Not sold in any stores...

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> but I've always thought Honda had some of the best engineers in the world. </font>

Gee Andy...I thought it was KUBOTA...not honda... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm also not adding anthing constructive to this thread... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Time for bed I guess... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[AndyM]

<font color="blue"> but I've always thought Honda had some of the best engineers in the world. </font>

<font color="red">Gee Andy...I thought it was KUBOTA...not honda... </font>

In the late 1980's, Honda had a Prelude model that was available with four wheel steering. When the car was at low speeds, the front wheels and rear wheels turned the same direction for easier parking. At higher speeds, the front and rear wheels turned at opposite directions for better handling.
The thing that fascinated me at the time was the fact that it was all mechanical.
I also remember the early Accords that had power door locks that were controlled by a lever in the center console... all mechanical, not electrical. Pretty neat!

There's someone about a block away from me who has a Honda Insight. I might walk over and ask them about it, if I can ever catch them home.

Bill, you're more of an expert on this than me, but aren't most of the Lexus and Acura type cars from Japan designed solely for the American market?
I've always been under the impression that many of the models sold in the home market were small practical cars like this...

or this...

Of course there's these ones. Why can't they import these?
They're so darn cute...

 

[Junkman]

Many cars manufactured for foreign markets are not imported to the US because they can't pass the tough government standards for safety or emissions. In Europe, it is rare to see a gasoline engine car from what I have been told. Almost all are diesel engine cars today, but the American public wouldn't accept a diesel for the most part. I blame that on the failure of the GM diesels of the 1980's that gave diesels a bad name. My present car is a gas job, because a diesel wasn't available at the time of purchase. I have been driving diesel cars from 1967 till 1998 when I purchased this gas job. If it didn't have such low mileage on it, I would sell and get a diesel, but the economics don't warrant it. I remember the diesel VW Rabbit.... people either loved them or hated them. Their was no in between. Today the technology is there to make diesels efficient and quiet in a automobile. When they will be available is another question....

 

[AndyM]

Yes, Junkman, you are correct about diesels in Europe. I'd said around 70 percent are diesels. Unforunately, when Americans think of diesels, they think of a 1980 Oldsmobile Delta 88 parked in the backyard after 30,000 miles because the motor was shot! That's a stereotype that's taking a while to recover from!

I've been watching Rabbit diesels on Ebay, and they are going for around $1500 to $2000. Not bad for 25 years old and 250,000 miles!

I'm still kicking myself for selling my Chevette diesel. It had an Isuzu diesel engine with only 120,000 miles (120,000 miles is just getting started!). At the time, we had sold our old house and we had just started building the new one and we had no room to keep a third car at the place where we were staying. I think it was the only Chevette left with a good solid floor too!

 

[Junkman]

Was that "solid floor" with or without fenders? I remember when they would rust on the dealers lot before even being sold. I don't know where GM purchased the steel for those cars, but it was of low quality and it showed quickly. The only thing that would rust faster was a 1960's Datsun. I know of only one Oldsmobile diesel that is still running. It is owned by a person that is very mechanical and felt that it was a challenge to repair the diesel to make it reliable. He uses it daily for the past 3 years with no breakdowns or problems. In the end, GM finally figured out what the "true" problem was. There was a sub contractor that had a manufacturing flaw problem and GM didn't realize this until late in the production. Once they figured out the "problem" and corrected it, the engines stayed together. Unfortunately, by that time the reputation damage was done and there was nothing to do but abandon the idea of a diesel in a US passenger car. Interestingly enough, they put them in SUV's and trucks with great success.

 

[JimR]

The GM 350 deisel was a big problem for GM. First it was blown head gaskets (weak head bolts). Then problems with the lower ends. In late 1981 they fixed both those problems and the motors ran fine. The injection pump also had a major fault. The rubber diaphram deteriorated after 30-50K. This really sucked as the car would flood over and smoke like crazy. I had a 1982 Olds 88 Brougham. The car ran super when the injector pump was working properly. I got 28 miles to the gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. I had to rebuild the pump on it twice in the 60K that I owned it. It had over 100K when I sold it. Other than for the pump, I wish I kept it now.

 

[slowzuki]

Have you ever driven a TDI? They are pretty fast! Too bad we don't get the euro version with the variable vane turbo with ~170 hp and gobs of torque!
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( economy. Your best bet is probably a VW TDI, over 50 mpg if memory serves me, but don't expect to get 0 -60 in under 30 seconds!!

Bud )</font>

 

[ljh2]

I'm curious where all the hydrogen for these fuel cells is supposed to come from? It's not like there is are a lot of 'free' hydrogen atoms out there. Hydrogen likes to bond and breaking that bond is going to cost us energy... where does that come from? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Now alcohol combustion on the other hand produces few emissions and a ready supply can be had from renewable sources - like corn.

I agree that a lot more R&D dollars should be spent on this. Even in the form of government research grants. I'm not endorsing the notion of propping up our auto-makers through government intervention, but the environment is a matter of public concern and research $$$ might actually get us moving toward a renewable energy source. Americans as a group aren't likely to willingly give up Horsepower/Performance, but not all alternate energy solutions force performance to take a back-seat. The hybrids are a great step, but only one step in the right direction. Renewable energy trucks and SUV's that didn't sacrifice performance would be a great hit.

Just my 2 pennies worth. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[California]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Now alcohol combustion on the other hand produces few emissions and a ready supply can be had from renewable sources - like corn. )</font>

I read somewhere that for any specific batch of corn-based fuel, petroleum energy input for tractor fuel, crop transport, and refining, exceeds the alcohol energy output provided by the corn.

The government's experimental corn alcohol program was described as just a diesel-to-alcohol conversion process, an inefficient mechanism for transferring money via federal subsidies from taxpayers to petroleum producers, and to midwest farmers who have a powerful lobby and excess subsidized corn to peddle somehow.

Does someone know some specifics to illuminate (or refute) this?

 

[Ole_Hickory]

<font color="blue"> Now its a big as any american car. </font>

Any ??