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Your first problem was renting a car in Portugal. Not that you had much choice, but I've never had a reliable vehicle rental in 5 different visits there. I had a cavalier, taurus, jetta, and can't remember the others. One might have been a cavalier also and the other a buick, but not certain.Originally Posted by BJ_M
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This Impala is quite tricked up. Ultra Violet lights in the underside of the hood, clear tubing and Green antifreeze. Hydraulics in the trunk and too much "bump". -
Can you put two images in the same post?
I would not ming driving this Alpha. The closest I have gotten to that is this Fiat. Sweet engine and drive train. Quite the smooth 5 speed.
Trying to add a second image . . . . . .
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ussually we get those 3 cyl cars (it was a cleo) that you rev like hell to get on the highway in lisbon (it is a right angle turn into 130km/h traffic, no or very very small entrance ramps)Originally Posted by Doramius
never saw a cavalier or taurus there .... lots of renault , MB , VW, toyota ..
MB has a plant there .."Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
Sorry, I had to jump ahead before reading all 7 pages.
It wasn't odd but it was BAD TO THE BONE!
"77 Plymouth Fury. used, unmarked state police car.
I think that the specs went like this, 440ci, thermo quad carb(plastic carb was suposed to make more power) dual ram air intake on what I think was about a 36" dia air cleaner(I guess that you needed to let it breath so that it could burn all the gas that it did!) police/taxi transmission (I don't know what made it special except maybe a big oil cooler) but it is the only transmission that I never had to have fixed!, posi traction rear end or the like (I swear that when it did break loose from the pavement it sounded like it was tearing the whole car apart! and worse if you did it turning a corner) It had two big ass batteries in the trunk to power all of the radios that went where all the holes in the dash were and I think they were for extra ballast! The trunk could only be opened from inside of the glovebox I don't remember if it was by design or had beem modified or if it was broken that way but being that there was a gun rack for two guns on the underside of the trunk lid I always figured that it was an added safty feature. I also rember that the trunklid seemed to have some powerfull springs to open it and if you didn't get it closed or let it slip out of your hands when closing it you could loose some teeth! It still had the two search lights thru the window post. ( I had always heard that I wasn't supposed to have those, but the cops never called me on it.) I don't really remember what the speedometer went up to (it gets higher with each telling of the story) 160 or 180 or was it 220? anyhow the best I remember doing was over 130 mph. Flat highways ain't as flat as you think in Indiana. Even a very mild hill at over 100 mph will get you into the air!
It wasn't quick out of the hole but when I floored it it never stopped accelerating until I chickened out and let off of the gas. It could even keep accelerating on hills. but there is always a top to that hill and you would have to land sometime.
Going over an over pass onetime at my comfortable highway crusing speed of over 90 and under 100. I was suprised to find that a tanker truck had just turned over and dumped its contents across the road(something very light green that never did come off completly from my wheel wells and rocker panels) anyhow I landed right in the spill and begain spinning. I say at least 4 complete my best freind swears more than ten because he had nothing to do but count. I really, really don't know but I felt like an ant on a Frisbe. I was too stupid to be scared of dieing, all I could think of was how am I going to explain this to my parents, and they will never let me have another car. Anyhow after what seemed like an hour of turning the wheel left and right without any results and trying to hang on for the big crash I wound up skidding straight backwards for another 300ft and then to a stop on the inside shoulder faceing the spilled tanker truck about 3/4 of a mile away. The car was just ideling there like nothing had happened. The skid marks looked like a bunch of different wrecks had happened there. And then the next car comes over the hill and into the slime. He spun and went into the dirt median and it looked like he was going to hit us but stopped about half way and then another spun out coming at us and then more! I put it in reverse and backed down the road to get away and still be able to watch what was the best wreck that I had ever seen. by the time that I had turned around to drive normal 8 to 10 cars had hit the slime and ran off the road none of them hitting anything but I was the only one to stay on pavement through the whole thing.
