On 6/26/2010 10:23 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> On 6/26/2010 4:00 PM, J. Clarke wrote:
>> On 6/26/2010 9:05 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>>> On 6/26/2010 10:27 AM, J. Clarke wrote:
>>>> On 6/26/2010 3:20 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>>>>> On 6/25/2010 7:55 PM, Omelet wrote:
>>>>>> In m.au>,
>>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 26/06/2010 2:44 PM, Omelet wrote:
>>>>>>>> In >, >
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On 6/25/2010 8:13 AM, sf wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:47:51 -1000, > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I'm not a big fan of hybrid technology - it's way too
>>>>>>>>>>> complicated. The
>>>>>>>>>>> important part is that it's an intermediate step between gas and
>>>>>>>>>>> all
>>>>>>>>>>> electric cars. Internal combustion and hybrid cars and fuel cell
>>>>>>>>>>> cars
>>>>>>>>>>> are not the future - all electric is. Well that's just my guess.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I'm not claiming hybrids are the future, but they are an
>>>>>>>>>> excellent
>>>>>>>>>> transition.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I agree with you there. Without them, the acceptance of all
>>>>>>>>> electric
>>>>>>>>> would have taken a lot longer. The next couple of years will be
>>>>>>>>> big
>>>>>>>>> years for all electric.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> From ads I've see tho', all electric don't hold a charge well
>>>>>>>> enough to
>>>>>>>> get you thru a major traffic jam from a bad wreck. I've been stuck
>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>> up to two hours, not to mention the normal 30 to 60 minute commute.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Apart from lights and instruments, the electrics don't consume much
>>>>>>> power when not moving! You only feed power when you need to move.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Krypsis
>>>>>>
>>>>>> But they still won't last 4 hours stuck in accident traffic on a real
>>>>>> commute. :-(
>>>>>
>>>>> I think you mean real nightmare. :-) Sooner or later they'll embed
>>>>> energized coils under the road that allow you to charge the batteries
>>>>> while driving. Put enough coils and you could reduce the need for
>>>>> surplus battery capacity significantly.
>>>>
>>>> How are they going to bill for that though?
>>>>
>>>
>>> You'll get a bill mailed to you, just like you get a bill mailed to you
>>> everytime you travel down the interstate.
>>
>> So you're saying that it will be paid for out of the gas tax?
>>
>
> I ain't saying nothing about who's gonna pay for anything. Obviously,
> somebody's gonna pay. Somebody always pays.
>
> Obviously, you like to while away the hours thinking about reasons
> things should stay the way you like it. This is unrealistic. Things
> never stay the same - well, most things of a
> sociological/economic/technological nature anyway.

I just cant see induction coils in the roads as being any kind of viable
solution to the limitations of electric cars. It would be hugely
expensive to implement and a maintenance nightmare for openers. The
right solution is cars that don't have those limitations.

On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:44:17 -0400, "J. Clarke"
> wrote:

>On 6/26/2010 3:11 AM, sf wrote:
>> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:08:55 +1000, >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I laugh at those who suggest the electric cars (plug in overnight types)
>>> are going to solve the emissions problems. You see, all our electricity
>>> is generated, in my home state at least, by dirty brown coal generators.
>>> All that's going to happen is a transferrence of pollution to where the
>>> generators are.
>>
>> I don't know about "most people", but my vision of the perfect
>> electric car has never been a plug in type - it's always solar.
>
>So how does that work?
>
In theory it works nicely. In practice, not so well. A good rule of
thumb is one horsepower per square yard of fully-illuminated area. A
car that requires twenty horsepower---which is pretty low by today's
standards---needs an area of solar cells at least nine feet by twenty
feet.

Working solar cars have been constructed. They require extreme
lightweight materials and aren't well-suited to a Sunday drive with
the family. More like "one person, 10-20 mph, as long as it's sunny."

Someone may pipe up and say "but you can use batteries and charge them
when you're not driving". That's done with the experimental cars but
there's a very carefully-calculated tradeoff in weight and
performance. Take a look at this car:
http://www.speedace.info/solar_cars/..._road_test.jpg
Not much room for anything but a driver.

Best -- Terry

On 27/06/2010 10:03 PM, Terry wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:44:17 -0400, "J. Clarke"
> > wrote:
>
>> On 6/26/2010 3:11 AM, sf wrote:
>>> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:08:55 +1000, >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I laugh at those who suggest the electric cars (plug in overnight types)
>>>> are going to solve the emissions problems. You see, all our electricity
>>>> is generated, in my home state at least, by dirty brown coal generators.
>>>> All that's going to happen is a transferrence of pollution to where the
>>>> generators are.
>>>
>>> I don't know about "most people", but my vision of the perfect
>>> electric car has never been a plug in type - it's always solar.
>>
>> So how does that work?
>>
> In theory it works nicely. In practice, not so well. A good rule of
> thumb is one horsepower per square yard of fully-illuminated area. A
> car that requires twenty horsepower---which is pretty low by today's
> standards---needs an area of solar cells at least nine feet by twenty
> feet.
>
> Working solar cars have been constructed. They require extreme
> lightweight materials and aren't well-suited to a Sunday drive with
> the family. More like "one person, 10-20 mph, as long as it's sunny."
>
> Someone may pipe up and say "but you can use batteries and charge them
> when you're not driving". That's done with the experimental cars but
> there's a very carefully-calculated tradeoff in weight and
> performance. Take a look at this car:
> http://www.speedace.info/solar_cars/..._road_test.jpg
> Not much room for anything but a driver.
>
> Best -- Terry

I'd be hoping those solar cells absorb a lot of the heat! It could get
rather oven-like in that thing!

Krypsis

On 6/27/2010 8:03 AM, Terry wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:44:17 -0400, "J. Clarke"
> > wrote:
>
>> On 6/26/2010 3:11 AM, sf wrote:
>>> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:08:55 +1000, >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I laugh at those who suggest the electric cars (plug in overnight types)
>>>> are going to solve the emissions problems. You see, all our electricity
>>>> is generated, in my home state at least, by dirty brown coal generators.
>>>> All that's going to happen is a transferrence of pollution to where the
>>>> generators are.
>>>
>>> I don't know about "most people", but my vision of the perfect
>>> electric car has never been a plug in type - it's always solar.
>>
>> So how does that work?
>>
> In theory it works nicely. In practice, not so well. A good rule of
> thumb is one horsepower per square yard of fully-illuminated area. A
> car that requires twenty horsepower---which is pretty low by today's
> standards---needs an area of solar cells at least nine feet by twenty
> feet.
>
> Working solar cars have been constructed. They require extreme
> lightweight materials and aren't well-suited to a Sunday drive with
> the family. More like "one person, 10-20 mph, as long as it's sunny."

Yep. FWIW, there's a movie with Halle Berry called "Race the Sun" that
is a nice fictionalized account of the first successful completion of
the World Solar Challenge by a high school team. While it doesn't bury
you in the technology, you do get a good impression of the overall
fragility of the things.

The Dutch did manage to run their solar car across Australia at an
average speed of better than 60 MPH, but it's not something I would want
to try to drive in Hartford traffic. Every year they change the rules
on that competition to make the entries more like practical cars, so
maybe, eventually, they'll get to a practical vehicle, but I suspect
that solar cars are going to remain technological exercises for a long
time to come.

> Someone may pipe up and say "but you can use batteries and charge them
> when you're not driving". That's done with the experimental cars but
> there's a very carefully-calculated tradeoff in weight and
> performance. Take a look at this car:
> http://www.speedace.info/solar_cars/..._road_test.jpg
> Not much room for anything but a driver.
>
> Best -- Terry

"J. Clarke" wrote
> cshenk wrote:

>>> If a headlight shining into a rear view mirror is blinding a driver in
>>> daylight that driver has something wrong with him. And the modulator
>>> doesn't "spike it".

>> JC, it was at night.

> A legal modulator has a light sensor that turns it off at night.

Ah, there should be no problem at all then. I'd actually *appreciate* this
device in daytime. It would help me see them even better.

>> I don't ride a motorcycle. Several co-workers do and that's how I heard
>> about it. They used the term 'modulator' and said it basically flashes
>> the level higher and lower. If that is right (keep in mind, I don't have
>> a motorbike) they said 'spike'.
>
> A surprising number of motorcyclists don't know much about motorcycling.

Hehehe!

> The modulator reduces the intensity on a regular cycle. That's all it
> does.

Ah. The one in the paper was a night guy driver who apparently was flashing
higher than normal car level beams. That was my take on it.

> Now that doesn't mean that somebody somewhere doesn't make an illegal
> device that overdrives the headlight for the purpose of annoying
> people--there's a certain segment of the motorcycling community that feels
> that they have a God-given duty to be obnoxious pests--but that's not
> safety equipment, that's bling.

Yup. The guys at work were pretty disparaging of the local biker in this
incident.

>> I mean no harm. I just want to warn you if you didnt already know that
>> there is a safe level, and an unsafe one. Too much of it can distract
>> the driver ahead of you and cause an accident which then you get wrapped
>> up in (or killed by).
>
> Sorry if I seemed to snap at you.

It's ok. I do see the variable lights in day here. It actually makes them
more visible which helps alot. At night, they seem to shift too but not to
blinding brights except the rare one.

Want to **** me off? I get ****ed when folks tailgate bikes. Tailgating is
the style here but as dangerous as it is, it's far worse when someone is on
a bike and tailgating them in a 'monster truck' or 'SUV'.

sf wrote:
>
> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 11:17:49 -0500, Becca > wrote:
> >
> > China is working on electric cars. Would Americans buy them?
> >
> People will buy anything from China if it's cheap enough.

When China revalues their currency, it won't be really cheap
anymore. Also, there have been strikes recently in China,
which is a new phenomenon there. Mostly, they've been strikes
against car parts plants owned by Japanese companies, which
is probably why the government has tolerated them.

The day of cheap Chinese near-slave labor is coming to an end.
They are going to expect to be paid a decent wage. They will
continue to be be the labor powerhouse of Asia, but at a higher
rate. Still, a very low rate compared to Japan, Korea, or Taiwan.
Also, China has developed large internal markets. Exports
will become less important to China than they are today.

What will be interesting in the near future is how China
will handle the collapse of their wildly inflated real estate
market. Construction is the largest sector of the Chinese
economy, and a collapse will be devastating.

On 6/27/2010 6:49 AM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> sf wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, 26 Jun 2010 11:17:49 -0500, > wrote:
>>>
>>> China is working on electric cars. Would Americans buy them?
>>>
>> People will buy anything from China if it's cheap enough.
>
> When China revalues their currency, it won't be really cheap
> anymore. Also, there have been strikes recently in China,
> which is a new phenomenon there. Mostly, they've been strikes
> against car parts plants owned by Japanese companies, which
> is probably why the government has tolerated them.
>
> The day of cheap Chinese near-slave labor is coming to an end.
> They are going to expect to be paid a decent wage. They will
> continue to be be the labor powerhouse of Asia, but at a higher
> rate. Still, a very low rate compared to Japan, Korea, or Taiwan.
> Also, China has developed large internal markets. Exports
> will become less important to China than they are today.
>
> What will be interesting in the near future is how China
> will handle the collapse of their wildly inflated real estate
> market. Construction is the largest sector of the Chinese
> economy, and a collapse will be devastating.

I recently bought a used Hyundai Sonata. It's a pretty neat piece. The
Engine is a smooth 3.3L V6 DOHC with variable valve timing. The
inappropriately high power output for a family sedan will probably get
me and/or my wife into trouble. It do put a grin on our faces.

The car is well put together, solid, and the materials used have a
quality look/feel. It features leather faced seats, alloy wheels with
very low profile tires, large interior, huge trunk, heated front seats,
electronic stability control, 6(!) air bags. Thanks to a low resale
value, I got this at a bargain price from a private owner. It's still
covered by the dealer warranty - awesome! I now look like the smartest
guy on the block.

The amazing thing is that this car was put together in Montgomery
Alabama with the quality of most any car manufacturer in the world at a
price you'd expect from a car assembled in China. The big secret is that
Hyundai is the greatest bargain in automobiles but I suspect that is
going to be blown wide open very soon - maybe this year.

On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:42:36 -0400, "cshenk" > wrote:

> I get ****ed when folks tailgate bikes. Tailgating is
> the style here but as dangerous as it is, it's far worse when someone is on
> a bike and tailgating them in a 'monster truck' or 'SUV'.

What a horrible habit. Honking at someone stopped at a red light is
another regional habit that sets my teeth on edge.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On 6/27/2010 12:45 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> I recently bought a used Hyundai Sonata. It's a pretty neat piece. The
> Engine is a smooth 3.3L V6 DOHC with variable valve timing. The
> inappropriately high power output for a family sedan will probably get
> me and/or my wife into trouble. It do put a grin on our faces.
>
> The car is well put together, solid, and the materials used have a
> quality look/feel. It features leather faced seats, alloy wheels with
> very low profile tires, large interior, huge trunk, heated front
> seats, electronic stability control, 6(!) air bags. Thanks to a low
> resale value, I got this at a bargain price from a private owner. It's
> still covered by the dealer warranty - awesome! I now look like the
> smartest guy on the block.
>
> The amazing thing is that this car was put together in Montgomery
> Alabama with the quality of most any car manufacturer in the world at
> a price you'd expect from a car assembled in China. The big secret is
> that Hyundai is the greatest bargain in automobiles but I suspect that
> is going to be blown wide open very soon - maybe this year.


When we were in Las Vegas with my family, we rented a van, it was a
Hyundai Starex. It was the first time I had been in a Hyundai and it
was very nice. Enjoy your new Sonata.

Becca

ObFood:

Caribbean Salsa

2 fresh pineapples, peeled, sliced vertically
1 large, ripe firm banana, sliced in half vertically
1 mango, skinned, peeled, sliced in half vertically
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 kiwis, diced

Combine pineapple, banana and mango slices with the olive oil and lime
juice. Toss to coat all the fruit. Place fruit on grill. Grill fruit 4
to 5 minutes each side, remove and cool slightly.

Roughly chop the grilled fruit, reserving juices. Combine both with red
onion, red pepper flakes and kiwi. Serve warm or room temperature. Great
with grilled pork, chicken or fish.

dsi1 wrote:
>
> value, I got this at a bargain price from a private owner. It's still
> covered by the dealer warranty - awesome! I now look like the smartest
> guy on the block.

I've been looking for a new used car. Sounds like
got a good deal.

> The amazing thing is that this car was put together in Montgomery
> Alabama with the quality of most any car manufacturer in the world at a
> price you'd expect from a car assembled in China. The big secret is that
> Hyundai is the greatest bargain in automobiles but I suspect that is
> going to be blown wide open very soon - maybe this year.

I hadn't considered Hyundai. I need to look into that.
I'm planning to buy a recent used car soon. I was only
considering Honda, but the prices are so high. I used to do
my own brake jobs, and I'm familiar with both Honda and
Toyota mechanisms, and Honda is far better made.
I have much less familiarity with Isuzu, except that
it seems to be an attempt to see how cheaply you can
make a car that is street-legal in the U.S.

I'll have to look into Hyundai. I wonder if the dealer
would allow me to jack up a car and inspect the brake
mechanism? I can tell right away whether it's Honda-class
or Toyota-class. Which is not to say that there's
anything wrong with Toyotas. I drove two of them for
a long time, and they gave me excellent service.

