--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00053 Date: 02/14/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 12:48pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Feature - MB Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen (gah-len-da-vagon) What would Arnold buy when he wants a bit more comfort and panache than his Hummer offers. How about a Mercedes truck? The G-Wagen as it's called by it's fans is a serious off-roader, with flat glass windows, a stiff suspension and firm seats was originally designed for the military, but its price put it out of the running. So the company turned it into a passenger-hauling four wheel drive truck. Several years ago Europa international began importing them. It has a heavy-gauge, welded steel body which is bolted to an 8 inch box section steel ladder frame. It comes with a 3.2 liter inline six cylinder engine and a 4 speed automatic transmission. Later this year, the six will be replaced by a new 5 liter SOHC V8 that makes 310 HP and drives a 5 speed automatic transmission. This is Mercedes new 3 valve, dual plug per cylinder engine, becoming available in many new models. Base Price: $126,000 to 135,000 (est.) Vehicle type: Front engine, 4WD; 2, 3, or 5 door 5 passenger truck. Wheelbase: 94.6 - 112.2 in. Dimensions: L-168.0-185.0 / W-69.5 / H-78.5 in. Curb weight: 4800-5150 lbs. EPA City/Hwy: 13-14 / 15-17 mpg (est) Powertrain: 3.2 liter DOHC 24 valve I6, 210 HP; 5.0 liter SOHC 24 valve V8, 310 HP; 4 or 5 sp. auto. Suspension: F-rigid axle, coil springs R-rigid axle, coil springs Brakes F/R: vented disc / vented disc or drum --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00054 Date: 02/14/98 From: ALAN MORRISON Time: 12:48pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: The Car Book HarperReference - The Car Book 1998 by Jack Gills Long known as the most consumer-oriented car buyer's guide, The Car Book 1998 has maintained the classic simplicity that for 18 years has led hundreds of thousands of car buyers to the best choices in new cars. While other car guides offer only manufacturers' specifications, The Car Book sifts through the claims, the facts, the specifications and, with unique performance measurements, evaluates this year's new cars and minivans. With the 1998 edition of The Car Book, Jack Gillis once again proves why he is America's most sought after consumer expert on cars. One-page reviews tell you how a vehicle performs in areas you care about and how the car stacks up against the competition. Safety features is an at-a-glance listing of today's key safety features including airbags, ABS, built-in-child seats and daytime running lights. Narrative summaries for each model highlight what's new and offer you insightful advice. Special advice on showroom strategies, avoiding lemons, the best warranties, selecting the best child safety seat, saving on insurance, and more. The Car Book rates cars by overall value, crash test data, fuel economy, preventive maintenance, insurance costs, consumer satisfaction and typical repair costs on cars grouped by class size. In the small car classes Saturn remains the class leader followed by Subaru Impreza with the larger 2.2 engine, the redesigned Chevrolet Cavalier, and the highly favored Honda Civic. Subcompacts: Satisfaction Repair index 1 Saturn SL Good Good 2 Subaru Impreza Good Good 3 Chevy Cavalier Average Good 4 Honda Civic Average Average In the large car class, American models lead the pack with the Cadillac Deville rated highest followed by the Pontiac Bonneville, Infiniti I30, Acura CL, and Lexus. HarperReference. ISBN 0062734474 TradePB; -1997; trim size: 8 1/2 x 11; 224 pages; $13.95 --- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR] * Origin: River Canyon Rd. BBS Chattanooga, Tn (1:362/627) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00055 Date: 02/14/98 From: JOHN PUMMILL Time: 02:59pm \/To: ALAN MORRISON (Read 0 times) Subj: Honda q's AM> If the key doesn't go in you are missing a key. I think it AM> may just have AM> gotten wet or somehow corroded. If a little penetrant won't AM> free it up, AM> call a locksmith, or if possible remove it