My bestfreind, the high school bad ass iron pumping martial arts guru, that he was, actually pissed his pants after we first stopped. I have never told anyone that we know in common about it. I asked him how in the hell can you piss your pants and he said that he could feel the pissing and he knew that it was happening and between watching the cars slide towards us and looking down to see if he was really pissing himself, he just couldn't stop. I could tell by looking at him that he half wanted to cry and half wanted to kill me so that I couldn't tell anybody. I told him that he deserved to piss after that ride and if he didn't tell my parents I wouldn't tell anyone (so much for that promise)
Sorry about the novel, just remembering some good times from my misguided youth. I hope that it was as exciting for you to read as it was for me to tell!IS IT SUPPOSED TO SMOKE LIKE THAT? -
I currently have a 2003 S-10 that has a bicycle brake lever under the seat. When you pull the lever the tailgate goes down.
The original reason I did it was for better wind resistance (and I'm weird) but I particularly enjoy dropping it when a bunch of people are around (they just think it is a POS truck) or when someone is tailgating me.
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Originally Posted by adamtholeI currently have a 2003 S-10 that has a bicycle brake lever under the seat. When you pull the lever the tailgate goes down.
The original reason I did it was for better wind resistance (and I'm weird) but I particularly enjoy dropping it when a bunch of people are around (they just think it is a POS truck) or when someone is tailgating me.
I knew a guy that rigged the tailgate on an old station wagon so that he could drop the gate on us in the winter when we would try to catch a "skitch". (hanging on to the rear bumper of a car and sliding down the slick road behind it like a ski rope, for those less fortunate to have ever heard of it or tried it) The moron could have killed us. (Like we couldn't kill ourselvs) I think that I know which of the older kids torched that car (or so he claims) But for sure there was a "car-b-que" that New Years Eve
IS IT SUPPOSED TO SMOKE LIKE THAT? -
Sorry, My bad. I was thinking Brazil. You're probably right. Closest I've been to Portugal was Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. I got the language right at least.Originally Posted by BJ_M
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I'd still take ANY VW over 95% of the American cars any day. I was born and raised in America...the cars are garbage.Originally Posted by BJ_M
VW is definately NOT the most reliable car on the road....they never were...that goes to Honda, Toyota....etc etc. -
My old man use to deal in junk cars as a hobby when he was alive. I got to see a few old cars that maybe weren't all that odd in their day, but by the time I got to see them they were pretty odd.
1914- Maxwell, it looked like the original horseless carriage
1951- Studebaker Champion, like the one in the Muppet movie. Studebaker wasn't a bad car I have been told. but for some reason alot of folks think it was a joke. My old man said that the thing about a Studebaker was to "fill it with oil and check the gas"
1920s- Dodge Brothers wooden body cars. 2 or more in his collection
1950s Buick Roadmaster. 2 or more
1957- Chevy Nomad A 2 door wagon that got driven into the ground by my older siblings
1963?- Ford wagon that was still taking cross country family vacations well in to the 70s
19??- Checker, as in Checker cab Maybe late 50s early 60s The checker body never seemed to change but the drive trains I think could have been by just about any automaker out there. I am not sure but for some reason I think that they were like a spec car and everybody built them at one time or another (I could be wrong)
Speaking of spec type cars I have seen plenty of old Jeeps. And quite a few of them factory customs (well I call them factory customs for lack of a better term) I mean ones that had been modified to do particular task. Like a mini fuel truck and some others that I think were probally for a military airbase.
19?? Stutz truck, I have heard that it was just like the one on the Beverly Hillbillys, they are about the same style but I can't tell for sure
and the list goes onIS IT SUPPOSED TO SMOKE LIKE THAT? -
As for surviving youth. My brother had a 59 Pontiac, straight 8. Could not beat a Corvair in the 1/4 mile but it made quite the band. Cruising along at 40 mph > turn off the ignition (Dash mounted / no wheel lock) coast for 5 seconds and turn on the ignition. I am surprized we didnt blow the muffler appart.
