Why some people are too stupid to own a car

[kenmbz]

I got my foreign drivers license with motorcycle endorsement for US $20 extra. No test, just needed to show a US license.
Probably would not have gone over too well here

Should have seen if I could have bought a pilots license, might have been $30

 

[Dftodd]

That was always my weak point. I leaned, but not as far as I should. My brother would go around a corner on his Honda 350 with me on back and drag the kick stand... intentionally. I could never get over that far.

The doctor was originally from China.

I'm sure you have seen some videos of older oriental people over there that rode a bicycle sitting straight up and rigid with no leaning. They would just turn the steering bar and stay rigid, and putter around the corner.

This was how he was riding the motorcycle. So there wasn't really any way for him to handle a turn safely at highway speed.

I really felt bad for the guy when the instructor explained to him why he couldn't pass him.

Pretty much every one of us in the class worked with him trying to get him to understand the concept of the lean being most of your turn with the steering bar doing very little other than something to hold onto for stability.

 

[BleedingOrange]

I had a great career and made a good living working in the telecommunications business, along with getting to work offshore and visiting a lot of countries I would never spend my own money on to visit. When I retired, gave up the latest and greatest company supplied and paid for portable phones and got myself a flip phone with a 10 dollar a month plan, which I basically only use for emergencies. I,m not that important, so zero need to be connected to all the words problems 24/7, 365 days a year.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I got my foreign drivers license with motorcycle endorsement for US $20 extra. No test, just needed to show a US license.
Probably would not have gone over too well here

Should have seen if I could have bought a pilots license, might have been $30

Less if you can make propeller noises.

 

[dodge man]

Not a stupid owner but car maker. A buddy bought a new Toyota Avalon and I found a disconnected vacuum line. It went into the air intake tube after the mass air flow sensor, which is AFTER the air filter. It was a pretty small port but none the less it was probably sucking in a little unfiltered air.

 

[fidowanttobe]

My brother would go around a corner on his Honda 350 with me on back and drag the kick stand... intentionally. I could never get over that far.

This made me smirk as I make the comment to my wife that the only time she hugs me is when I scrape the foot pegs cornering.

 

[Jstpssng]

This made me smirk as I make the comment to my wife that the only time she hugs me is when I scrape the foot pegs cornering.

My uncle had a Harley 60+ years ago and would laugh about going around the rotary in his town, dragging the crash bars to watch the sparks fly.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Why don't they make non interference engines? Broke or skipped the gears on two old stretched out timing belts both thankfully were non interference. Timing belt replacement on certain cars can be a little extensive, of course you should also replace the water pump at the same time imo.

Last engine I can remember that didn't have valve to piston interference problems when valve timing failed was a L-head Chrysler.

 

[jjeff]

Last engine I can remember that didn't have valve to piston interference problems when valve timing failed was a L-head Chrysler.

Two of my late 80s and 90s gm 4 cylinder cars had non interference engines. A twin cylinder Honda 3813 lawn tractor also does. All discovered by experiencing timing belt failures listed above.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Most engines today are 'interference' fit, that is, if the timing chain or belt fails, the valves impact the pistons and the motor is junk. Planned obsolence.

It isn't a modern problem. When the switch was made to overhead valves it became a problem that could occur. The 235 came out in the 1950s. I think that the intake valve would impact a piston were the valve open and the piston at TDC, same for the 283 head.

It's not a planned obsolescence problem, it's just the nature of the beast

 

[rangerfredbob]

Ford's Lima engines (AkA pinto motors) were non interference and they stopped production in the middle of '01...

 

[jjeff]

Here's a list of various engines and manufacturers listing interference or non interference, unsure how dated or complete. Seems it doesn't matter if it's single or dual overhead cam. With a timing chain or belt.
Interference Engines - The Complete List - Your Car Angel Interference Engines - The Complete List

 

[Jstpssng]

Ford's Lima engines (AkA pinto motors) were non interference and they stopped production in the middle of '01...

Despite their reputation-mostly because of their initial use- that was a tough engine. Several of my friends had Pintos and beat on them the way that only HS kids can do, yet they couldn't kill them. One of my friends even got rear ended and a ride to the hospital. The car was totaled but luckily it didn't explode.

 

[3930dave]

Last engine I can remember that didn't have valve to piston interference problems when valve timing failed was a L-head Chrysler.

Also Volvo (red-block, cast-iron) gasoline 4 cylinder engines, up into the 90's.

Rgds, D.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Despite their reputation-mostly because of their initial use- that was a tough engine. Several of my friends had Pintos and beat on them the way that only HS kids can do, yet they couldn't kill them. One of my friends even got rear ended and a ride to the hospital. The car was totaled but luckily it didn't explode.

See, they forgot to light the road flare in the trunk before they got rear ended, pfft!!! That's what the famous video took to get the outcome they were looking for...

My experience is all in Rangers, I've had a '90 since '99 and it's now a turbocharged conglomeration of random stock parts (from thunderbirds, explorers and Rangers), my daily driver is a '97 Ranger with a 2.3L and just over 200k on the clock, gets 22-25mpg commuting... not bad for something I acquired with a bent front axle for $450 3 years and 50k miles ago... sure now I have about $1500 in it but aside from insurance that's what $50/month? can't beat that with a stick considering I went from 16mpg to 22-25mpg...

 

[masseyrider]

Despite their reputation-mostly because of their initial use- that was a tough engine. Several of my friends had Pintos and beat on them the way that only HS kids can do, yet they couldn't kill them. One of my friends even got rear ended and a ride to the hospital. The car was totaled but luckily it didn't explode.

A friend of mine's wife had a Bobcat. She did everything in her power to kill that car. Regularly ran it with the oil light on. You could hear the knock when she drove down the street.
Finally passed it on to their son when he started driving and he got another couple years out of it. He got rid of it because there wasn't enough body left to even think of fixing it.
Motor still ran.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Look up worst cars of all time. Usually AMC Gremlin and Pacer are at the top. Writers Don't know what they're talking about. I've had both and collect cars, the AMC 6's were good motors as was the 304 (Gremlin X).
A friend gave me a 199 cu.in. six Gremlin years ago. He drained oil, put a brick on accelerator and went in for dinner. Came back it was still running.

 

[Jstpssng]

Look up worst cars of all time. Usually AMC Gremlin and Pacer are at the top. Writers Don't know what they're talking about. I've had both and collect cars, the AMC 6's were good motors as was the 304 (Gremlin X).
A friend gave me a 199 cu.in. six Gremlin years ago. He drained oil, put a brick on accelerator and went in for dinner. Came back it was still running.

The Gremlin was butt ugly but still a tough car. I was in HS during the mid-70s when many of the cars were around. There is no better testing ground for durability than a high school boy. The engines were tough but the bodies left a lot to be desired, which was true of any car from that era.

 

[kenmbz]

i hated my mom's Pacer, getting on the highway was always fun when it took ages to get up to speed. Underpowered and heavy.
The best part was when the rear shock towers popped up into the rear baggage area. The rest of the car had not rust.
At that point we scrapped it and my mom got a 4 cylinder mustang.
Not a great car, but at least while driving it you didn't feel like you should be wearing snorkeling gear.

 

[bigtiller]

My first new car was a 1973 Levi Gremlin with a 304 and synchro 3 on the floor. That was a great little car. We drove it 1000 miles straight through to Ickesburg Pa. with an 11 month old baby in the back seat.

The only bad thing was we had to start out in 2nd gear on very icy roads because 1st would just spin the tires.