yourself and take AM> it to one AM> so he can rekey it. With a Honda he can go to a dealership and give them the VIN number. Within a few minutes the key will be produced. Most Japanese and German companies are like this. Unfortunately the Americans are still clueless. --- FMail 0.94 * Origin: Running from the Klan in the Fiero (1:123/30) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00056 Date: 02/14/98 From: MICHAEL SHARON Time: 11:07am \/To: ALAN MORRISON (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: 225 hp Neon? -=> Quoting Alan Morrison to Marc Gerges <=- -=> Quoting Marc Gerges to Alan Morrison <=- MG> Mmmmh... the last two american concept cars that made it into MG> prodution were the Viper and the Prowler, right? And both these cars MG> don't seem to be underpowered to me :-) and their styling didn't MG> change much as well. AM> True, these were very close to the original concept styling, and the AM> Viper was a total surprise to jump to premium power levels as Americas AM> fastest sportscar. I can't think of any other car that has done this AM> in a long time. As for the Prowler, I don't know how much power the AM> concept vehicle delivered, but it has the same mild V6 supplied in AM> other Chrysler passenger vehicles. Are you serious?! The Prowler has a 3.5-liter high-output SOHC 24-valve V6 and delivers *253 horsepower* at 6,400 RPM. With 255 pound-feet of torque at 3,950 RPM. That's enough to get anybody's attention. Now that doesn't seem like a very mild V6 to me. <:O Sincerely, Michael Sharon ... Why are the antlers shown backwards on deer crossing signs!? ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 [NR] --- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v2.0 * Origin: Tonys Corner Wildcat! Warren, MI. 99:1/530 (1:120/13) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00057 Date: 02/14/98 From: KENNY HENDERSON Time: 03:01pm \/To: ALAN MORRISON (Read 0 times) Subj: 1999 Cars AM>An '89 GP Turbo for $25,000 (same as the Syclone) with a 3.2 V6 making AM>205 HP @ 5200 RPM. 0-60 in 8.2 and 16.3 ET @ 84.9 MPH. AM>In '90 it's a GP STE for $19,000 and a 3.1 V6 making the same HP but AM>400 lower RPM. A 0-60 of 7.7 and 15.6 ET @ 87.8 makes me think it got AM>some more boost. AM>By '91 they had the DOHC 3.4 V6 making near the same power (200 @ 5200) AM>but it slowed to an 8.5 second 0-60 and 16.5 @ 86.1 MPH. Notice it made AM>a bit of a top end charge compared to the torquey turbos. Yeah, those 3.4 DOHC 24V V6s were soft down low. AM>All these cars (like the 350 F-bodies of the era) had the Automatic trans, AM>as did the '91 Syclone. The Syclone stepped up the size to the 90 degree AM>4.3 liter V6. For $25,500 they pumped it up to 280 HP @ 4200 RPM and an AM>extra 140 lb/ft torque over the smaller V6's. AM>With AWD and 360 lb/ft torque it ran 4.9 second 0-60 times. I heard it AM>would outrun ZR1 Corvettes to sixty in the rain, and really haul. ;^) What fun that would be! AM>Syclones also managed to knock 2 to 3 seconds off the GP's 1/4 mile times AM>with a 13.6 @ 98.6 MPH. It even handled a little better with 62.9 MPH AM>Slalom speeds. The GP's biggest advantage was mileage which was 9-10 MPG AM>above the trucks highway mileage. They would be fun to have:) --- * OLX 2.1 TD * This is fake...I really don't have a tagline. --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Fresh Start BBS * Edison NJ * (732) 248-1678 * (1:107/310.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00058 Date: 02/14/98 From: KENNY HENDERSON Time: 02:52pm \/To: DEVIN DIMITRI (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: 225 hp Neon? DD> MG> Mmmmh... I don't really think 0-100 DD> MG> in 7 seconds is underpowered at al when you consider the car has DD> MG> automatic transmission, it seems quite f DD> 100kph is approximately 62 mph, right? Well, for a car that DD> looks as outrageous and aggressive as the Prowler, you would DD> expect times right around 5 seconds. There are plenty of DD> under 7 cars with automatic transmissions, the new Jaguar, the DD> C5, all of the American pony cars, i'm not sure how fast the DD> luxury Benz's are, but i know a Lexus GS400 will do 0-60 in DD> about 6 seconds. For a two seat roadster, seven seconds is DD> a looooooooooooooooooooong time. The GS400 goes 0-60 in about 5.6 I think, quite fast. The 328I would automatic is just as fast as the Prowler as well.... --- * OLX 2.1 TD * This is as vile as the Threepenny Opera, said Tom curtly. --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Fresh Start BBS * Edison NJ * (732) 248-1678 * (1:107/310.