--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00048 Date: 12/22/97 From: RONNIE THOMPSON Time: 06:58pm \/To: CHRIS ZYCHSKI (Read 0 times) Subj: '91 Mk VII -=> Quoting Chris Zychski to Ronnie Thompson <=- CZ> I started this thread concerning the inop doorlock on my MkVII. CZ> Here's the bottom line. On your advice I purchased the Haynes CZ> manual - it did NOT solve my problem per se'. But it DID give CZ> me clues to what to look for. That along was worth the cost :) CZ> The only grief I have with the CZ> Haynes manual is that it's too wordy explaning the simplest of CZ> procedures and much too vague concerning complicated ones. And The complicated ones, aren't for those who do MOST repairs. The simple ones...the word it so mostly everyone can understand. If we didn't need those type of books, 99% of the Windows books, could be taken off the market. CZ> the organization didn't appeal to me - I only have 2 thumbs to CZ> mark "chapters" with - Har! Unfortunately, most of us have that problem :) CZ> Oh, yeah. The actuator was frozen in the open (down) position CZ> Replacement of it and one fuse cured things. Mucho thanks for CZ> the tip. The bill is in the mail. Please pay promptly. Cash only :) Ronnie in NC ... vDDDDMMMMMM~pd] Happy Holidays To All ]dp~MMMMMMDDDDv --- AreaFix Fido MILITIA * Origin: Thor's Retreat/2 BBS Fayetteville, NC 910.424.0956 (1:3634/37) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00049 Date: 12/22/97 From: RONNIE THOMPSON Time: 07:02pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: Monte Carlo probs. -=> Quoting Roy Witt to Ronnie Thompson <=- RT>> Sooooo, your claim would be that the filters keep all trash out of RT>> the carbs?? RT> RW>> No, just most of it... RT> RT> Doesn't take much to make a carb act up, especially Holleys. RW> That's right. Q-jets, on the other hand, can have all kinds of junk RW> in the float bowls and still get you down the road. Usually it's not what's IN the float bowl, it's what is stuck under the needle valve. Ronnie in NC ... Race Car spelled backwards is Race Car --- AreaFix Fido MILITIA * Origin: Thor's Retreat/2 BBS Fayetteville, NC 910.424.0956 (1:3634/37) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00050 Date: 12/22/97 From: RONNIE THOMPSON Time: 09:08pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: Radiator Leak -=> Quoting Roy Witt to JAY EMRIE <=- JE> opportunity to get it. - not just those that get on the net. RW> No, but they do give you a 1-800 number to call so you can get that RW> information. That is, if you have a telephone...:) With a line that is live :) Ronnie in NC ... Gimme a bottle of anything, and a glazed donut..TO GO! --- AreaFix Fido MILITIA * Origin: Thor's Retreat/2 BBS Fayetteville, NC 910.424.0956 (1:3634/37) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00051 Date: 12/22/97 From: RONNIE THOMPSON Time: 09:09pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: Todd... -=> Quoting Roy Witt to Liz Morris <=- LM> And I STILL have that ring, ring, ring when I turn... is it the LM> fanbelt? RW> Sure you didn't run over the Salvation Army Santa? ROFL!! Ronnie in NC ... Let's see them figure *that* one out! --- AreaFix Fido MILITIA * Origin: Thor's Retreat/2 BBS Fayetteville, NC 910.424.0956 (1:3634/37) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00052 Date: 12/21/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 03:57pm \/To: TOM WALKER (Read 0 times) Subj: American Sports Car -=> Quoting TOM WALKER to ALAN MORRISON <=- -> The RT/10 415 horse version is a bit closer to the C5 in performance -> and price at $58k to the Vettes $38k. TW> You get what you pay for. No, sharp marketing depts. have used this old ideal to take more money from those that think it's a fact. You must set up some criteria and make a judgment based on the criteria you find important. If you want a good price to performance ratio in a sporty car you can live with day-to-day, the Z28, Formula Firebird, and Corvette, are all good choices. Since the price reduction on the Supra Turbo, Toyota has shown they want to compete also. So you used to get less than you paid for with the Supra, but they were forced to drop the price to be competitive. Now if you want to define different criteria such as more performance with less emphasis on ride and practicality, the Viper is a good choice. If you have nearly unlimited funds you can go on to a Porsche 911 Turbo, or even a Ferrari F50. But if you are among those that will never make over $100k in a year, we might tend to prefer those closer to our annual salary. TW> But on another Note did you see that the VIPER GTS Won a GT race in TW> Europe as the FIRST American car to do so in 30 YEARS!!! Give us details... What race; what sanctioning body; How about a list of results?? If you have a list of winners for this race for the last 30 years, I'm sure many here would be interested in that too, since they are seldom covered on network television, and few newspapers. I knew Vipers were racing in Europe, but without heavy factory involvement, it is difficult to make a serious effort against manufacturers like Porsche and Ferrari who are willing to invest enough to run teams equipped with 4 or more cars and trailerloads of spare parts. TW> Where were the Corvettes? Setting on the World Endurance Speed record which stood for over 50 years before a stock ZR1 Corvette upped it to 175.88 mph average over a 24 hour period, and claimed the 5000 mile mark in just 28 hours and 46 minutes? Have you not been to Europe before? You see the name Ford a lot, but GM in Europe is represented by Lotus, Opel, Saab, and