Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

[Rope-Pusher]

PODCAST ON WHAT PERSONAL DATA YOUR VEHICLE MAY HOLD - THAT NEEDS TO BE WIPED BEFORE THE VEHICLE IS SOLD, SCRAPPED, ETC.

https://soundcloud.com/canadaconversati ... t-and-more

[Rope-Pusher]

THE NEW AND IMPROVED ALFA ROMEO TONALE

https://www.caranddriver.com/alfa-romeo/tonale

[Rope-Pusher]

Emissions? Impossible!

Two Chinese Car Companies Slug it Out in Public

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y9wzLWK-io[/youtube]

https://www.autonews.com/china/great-wa ... 2-readmore

[Rope-Pusher]

"27% of GT and Dark Horse buyers are ordering a manual transmission" - Autoline Daily

NEW FORD MUSTANG PRICING REVEALED
Ford opened the full build and price website for the new Mustang, which means we know how much it costs now. A base EcoBoost version starts at just under $31,000 not including destination charges. To go to a V8 GT it costs $42,500. A convertible for the EcoBoost adds $9-grand to the price and $10-grand for a GT. And lastly, the new 500 horsepower Dark Horse Mustang starts at just under $60,000. Ford says of all the people that have already configured a new Mustang, 50% more people are ordering the High Performance Package on the EcoBoost version, which it thinks is due to the addition of its electronic drift brake, and that 27% of GT and Dark Horse buyers are ordering a manual transmission.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedi ... stang.html

[Rope-Pusher]

Learn to speak Canadian!

New Motor Vehicle Retailers of Ontario (MVRO) report highlights “crisis” of technician shortages

Ontario is short of filling 3000 auto technician job openings. They are looking to the Philipines to fill the positions.

"... the average wage of automotive service trades being between $60,000-$80,000 annually....

https://canadianautodealer.ca/2023/08/n ... shortages/

[Rope-Pusher]

This made me think of Tinton, he of the Corvette Brakes and power-boosted Pontiac Fieros.

Pontiac Fiero museum destroyed in flood

We had a little too much rain, that dam water barrier across the Tittabawassee River was overflowed, and then it broke open and everyone saw it's breaches.

https://www.freep.com/picture-gallery/n ... 240300002/

RIP Tinton

Most people happening across this post wouldn't even know who Tinton is if it weren't for his business that applies darkened plastic sheeting to car windows.

Speakin' of Tinton,....

I wonder if he took part in any festivities associated with the 40th Anniversary of the Pontiac Fiero

https://www.autonews.com/video/automoti ... hero-image

[Rope-Pusher]

HONDA DEVELOPS ELECTRONIC CLUTCH FOR MANUAL MOTORCYCLES Autoline Daily

Honda is making it a lot easier for anyone to ride a motorcycle. It developed an electronic clutch for manual motorcycle transmissions, which it calls a world’s first. Riders are no longer required to operate the lever on the handlebars and can just hit the foot pedal up or down to change gears. I think this is interesting because the rider will still get some engagement with the bike and what the engine is doing without going to a full-blown automatic transmission. However, purists can still operate both the hand and foot lever together if they want to. Better yet, Honda says its e-clutch can be installed on existing engines with little modification and it will add it to new models over time.

https://global.honda/en/newsroom/news/2 ... 10eng.html

[Rope-Pusher]

Latest Entry in the "Nice Quote" collection:

"In an ideal world, a rarity such as this car would command a significant value premium over its two-pedal brethren and would never be tossed into the trash. Sadly, such is not the case."

From: Autoweek: 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN CALIFORNIA JUNKYARD

https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/a4560 ... rown-away/

[Rope-Pusher]

Moron Honda's E-Clutch

Is this like MENSA hosting cram courses in how to score higher on IQ tests?

Can you really claim to be Amish if you don't know how to hitch a team of horses to your wagon?

HONDA REVEALS MORE MOTORCYCLE E-CLUTCH DETAILS - Autoline Daily
Honda provided a few more details about its new e-Clutch for manual transmission motorcycles, which makes it so riders don’t have to use the clutch lever on the handle bars. When a gear is selected, two motors inside an actuator unit operate the clutch and the system will also control ignition timing and fuel injection to make the gear shift as smooth as possible. Riders can even adjust how hard they have to hit the pedal to shift gears. And they can still use the standard clutch lever, which disengages the e-Clutch for a few seconds or they can shut off the system completely. Honda is already launching models available with the new e-Clutch and it says the system only weighs 2 kilograms or 4.4 pounds and the clutch and transmission hardware are not different from other motorcycles, so there’s a lot of potential applications.

https://hondanews.eu/eu/en/motorcycles/ ... technology

[ClutchFork]

Moron Honda's E-Clutch

Is this like MENSA hosting cram courses in how to score higher on IQ tests?