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00059 Date: 02/14/98 From: KENNY HENDERSON Time: 02:55pm \/To: C.A. KLINGEL (Read 0 times) Subj: cool cop cars CK> KH> The CK> KH> exhaust, cooler weather, and new plugs all helped me cut .5 seconds, CK> KH> but if I was in MM&FF I could say the only 'mod' was Edelbrock and I CK> KH> would be telling the truth :) CK> Hello Kenny, CK> I've found that MM&FF is usually the most open and honest about it's CK> dyno and track testing (compared to *any* other publication). CK> Once in a while they slip up and skew the results by not making it a CK> true comparison, but not as often as the other magazines I read. CK> The "thin" rags are all so worried about pissing off an advertiser CK> that they are afraid to tell the truth about a part. MM&FF tells CK> the good and the bad. You don't see any shortage of ads in there, do you? CK> MM&FF is one of the few that will admit to the stuff that doesn't go CK> right, didn't fit, and breaks stuff too. Yeah...I'm a hopeless fan. CK> BTW...MM&FF would tell about the temp difference in you runs, but they CK> might over look the plug change . How many other mags give temp and CK> altitude correction figures? MM&FF is a great mag. My friend Don ('92 GT) gets it and I always skim it when I get a chance. I wish they had an FBody mag that was that great! :) The one thing I don't like, is they are focusing more on cosmetic and stereo stuff now. I like reading about reader's cars, and newer cars, and the tech info. BTW, one of my friends had a letter published in there a while back, and a guy at my school was featured in there as well. --- * OLX 2.1 TD * This is Barry Blaes, last survivor of the Nostromo, signi --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Fresh Start BBS * Edison NJ * (732) 248-1678 * (1:107/310.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00060 Date: 02/14/98 From: KENNY HENDERSON Time: 02:47pm \/To: RUBEN LOPEZ (Read 0 times) Subj: TCC Lockup RL>Hm.. Thanks for the info. I would sure hate to lose power, I love RL>throttling around my truck, It just can't stay away from 75-85Mph. BTW, RL>How about headers? Can I install headers with the stock exaust system, nd RL>work my way back from there? What year 350 do you have? I would do the exhaust first, then worry about headers. Check to see how hard they would be to install. On my car they are very diffucult thus I will skip them. The biggest horsepower gainers are the K&N FIPK and cat-back exhaust. --- * OLX 2.1 TD * This is a test of the Emergency Tagline System... --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Fresh Start BBS * Edison NJ * (732) 248-1678 * (1:107/310.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00061 Date: 02/14/98 From: KENNY HENDERSON Time: 02:49pm \/To: CHRIS ZYCHSKI (Read 0 times) Subj: TCC Lockup CZ>Seems to me that it makes more sense to make whatever mods to the engine CZ>first and then change the chip last - programmed according to those mod- CZ>ifications. Right? Yes. Unless serious mods are done, a chip is a waste. --- * OLX 2.1 TD * This is a test tagline. --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Fresh Start BBS * Edison NJ * (732) 248-1678 * (1:107/310.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 246 AUTOMOTIVE Ref: F2K00062 Date: 02/14/98 From: KENNY HENDERSON Time: 02:58pm \/To: ROY WITT (Read 0 times) Subj: Vehicle Confiscation RW> CZ> Was the baiff's name "Rusty"? Har! RW>Nope. He was over in Judge what's his names small claims court.. Judge Wapner's People's Court :) --- * OLX 2.1 TD * This is Barry Blaes, returning to our regular Network 22 --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Fresh Start BBS * Edison NJ * (732) 248-1678 * (1:107/310.0)