I've always wondered about Consumer Reports' Objectivity. It's useful as one source for making purchase decisions, but I take it with a grain of salt, as any intelligent person should when reading or
Author: Florrie & Allen Bachelder <bachldrs@swva.net>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:37:57 -0400
Amen to that. CU bashed the poor little Mopar "Omnirizons" to death for years. Black dot city... No doubt that contributed to their continuing dirt-cheap prices on the used car market. Both of my kid
Author: "James H. Nazarian, Ph.D." <microdoc@apk.net>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 22:45:25 -0500
I just finished watching NOVA on PBS one segment of this auto crash/safety segment of the series talked about Nader and the Corvair scam. I remembered once reading that the reason he got away with hi
Common James, that doesn't make sense. They don't need to trash a car to get rid of it any more than the tooling lasts forever. The auto industry was into major retooling an an annual basis back in t
I'm pretty sure that the black dots of CU are based on quantitative data and not arbitrary opinions of their editors. Everything in this world has a distribution associated with it. The black dots ar
Author: "James H. Nazarian, Ph.D." <microdoc@apk.net>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 09:29:05 -0500
Wrong on all counts George, The auto industry at that time was using 40 year old designs and technology: ladder frame, front engine, rear drive, separate body / chassis, etc. The majority of the annu
Yes, but I wonder where that quantitative data comes from sometimes. Overall, I'm sure it's perfectly legit, but there just seems to be a preponderance of good ratings for Fords and Japanese makes,wh
Consumers Reports sends out a multi-page survey to its subscribers each year. They have sections for washers, dryers, dishwashers and other expensive household things, and a large section for automo
No, they'd prefer we don't drive at all. ALL cars are "unsafe at any speed". If you don't drive, you can't get in a wreck, you don't pollute the environment, etc. In fact, I think Mr. Nader (as he dr
How come us car guys can't call a spade a spade? The corvair oversteered which makes it (in an engineering sense) unstable. If corrective action isn't taken, the oversteer causes more acceleration of
The Corvair was a unit body vehicle. The Not in the case of the Corvair and the companion Pontiac lemon. Don't think my B would flip over. After all it's rear suspension won't "tuck under. That's a m
Exactly right Mark; I had a new '62 Monza that swapped ends on me the first time I took a curve too fast on a rain wetted city street. Lucky I was only going about 30 mph. I couldn't get it back and
Author: "James H. Nazarian, Ph.D." <microdoc@apk.net>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 22:37:08 -0500
Say Charley, If you decide on jumping into a discussion would you at least read what has ensued before you happened on the scene. Many of your remarks are completely out of context and any reply woul
Usually, most vehicles will break traction and slide along before they will roll on level pavement. The exceptions are high vehicles, as in 18 wheelers, or any other vehicle w/ a high center of gravi
Author: "James H. Nazarian, Ph.D." <microdoc@apk.net>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 11:56:35 -0500
Several days ago, I made reference to a PBS Nova segment that discussed the Nader issue. One reason I said Nader et al were unscientific and unprofessional had everything to do with your eloquent dis
more etc., changes stability One thing that I think speaks volumes to this issue is what the SCCA has to say about swing-axle cars. IIRC, they *require* all swing axle cars that are going to be auto
DOn't bet your life on it. Ever wonder why they sell roll bars, Ever peel a tire off a rim in a slide and have the wheel dig into the ground?? BTDT, granted not in a B, but it could happen to you. La