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Originally Posted by ZAPPER
a lot of those would be worth a lot today .... even in rough shape for some ..
like much of your list ....
checkers only in good condition (built in michigan also ! )"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
VW Thing, I remember it well.
The Ford Festiva, a good cheap car. Sipped gasoline. I think it made gas.
Never owned one though. I never owned any odd cars, but do you remember one called a SIMCA ? I'm pretty sure it wasn't american made. But it was built like an army tank. An interesting story, when I was 14, a friend of mine's brother was given a simca when he turned 16. Something to learn to drive with. It was probably 15 years old when he got it. Ugly thang. Basically, a shoe box with wheels. But it got him to where he was going. But not a babe magnet by any stretch of the imagination. Anyway, when he started college, he asked his father for another car. His father said " nothing with the one you got" when it lays down on you, we'll look for you another. So he purposely tries to destroy this automobile, but no matter what he did, it kept on running. He'd run it wide open in first gear just trying to cause a melt down. Eventually it began to smoke like a wood stove but still run like a top. Ran it a long time with no oil. But when he come home his father would check the oil and put oil in it. And told Steve, that he wasn't gonna buy him a car if he didn't take care of the one he had. So he'd drain the oil when he went back to school and when he came home he'd fill it with used dirty motor oil. Any way, this car somehow lasted till he graduated college, at which time his father purchased him a new car. I dont know if the simca is still running or not.
It was a tough little booger though.
Another odd car (that I didn't own) was the Rambler Marlin. A coworker of mine had one for many years. Had trouble finding parts for it though. We use to make fun of that crappy looking thing, but secretly, I liked it because it was so unusual. But I never told him that.
And another unusual car (that I never owned) is the Nash Metropoliton. It looked like something you'd see a circus clown drive.Coffee makes you happy.....Except when it messes you up -
Simca has a real interisting history ... it woudl be hard to say what simca it was and who it was made by unless you said the year and model ..
there is also the simca sent 'down under' as Chrysler Centura 's ///
Simca: Societe Industrielle de Mecanique et Carrosserie Automobile
In 1934 Henri Pigozzi founded Simca (Societe Industrielle de Mecanique et Carrosserie Automobile - translated it means an industrial company that makes car mechanics and bodywork) at Nanterre, France. Initially the company built Fiat cars under licence, with the odd "special" being constructed (Fiat chassis with unique bodywork). The successful Aronde models of 1951-60 marked the end of Fiat control, although the engine design continued to be used. However, the Fiat influence carried through to the 1000 series of 1960-79, of which over 1.6 million were built.
In the 1950s Simca bought Unic, Talbot and Ford of France (which made the Vedette - a car once planned to be a smaller American Ford, and which looked like a mini-1949 Mercury, but was neither one). Chrysler became the majority holder in 1963 and by 1970 changed the name to Chrysler France. The new model programme initiated by Chrysler produced the succesful (2 million made over 1967 to 1982) 1100 series, which formed the basis of the Chrysler Europe Alpine and Horizon (and Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon too), and was briefly fielded in the States in the early 70's as the Simca 1204, one of the Chrysler's trio of captive import subcompacts (along with the Plymouth Cricket from Hillman and Dodge Colt from Mitsubishi). After the Peugeot takeover of 1978, the Simca name survived until 1981 when Talbot was used thereafter.
Finally, here's a piece of trivia for you. Did you know that Chrysler Europe made a 3-seater sports car, before the McLaren F1? Or that it "invented" the 2-wheel drive lifestyle/SUV? Or the European MPV?
This is all to do with it's involvement with the Matra company. Matra had a background in aerospace and weapons (much like Saab) but, in 1964, became a car maker (and F1 constructor) when it took over Rene Bonnet's sports car operation for which it made the glassfibre bodies. The car Bonnet had been building, the 1961 Djet, was the world's first mid-engined road car. This was replaced by the rather strange 530 in 1967.
