Last summer I told my neighbour about this w.r.t. his daughter's MT Honda, and he was astounded that the check method was so primitive.
This thread really isn't about fantasy. I believe the OP is talking about actual tech writing. Writing that is meant for serious subjects. I can't imagine dissecting every cornball movie as if it's supposed to equal reality.
I am amazed she owned a MT!
Aren't there some that have a short stubby little dipstick that you unscrew from the case to check the level? Perhaps it might be more likely on a FWD than a RWD due to access issues. I might be mis-remembering, but for one of the old cars I owned, the stick-shift version of it had such an arrangement. I had the automatic version, so I never got to see one in person. I need to see if I still have the owner's manual.
Yes, my Cadillacs had them, but not only were they automatics, but both were front wheel drive. There may also be some on the transmission case of a manual, but not under the hood.
I was referring to fiction (though not fantasy). With a novel, a good writer creates a believable world, which falls apart for me with an error such as a non-existent car.
Maybe he modded it!View attachment 253642
Here's another one, from Stephen Hunter's new book Front Sight.
The author apparently confused displacement and horsepower.
A 1977 big-block Mopar producing a horse per cubic inch would have been impressive. The 'net says that by 1977 the 440 was down to a sad 195 HP (net).
Well, the story was set in 1978. It seems a longshot that someone would hop up a year-old Chrysler New Yorker. But you never know ...
I WAS kidding.
Of course ... my awareness of that didn't come across properly in my reply.
Definitely. I know it was smogged, pistons, heads step 1.
It's amazing that Fast and the Furious was able to be filmed. Craig Liberman had to use a number of his own vehicles including the Nissan Maxima, VW Jetta, and I think the dc2 Integra. Apparently a numbers of manufacturers and dealerships wouldn't give them any cars to use for filming. Once the first movie make crazy money at the box office future movies had no problem getting vehicles. NOS brand nitrous oxide went from a fairly obscure company known to drag racers to not being able to keep up with demand. It's weird how car manufacturers forget about free marketing. The James Bond movie that has the lotus that turns into a submarine is a good example. Aston Martin was reluctant to give them cars. They called Lotus who has always been a low volume niche manufacturer. Lotus agreed to give them 3 or 4.
He's terrible with gun references too.Stephen King wrote an entire novel of dumb car references;
