With spring break coming up in a week I have a few tests to study for and I'm teaching during the latter part of the week so as of right now there will not be a spotlight or a post on tires. Next week I'll try to get everything back up to speed since I'll have some free time.
Also to note the next spotlight will be a car from the Minneapolis Auto Show So a poll will go up probably later on today with some possible choices. The top 5 cars will be chosen as spotlight vehicles for the coming weeks.
-DK
Monday, March 8, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Spotlight of the Week 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
After a rebirth in 1983 with a sleeker body design, the Thunderbird also took on a few new engines one of which seems taboo for the car. During the 1980's Ford was looking to rediscover the idea of the Thunderbird after a failed attempt in the early 1980's. This attempt was to expand it's performance division against the incoming Japanese competitors who were bringing over turbocharged engines that were more efficient and powerful. Enter stage right was Ford's solution known as the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.
Design:
Exterior:
Known as the aerobird generation the 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was the last version before a redesign in 1989. On the outside this car distinct in its design. From the shield up front to the long hood and the coupe design it was hard to mistake it for another. Features that are notable include the aero-shield up front and the functional hood scoop that flows air into the inter-cooler.
Interior:
Climbing inside is like stepping back into the 1980's. The best word to describe the interior is plastic. Almost everything in there is plastic some good some bad. The instrument layout is quite nice but when moving over to the center stack that where it looses it. Case in point the print is too small and overall it's too busy with knobs, switches and buttons all over the place. The center arm rest has the window controls, seat controls along with mirror settings some of which are similar to the late Pontiac G8.
Powertrain:
2.3 L OHC 4 cylinder coupled with a turbo and a intercooler outputs 190 hp and 200 lbs of torque. This power was sent to the rear wheels by a 5 speed manual transmission from a Mustang SVO. In the 4 speed automatic variant of this car the output numbers drop to 150 hp because of durability issues. Other notable items for this car include the automatic ride control suspension between comfort and sport mode and four wheel anti-lock breaks.
Thoughts:
My take on the 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe is a tad bias along the lines that its one of my favorite cars from Ford. That said I do have have some issues with the car and that revolves around the interior. The body is far more futuristic than vehicles of that era and even when you see them on the road they still have a essence with them. The interior on the other hand is classic 80's that tries to be sporty, but misses during the translation between paper and assembly line.
Price:
Then: $17,146
Now: $12,000 - $500 depending on condition
-DK
Design:
Exterior:
Known as the aerobird generation the 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was the last version before a redesign in 1989. On the outside this car distinct in its design. From the shield up front to the long hood and the coupe design it was hard to mistake it for another. Features that are notable include the aero-shield up front and the functional hood scoop that flows air into the inter-cooler.
 |
| Photo courtesy of http://www.biocrawler.com/ |
Interior:
Climbing inside is like stepping back into the 1980's. The best word to describe the interior is plastic. Almost everything in there is plastic some good some bad. The instrument layout is quite nice but when moving over to the center stack that where it looses it. Case in point the print is too small and overall it's too busy with knobs, switches and buttons all over the place. The center arm rest has the window controls, seat controls along with mirror settings some of which are similar to the late Pontiac G8.
Powertrain:
2.3 L OHC 4 cylinder coupled with a turbo and a intercooler outputs 190 hp and 200 lbs of torque. This power was sent to the rear wheels by a 5 speed manual transmission from a Mustang SVO. In the 4 speed automatic variant of this car the output numbers drop to 150 hp because of durability issues. Other notable items for this car include the automatic ride control suspension between comfort and sport mode and four wheel anti-lock breaks.
Thoughts:
My take on the 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe is a tad bias along the lines that its one of my favorite cars from Ford. That said I do have have some issues with the car and that revolves around the interior. The body is far more futuristic than vehicles of that era and even when you see them on the road they still have a essence with them. The interior on the other hand is classic 80's that tries to be sporty, but misses during the translation between paper and assembly line.
Price:
Then: $17,146
Now: $12,000 - $500 depending on condition
-DK
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tire Design part 1 Basic Tread Design
The contact points between the road and you car consist of four small patches of rubber. The tire too many drivers is probably one of the last things they worry about when driving down the road, that's until one of them goes flat.
