Project Car / Motorbike thread. Let's see 'em.

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
Artificially lower speed limits reduces the driver's perceived danger of the road, which leads to either drowsiness, inattention or both.
But we're not talking about lowering speed limits, we're talking about enforcing existing speed limits.

How do countries with large animals that wander across major roads handle their speed limits?
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
I can assure you there were many worries when my '94 V6 Exec approached 200km/h. Aside from the engine feeling like it was going to throw a rod, the amount of air being trapped under the car meant the front wheels felt like they were barely touching the ground. I also aborted at ~190km/h when I considered that if I couldn't see an obstacle coming some way past the horizon, the feeble brakes were never going to stop me in time. I was a "sensible" 19yo.

More seriously, @HamboCairns while speed limiters are not inherently bad, they are a shit solution when governments solution for everything (poor road surface, too much roadside advertising, bad or missing signage, drunks falling onto the road because liquor laws aren't policed and no pedestrian barriers on high pedestrian traffic urban "nightlife" roads, etc etc...). Artificially lower speed limits reduces the driver's perceived danger of the road, which leads to either drowsiness, inattention or both.
Probably had a worn or badly aligned front end, I had a VN auto, not lowered either and it was quite stable at high speeds for those days. Brakes on the other hand were a one stab shot at that speed, if you fried them, you would be in a bit of bother. The small Torana I have was more frightening and needed a lot more concentration. The Valiant ute I had was suicidal, I only went to 180 once and promised myself never again.


What was the technicality?
They got stuck behind cars on the highway and couldn't pin me for an accurate speed reading.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Probably had a worn or badly aligned front end, I had a VN auto, not lowered either and it was quite stable at high speeds for those days. Brakes on the other hand were a one stab shot at that speed, if you fried them, you would be in a bit of bother. The small Torana I have was more frightening and needed a lot more concentration. The Valiant ute I had was suicidal, I only went to 180 once and promised myself never again.




They got stuck behind cars on the highway and couldn't pin me for an accurate speed reading.
You've not lived until you've topped out a Reno 10... Need a long downhill run and no regard for engine redlines to see 85 Miles an hour on the speedo, but in a 700kg rear engine swing axle car it was pretty damn frightening!!
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
On an anecdotal level, I should take some photo's, but there is an intersection near my house with a stop sign and there's at least one crash a week, no over speeding involved, people just can't drive and don't know the road rules.
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Probably had a worn or badly aligned front end, I had a VN auto, not lowered either and it was quite stable at high speeds for those days. Brakes on the other hand were a one stab shot at that speed, if you fried them, you would be in a bit of bother.
Nah, front end was good. It was lowered so that may not have helped. Had a mate with a VN and it gave no such dramas. He certainly tested it frequently enough. Private racetracks of course (cough cough)
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
The kids have grown up and have their own cars...
I'm 55 now and miss my Ducati bikes (Not allowed to have another one...after parking the last one in the side of a car many years ago.)
About to pull the trigger on one of these... anyone (besides my wife) wanna talk me out of it?

View attachment 379638
I tried to get Kirsty to like these, theyre a riot to drive with the 1.4 Multiair engine. Ended up with the engine, but in a Giulietta instead.

Its a great unit. Sounds like a tractor when cold and is a bit turbo laggy sometimes, but its a very torque engine and loves to be spanked.

Servicing can be tricky as its all crammed in there pretty tightly...
 

FatMuz

Likes Dirt
I tried to get Kirsty to like these, theyre a riot to drive with the 1.4 Multiair engine. Ended up with the engine, but in a Giulietta instead.

Its a great unit. Sounds like a tractor when cold and is a bit turbo laggy sometimes, but its a very torque engine and loves to be spanked.

Servicing can be tricky as its all crammed in there pretty tightly...
So...would you say the engine is a reliable, long term option? The one I'm looking at (in the pic) is a 2017 with 31,000 km on the clock.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
So...would you say the engine is a reliable, long term option? The one I'm looking at (in the pic) is a 2017 with 31,000 km on the clock.
Yes, but with the very very important caveat that they are very sensitive to the wrong oil and old oil.
The Multiair system is essentially a series of hydraulic plungers modulated by solenoids - if they have the wrong oil (such as with poor anti foaming causing cavitation in the valve train hydraulics) or old oil (causing sludge or carbon blockages) and the Multiair unit will be a $1500-2000 bill to replace.

The Alfa has 15,000km oil changes, I double that and change every 7500….
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
So...would you say the engine is a reliable, long term option? The one I'm looking at (in the pic) is a 2017 with 31,000 km on the clock.
Youre also up for the 5 year cam belt change soon. It’s a relatively simple job and not too exxy though.
 

boyracer

Likes Dirt
Any Melburn gear heads on here?
Lockdown notwithstanding i need a turbo checked out/ assessed as usable/ rebuildable. north west Melbs.
it's for a slow burner resto project in the shed.
 
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