In 1970, Chrysler-Simca took over, renaming the company Matra-Simca. The first fruit of this union was the 3-seats-abreast Bagheera, a wedge-shaped glassfibre sports car (looking like a fastback TR-7, but neater!) with the Simca 1100 engine. 47,802 were built from 1973 to 1980. In 1980 it was replaced by the smoother-styled Murena, which had a Cd factor of 0.32, excellent for the day. It used the Alpine 1.6 engine or the new Tagora 2.2. 10,613 were built until 1984.
In 1977 the Chrysler-Matra (later Talbot-Matra) Rancho was released. Using a glassfibre body over the Alpine chassis and engine/transmission, Matra created a 6-seater wagon that looked like a 4-wheel drive, but wasn't. Rugged styling (with built-in rooflights) helped, but the European market wasn't ready for lifestyle SUVs yet. It survived until 1984 though, but with no further development. (Webmaster note: Outback without Paul Hogan?)
Finally to the MPV. Although Chrysler Corporation is widely credited with inventing the minivan in the US, as early as 1978 Matra was working on one for the Europeans. In the Peugeot takeover Matra was looked at by Peugeot, then discarded; it made the small-selling Rancho and Bagheera/Murena, which wouldn't make much profit, it's works were unsuitable for producing any Peugeot model, and the Peugeot management thought the idea of a minivan would never catch on...
Matra stayed independent afterwards. The MPV prototype went on the become the Renault Espace, Europe's first MPV, which Matra produced (true to Matra it has a glassfibre body). Matra stayed close to Renault becasue they need a dealer/garage network. Matra is a huge organization, but only a small part of the "Group Legardere." Latest news is that Renault (having loads of capacity on their plants) will take over the production of the Espace (done in Matra-Automobile's factory in Romorantin, south in Paris since 1984). This will free up the Matra plant to other things - and there has recently been an announcement from Renault and Matra that they will jointly develop a (quoting them) "luxury car, to exptend the Renault range upwards" They also have a very small 4-seater in the prototype phase - the P55 it should do up to 70-80mpg (UK miles/gallons) (30km/liter). For more info, click here. (Contributed by Lennart Sorth at matrasport.dk)
Simca 180 - an orphan of the road
The Simca 180 was a real automotive orphan. It was to be built in Britain to replace the big Humbers of the 1960s, but Rootes UK was having too many problems; the Imp was proving unreliable (overheating...), although the new Avenger was a reasonable sales success and the Hunter/Minx and other "Arrow" cars of 1966 to 1979 sold steadily, latterly assembled in Ireland then sold to Iran as the Peykan.
By the mid-1970s Chrysler UK was in financial crisis so received government cash (as British Leyland did some months previously). This enabled them to release the subcompact Sunbeam (spun off the Avenger chassis) and build in the UK the Horizon (which the Omni/Horizon is based on) and Alpine.
In 1978 Peugeot bought the European arm of Chrysler (Chrysler UK and Simca) and by 1981 had stopped building Avengers and Sunbeams (from 1976 built at the old Imp plant in Scotland). The Alpine (and sedan Solara) and Horizon lasted until 1985, along with the Samba (a rebadged Peugeot 104) before the name died.
As the British didn't want it, it was passed to France which also didn't want it, so it ended up in Spain (if you ever visit Spain you will lots of them, whereas I haven't seen one in the UK for a couple years).
The car was released in 1970 and was technically advnaced for the time - 1.6, 1.8 and 2-litre overhead-cam engines (the UK never saw the 1.6, and the 2-litre was always with 3-speed auto), disc brakes all round, and swoopy styling that aped Chrysler's US designs with a lack of glass. The European version only differs from the Australian Centura at the front, where it had two rectangular headlights as opposed to four round ones.