Can you really claim to be Amish if you don't know how to hitch a team of horses to your wagon?

HONDA REVEALS MORE MOTORCYCLE E-CLUTCH DETAILS - Autoline Daily
Honda provided a few more details about its new e-Clutch for manual transmission motorcycles, which makes it so riders don’t have to use the clutch lever on the handle bars. When a gear is selected, two motors inside an actuator unit operate the clutch and the system will also control ignition timing and fuel injection to make the gear shift as smooth as possible. Riders can even adjust how hard they have to hit the pedal to shift gears. And they can still use the standard clutch lever, which disengages the e-Clutch for a few seconds or they can shut off the system completely. Honda is already launching models available with the new e-Clutch and it says the system only weighs 2 kilograms or 4.4 pounds and the clutch and transmission hardware are not different from other motorcycles, so there’s a lot of potential applications.

https://hondanews.eu/eu/en/motorcycles/ ... technology

Seems to me that the VW Beetles back in the 1970s could be had with an automatic clutch.

Problem with the e-clutch though, is if you get used to it and then get into a proper manual transmission car you might inadvertently grind gears, forgetting to use the clutch pedal.

[Rope-Pusher]

Moron Honda's E-Clutch

Is this like MENSA hosting cram courses in how to score higher on IQ tests?
Can you really claim to be Amish if you don't know how to hitch a team of horses to your wagon?

HONDA REVEALS MORE MOTORCYCLE E-CLUTCH DETAILS - Autoline Daily
Honda provided a few more details about its new e-Clutch for manual transmission motorcycles, which makes it so riders don’t have to use the clutch lever on the handle bars. When a gear is selected, two motors inside an actuator unit operate the clutch and the system will also control ignition timing and fuel injection to make the gear shift as smooth as possible. Riders can even adjust how hard they have to hit the pedal to shift gears. And they can still use the standard clutch lever, which disengages the e-Clutch for a few seconds or they can shut off the system completely. Honda is already launching models available with the new e-Clutch and it says the system only weighs 2 kilograms or 4.4 pounds and the clutch and transmission hardware are not different from other motorcycles, so there’s a lot of potential applications.

https://hondanews.eu/eu/en/motorcycles/ ... technology

Seems to me that the VW Beetles back in the 1970s could be had with an automatic clutch.

Problem with the e-clutch though, is if you get used to it and then get into a proper manual transmission car you might inadvertently grind gears, forgetting to use the clutch pedal.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbBfDOPeZ2g[/youtube]
Charlie Chan knew all about the "Automatic Stick Shift"

So did a buddy of mine working at the Tank Command. There was a switch in the shifter that uncoupled an electric clutch whenever the shift knob was pushed forward or pulled rearward. After the driver selected the desired gear range and released the shift knob, the electric clutch engaged again and they were off like a herd of turtles.

[ClutchFork]

So did a buddy of mine working at the Tank Command. There was a switch in the shifter that uncoupled an electric clutch whenever the shift knob was pushed forward or pulled rearward. After the driver selected the desired gear range and released the shift knob, the electric clutch engaged again and they were off like a herd of turtles.

Great video.

Well, if I have to go like a turtle, I still want a real clutch pedal not some electronic gizmo like that. Almost as bad as paddle shifters on an automatic. But I wonder if those old beetles would take a shot of nitrous to help them get off the line.

[Rope-Pusher]

I've never driven an air-cooled VW Beetle, but I was looking at the speedo...
the shift points are at fairly low speeds, suggesting the overall gearing would make it easy to launch from a standstill. They might not have much power, but they are quickly into the peak of their power band within a few feet perhaps.



Reading in an owners forum, I again saw the boast "Can beat any car to the end of the crosswalk" - I was familiar with that phrase from back in the day when I actually knew people who drove / had driven them.

[Rope-Pusher]

Yanno, it's not that far off when I drive with the transfer case in low range - that's 2.7 x more gear ratio than when in high range. Nail the throttle in 1st gear and it jumps like a deer, but that's just because it reaches peak torque so soon...it still has only so much power, so by the time I shift to 2nd the rate of acceleration is about like 1st gear in high range. I had to creep the whole length of the Detroit-Windsor tunnel last week and driving in low range made that a lot easier, especially in the uphill half of the tunnel.

[ClutchFork]

Quite the similarity here: