Electric cars

[healey36]

A great deal of the American cars built in the 70's rusted out quickly and were made cheaply....some were real turds. This is when Honda, Toyota and Datsun made some serious headway into the american market. We had a 83' Accord (1st new car) and it was a great car until some fool rear ended us.

A friend of mine had an '82 Honda Accord from new. Both front wings (fenders) rusted to bits in four or five years. The back half of the front wheel wells (the mud-guards) disintegrated which left the inside of the fenders exposed all the way back to the firewall. Honda knew it was a problem but neglected to offer any sort of repair. For a long time, the Japanese built great motors, but their sheet-metal was suspect.

I still think the first Civic was the best car Honda ever made. Damn thing had that advanced stratified charge set-up (they called it CVCC, or Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion). I think that thing could have run on Vitalis if you got caught short.

[healey36]

That's about 175 miles each way.

In today's EVs, he'd likely never make it without stopping for a boost. Few of the ones I've looked at will go further than 150 miles at highway speeds with the A/C running.

[robert.]

Honda cvcc first generation would backfire and start running backwards.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

That's about 175 miles each way.

In today's EVs, he'd likely never make it without stopping for a boost. Few of the ones I've looked at will go further than 150 miles at highway speeds with the A/C running.

Check the new Volvo and Audi models; 3-4 hours. That Lucid Air is 5 hours.

[v8vega]

I see lots of Teslas where I live and it's not a wealthy neighborhood. I guess they're not worried about resale value if they keep it 10 years. Electricity is expensive in the Los Angeles area, they save some on gas cost but not that much.

[Mitch]

If you're old enough to remember when imported Subarus first entered the country, they were relatively inexpensive cars opposed to the American menu. They couldn't outlast a 36 month payment book. Within a year and a half, you could reach your hand through the outside of the fenders, doors and quarter panels. Now, they're one of the very top rated imports, in service and safety.

[healey36]

That's about 175 miles each way.

In today's EVs, he'd likely never make it without stopping for a boost. Few of the ones I've looked at will go further than 150 miles at highway speeds with the A/C running.

Check the new Volvo and Audi models; 3-4 hours. That Lucid Air is 5 hours.

The Lucid Air is $87.5K in base form. It should have a thousand-mile range for that price. The Volkswagen ID.4 starts at $41.2K. As I said earlier, the VW sales guys tell me the range is roughly 140 miles at highway speed with the A/C running. Poor range and fire risk have me shy of the current crop of EVs.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Check the new Volvo and Audi models; 3-4 hours. That Lucid Air is 5 hours.

The Lucid Air is $87.5K in base form. It should have a thousand-mile range for that price. The Volkswagen ID.4 starts at $41.2K. As I said earlier, the VW sales guys tell me the range is roughly 140 miles at highway speed with the A/C running. Poor range and fire risk have me shy of the current crop of EVs.

How far can you get on a tank of gas? Miles per price tag?

I know folks that have Teslas and they're not looking at 140 miles of range; one I know drives out to the Chicago meet from NJ.

Reinforces my not being at all keen on VW; not read anything good about their entries into EV oddly enough.

[robert.]

Did Subaru ever fix their head gasket problem? I wonder what that Swedish female ski team looks like now?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Did Subaru ever fix their head gasket problem?

Was that in the older 4 cyl engine? Think that was what my son's Forester had in it. Think that engine's been changed over. My Outback had a 6 in it and that was discontinued.

I wonder what that Swedish female ski team looks like now?

Huh?

[Mitch]

Did Subaru ever fix their head gasket problem?

Don't know about that, robert, but I did head gaskets and timing belts on Subies when I was in a general service garage in the early '90s. It was one of their few weaknesses, but then again the Mopar 2.2L and the 2.5L four cylinders, the Pontiac 1.8L and the Chevy 2.0L and 2.5L blew head gaskets left and right too. The gaskets themselves were the problems. Fiber style gaskets, cast iron blocks and aluminum cylinder heads, all with different expansion ratios caused the failures, mostly after many thermal cycles. Multilayer steel gaskets and a new sealer helped cure the problems. Subaru still uses the opposed 4 cylinder engines; they've stood the test of time.

[healey36]

Reinforces my not being at all keen on VW; not read anything good about their entries into EV oddly enough.

Yup, and they're pledging an all-electric line-up within a few years. My daughter is a die-hard VW fan, which is my fault. I bought her that damn Beetle when she needed a car in college, and it was a PITA...sigh. Went like a tank in snow, though. She won more than a few bar bets telling her know-it-all male friends it had a five-cylinder in it. "C'mon Katie, there's no such thing as a five-cylinder".

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Subaru still uses the opposed 4 cylinder engines; they've stood the test of time.

Yes, but the 4 cylinder engine in my son's new Subaru is not the 4 cylinder engine that was in his old Forester.

Sadly, they discontinued the 6 or I might be driving an Outback still.

[robert.]

a little different than i remember. they pick up a girls ski team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_wh44LRHLw

[robert.]

My father-in-law has a 5 cylinder Mercedes diesel. He calls it "Natasha". That car is a tank.