Date:         Sun, 22 Dec 2002 14:13:24 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Mercedes 5cyl 300TD in vanagon?
In-Reply-To:  <CAEOIPKOOCKNBBDDDMBPMEBACHAA.jeff@tssgi.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>No guessing here, the late 60's XS650 looks like a Triumph Bonneville,
>vibrates like a Triumph Bonneville, even sounds like a Triumph Bonneville.
>
>If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, even sounds like a duck... it
>must want to be a Triumph.

Yamaha's equivalent of a early Celica?  What I REALLY hate... and
this IS blatant copying of "style"... is those Hardly Drivable
copies. The originals are ghastly enough (ill-handling gutless
far-too-heavy crude 2-wheeled tractors) but to COPY their misbegotten
appearance???

>Not like this is a relevation or anything.
>
>I've had an XS650 and a Bonneville, and I much prefer the Triumph, far more
>personality.

What people tend to call "personality" in a vehicle is quirkiness.
Some of these are:
unreliability
need of constant maintenence
oil leaking through porous castings (English bikes)
uncomfortable/unnatural driving/riding position
idiosyncratic/unergonomic controls/instruments
difficult to work on

Thus I guess Honda bikes must be bland. Wait... modern Triumph are
copies of Hondas! They even use Honda carbs (Keihin is a Honda
subsidiary), brakes (Nissin ditto) and dampers (Showa ditto). Wonder
if Honda makes their alloy castings?


>Never said NZ was in Asia, but since there aren't any NZ brand cars that I
>know of, I figured I'd use Asia as an example.

Any NZ-made cars are specialist replicas, including a Toyota
V8-engined Countach whish uses a real Countach windshield! Better car
than the real thing (it has a reliable engine, for one).

>As for taxi drivers... after 20 years in the auto repair business, I can
>unequivocally state that taxi drivers/owners are the cheapest customers I've
>ever had.  Most of the time they show up with a used part from one of the
>pick & pull junk yards and try to get it installed for half the labor.

No pick & pulls here. Some owners are lazy, and their cars suffer.
But Toyotas take this kind of abuse in their stride.

>Then
>they have the nerve to get upset when the part fails and I wont replace it
>for free.

You meanie.

>So perhaps the NZ taxi drivers drive Toyotas because there's an ample supply
>of junkers available for parts.

Ample supply of any car normally available here. But why keep fixing
a car, time after time, same faults recurring? They buy Toyotas (out
of their own pockets... the company doesn't own the car!) because
they know they are the most reliable of ALL cars. Bar none.

>  > So perhaps the NZ taxi drivers drive Toyotas because there's an
>ample supply
>>  of junkers available for parts.
>
>Or just because they happen to be cheap.
>
>That's why taxi drivers here all drive police-surplus Crown Victorias and
>Chevy Caprices.  They're cheap at auction.

Not cheap. Toyotas are known for costing more to buy than other
Japanese makes, and hold their value better. In this case you gets
what you pays for. My wife just got a real bargain... 1993 4WD 2.0
5spd diesel Corona with all the electrics for about $3800US. Kinda
sluggish on Dunedin's numerous steep hills, thanks to the heavy 4WD
drivetrain... at least it has 4-wheel discs.