Some of you have wondered, others not, why tires have different patterns on the bottom of them. Is there significance in the intricate design molded into them or is it just for looks? A few of you also might not have a clue what I'm talking about.
I could probably argue the reasoning was because of looks, but in reality, some major science goes into those designs. In this post, I'm going to cover the basic design pattern of the tire. In the future posts I'm going to go a little more in depth on how these designs effect performance on dry, wet, and icy pavement along with gravel and dirt.
Symmetric Tread Design
Symmetric tread design is exactly what it sounds like; the design is symmetrical across the center of the tire so that the inboard and the outboard tread patterns are the same. The main benefit to symmetrical treads is multiple tire rotation patterns can be used.
Asymmetric Tread Design
An asymmetric design is used for a mixture of surfaces (dry, wet, and icy). In these tires, the tread design changes across the bottom of the tire. For example, an asymmetrical tire would have smaller pieces of tread by the inboard side of the tire to deal with icy or wet roads. While wider pieces of tread are located on outboard side of the tire for grip on dry roads. These tires also allow for multiple rotation patterns like the symmetrical thread designs.
Directional (Unidirectional) Tread Design
They're known as directional tires because they can only rotate in one direction otherwise they don't work properly. Directional are best known for their ability to move water out of the way by single or multiple V-groove(s) located on the bottom of the tire. This helps the tire become more effective at fighting hydroplaning on water at speed. The rotational pattern is limited compared to the symmetric and asymmetric because this type of tire can only be rotated from the front to the back of the car.
Asymmetric and Directional Tread Design
These tires are very similar to directional except that the V-groove(s) is/are offset from the center of the tire. Rotational pattern is same as the directional.
-DK
Some of you have wondered, others not, why tires have different patterns on the bottom of them. Is there significance in the intricate design molded into them or is it just for looks? A few of you also might not have a clue what I'm talking about.
I could probably argue the reasoning was because of looks, but in reality, some major science goes into those designs. In this post, I'm going to cover the basic design pattern of the tire. In the future posts I'm going to go a little more in depth on how these designs effect performance on dry, wet, and icy pavement along with gravel and dirt.
Symmetric Tread Design
Symmetric tread design is exactly what it sounds like; the design is symmetrical across the center of the tire so that the inboard and the outboard tread patterns are the same. The main benefit to symmetrical treads is multiple tire rotation patterns can be used.
Asymmetric Tread Design
An asymmetric design is used for a mixture of surfaces (dry, wet, and icy). In these tires, the tread design changes across the bottom of the tire. For example, an asymmetrical tire would have smaller pieces of tread by the inboard side of the tire to deal with icy or wet roads. While wider pieces of tread are located on outboard side of the tire for grip on dry roads. These tires also allow for multiple rotation patterns like the symmetrical thread designs.
 |
| From tirerack.com |
Directional (Unidirectional) Tread Design
They're known as directional tires because they can only rotate in one direction otherwise they don't work properly. Directional are best known for their ability to move water out of the way by single or multiple V-groove(s) located on the bottom of the tire. This helps the tire become more effective at fighting hydroplaning on water at speed. The rotational pattern is limited compared to the symmetric and asymmetric because this type of tire can only be rotated from the front to the back of the car.
Asymmetric and Directional Tread Design
These tires are very similar to directional except that the V-groove(s) is/are offset from the center of the tire. Rotational pattern is same as the directional.
-DK
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tires?
After sitting in a tire shop a week ago, waiting for an oil change, I found myself walking through the ties that they had on display. One display for a performance/premium tire talked about the how parts of the tread increased grip on different surfaces. This got me thinking. There are many different tread designs, rubber compounds, sizes, etc... How much does the average person know about the 4 points of contact their vehicle has w/ the road? In other words, how much do people know about tires? Over the next couple of weeks I'll cover different topics relating to tires from the design of the tread, the compounds used within them, different tire ratings, sizes, along with a few other topics.
The first topic I'll be covering will be the tread design, which should be posted in the next few days.
-DK
P.S. Make sure to vote in the poll on the side for the next spotlight of the week.
The first topic I'll be covering will be the tread design, which should be posted in the next few days.
