Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Since it was a low production vehicle that was a modification to an existing vehicle, it is possible it was given an exemption, or simply not required to meet that standard because of being a modified vehicle.

Like how Ford got away with "issuing a recall" on tons and tons of vehicles in the 70s and 80s by sending a warning sticker in the mail?

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The column mounted auto shifter could pop from P back down to R by itself. Pretty bad if you're behind your own pickup loading stuff into the back while it's running.
 
On another note: I'm watching a review of the Peugeot 106 as we speak.

What the hell happened to Peugeot between the 106 and 107? Case in point:

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Like how Ford got away with "issuing a recall" on tons and tons of vehicles in the 70s and 80s by sending a warning sticker in the mail?

View attachment 3556706

The column mounted auto shifter could pop from P back down to R by itself. Pretty bad if you're behind your own pickup loading stuff into the back while it's running.
Just another reason to get a manual :)
 
What the hell happened to Peugeot between the 106 and 107?

I think safety happened to that too and small, light biscuit tins like the 106 just didn't work any more.


Also Peugeot had a new ugly stick and wanted to try it out. Having said that, I think the design of the original 107 has aged better than the other variants.
 
Like how Ford got away with "issuing a recall" on tons and tons of vehicles in the 70s and 80s by sending a warning sticker in the mail?

View attachment 3556706

The column mounted auto shifter could pop from P back down to R by itself. Pretty bad if you're behind your own pickup loading stuff into the back while it's running.

It is nice that things have changed over the last 40ish years.
 
You mean like the FCA shifter that killed the actor from new Star Trek movie?

FCA wasn't able to just send out a sticker.
 
I think safety happened to that too and small, light biscuit tins like the 106 just didn't work any more.


Also Peugeot had a new ugly stick and wanted to try it out. Having said that, I think the design of the original 107 has aged better than the other variants.

Unfortunately, the 106, and its twin brother, the Citroën Saxo, are stuck in the 80's when it comes to body rigidity and safety ratings. They also have a rear axle which will inevitably get loose, or even fall apart completely. On our Saxo, we replaced the rear axle with one from an Italian scrapyard Saxo the first time it failed, and then had it rebuilt a few months ago.

The Saxo is a pretty good car to drive, I can attest that. It's small, nimble, has enough grip on proper tyres, although with the 1.1 engine it's just slow. Its VTR and VTS version are somewhat coveted, as are 106's XSi and GTI versions, although the most desirable of them all is the 106 Rallye.

The 107, however, I don't know much about, but while Evo magazine rated the 106 Rallye as #75 on a list of 100 best driver's cars of all time back in 2009, the 107 had a measly three star out of five rating when they tested it. And then, as @Perc pointed out, the 106 just looks like a proper small car, especially that Rallye version in that red with those white wheels and racing stripes. The 107 looks a bit funny. Oh, and of the first-generation Kolín-built trio, I think the C1 has aged the best.
 
Just another reason to get a manual :)
Or drive something other than an American Ford from the Malaise era. ?
The manual transmission is dead in my world and has been for a long time, but the final nail in its coffin is going to be active cruise control. You only need to try it once to realize your next car will have it.
 
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Unfortunately, the 106, and its twin brother, the Citroën Saxo, are stuck in the 80's when it comes to body rigidity and safety ratings. They also have a rear axle which will inevitably get loose, or even fall apart completely. On our Saxo, we replaced the rear axle with one from an Italian scrapyard Saxo the first time it failed, and then had it rebuilt a few months ago.

Yes, it’s a death trap like all old superminis are.

The rear axle is a common PSA problem ever since the 205 or so. DIYers sometimes add grease nipples to the bearings.
 
Speaking of active cruise control, it really is one of those killer features that I can't wait to have in my next car. Sadly my Insignia doesn't have it. You could still spec one on Opel's finnish web site when I bought mine in 2016(?) and ACC was a mere €199. Clearly it was too much to stomach on top of the €50k purchase price when new. Especially if you're "only" going to do 120.000km in two years, which the GDPO did.

I'm in a small town in a sparsely populated country and I still think it's awesome to not have to fiddle with the CC when there are other cars around. That, and having a car that creeps forward by itself when the traffic jam moves a couple car lengths is, well, awesome if that's what your morning commute is like. Mine thankfully isn't.
 
FCA wasn't able to just send out a sticker.
Yeah just a software update IIRC, not really massive difference really, shitily designed shifter in either case
Or drive something other than an American Ford from the Malaise era.
Or a recent FCA product apparently :p
The manual transmission is dead in my world and has been for a long time, but the final nail in its coffin is going to be active cruise control. You only need to try it once to realize your next car will have it.
I'm sorry that you hate yourself but here to help :p
 
TBH I see little benefit to ACC unless you are in stop and go traffic, which is ofc the one time it wouldn't work in a manual at all.

It's awesome whenever there's a car in front of you, in any situation and at any speed. Your car matches the speed of the one in front and keeps a safe distance. What's not to like?

Sure ACC kind of works with a manual, but you obviously need to intervene and change gears at some point and it won't work in stop and go traffic. So you get like 50% of the benefit. All ACC systems don't work in stop and go traffic anyway. Some shut off at like 30km/h or so.
 
It's awesome whenever there's a car in front of you, in any situation and at any speed. Your car matches the speed of the one in front and keeps a safe distance. What's not to like?
Don't see the point, also chances are I don't want to match the speed of the car in front of me, I want to go around it.
All ACC systems don't work in stop and go traffic anyway. Some shut off at like 30km/h or so.
This is personal opinion of course, so take it as you will, but I see little value in ACC that can't do stop and go traffic. If I am to cede control to a piece of questionable electronics* it has to have some sort of value. Not having to drive my car on a highway when traffic is moving normal, has no value to me, it's extremely easy to adjust speed as needed in those types of conditions and takes very little effort on my part. Stop and go traffic on the other hand is much more problematic as it requires a lot of attention to constantly changing road conditions, cars cutting in and out, lanes speeding up and stopping, etc... Not to mention general frustration of sitting in something like that for an hour.

*Look at Mercedes SBC issue as an example, where you can easily lose nearly all braking because of a faulty sensor.

P.S. From a strictly engineering point of view you could actually make a manual with ACC that can work in stop and go traffic as long as you don't get out of 1st gear by adding a solenoid to the clutch, after all that's basically what robomanuals and DCTs do, just w/o a user actuated clutch. Granted it would be a pointlessly expensive system since you could just stick a DCT in there and call it a day...
 
Stop sticking to the pavement and treating that yellow line like a wall and your commute will get wayyyy more interesting :p
It's pretty rare that I have a chance to pass. There's basically just one straightaway that doesn't have any side streets coming off of it where someone might pull out of (and it's the only legal passing zone).
 
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