Amazingly the car was produced for a full 10 years until 1980, although demand can never have been that high. It's interesting to note the comments about bodies sitting in compunds in Oz for years and rusting; all Chrysler UK cars of the time were notorious for this, especially the Avenger (because it used electrolyzed paint on the chassis instead of underseal to save weight), Horizon and Alpine.
The 180 (1.8) was released first in the UK, with the 2-Litre (that is how it was badged) released two years later. Nice, comfortable cars with soft seats in the French tradition, most with the 3-speed auto, vinyl roof. But the UK masses bought cars like the Rover 2000 and Ford Granada instead. Oh well. We also had for a short time (early-to-mid 1970s) the Australian Charger and Valiant. Ford Australia also brought in the Falcon at around the same time, but I would imagine the fuel crisis of 1973-74 would have killed sales dead.
http://www.allpar.com/model/simca.html"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
This is still my favorite looking odd vehicle. Still waiting for them to mass produce.
TORVEC FTV (FULL TERRAIN VEHICLE)
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those look pretty common around here -- or something like it, to groom the 1000's of km 's of snowmoble trails in this area ... over 10,000 km of trails in ontario i believe alone ..
anyway - a lot of weird looking stuff working in the ice fields and tundras in USA and Canada and Greenland ..
like the normal greyhound bus's with floatation tires and a 2' lift kits ..."Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
Here's info. on the Torvec. It's founded around the Rochester area of NY. It's the city you can see across the lake on a clear day or night. You know, the people that were trying to make the fast ferry, but the project sunk before the boat was afloat.
CLICK HERE!
Also click on the links to the left and read about the transmission. This thing is awesome. I honestly think a big budget film should invest in using the vehicle for a movie, like James Bond or some other action flick. get it noticed and then it will spark heavily. I want one, and it goes much faster than they are stating, but this is the prototype. They can put the track, steering, and transmission on any cab-over truck, and it will maintain the max high speed of that vehicle. They've run these at about 100mph, but there's no need for them to be at such speeds at the moment. They have been trying to market to heavily wintered areas as an emergency vehicle. anything can be on the back, from ambulance to fire truck. Even in large snow and ice, this thing will make it through. -
Originally Posted by Doramius
looks pretty nice .. but they say unique and nothing liek it on the market ! hardly .. they better do some research ..
those have been built for years -- almost exactly the same thing .... i see them everywhere ... even big ones like this ..
and lots and lots of these
which look like the same thing ... these ones are made in canada and russia by Foremost ( www.foremost.ca )"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
how about these
of course this is me taking the bus to work .....
"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
we got some heavy duty stuff up here in the cold cold north when there is no sun for the winter and its -60 outside ...
"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
those nodwell 110's are great for caribou, moose and bear hunting ..
just sit on the roof and cruise around ..
"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
FYI - they aren't the same thing. The Nodwell, is a chain track with diesel engine and has less than 1/10 the gas mileage the Torvec. Torvec has all rubber track and doesn't require the track to drive. All wheels are independent drive. All of those vehicles are in high weight classes and you couldn't drive them on most all public roads as a regular vehicle, mostly because it is a regular vehicle.
Currently, you could take a Misubishi Cab over truck to their shop. They would rip the bottom off completely. Transmission, wheels steering, etc. They would reattach the new transmission, steering and track assembly. You could not make that type of change on a GMC type of Dump Truck and add the Foremost Track system to it, nor keep the same steering system.
Read a bit more of the info. Pictures are cool, but they are only worth 1000 words. They've researched their markets. -
i tell you there are all types of these things around .. with and without rubber tracks and wheel drive .. they have to be built for rough conditions ... from the start.. those cab over conversions would crack apart the first year going through the woods and swamps. for some really light wieght workk they are prob. fine .. but the 'real' ones last and last under hostle condistions .. some of these arround here were built in the early 60' s even (info from the BC and muskoka trail clubs) .Originally Posted by Doramius
there is nothing new in that torvac except using a existing cab over (which i have seen before also - they are used on the flat tundra and some ice roads where it is flat) , on ice roads you can use normal 18wheelers - it is the main mod of transport in the winter (and no surface transport in the summer) for many areas in the north. One thing that torvac has is speed - over the purpose built units .. the torvac can go a lot faster , except would be the same as existing cabover type units which already exist ..
