speed. The prototype was quite lively and fun, having been developed by Lotus Engineering. It may have been rather dangerous, though, as tall deltas always are, being unable to brake and turn much at the same time. I don't believe I've ever seen one on video, but I did get a short ride, and saw the Giles cartoons about it.

[freebeard]

Last edited by Bicycle Bob; Today at 08:32 AM.. Reason: apostrophe deleted, cartoon added

Not seeing the cartoon.

If they reversed it, added a 2nd passenger and a roll cage and gave it an 80MPH top speed they might be onto something.

[no Arcimoto pic because this is the wrong thread for that]

[gone-ot]

Is that Sinclair the same Sinclair who designed/sold the super-cheap Sinclair computer?

[Bicycle Bob]

Yes, that's the same Clive Sinclair. He built a whole factory for his trike before really testing the market.
I didn't post a cartoon - I just have it in an old book. It was the setting, not the whole joke. The Brits were having to cope with them on the roads.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

The Sinclair may be the most outrageous example of a design being ruined on the way through production.

Did production swap the front and rear wheels? There's no excuse for engineering a trike with a single front wheel and dual rear.

[Bicycle Bob]

Sadly, no. In that, Lotus copied the ubiquitous tuk-tuks of Asia.