Consider the "SUV" button well and truly pushed...
Folks in the rest of the country seem to forget that not all of California is
sunny and
warm all the time - ask the folks who live in the Sierra, or the Trinities and
Siskiyous
about snow and the need for 4-wheel drive; however - driving an over-sized,
unstable,
tarted-up 4-wheel drive (or 2-wheel drive that wants to LOOK like a 4-wheel
drive) as a
primary vehicle in clear conditions on dry pavement is ridiculous. The safety
arguments
for SUVs are spurious at best - they are based upon the "I'm bigger than you,
so if you
hit me (or if I hit you), you'll bounce off" argument - well, folks, don't look
now, but
an 18-wheeler trumps that card, and there are plenty of them around!
The handling characteristics of the typical SUV, including your Durango, Mark,
are abysmal
- they have a much higher rollover accident rate than normal passenger
vehicles, usually
occurring in a rapid lane change or accident avoidance maneuver. The
combination of a high
center of gravity and relatively soft suspension characteristics is unforgiving
- and
dangerous for the unwary or unskilled driver (which includes most of the people
on the
road... )
Gary McCormick
San Jose, CA (it snowed here once... ) ;^)
Mark Sedlack wrote:
> Gary,
> I for one took offense to the SUV comment - I own a 66 Roadster ( a work in
> progress), a 77 280Z that gets driven all the time in the summer and stored
> in the winter, and yes, a Dodge Durango SUV.
>
> While driving a leather interior, 4x4 SUV to the opera in sunny CA. may seem
> like a joke, to those of us who live where it actually snows FEET at a time,
> having a 4 wheel drive vehicle that seats 8 and has the cargo capacity to
> carry an engine block, tranny, or multiple prototypes is a necessity. Not
> to mention carrying all the gear, the family, and the dog over fire roads in
> the Allegheny National Forest for summer camping trips.
>
> You may have seen the recent news story regarding the 7 feet of snow that
> got dumped on Buffalo - we here in the greater Cleveland area didn't get the
> full brunt of that storm, but we did get our fair share of the same
> "lake-effect" snow, and getting around is damn near impossible without 4
> wheel drive.
>
> Roadster content: I would have been hard pressed to tow the Roadster home
> in the first place without my "stoopid" SUV.
>
> Mark Sedlack
> OROC
> Cuyahoga Falls OH
> 66 1600 http://home.neo.rr.com/mark2000/images/datsun1600/
> 77 280Z http://home.neo.rr.com/mark2000/Myz.jpg
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gary K. McCormick" <gkmcc@netgate.net>
> To: "sidney raper" <spl310@hotmail.com>; "Roadster List"
> <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 1:37 AM
> Subject: Re: purists
>
> > Actually, for me it is the combination of the multiple non-functional
> Lotii AND
> > driving an SUV (especially, as I said, a badge-engineered mongrel like the
> > Mountaineer) that speaks to this guy's diminished capacity. And come on -
> the
> > guy ROLLED his stoopid SUV while pulling a trailer, dumping and further
> > trashing the basket case Lotus he was bringing home to stack next to the
> other
> > 2 or 3 he already had! He needs an easier hobby...
> >
> > In your case, Sid - well, we're talking Datsun Roadsters here! Is there
> any
> > such thing as too many? I only have one, and she's all there, just needs
> the
> > kiss from the prince to wake her from 10 years' slumber - oh, yeah, and a
> > complete go-through of the fuel and brake systems ;^)
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Gary
> >
> > sidney raper wrote:
> >
> > > Gary,
> > >
> > > Those are harsh words. I don't think that he is too far removed from
> many
> > > folks on this list (myself included) that have a desire to build their
> car
> > > on their own. He bought a project and it snowballed. I am sure that
> many
> > > on the list can relate. How many folks her have multiple roadsters? I
> have
> > > 3 at the house and most of 2 more elsewhere. None run - but one day a
> few
> > > will.
> > >
> > > Sid
> > > (Self admitted glutton to punishment when it comes to Roadsters - or
> else I
> > > would not have dragged home SRL311-00076)
> > >
> > > >From: Gary McCormick <svgkm@halley.ca.essd.northgrum.com>
> > > >Reply-To: Gary McCormick <svgkm@halley.ca.essd.northgrum.com>
> > > >To: Donna and Terry Cost <tcost@hot.rr.com>
> > > >CC: Datsun Roadsters <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
> > > >Subject: Re: purists
> > > >Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2002 14:31:04 -0800
> > > >
> > > >This guy is a glutton for punishment... He purchases multiple
> > > >non-functional Lotuses and
> > > >then rolls his stoopid SUV (the only thing stoopider than an SUV is a
> > > >badge-engineered
> > > >makeover SUV like a Mercury Mountaineer... ).
> > > >
> > > >His "saga" reads like the news from the shallow end of the gene pool.
> > > >
> > > >Gary McCormick
> > > >San Jose, CA
> > > >
> > > >Donna and Terry Cost wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I found something on the BMW list. I think the owner is going to
> sell
> > > >this
> > > > > as an "unrestored classic" when he gets finished. Do you think the
> > > >numbers
> > > > > will match?
> > > > >
> > > > > http://www.theriens.com/lotus/
> > > > >
> > > > > By the way, I've changed my service to roadrunner if anyone wants to
> > > >talk to
> > > > > me tcost@hot.rr.com
> > > > >
> > > > > Andy and I and a few other roadster owners want to have a
> get-together
> > > > > sometime next month in the Dallas area. You are welcome to come to
> the
> > > > > autocross at Mineral Wells on February 17th (Sunday). Andy and I
> will
> > > >be
> > > > > there, and maybe Pat and Mike Steinbach. I have a wedding to attend
> on
> > > >the
> > > > > 9th (Saturday) but any other weekend day in February would be fine.
> > > >Send me
> > > > > your ideas. I'm looking at meeting somewhere for lunch, then home
> when
> > > >you
> > > > > get ready, but I'm flexible. I'm putting down February 23 at
> Pennington
> > > > > Field as a tentative date. Pennington Field is close to the
> > > >intersection of
> > > > > 121 and the Airport Freeway(183) in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area.
> It
> > > >is
> > > > > specifically on Central Drive. Look for something resembling a
> football
> > > > > stadium, and that's the place. See you then.
> > > > >
> > > > > Leisure Suit Terry
> > > > >
> > > > > /// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
> > > > > /// Send admin requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or go to
> > > > > /// http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
> > > > > /// Send list postings to datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> > > >
> > > >/// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
> > > >/// Send admin requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or go to
> > > >/// http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
> > > >/// Send list postings to datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> > > >
> > >
> > > Sidney Raper
> > > 1964 1500
> > > 1967 SRL311 00060
> > > 1967 SRL311 00076
> > > Jacksonville Florida
> > > http://www.geocities.com/roadsternut/index.html
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > > Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
> > > http://www.hotmail.com
> > >
> > > /// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
> > > /// Send admin requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or go to
> > > /// http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
> > > /// Send list postings to datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> >
> > /// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
> > /// Send admin requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or go to
> > /// http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
> > /// Send list postings to datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
>
> /// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
> /// Send admin requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or go to
> /// http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
> /// Send list postings to datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
/// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
|