Proven Dependability
From the swamplands of the south to the muskegs of the north, this compact and maneuverable transporter carries up to 10,000 pounds of payload. Power, traction, stability and flotation make the Canadian Muskeg carrier the gold standard for dependability and versatility. The UN World Food Program chose the Muskeg Carrier for its missions in Afghanistan. Rubber or Steel Track or Floatation Tire options.
Yes - these ones can float with any drive type..
2-person insulated hydraulic power tilt cab <-
Steering wheel and FNR selector via micro-processor
Operator seat with suspension
Seat belts - 2-point lap type
Dual controlled heaters and defrosters with heat control <- -
Dome and instrument lights
2 front lights (halogen double bulb)
1 rear light (halogen double bulb)
Full instrumentation
1,000 watts engine block heater <- -
Cold start aid <- -
Back-up alarm
Parts catalog (2)
Sunroof (tinted plastic)
Front wiper and windshield washer
Horn
Defroster fan
[/b]
"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
Just read the info. Trust me. You'll understand a little more. Quite interesting. I've seen the sno-cats and muskegs before. They have them in the US too at many of the ski resorts. You're not going to be aqble to put and ambulance assembly on the back of one of those units and travel to a person fast enough. The Torvec will. Same for a fire or other such emergency.
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it only has a payload capacity of 1 ton (2000lbs) , a standard rescue box is 1500lbs - so that is only 500lbs for 3 people min. .. a muskeg has a 20,000lbs cap. with the SAME ground pressure rating (2.0 psi , 3.8 fully loaded)
like i said - it is fast though ...
but with its fiberglass cabover cab and very lightweight frame - it is not going to be used for anything in rough terrain or for long term use in harsh conditions ..
nor does it have the extra cold handling features ..
frame:
i t would be good for some things - that is sure, but its side and leading AOA is low compared to a muskeg for example (60degree slope capability)
On slope rescues - single or extended dual track snowmobles are used which can pretty well go anywhere and transport to a waiting ambulance .
that thin track would get ripped apart on the shield here ... looks good for sand use though and i bet would be good for military use ..
Torvec holds a lot of good patents - they will do ok most likely .."Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
btw - WWII half tracks used the same sort of set up and track design ....
"Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650) -
Did you catch the part where one of the guys that helped develop this is retired from military armament. Again, the payload for the prototype is the main focus, but they used to rip the bottoms off of Dodge 2500s and get getter payload amounts. All they are primarily describing is the prototype. The track design can handle better weight ratios, which is obvious because of the disbursal of weight, the Nissan Cab over they used for the display vehicle is only rated at lower levels. I'm not expecting them to take a little Mitsubishi conversion in the the arctic of Canada to carry drill payloads and 50 tourists, but the track itself can be placed on any frame. It's most easy on the cab over truck because there are no bottom panels to remove or cut to make way for the track. They've done testing to put 2 sets of track on a vehicle, but it has very little potential to be sold in the US and some other european countries. It is also meant to be able to be used in various climates, so it can be used in a desert setting as well. Light swamp and other such areas. There might be a potential to have the vehicle get approved for street driving in the US inside the next 5-10 years. Good luck getting Nodwell through narrow 1-way city streets.
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Another weird one. It was made in 1933 - but what is it?
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almost looks like a nash -- but i know that not it ..
those tires are not period or that is a german or spanish car ...
maybe its a BSA , so many of those cars made then look the same to me .. before my time, cap should know though .."Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." - Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
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