4th of July, 2014

[fragger]

Yeah. NOT working the engine enough isn't good for it either, especially when it's new. It needs to be run in properly - not overworked, but not underworked either. Just like breaking in a new employee - if you don't make them w0#k well at the beginning, they will never w0#k well later on It also needs a good rev-up from time to time to blast accumulated exhaust junk free.

A mate of my dad's was notorious for not running engines in properly. He was one of those slow drivers, so whenever he bought a new car, he would putter around in it like Noddy, with the result that the engine never developed it's full potential. Dad borrowed one of his cars one day and it just didn't want to get up and go when asked to, even though it should have leapt at the chance (can't remember what it was, but it was something built to perform fairly well. Might have been a Jag of some sort). The guy had essentially raised a lazy slob of a car

[Art Blade]

oh dear, yeah.. My dad used to be one of those drivers.

I had to drive his car once (unescorted!) after a trip to the airport where he took a flight. I was supposed to drive the car back home. A rare thing, no one was allowed to drive his car and he informed me that he had the current mileage jotted down and would check it against the mileage on the odometer on his return  It was a BMW that was supposed to be sportive yet it just wouldn't get into gear, literally. I tried hard to get it up to speed and eventually, after quite some time and on a motorway, it suddenly broke free. Like, a whole new experience. Damn, why do those people even buy potent cars if they don't know how to drive them properly.

He's the type that never made any errors, and always had the last word, and everyone else was wrong by default. And in his opinion, everyone else obviously was a bad driver. And of course we just couldn't have any idea of how to run in a car properly, anyway. When he wasn't driving but a mere passenger, he'd torture everyone by announcing traffic signs, signals, everything he saw, and every once in a while he'd ask whether we wanted to kill him. I once had to drive him home after some kind of party.. he wasn't allowed to drive because of the booze. Eventually I told him to shut up or find a new driver. I actually stopped the car and walked away. There is a line that can be crossed and he did. Well, I returned and drove him home after making it clear that I'd leave him in his own car for real if he didn't keep his mouth shut. Also, I never drove him again By the way, so much for staying on topic, INDEPENDENCE DAY


My mum was a different caliber. She had her own car as no one was allowed to drive dad's car. Well, she was stopped by police officers once and they told her that they weren't quite sure whether to give her a ticket for speeding or for flying too low.

[PZ]

My mother was a driver like that - she purchased an Alfa Romeo when she was in her mid 60-s. She had two speeds - foot off the pedal, and to the floor, with very little between. 

[Art Blade]

I like that. Like you in a computer game: gas, on or off

[PZ]

   Indeed; I don't need to worry about the insurance company raising my rate when I wreck my car 

[Art Blade]

 

And I can race without getting a speeding ticket (and without dying in those hundreds of high speed car accidents)

[nex]

During the late 60's early 70's my brother was a salesman for a GM motor dealer in a quiet mining town.
I was looking for another car and one day walked into their showroom to chat with my brother.

The first thing I saw was this red devil with a wide black stripe starting from the grill
running over the bonnet and roof and over the boot.

fragger, you will know these cars very well, they come from OZ. It was a 1969 Holden Monaro 5.0-litre 308 Trimatic Coupé...!!
I didn't even take it for a test drive, I just bought it. And man, could this thing go!

The only negative about this car was that the nose started to drift at around 220kph (+- 135mph) and became very unstable
had it for three months when i got a good offer and sold it, made ZAR1500.00 profit.
Speed never bothered me as I was close friends with one of SA top rally drivers of that era and learned a lot from him.

Oops, sorry for highjacking your 4th of July topic PZ.....

[BinnZ]

Question is; do they text their tickets?

[Art Blade]

The first thing I saw was this red devil with a wide black stripe starting from the grill running over the bonnet and roof and over the boot.

fragger, you will know these cars very well, they come from OZ. It was a 1969 Holden Monaro 5.0-litre 308 Trimatic Coupé...!!

This is from Forza Horizon 3. I suppose it looked quite similar.

1973 Holden HQ Monaro GTS 350

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[nex]

It looked like this one

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[Art Blade]

beautiful

those were times when cars actually had some type of character, they looked like cars, they were individual. Today, cars look like fruit drops sucked until they had a round shape Today, you can only tell cars from other cars by reading the manufacturer's logo / brand.

[Art Blade]

fragger mate, just because I love slipping in one before you can.

[fragger]

You bugger

nexor, indeed, I remember the Monaros well I love some of the muscle cars from the 70s. Maybe not as technologically sophisticated as the cars of today, but so what - they had soul, and they ripped

Another popular Aussie-made car in the early 70s was the VH Valiant Charger. This was built by Chrysler Australia, so I think there was the same design in the States (I'm fuzzy on that). But at least they were built here, not imported. Major Aussie manufacturing is almost dead now (thanks, pollies).

This is a classic 1971 R/T model, much beloved by petrol-heads nationwide:

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[Art Blade]

gotcha

that's a nice car! Usually not a muscle car fan, I still like the ones from the 60s/70s.

[fragger]

Same here mate.