On Jun 27, 4:44*pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>
> > value, I got this at a bargain price from a private owner. It's still
> > covered by the dealer warranty - awesome! I now look like the smartest
> > guy on the block.
>
> I've been looking for a new used car. *Sounds like
> got a good deal.
>
> > The amazing thing is that this car was put together in Montgomery
> > Alabama with the quality of most any car manufacturer in the world at a
> > price you'd expect from a car assembled in China. The big secret is that
> > Hyundai is the greatest bargain in automobiles but I suspect that is
> > going to be blown wide open very soon - maybe this year.
>
> I hadn't considered Hyundai. *I need to look into that.
> I'm planning to buy a recent used car soon. *I was only
> considering Honda, but the prices are so high. *I used to do
> my own brake jobs, and I'm familiar with both Honda and
> Toyota mechanisms, and Honda is far better made.
> I have much less familiarity with Isuzu, except that
> it seems to be an attempt to see how cheaply you can
> make a car that is street-legal in the U.S.
>
> I'll have to look into Hyundai. *I wonder if the dealer
> would allow me to jack up a car and inspect the brake
> mechanism? *I can tell right away whether it's Honda-class
> or Toyota-class. *Which is not to say that there's
> anything wrong with Toyotas. *I drove two of them for
> a long time, and they gave me excellent service.

I was just wondering what the "Foreman grill" thread had degenerated
into!

:-)

John Kuthe...

On Jun 27, 1:26*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:42:36 -0400, "cshenk" > wrote:
> > I get ****ed when folks tailgate bikes. *Tailgating is
> > the style here but as dangerous as it is, it's far worse when someone is on
> > a bike and tailgating them in a 'monster truck' or 'SUV'.
>
> What a horrible habit. *Honking at someone stopped at a red light is
> another regional habit that sets my teeth on edge.

Well, sometimes it's warranted, like when the right turn arrow just
turned green, and the driver of the first car in the right turn lane
waiting to turn right is too busy yammering on their cell phone to
have noticed!

John Kuthe...

On 6/27/2010 11:11 AM, Becca wrote:
> On 6/27/2010 12:45 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>> I recently bought a used Hyundai Sonata. It's a pretty neat piece. The
>> Engine is a smooth 3.3L V6 DOHC with variable valve timing. The
>> inappropriately high power output for a family sedan will probably get
>> me and/or my wife into trouble. It do put a grin on our faces.
>>
>> The car is well put together, solid, and the materials used have a
>> quality look/feel. It features leather faced seats, alloy wheels with
>> very low profile tires, large interior, huge trunk, heated front
>> seats, electronic stability control, 6(!) air bags. Thanks to a low
>> resale value, I got this at a bargain price from a private owner. It's
>> still covered by the dealer warranty - awesome! I now look like the
>> smartest guy on the block.
>>
>> The amazing thing is that this car was put together in Montgomery
>> Alabama with the quality of most any car manufacturer in the world at
>> a price you'd expect from a car assembled in China. The big secret is
>> that Hyundai is the greatest bargain in automobiles but I suspect that
>> is going to be blown wide open very soon - maybe this year.
>
>
> When we were in Las Vegas with my family, we rented a van, it was a
> Hyundai Starex. It was the first time I had been in a Hyundai and it was
> very nice. Enjoy your new Sonata.
>
> Becca
>
> ObFood:
>
> Caribbean Salsa
>
> 2 fresh pineapples, peeled, sliced vertically
> 1 large, ripe firm banana, sliced in half vertically
> 1 mango, skinned, peeled, sliced in half vertically
> 1/4 cup olive oil
> 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
> 1/4 cup minced red onion
> 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
> 2 kiwis, diced
>
> Combine pineapple, banana and mango slices with the olive oil and lime
> juice. Toss to coat all the fruit. Place fruit on grill. Grill fruit 4
> to 5 minutes each side, remove and cool slightly.
>
> Roughly chop the grilled fruit, reserving juices. Combine both with red
> onion, red pepper flakes and kiwi. Serve warm or room temperature. Great
> with grilled pork, chicken or fish.
>

I went to Costco the other day and they had some nice pineapples. I'll
usually get a nice pineapple about once a year. This was the time I
guess - wish I'd gotten 2 instead of one. The ones at the Safeway are
not that great - picked too early. The Costco pines are picked just
right. Anyway, thanks for the recipe.