Vauxhaul. It would be a a very poor return on your investment to throw millions of dollars to compete against yourself in countries where a Chevrolet dealership is nowhere to be seen. Don't you think?? For some independent teams, look for the name Calloway, who has run some modified older Vettes as C7's. And another name with Chevy power is the Marcos LM600. Although they have made some commendable efforts in Europe it would be inane to think an independent team could win overseas against the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes, and Porsche. I'm amazed that the Viper beat the high dollar cars, even with 8 liters of V10 power and Chrysler support. Still Chrysler isn't spending the big bucks to support a NASCAR effort, and has backed off of it's Drag racing program, so it can afford to spend a little money elsewhere. Another point... The current C5 was introduced too late to compete in 1997. Most teams are busy developing their cars when the previous season ends. Some start even before that and have years of development on parts of the car. The C5 is an all-new design which I wouldn't expect to win races in modified classes for several seasons. The good news is they are winning where GM wants them too; in sales and company prestige. Now watch as other sports cars copy the backbone frame and hydroformed rail process. TW> Again, where were the Corvettes? Holding the world closed course speed record for a production based car? Reeves Calloway put twin turbochargers on his "Sledgehammer" C4 Corvette and drove it to the out of state race course with the air conditioning on. Once there he set the record to over 254 mph, then drove it back home to Connecticut. Don't let it get to you... Just take pride in the fact that Mercedes hasn't installed a 4 barrel carb and tried to go stock-car racing. And Renault is too smart to try to win in Pro Stock or any other Pro class against the dominant US made V8's. To my knowledge they haven't won any of these races in over 30 years. It seems GM also has to limit its racing budget to what brings the most return for the dollar. Over the past year or two it has been Chevrolet in NASCAR, ASA, SODA, and SCORE. Pontiac in NHRA Pro Stock drag racing and Oldsmobile in ProSportsCar, and IRL. So before you ask "Where were the Corvettes?" think about it and ask a more informed question like "Where are the GM's?" Even with an engine that has existed for several years, Nissan got punted to the back of the field in Indycar against the Olds Auroras. Olds wanted to win this, invested in it, and took it. That's rare. It took Honda several years of parts breakage, poor performance and lost drivers before they became competitive against Ford and Mercedes. Chevrolet decided to make an investment in Indycar and won races in their 1st year. Porsche gave up their Indycar effort within a couple of years, and AFAIK never won a single race. So if you want to know where the Corvettes were, take a look for yourself and you may discover they sat on the pole at Lemans in '95 and finished in the top three. They won the SCCA World Challenge Series in 1996. And in 1997 they took time off to introduce an all new car, lauded as Motor Trends - Car of the Year. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00053 Date: 12/21/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 05:10pm \/To: RONNIE THOMPSON (Read 0 times) Subj: '91 Mk VII -=> Quoting Ronnie Thompson to JAY EMRIE <=- JE> Ronnie, from my past experience with any after market manual (Haynes JE> included) it is far better to write for a FACTORY manual. Much much JE> better. RT>I agree they are much better, however they are a whole lot more than the RT>few dollars the Haynes manuals cost. JE> Yeah, but you make it back the first time the Haynes can't do the job! RT> I understand what you are saying, in regards to making it back, but RT> if Haynes doesn't go into it, it is generally something that is RT> better off being taken to a dealer or a specialist (complete motor RT> rebuild, complete tranny rebuild, etc), IMO. As soon as I discovered the Haynes manual didn't even include the computer trouble codes, which are in a separate manual, it became apparent the price doubled. Now I have two Haynes manuals that cover less than the Mitchell's and factory manuals. I would like to see basic troubleshooting information included in the low cost manuals. This would include how to read the computer codes, and check fuel injection pressure instead of saying it is beyond the scope of this manual. It isn't any more difficult to check fuel pressure than it is to check tire pressure. Most people can count sufficiently to read trouble codes, and some can be retrieved with a paper clip. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00054 Date: 12/21/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 06:37pm \/To: ROY J. TELLASON (Read 0 times) Subj: SEARS CAR BATTERY! -=> Quoting Ronnie Thompson to Roy J. Tellason <=- RJT> I had a '67 Fury at one time that had all sorts of new stuff put into RJT> it, and the battery kept dying. I kept on having to get it jump RJT> started, and couldn't figure out why for a while. RJT> was that there was a trunk light and the bracket holding the switch RJT> had bent, allowing the light to stay on and continue to discharge the RJT> battery for long periods of time. RT> Had that problem one time on my Trans Am. Would only discharge if it RT> sat there for 2-3 days, yet if it was driven daily, you wouldn't even That makes three of us... The hatch area over the trunk in my Z28 has a light switch that somehow got left on. You wouldn't notice anything unless you didn't drive it for a couple of days. I started looking for a short at the battery by measuring the voltage between the battery and the cable with everything turned off. I would pull out some fuses and recheck the voltage. Finally determined it was coming from the rear of the car, in the lighting circuit. After it got dark I could see the darned hatch light shining from under the privacy cover. The switch was just on, I don't recall leaving it on but could see no way a horizontal slide switch would click itself on. