Nano Nano Tata

[skywords]

Rick, a case in point about everything has to be "new, bigger and better". The Ford Ranger is a design that has been around for eons. Still is a serviceable, tough little truck. But they are not selling because they are now smaller than the competition and need a face lift.

"We have met the enemy and he is us" Pogo.

Bill

The Ranger is a tough little truck. I help pull a fella out of one that was just going to work and got hit head on by a Jeep Cherokee they were both doing about forty. The Jeep fair ed a little better and naturally since it was his fault he was not injured. The Ranger driver went in the Helo but was more or less in one piece.
I was listening to my favorite radio show tonight while working on the Sunbeam (Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers). Someone called in to the show with a 1957 Morris Minor Saloon complaining about how gutless it was. It had 36hp on a good day. Tappet brothers reminded us that VW Beatles had 36hp and did OK. They suggested a compression check.

 

[Bill Blue]

I'm surprised they did not tell him to check the timing while he was messing with it. Improper timing messes up a small engine very quickly. I had a friend in college that had a new English Ford with the Kent 1600. It quickly got so doggy that in order to pass someone, he would fall back about half a block and time his run so that he was on the tail of the leading car just as the oncoming traffic cleared. Took it to the dealer, they reset the timing. From then on it performance was fine.

Bill

 

[alpine_64]

Maybe the hood ornament on the new Jag will be a cow?

Now that is funny

As for changing the look every year.. i agree, people seem to want newer and better.. problem is almost always it's different for differents sake... this also leads to many of the oddball styling we see. In theory cars should be getting lighter, stronger and more efficent.. yet engines seem to grow in size and cars get bigger and heavier (maybe not comparatively... but ultimately) I think the USA and AU are the worst of the bunch.. Americans with the "SUV"s and the fact they get around all the emmisions and crash laws.. and over here we have tax brakes on 4WD's as they are "commercial vehicles" and lets not forget our holdens an fords.. a tradesmans ute or family car needs 300+ KW (400+bhp)

 

[mikephillips]

Yea Bill, there are certain specific safety standards that imports must meet, not to mention emissions. I recall reading that when they were importing the Yugo 20 so years ago that there were all sorts of things that needed to be changed/replaced by the importer in order to allow sales to proceed. and now a days, it couldn't be changed enough to sell what with airbags, mileage and safety requirements.

 

[Bill Blue]

Yea Bill, there are certain specific safety standards that imports must meet, not to mention emissions. I recall reading that when they were importing the Yugo 20 so years ago that there were all sorts of things that needed to be changed/replaced by the importer in order to allow sales to proceed. and now a days, it couldn't be changed enough to sell what with airbags, mileage and safety requirements.

Mike, I know the cars have to met certain equipment requirements, safety belts, air bags, bumpers, etc, but what if a car has all that stuff and is still a death trap? Is safety like emissions, where the entire package has to meet measurable criteria?

Bill

 

[mikephillips]

You have to meet the minimums for all criteria, that's why so called "grey market" cars are so expensive to bring in. I would guess that the big problem for the Nano would be the front impact standards since there's not really any crush depth in the car. But like I said importing and selling them as DIY kits might get around this as they wouldn't be considered cars like a Ford or Chevy is. But the market might not be big enough to support that.