On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:11:53 -0500, Becca > wrote:

> When we were in Las Vegas with my family, we rented a van, it was a
> Hyundai Starex. It was the first time I had been in a Hyundai and it
> was very nice. Enjoy your new Sonata.

My sister in law bought a Hyundai the first year or two they were
available and called it her Korean Mercedes. I hadn't noticed the
resemblance until she mentioned it.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On 6/27/2010 12:42 PM, cshenk wrote:
> "J. Clarke" wrote
>> cshenk wrote:
>
>>>> If a headlight shining into a rear view mirror is blinding a driver in
>>>> daylight that driver has something wrong with him. And the modulator
>>>> doesn't "spike it".
>
>>> JC, it was at night.
>
>> A legal modulator has a light sensor that turns it off at night.
>
> Ah, there should be no problem at all then. I'd actually *appreciate*
> this device in daytime. It would help me see them even better.
>
>>> I don't ride a motorcycle. Several co-workers do and that's how I heard
>>> about it. They used the term 'modulator' and said it basically flashes
>>> the level higher and lower. If that is right (keep in mind, I don't have
>>> a motorbike) they said 'spike'.
>>
>> A surprising number of motorcyclists don't know much about motorcycling.
>
> Hehehe!
>
>> The modulator reduces the intensity on a regular cycle. That's all it
>> does.
>
> Ah. The one in the paper was a night guy driver who apparently was
> flashing higher than normal car level beams. That was my take on it.
>
>> Now that doesn't mean that somebody somewhere doesn't make an illegal
>> device that overdrives the headlight for the purpose of annoying
>> people--there's a certain segment of the motorcycling community that
>> feels that they have a God-given duty to be obnoxious pests--but
>> that's not safety equipment, that's bling.
>
> Yup. The guys at work were pretty disparaging of the local biker in this
> incident.
>
>>> I mean no harm. I just want to warn you if you didnt already know that
>>> there is a safe level, and an unsafe one. Too much of it can distract
>>> the driver ahead of you and cause an accident which then you get wrapped
>>> up in (or killed by).
>>
>> Sorry if I seemed to snap at you.
>
> It's ok. I do see the variable lights in day here. It actually makes
> them more visible which helps alot. At night, they seem to shift too but
> not to blinding brights except the rare one.
>
> Want to **** me off? I get ****ed when folks tailgate bikes. Tailgating
> is the style here but as dangerous as it is, it's far worse when someone
> is on a bike and tailgating them in a 'monster truck' or 'SUV'.
>

Unfortunately lots of fluffed up truck drivers totally fit the
stereotype that they are more important than you and you should simply
get out of their way even if for no purpose such as when there is a line
of cars in front of you.

And it even extends to non motorized bikes. A friend is a strong cyclist
and he had to negotiate a traffic circle type intersection. One of the
requirements of the motor vehicle code in every state I am familiar with
is that a cyclist should take the lane if there is an unsafe situation
(narrow road, complex traffic etc). And it is only a few milliseconds
cost for the following driver because a normal cyclist can easily do
the speed limit on such roads. He took the lane and a women in a giant
SUV simply knocked him down trying to save those two milliseconds trying
to get past him. Fortunately for the public she then stopped her truck
and got out and started yelling at him for being on "her road". This is
while he was on the ground bleeding and unable to move because of his
injuries. When she was stopped a sensible person stopped to offer help
and got the license number and snapped some pictures which will likely
lead to criminal prosecution.

