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VK6BE > CARS 13.02.12 16:03l 73 Lines 3894 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 150398VK6BE
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: Modern,awful,steering.
Path: ON0AR<ON4HU<IW0QNL<IW2OHX<IR2UBX<IK2XDE<DB0RES<DK0WUE<IK6ZDE<VE3UIL<
VK6ZRT
Sent: 120213/1447Z @:VK6ZRT.#BUN.#WA.AUS.OC #:13514 [Boyanup] $:150398VK6BE
From: VK6BE@VK6ZRT.#BUN.#WA.AUS.OC
To : CARS@WW
I wonder what make was the small car you found so difficult? I bought and
drove 4.1 litre Ford Falcons for more than 40 years. Excellent car, good
roadholding and for its size quite economical to run. In that time I had
12 of them from the XL on to the EL model. I never had any major mechancal
trouble develop except for an oil leak in one of them. Change of gasket
fixed that.Before the Falcon came out I had a Mk1 and then a Mk2 Ford
Zephyr. Excellent cars but more thirsty that the Falcons.
A few months ago I sold my last Falcon and bought a Mazda 2. I was
astonished at the performance of this little car. Engine so silent that a
couple of times at first I made a horrible noise trying to statrt it not
realizing the engine was already running. I am not deaf; the engine is vry
quiet. Fuel economy about 7 L pre 100 km, not sure what that is in MPG but
it would be at least 40. The cornering is better than the Ford even though
it is so much smaller. Front wheel drive of course which probably helps.In
a city where there are no traffic lights at all but roundabouts at every
intersection that is a good test in road holding and the car goes round
with ease and out the other side with no fuss. The only black mark
against it compared to the big Ford is the road noise transmitted into the
interior which on some road surfaces is rather high. On smooth black top
it is silent however.
I drove it to Carnarvon in our mid northwest last year for my annual
holiday - 1200 km each way. I kept up a steady 110 kph which is the speed
limit on the highway and still had enough underfoot to pass the pesky road
trains which are huge trucks pulling two long trailers behind.Their limit
is 100 kph so they can be difficult to pass on a narrow highway.
While they were preparing this car they gave me a Ford Fiesta to drive, an
old one which had been a trade in. It was surprisingly good too. BTW the
steering wheel on both is the usual size and I did not notice any
difference in the gearing of the steering which is powered by the way..
Driving experience? I was a wireless operator-driver in the Army during
the war driving everthing on wheels and i have held all the licences
except bus and taxi up to three years ago when I passed them in. That
included road trains which I never used.
I had a motor scooter about a year ago until my doctor told me I was a
silly old so and so and I should get rid of it. I did.
BTW Ian, the big car manufacturers in OZ are having a rough time. Most
Aussies these days drive a Toyota with the Camry leading the way.
Bob VK6BE
>I found these two cars, difficult to steer. I had to keep both hands on
the steering wheel and, even, cross my hands to make sharp turns,
something which would be an automatic fail in the driving test I took in
1966.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to someone who accompanied me on
both the tiring trips I tok in the modern cars and, for some reson, the
talk turned to the driving. "I bet you feed the steering through your
hands the old fashioned way" he said, "Of course" i replied.
The talk went on a few minutes in the same vein. making me feel like an
old man who had forgotten how to drive. I had to remind myself that, even
though he was only half my age he hasn't even got a driving licence.
The experience got me watching car programmes on TV. I noticed tha,
especially when driving small cars, the presenters thought nothing of
crossing their arms while manoeuvering/
Here is tha bottom line. What is the reason for making modern cars with
smaller steering wheels and much lower geared steering ?
I realise that, in other countries, things may be different. In Oz for
example, they seem to drive bigger cars and drive far furhter than we do
in the UK, no doubt all with power steering so it doesn't apply.
Has anyone got any info or opinions ?
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