Auto Trivia
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How about [in pre alternator days] polarizing the generator when installing one on a vehicle?
Older Rolls Royce's had heavier springs on the left side of the rear passenger seat, this was because is was customary for the 'Gentleman' to sit on the 'Lady's' left. The seat springs calibrated to provide equal comfort for both occupants and yet prevent the Gentleman sinking too low in his seat.
The doors on any air cooled porsche 911 will fit any other year air cooled 911. it might not have the correct style/sheetmetal but the hinges and door catch are all the same pattern. porsche apparently didn't bother with redesigning details that were already "correct."
I don't know exactly how factual this is BUT its a neat factoid.
electrical factoid: the coil creates a spark when the points open, not when they close. same idea on electronic ignition, spark is created when the power to coil is shut off.
I don't know exactly how factual this is BUT its a neat factoid.
electrical factoid: the coil creates a spark when the points open, not when they close. same idea on electronic ignition, spark is created when the power to coil is shut off.
In the 1930's the Maharaja of Alwar walked into a Mayfair (London) Rolls Royce dealership, the salesman on duty was a little 'snooty' seeing a 'man of color' in his showroom, after he was asked to leave, the Maharaja contacted the dealership manager and ordered seven Rolls Royce's to be shipped to India to be used a garbage trucks!
"electrical factoid: the coil creates a spark when the points open, not when they close. same idea on electronic ignition, spark is created when the power to coil is shut off".
It was so easy, all you needed to set the ignition timing was two bits of wire and a bulb. Which was a good thing since it had to be done so often because the points seemed to last about 5 minutes before you had to file them back into shape and start all over again.
It was so easy, all you needed to set the ignition timing was two bits of wire and a bulb. Which was a good thing since it had to be done so often because the points seemed to last about 5 minutes before you had to file them back into shape and start all over again.
Speaking of Rolls Royces, at one time the instructions for changing a tire supposedly read "First, instruct your man....."
I thought only I remembered that
uuhmn, I had a 56 Citroen DS 19 and it most certainly had a brake pedal
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More like a pressure-sensitive button:
http://www.citroen.mb.ca/citroenet/passenger-cars/michelin/ds/images/idpedals.jpg
http://www.citroen.mb.ca/citroenet/passenger-cars/michelin/ds/images/idpedals.jpg
We had a Ford that had windsceen wipers that operated off inlet manifold vacuum. They used to slow down almost to a standstill when you were accelerating and then speed up when you came off the throttle. It strikes me a amusing, if it's raining and you accelerate having the wipers slow down is just what you need!
I had a few cars with vacuum wipers, the solution was an electric vacuum pump add on. Some cars had a vacuum pump in the fuel pump or a vacuum reservior made out of a big juice can.
The first piece of automotive trivia I was exposed to was the interesting gas filler location on a '56 Chevy - behind the left tail light assembly. The assembly is cast metal, a vertical piece at the top is a rotating latch, and a hinge built in to the bottom lets the entire inset panel rotate out to expose the filler.
Small piece of automotive history, Ford built vehicles for the German army in the 1930's, and after the war was offered control and ownership of Volkswagen.
I wonder why they turned it down? I kow that Heinz Nordhoff VW's first president came from Opal, was Opal part of GM at that time?
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Opel has been a GM subsidiary since 1929 and has been fully owned by GM since 1931. Ford and Opel built the majority of medium size and heavy trucks for the German army in the '30s and beyond. Opel also built warplane parts like canopies and bullet-proof bladder tanks.
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I wonder why they turned it down? What I remember is that Ford Execs thought it wasn't worth the effort, the little car would not sell.
Had forgotten vacuum wipers! What a colossal cluster-whatever. Nearly beat themselves to death when you were going down hill. Always had to take stuff apart to see how it worked (sometimes get it back together working!). Vacuum motors are some of the neatest mechanisims ever built, but allways seemed to me electric would have been easier and simpler from the get go.
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