On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:06:16 -0700 (PDT), John Kuthe
> wrote:

> On Jun 27, 1:26*pm, sf > wrote:
> > On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:42:36 -0400, "cshenk" > wrote:
> > > I get ****ed when folks tailgate bikes. *Tailgating is
> > > the style here but as dangerous as it is, it's far worse when someone is on
> > > a bike and tailgating them in a 'monster truck' or 'SUV'.
> >
> > What a horrible habit. *Honking at someone stopped at a red light is
> > another regional habit that sets my teeth on edge.
>
> Well, sometimes it's warranted, like when the right turn arrow just
> turned green, and the driver of the first car in the right turn lane
> waiting to turn right is too busy yammering on their cell phone to
> have noticed!
>
There is no turning involved with the rude practice I'm talking about.


--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

On 6/27/2010 11:44 AM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>>
>> value, I got this at a bargain price from a private owner. It's still
>> covered by the dealer warranty - awesome! I now look like the smartest
>> guy on the block.
>
> I've been looking for a new used car. Sounds like
> got a good deal.
>
>> The amazing thing is that this car was put together in Montgomery
>> Alabama with the quality of most any car manufacturer in the world at a
>> price you'd expect from a car assembled in China. The big secret is that
>> Hyundai is the greatest bargain in automobiles but I suspect that is
>> going to be blown wide open very soon - maybe this year.
>
> I hadn't considered Hyundai. I need to look into that.
> I'm planning to buy a recent used car soon. I was only
> considering Honda, but the prices are so high. I used to do
> my own brake jobs, and I'm familiar with both Honda and
> Toyota mechanisms, and Honda is far better made.
> I have much less familiarity with Isuzu, except that
> it seems to be an attempt to see how cheaply you can
> make a car that is street-legal in the U.S.
>
> I'll have to look into Hyundai. I wonder if the dealer
> would allow me to jack up a car and inspect the brake
> mechanism? I can tell right away whether it's Honda-class
> or Toyota-class. Which is not to say that there's
> anything wrong with Toyotas. I drove two of them for
> a long time, and they gave me excellent service.

I have some pulsating when braking so I bought a couple of rotors on
eBay and am waiting for them to come in - it's expedient for me to just
replace them. I have not inspected the brake system but I'm assuming
it's pretty conventional. The front suspension is a double A-arm type
which is unusual these days. The rear disks are a disk/drum combo with a
small drum brake for the parking brake - that must be pretty cute.

The engine is an alloy block and head DHOC with an output of 240 HP and
a top speed of around 130+ MPH. The Michelin Pilot 225/50/17 V-rated
tires are gonna be expensive to replace. I just wanted a nice family
sedan for the wife - what have I gotten myself into? :-)

On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:47:49 -0700, Dan Abel > wrote:

> In article >,
> sf > wrote:
>
> > On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:11:53 -0500, Becca > wrote:
> >
> > > When we were in Las Vegas with my family, we rented a van, it was a
> > > Hyundai Starex. It was the first time I had been in a Hyundai and it
> > > was very nice. Enjoy your new Sonata.
> >
> > My sister in law bought a Hyundai the first year or two they were
> > available and called it her Korean Mercedes. I hadn't noticed the
> > resemblance until she mentioned it.
>
> Do we live on the same planet? Are you talking about a Hyundai Sonata
> (we just bought one), or the van that Becca just rented, or the early
> Hyundais that were imported into the US?

Doesn't "the first year or two they were available" say it was an
early Hyundai or do I have to use your exact words to make it clear?

