The Thumped Motoring Forum (4 Viewers)

[ann post]

An interesting piece of writing from Dan Neil in a BMW review about how car design is being pulled eastwards

The aeronautical thing is interesting to me. The BMW logo is a propellor because they made ww2 aeroplanes, VW was a hitler gig and pretty much all car culture and design and all the rest was an outcrop of ww2 and it's post war economies (i can write really long posts about this but anyways) - Japan's anime isn't as rooted in ww2 (apart from godzilla) so at a wider look, it's actually a move away from the ww2 hangover we call civilisation.

 

[Deadmanposting]

I'm pretty sure the propeller logo predates WW2 by a fair clip

It's just interesting to me that the visual touchstones for car design are so rooted in what are, at their root, children's entertainment.
Like for all the pooh-poohing an environmentalist or feminist might get for calling these things big toys for big boys, the very same thinking is going on at the highest levels of these manufacturers.
We can all be guilty of it, I suppose.

 

[magicbastarder]

The aeronautical thing is interesting to me. The BMW logo is a propellor because they made ww2 aeroplanes, VW was a hitler gig and pretty much all car culture and design and all the rest was an outcrop of ww2 and it's post war economies (i can write really long posts about this but anyways) - Japan's anime isn't as rooted in ww2 (apart from godzilla) so at a wider look, it's actually a move away from the ww2 hangover we call civilisation.

kinda tenuous, but a lot of the continued interest in motorsports in the UK probably stems from the availability of decommissioned airfields no longer required after WWII/the cold war?

 

[magicbastarder]

on another note, i saw a comment elsewhere that the motoring press are probably responsible for a huge amount of the range anxiety people suffer in relation to electric cars, especially in the early years. because it was de rigeur for a motoring journalist to mention it - but their job is precisely to drive a car a lot, far more than would typically be done in a day, and many of them (in the early days anyway) would not have had home charge points. so would have suffered on recharging.

 

[ernesto]

on another note, i saw a comment elsewhere that the motoring press are probably responsible for a huge amount of the range anxiety people suffer in relation to electric cars, especially in the early years. because it was de rigeur for a motoring journalist to mention it - but their job is precisely to drive a car a lot, far more than would typically be done in a day, and many of them (in the early days anyway) would not have had home charge points. so would have suffered on recharging.

Hearing morons 'oh what if you run out of battery'
The simple response is.... what if you run out of diesel?

Same issue; user error.

'Oh if everyone got an electric immediately - there's not enough public charging for that'

- yeah that won't happen because it's a gradual shift and getting one isn't going to crash the system.

Clowns, the lot of them.

 

[magicbastarder]

to be fair, there's a hell of a difference between running out of charge and running out of diesel or petrol. a 5L can will carry enough fuel to do 50-100km in my car and can be carried without fuss in one hand.

 

[GO]

I was gonna get an electric van but can't because I wouldn't be able to install a home charger because my parking spot isnt in a private driveway. Although I havent applied to get one yet so maybe I should...but I know of two people nearby who've been refused permish

I wonder how are they going to address the issue of people in apartments charging their cars

 

[ernesto]

to be fair, there's a hell of a difference between running out of charge and running out of diesel or petrol. a 5L can will carry enough fuel to do 50-100km in my car and can be carried without fuss in one hand.

99% of people don't carry a Jerry can and if you're going by a metric of a portable fuel, there's nothing stopping you bringing a charged power bank in your Ev.

Bottom line is you just make sure you've enough charge or fuel in your vehicle to reach your destination.
Also being able to charge your car at home/overnight which is a huge advantage over ICE cars

 

[ann post]

Just get a lab coat and glasses and charge it in any decade you like

Spoiler: spoiler

 

[pete]

to be fair, there's a hell of a difference between running out of charge and running out of diesel or petrol. a 5L can will carry enough fuel to do 50-100km in my car and can be carried without fuss in one hand.

i find it helps if i simply do not run out of power

 

[ernesto]

I was gonna get an electric van but can't because I wouldn't be able to install a home charger because my parking spot isnt in a private driveway. Although I havent applied to get one yet so maybe I should...but I know of two people nearby who've been refused permish

I wonder how are they going to address the issue of people in apartments charging their cars

wondered this myself.

They'll have to have municipal ev charge spots that the building management pays for and in turn probably will bill you for. This shit needs implementing now.

Few places have it already but they're the usual €1 million euro apartments with every gizmo already installed

 

[ann post]

I've a mate in a modern apt block - owner rather than renting - building wide decisions come down to quarterly meetings and while everyone is sound, the expense of the wiring would be a shared thing across all the apartments, which i think about 50% are rented - so to get a majority it has to be a selling point for landlords in a completely uncompetitive market. I'm sure smart billing stuff can be programmed easy enough it after that, but it comes down to democracy in that case.

 

[ernesto]

I've a mate in a modern apt block - owner rather than renting - building wide decisions come down to quarterly meetings and while everyone is sound, the expense of the wiring would be a shared thing across all the apartments, which i think about 50% are rented - so to get a majority it has to be a selling point for landlords in a completely uncompetitive market. I'm sure smart billing stuff can be programmed easy enough it after that, but it comes down to democracy in that case.

Shit needs to be subsidised to the hilt

 

[Deadmanposting]

Seems like a lot of fecking hoo-ha for transportation

I would have to be driving A LOT to want to put up with these shenanigans.
Like, for city travel, at what point does public transportation plus taxis plus car sharing just make more financial sense?

 

[magicbastarder]

car failed the NCT. the driver's side main spring failed a month or so ago, got it replaced. he put in a cheaper spring, and i can see it has fewer coils than the other one - so now there's too much travel on that side and i failed on suspension imbalance.

 

[ernesto]

car failed the NCT. the driver's side main spring failed a month or so ago, got it replaced. he put in a cheaper spring, and i can see it has fewer coils than the other one - so now there's too much travel on that side and i failed on suspension imbalance.

That 'mechanic' is either an idiot or wilfully cunty

 

[magicbastarder]

i've been going there for several years and this is the first time i've had an issue. when i said 'cheaper' i meant an aftermarket spring rather than an OEM replacement.
but the shock on the driver's side has also started to weep so it's not 100% certain if that's also in play. both front shocks are weeping a little so i'm just going to get them replaced. and another new spring.

 

[GO]

My new little Bipper van that I bought with no test, sailed through the cvrt this morning ..well apart from a perished tyre (that looks brand new) and the rubber missing from the clutch pedal. ..both easily rectified

Fingers crossed it serves me well

Look at me with a van and a car on the road! Fancy Dan

 

[GO]

Bought a new stereo and a subwoofer for the van. Nice little Saturday morning project to install those.

I got it so I can blast breakbeat music at the traffic lights in Kilmainham. Looking forward to that.

 

[magicbastarder]

a friend - and former thumpeder - drives (well, drove) a 2009 honda jazz. the clutch actuator went in it. the garage quoted (and this is just a 'we'll start here cos there could be more stuff' quote) €6,400 to replace it.