Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:29:15 -0700
Reply-To: Joseph Fortino <fortino1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joseph Fortino <fortino1@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: 50 Worst Cars
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
I only wrote of the HUMMER, didnt say anything about the Model T.
-----Original Message-----
>From: vanagonvw <vanagonvw@GMAIL.COM>
>Sent: Sep 10, 2007 12:18 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: 50 Worst Cars
>
>Joseph Fortino wrote:
>>>>
>>>> How can you really rag on the Model T?
>
>Yea, that was really hard to believe. I guess he has the same opinion of
>the Wright Bros plane <shrug>
>
>>>> Plus I really really liked mu
>>>> Chevette - not coll but that car ran forever.
>>>>
>
>Chevette! Mine is still running at 190K miles. Bought it new in 84 for
>$4700. Still gets over 40mpg on the highway, and is stuck on 33mpg
>around town. Seems it is the car I can depend on whenever I need to go
>and get parts for my van, and the other vehicles in the family. Not
>pretty, but how much money it saved me over the years, is uncountable :-)
>
>Most of the crappy cars in the late 70's and early 80's are the result
>of apathy by the car companies, of course, but its rather important to
>remember that the morons in Congress were caught up in the energy crisis
>of the day, so without a whole lot of understanding of the industry,
>they came up with some really stupid standards of mileage and safety
>that the General Motors types of the day, were woefully unprepared to
>deal with.
>
>It has to fall on the manufacturers, but as with so many other things
>that the feds stuck their nose into, they really messed it up even
>worse. I recall a few mid 70's machines with smog pumps, ridiculous
>emissions controls, low grade gas and just no guts at all, that I swear,
>were probably dirtier than the late 60's beasts I would street race with.
>
>Basically, what saved all our collective bacon, is the catalytic
>converter. Without it, I cannot imagine how bad our air would be. Since
>its inception, the decrease in smog in the denser cities has been very
>dramatic. Kudos to whomever invented it, and helped to almost perfect
>it. About every three years I replace the one on my chevette, and the
>emissions drop to nearly zero all the way around. Tremendous invention.
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