Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

The Morris Minor is a slow car, that is a re-creation of an original advert for the car when it was released with the 1.0l engine. Granted, I could have a shirt that just had a Morris Minor on it, or one with a better selling line but to be honest when I'm wearing it very few people are actually going to give a damn.

Ah. I didn't know that was an actual advert for the Minor.

It kind of reminds of of how, back in 1936, Buick built a car that they called the Century, because it could hit 100 mph. 100 mph seems like nothing today, but back in the Thirties that was supercar territory. To the point where some people consider the 1936 Buick Century the first "muscle car".
 
Ha! Looks like I'm not the only one with a fetish for terrible cars! :p

Yeah captain_70s has had a retro terrible thing going on for awhile. Nothing was wrong with the Minor when it was sold (at least until it became hopelessly out of date later in life).
 
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The Mini is over-hyped. I find them rattly and uncomfortable, and the original Mk1s are no faster than the Minor, not to mention they are now hideously overpriced. I have been looking at buying small UK cars for a long while now and as a small economy car (as the Mini was designed to be) it no longer makes sense.

The Minor is cheaper to buy, being slightly larger (more the size of a 90s hatchback) means Nissan Micra owners aren't looking down on you and you can fit 4 people inside without limbs being removed. Not to mention it doesn't rust like the Mini and considering the car dates from the late 40s its technological level is far more impressive.
Hell, this was the car that really put Alec Issigonis' name on the map, who of course went on to design the Mini. Which I agree was a packaging miracle and was, unintentionally, sporty to drive.
 
Hey, terrible cars at least have character!

I mean a Camry is reliable, somewhat roomy, and gets good gas mileage in 4 cylinder form. It is a in all respects a good, competent car.
I wouldn't own one, though.
 
Hey, terrible cars at least have character!

I mean a Camry is reliable, somewhat roomy, and gets good gas mileage in 4 cylinder form. It is a in all respects a good, competent car.
I wouldn't own one, though.

I'd have to disagree, at least as far as the current car goes. The interior was outclassed even when new, (Remember the last generation Kia Optima? Yeah, that car's interior was ranked leagues better than the Camry in terms of material choices and fit & finish) the handling was/is nothing special, and the styling decidedly iffy.
 
Perfect for running over peasants:

armortech-mulsanne-1.jpg


armortech-mulsanne-3.jpg


armortech-mulsanne-2.jpg
 
The Mini is over-hyped. I find them rattly and uncomfortable, and the original Mk1s are no faster than the Minor, not to mention they are now hideously overpriced. I have been looking at buying small UK cars for a long while now and as a small economy car (as the Mini was designed to be) it no longer makes sense.

The Minor is cheaper to buy, being slightly larger (more the size of a 90s hatchback) means Nissan Micra owners aren't looking down on you and you can fit 4 people inside without limbs being removed. Not to mention it doesn't rust like the Mini and considering the car dates from the late 40s its technological level is far more impressive.
Hell, this was the car that really put Alec Issigonis' name on the map, who of course went on to design the Mini. Which I agree was a packaging miracle and was, unintentionally, sporty to drive.

So "a lot of people like the Mini, so to be cool and different I like the Minor"?
 
So "a lot of people like the Mini, so to be cool and different I like the Minor"?

Not really, I know more Minor owners than Mini owners! :lol: I'm fairly sure Minors have a better survival rate than Minis too considering the numbers built.
I just find the Mini, although not a bad car, does not live up to its God like status. It is at the end of the day a decent old city car which is fun to drive, not automotive bliss.

Besides, if I wanted to be cool and different I'd have a Riley Kestrel. :p
 
Just remembered a thought I had earlier.

When was the NIHS/US Gov't hearing about all the Toyota problems?

We just got the recall notice for our Rav4's floormats a few days ago. Wasn't that one of the biggest problems they found? And we finally get the notice months down the road?
 
More helmet cam test footage:


The way they laid this roundabout out, I'm not sure why they didn't just make it a conventional intersection with protected right turns.

I was using it as a skidpad instead, but then traffic arrived so I left. :D
 
My local Holden dealer had a dot-matrix sign out the front advertising the Spark. Only, someone made a bit of a typo. Either that, or they're branching out.

https://pic.armedcats.net/h/hb/hbriz/2011/06/02/photo_001.JPG
 
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I just find the Mini, although not a bad car, does not live up to its God like status.

As much as I like the Mini I think it's getting to be the same as VW campers. I can't really talk though, I drive an iconic yet ultimately outdated uncomfortable (ish) ox cart. :D
 
For Spectre:

http://img849.imageshack.**/img849/4586/palavajaguar540x405.jpg

http://img577.imageshack.**/img577/5303/13069452339b8160e1540x4.jpg

http://img20.imageshack.**/img20/9159/13069439962a99dd81540x4.jpg

I didn't know they built Jaguars in France. :p


Original article in Finnish
 
Also, who wants to buy a 1996 Citro?n Xantia estate? 1.8l, blue, 299k on the clock, suspension and brakes dead. Dirty, scratched, stance slightly nose-down. ?Offers :p
 
For Spectre:

http://img849.imageshack.**/img849/4586/palavajaguar540x405.jpg

http://img577.imageshack.**/img577/5303/13069452339b8160e1540x4.jpg

http://img20.imageshack.**/img20/9159/13069439962a99dd81540x4.jpg

I didn't know they built Jaguars in France. :p


Original article in Finnish

That's a Series II, quite probably the worst-built Jaguar sedan ever. It was built during the height of the British Leyland union malaise period, so quite a lot of them burned.

You will note that it isn't upside down, though... So, like the workshy leftie Brits who were supposed to be loosely screwing it together, it was only partially emulating the French. :p
 
Sometimes I have to wonder, my school has a big SADD initiative going on into summer, for obvious reasons; posters up everywhere, bumper stickers, the occasional annoying announcements at the end of the day, and a big whopping sign billboard up in front of the school near the road with a crashed up car from a previous demonstration about crumple zones. Sure, great idea, no one will miss it leaving school, what they will miss, however, is seeing cars flying down the road because it blocks the entire line of sight at the exit when sitting at the stop sign and continues to obstruct the view until you are halfway into the road. At the end of the day someone is there to direct traffic but when they aren't leaving is effectively Russian roulette, only difference with Russian roulette is you know that there is one bullet in the chamber.
 
I hate spring. I just washed my car Monday, and it's already covered in pollen again:

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