-DK
P.S. Make sure to vote in the poll on the side for the next spotlight of the week.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Spotlight of the Week 1996 Honda Accord V6
The vote is in and the First Spotlight of the week is the 1996 Honda Accord V6.
After a remodel in 1994, the 1996 Honda Accord received a brief refresh over the previous model year in the front and rear fascia, in addition to a few tech upgrades. The changes loosen up the lines of the car making it look softer looking than the previous year. The inside of the Accord stayed pretty much the same, as the 1995 version, except for the addition of a compliant OBD-II port that was mandated by the US government.
Exterior:
Weighing in at a 3,285 lbs and 188.4" long, 70.1" wide and 55.3" tall the 1996 Honda Accord V6 fits snugly in the mid-size car category. Even though it is a sedan, the Accord still holds some of coupe like design with a long hood and short trunk. The reflector beam headlights help make this car standout as a higher-class car compared to many of the cars during the mid 90's, which still had the Fresnel lens headlights. Standard features that are notable also include a sunroof along with an optional the wing on back.
Interior:
Once inside the Accord, the interior is reminiscent of most mid-90's vehicles. The plastic dashboard materials, flat black gauges and controls all scream 90's car. The console layout is comfortable for reaching the radio and climate controls and the gauges are easy to read. The floor shifter relates information about gear back up to the dash do the driver doesn't need to glance down to see if they are in drive or second.
Powertrain:
Loaded with a 2.7L DOHC V6 engine that's rated for about 170 hp and 165 lbs of torque, the accord delivers this adequate power through a 4-speed automatic to the front wheels. To note the transmission is known for its hard shifts that can be sometimes reminiscent of a poorly shifted manual transmission.
Thoughts:
Overall, the 1996 Honda Accord is a nice looking vehicle. It has many details that stand out as a more expensive car for its time. The ride is good not spectacular but just good. At times, it could be described as harsh when going over rough roads, but overall it delivers good feedback to the driver. Really, the only complaint I have is the passenger seat legroom is a tad cramped but that more of a preference over anything.
Price:
Then: MSRP-$25,100
Now: $4,475-$5,700 Kelly Blue book
-DK
After a remodel in 1994, the 1996 Honda Accord received a brief refresh over the previous model year in the front and rear fascia, in addition to a few tech upgrades. The changes loosen up the lines of the car making it look softer looking than the previous year. The inside of the Accord stayed pretty much the same, as the 1995 version, except for the addition of a compliant OBD-II port that was mandated by the US government.
Exterior:
Weighing in at a 3,285 lbs and 188.4" long, 70.1" wide and 55.3" tall the 1996 Honda Accord V6 fits snugly in the mid-size car category. Even though it is a sedan, the Accord still holds some of coupe like design with a long hood and short trunk. The reflector beam headlights help make this car standout as a higher-class car compared to many of the cars during the mid 90's, which still had the Fresnel lens headlights. Standard features that are notable also include a sunroof along with an optional the wing on back.
 |
| Exterior of a Honda Accord V6 |
Interior:
Once inside the Accord, the interior is reminiscent of most mid-90's vehicles. The plastic dashboard materials, flat black gauges and controls all scream 90's car. The console layout is comfortable for reaching the radio and climate controls and the gauges are easy to read. The floor shifter relates information about gear back up to the dash do the driver doesn't need to glance down to see if they are in drive or second.
 |
| Interior of a Honda Accord V6 |
Powertrain:
Loaded with a 2.7L DOHC V6 engine that's rated for about 170 hp and 165 lbs of torque, the accord delivers this adequate power through a 4-speed automatic to the front wheels. To note the transmission is known for its hard shifts that can be sometimes reminiscent of a poorly shifted manual transmission.
Thoughts:
Overall, the 1996 Honda Accord is a nice looking vehicle. It has many details that stand out as a more expensive car for its time. The ride is good not spectacular but just good. At times, it could be described as harsh when going over rough roads, but overall it delivers good feedback to the driver. Really, the only complaint I have is the passenger seat legroom is a tad cramped but that more of a preference over anything.
Price:
Then: MSRP-$25,100
Now: $4,475-$5,700 Kelly Blue book
-DK
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)