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00055 Date: 12/21/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:39pm \/To: TOM WALKER (Read 0 times) Subj: NOS AND MIATA ... Tom, you never responded to this. Did you figure out the company ... divisions within Toyota, & others, and what cars each carries? -=> Quoting ALAN MORRISON to TOM WALKER <=- AM> Same basic formula used by many automakers including Chrysler, Honda, AM> Nissan, and Toyota. All have upscale car lines that mostly have minor AM> visible differences. TW> That is true of the Automobile in ALL highly developed Industrial TW> Nations. Toyota of Japan would be a good example. They have even More TW> Divisions and Step up models than even GM. All the cars of theres we TW> know of here, Corolla, Camry, Celeca etc, are FULL lines in Japan just We were referring to auto companies within a corporation. What are the automotive divisions in Toyota besides it and Lexus? Honda and Acura?? Nissan and Infiniti??? --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00056 Date: 12/21/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:40pm \/To: JONATHAN HANKS (Read 0 times) Subj: GM DOWN UNDER ... Jonathan, you never responded to this; did you not receive it? -=> Quoting Jonathon Hanks to Kevin Relkoff <=- JH> VL commodore! Holden... Vauxall... Genaral Motors car. JH> it is a 5.0l V8 as well!!! Tell us about the V8 cars you have down there. Is the 5 liter GM the small block Chevy that has been around forever? It would have four valve cover bolts each head, distributor in back, and exhaust ports arranged with two adjacent ports in the middle; something like this: o oo o \_||_/ JH> Hope that this helps you! I like the 5.0 ltr. V8's they kick ass! Can get the most performance parts for them, like Edelbrock Performer intakes and many brands of extractors (headers), cams, etc. Starting in 1997 (Corvette) and 1998 (Camaro & Firebird) the old small block has a total redesign. This will phase out the old small V8 within a few years; sorry to see it go, I've owned many that gave great service and power. ... GM Performance Parts - HO 350ci - 355 H.P. #24502609 1-800-577-6888 --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: EGU00057 Date: 12/21/97 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 07:43pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Car of the Year MOTOR TRENDS 1998 Car of the Year BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky, November 24, 1997 -- MOTOR TREND magazine today announced the selection of the Chevrolet Corvette as the publication's 1998 Car of the Year. This is the 46th time that the prestigious Golden Calipers trophy has been awarded for this honor. In choosing the Corvette, MOTOR TREND cited the sports car's outstanding performance, technological sophistication, surprising functionality, and attractive value. MOTOR TREND's annual Car of the Year program, dating back to 1949, remains the most coveted award in the automotive industry. In choosing the winner, MOTOR TREND editors considered all new or significantly changed '98 domestic cars and minivans, weighing such factors as technological advancement, value, performance, livability, and overall impact on the automotive market to identify the most significant vehicle of the '98 model year. The '98 Chevrolet Corvette also called the C5 is the fifth generation and an all-new, clean-sheet redesign of America's most popular sports car. Chevrolet's engineers significantly raised the performance bar with a new 5.7 liter/345 horsepower aluminum LS1 V-8 engine that's more powerful, lighter, and cleaner, as well as a stiffer, more refined chassis that offers both greater dynamic control and more compliant ride. This is complemented by a surprisingly high livability factor, including a voluminous 24.9 cubic feet of cargo space and an inviting, driver- friendly interior. State-of-the-art technology includes a rear-mounted transmission, throttle-by-wire system, and Goodyear Extended Mobility tires, eliminating the need for a spare. MOTOR TREND's editors called the'98 Corvette "a convincing reinvention of the modern sports car," and "single benchmark vehicle that pushed the boundary of what a sports car could and should be." "The far-reaching changes to the chassis and suspension," they noted, "have moved the Corvette from the realm of yester-tech to the leading edge of sports car design," and pointed out that it's "the fastest street-legal car available in America under $40,000.00." The editors summed up their enthusiasm by saying, "Any enthusiast with a drop of oil coursing through his/her veins will be seduced by the magical Corvette in just one test drive," and noted that "the new Corvette will be remembered as one of the greatest cars in American automotive history." The complete report on the 1998 Car of the Year can be found in the January 1998 issue of MOTOR TREND, on sale December 2, 1997. The '98 Car of the Year will also be reviewed on TNN's MOTOR TREND Television series on December 6-7, 1997. --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627)