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:47:49 -0700, Dan Abel > wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > sf > wrote:
> >
> > > On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:11:53 -0500, Becca > wrote:
> > >
> > > > When we were in Las Vegas with my family, we rented a van, it was a
> > > > Hyundai Starex. It was the first time I had been in a Hyundai and it
> > > > was very nice. Enjoy your new Sonata.
> > >
> > > My sister in law bought a Hyundai the first year or two they were
> > > available and called it her Korean Mercedes. I hadn't noticed the
> > > resemblance until she mentioned it.
> >
> > Do we live on the same planet? Are you talking about a Hyundai Sonata
> > (we just bought one), or the van that Becca just rented, or the early
> > Hyundais that were imported into the US?
>
> Doesn't "the first year or two they were available" say it was an
> early Hyundai or do I have to use your exact words to make it clear?

I just didn't remember it looking like any Mercedes I had ever seen.
But then, I'm not a big MB fan, and it appears the Hyundai Excel came in
several body styles, plus that was 25 years ago and my memory isn't that
great. We traded vehicles for a weekend with a woman who owned one,
because she was moving.

pictu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hy...ending_where_y
ou_live.jpg

article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Excel

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 22:42:43 -0700, Dan Abel > wrote:

> I just didn't remember it looking like any Mercedes I had ever seen.
> But then, I'm not a big MB fan, and it appears the Hyundai Excel came in
> several body styles, plus that was 25 years ago and my memory isn't that
> great.

I didn't make the connection until she said that and then I took a
closer look and by golly, it was a mini-Mercedes. I have never been a
Hyundai fan, so I can't be any more specific about the model other
than Hyundai. Heck, I thought they sold only one model/body style per
year until this thread. I didn't know they give you a choice.

--
Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

"John Kuthe" wrote
sf wrote:
cshenk wrote:

>> What a horrible habit. Honking at someone stopped at a red light is
>> another regional habit that sets my teeth on edge.

> Well, sometimes it's warranted, like when the right turn arrow just
> turned green, and the driver of the first car in the right turn lane
> waiting to turn right is too busy yammering on their cell phone to
> have noticed!

And sometimes John the yahoo starts honking because the other light on the
other side turned yellow. You know, *just in case they miss it when it does
turn green and fail to peel rubber to get our of your way as fast as
possible once they can*. Sadly, there are all types out there.

"George" wrote
> cshenk wrote:

>> Want to **** me off? I get ****ed when folks tailgate bikes. Tailgating
>> is the style here but as dangerous as it is, it's far worse when someone
>> is on a bike and tailgating them in a 'monster truck' or 'SUV'.

> Unfortunately lots of fluffed up truck drivers totally fit the stereotype
> that they are more important than you and you should simply get out of
> their way even if for no purpose such as when there is a line of cars in
> front of you.

I figure the actual percentage may not be that high, but the ones who do it
stick out like a sore thumb and make the rest get a bad name.

> And it even extends to non motorized bikes. A friend is a strong cyclist
> and he had to negotiate a traffic circle type intersection. One of the
> requirements of the motor vehicle code in every state I am familiar with
> is that a cyclist should take the lane if there is an unsafe situation
> (narrow road, complex traffic etc). And it is only a few milliseconds cost
> for the following driver because a normal cyclist can easily do the speed
> limit on such roads. He took the lane and a women in a giant SUV simply
> knocked him down trying to save those two milliseconds trying to get past
> him. Fortunately for the public she then stopped her truck and got out and
> started yelling at him for being on "her road". This is while he was on
> the ground bleeding and unable to move because of his injuries. When she
> was stopped a sensible person stopped to offer help and got the license
> number and snapped some pictures which will likely lead to criminal
> prosecution.

Sheesh. Hope the woman gets flambe'd. I rode a bicycle to work and back in
Japan for 6.5 years. I used the sidewalks (and got off an walked when
needed) but only because my specific path didn't have a cycle section
(common in Japan).

Carol wrote:

> I rode a bicycle to work and back in Japan for 6.5 years. I used the
> sidewalks (and got off an walked when needed) but only because my specific
> path didn't have a cycle section (common in Japan).

The city where I live has one of the highest per capita usage of
neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs, which are pretty much
indistinguishable from golf carts). Most of the city streets have special
lanes for the NEVs which double as bike paths.

Bob