Automotive complexity

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hubgearfreak
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by hubgearfreak »

patricktaylor wrote: What does a new one look like?.



more modern, so mine is officially daft then, according to design guru :lol:

also, the two below are lowered and with tarmac tyres on, which is a great shame for limiting the fun for their owners, and also a waste of a good car :wink:

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GrahamNR17
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by GrahamNR17 »

Hubbers, with this car you have veered us away from good car/bad car and into the realms of cool car! I haven't seen anything like that since the 70s and beach buggies. I seem to recall they wore a Beetle engine at the back in those days. Presumably things have moved on a bit since then, so please grace us with the full spec of your hippy wagon :D
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hubgearfreak
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by hubgearfreak »

you're right. the mechanics are pure 1972 vw - the body is a new one (in 1999) but a near identical copy of the original 1962 meyers manx that started the whole beach buggy thing off

here's a pic of the motor, and how easy it is to do the plugs, rockers, exhaust & etc.

and one of the ground clearance

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patricktaylor
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by patricktaylor »

hubgearfreak wrote:
patricktaylor wrote: What does a new one look like?.


more modern, so mine is officially daft then, according to design guru :lol: ...

FWIW, I prefer yours.
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hubgearfreak
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by hubgearfreak »

patricktaylor wrote:FWIW, I prefer yours.


some designs they just got right first time i suppose?
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patricktaylor
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by patricktaylor »

I think so. The more something is stylised to the current fashion, the more it tends to date as fashion moves on. I'm no expert on the original Landrover but that is possibly another example (of good). Just now, you see a lot of new cars designed with sharply sculpted lines (started by BMW) - in a few years they'll look very late noughties.
GrahamNR17
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by GrahamNR17 »

I can feel stirrings within. It's either wind - god I hope so! - or my midlife crisis starting :shock:

Hubbers, how dare you put pictures of cool Bugs up here. I was alright until you did that :?
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ferrit worrier
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by ferrit worrier »

CREPELLO wrote:
CREPELLO wrote:In fact, I'd like to see a car that is built in a 'modular' style, such as railway locomotives and coaches are. These vehicles are essentially just chassis and shells which can be re-jigged with new hardware and interiors.

Or should I say, just like the classic steel framed bicycle?... :mrgreen:


I think there is a lot of mileage in that suggestion. The snag is the govermant would cotton on and only qualified mechanics would be alowed to modify. But I certainly think that it is a way forward, lots of complex issues to resolve like high performance engine in a car that only has low performance suspension. Do people still build kit cars, Hubgearfreak has post pics of some smart beach buggies. there was a little sports car like a lotus IIRC was it a Caterham? I'd allways fancied building a car and wanted a Landrover so I got two birds with one stone.
Percussive maintainance, if it don't fit, hit it with the hammer.
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Si
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by Si »

you're right. the mechanics are pure 1972 vw - the body is a new one (in 1999)


are you not being a bit naughty in having a black and silver number plate then? :)

Sorry, one of the few times that pedantry stirs within me is when I see 'new' VWs with the old style black numberplates (normally accompanied by slopy headlight wings and small rear indicators - although none of that is as bad as a 70s bug with a plastic split rear window glued into place!)
GrahamNR17
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by GrahamNR17 »

Si wrote:
you're right. the mechanics are pure 1972 vw - the body is a new one (in 1999)


are you not being a bit naughty in having a black and silver number plate then? :)

Sorry, one of the few times that pedantry stirs within me is when I see 'new' VWs with the old style black numberplates (normally accompanied by slopy headlight wings and small rear indicators - although none of that is as bad as a 70s bug with a plastic split rear window glued into place!)

A good point, but Hubbers 'dub is a K reg and thus falls easily within the allowable period for silver on black plates. My Austin 1300 was a '73 and that was old style plates. When exactly was the cut-off year?
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hubgearfreak
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by hubgearfreak »

Si wrote:are you not being a bit naughty in having a black and silver number plate then? :)


no, they're allowed for cars made on or before 31/12/72.
the VED is free and insurance little over £100 (sorry graham :wink: ) :mrgreen:
hamster
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by hamster »

I think they are illegal after "L" suffix.
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Si
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by Si »

hubgearfreak wrote:
Si wrote:are you not being a bit naughty in having a black and silver number plate then? :)


no, they're allowed for cars made on or before 31/12/72.
the VED is free and insurance little over £100 (sorry graham :wink: ) :mrgreen:


Damnit, you mean I could have had one on my '72 and upped my kewl factor too ? :shock:

Ho hum. Think that I've had enough of VWs now. If I were to go for an out of the ordinary, but non-exotic, car it's probably be a triumph GT6, or a ford capri. My mum had the first ford capri that was sold in the west midlands, before they acquired a certain image, and I've always liked them (apart from the ones with the silly body kits). Indeed, I had a MkII 2lt ford capri ages ago, it wasn't particularly fast and didn't have particularly good handling, but I really loved it - it was just so comfortable to drive and so easy to work on, not to mention cheap to run! Bought it for £250 and sold it for £300 several years later :D Always fancied a 2CV too, but they appear to be silly money (like VWs).
GrahamNR17
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by GrahamNR17 »

Si wrote:
hubgearfreak wrote:
Si wrote:are you not being a bit naughty in having a black and silver number plate then? :)


no, they're allowed for cars made on or before 31/12/72.
the VED is free and insurance little over £100 (sorry graham :wink: ) :mrgreen:


Damnit, you mean I could have had one on my '72 and upped my kewl factor too ? :shock:

Ho hum. Think that I've had enough of VWs now. If I were to go for an out of the ordinary, but non-exotic, car it's probably be a triumph GT6, or a ford capri. My mum had the first ford capri that was sold in the west midlands, before they acquired a certain image, and I've always liked them (apart from the ones with the silly body kits). Indeed, I had a MkII 2lt ford capri ages ago, it wasn't particularly fast and didn't have particularly good handling, but I really loved it - it was just so comfortable to drive and so easy to work on, not to mention cheap to run! Bought it for £250 and sold it for £300 several years later :D Always fancied a 2CV too, but they appear to be silly money (like VWs).

I fancy a 2CV-based kit car. A knackered 2CV (rusted-out) cost pocket change, and new chassis are relatively cheap (they're galv too!) Sommat that looks like a 1930s roadster would be cool, though with that twin-pot boxer under the bonnet, not lightening fast!

As for your Capri, wash your mouth out!
aj
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Re: Automotive complexity

Post by aj »

I fancy a 2CV-based kit car. A knackered 2CV (rusted-out) cost pocket change, and new chassis are relatively cheap (they're galv too!) Sommat that looks like a 1930s roadster would be cool, though with that twin-pot boxer under the bonnet, not lightening fast!


A Lomax perhaps... http://www.sportsandleisurecars.co.uk/index_006.htm
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