Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Bitumen Boy]

Interesting story about a van that hit a low bridge, the photos are well worth seeing...

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/van-completely-splits-in-half-after-striking-notoriously-low-railway-bridge-074558279.html

[Longstroke]

Bit of an indictment on the van's construction. I note it was manufactured by a certain French manufacturer hitherto known for their innovation. I remember saying to a chap who was doing some welding for me a few years ago that I thought he probably didn't get much work in these days on modern vehicles. He reckoned not so, and that some modern small Western European hatchbacks needed welding after six or seven years.

[Rick]

[alastairq]

Many automotive products these days aren't quite what we would assume they are?

For example, how many new Vauxhalls are actually Peugeots in disguise?
Or are Citroen vans actually Peugeots.Vauxhalls/etc [insert makers name here?]....and maybe aren't even made locally?
I don't know where Citroen-badged 'over-2 tonne' [IE, not categorised as CDVs?] vans are made these days?

I'm afraid much store is made these days by the buying public, of acres of [thin] sheet metal.....[witness the popularity of the slab sided uber-panzers every make is flogging hilariously?] An acre of thin sheet metal is deemed to be armour plated quality? It's a psychological thing....if a thing looks heavy, it must be heavy, therefore must be good [or better] quality?

Nissan has had issues with the chassis integrity of their slab-sided, much feared [by others, not me] Navarra derivatives?.....They snap in two?

Perhaps we have entered an age whereby,if a product [van?] is going to sustain damage, it may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb, and get damaged properly, well & truly?

Today's cars fold up at the slightest excuse....[and still manage to inflict death & serious injury on its occupants...despite all the crash protection...if the local news is anything to go by?]

Perhaps this idea of new vehicles saving the planet, by being 'less polluting', is partly the reason? I mean, we can't go around actually repairing the things, can we? [Does anyone know how much damage to the environment actually scrapping a modern , crashed car, causes? Is that factored into the argument anywhere?]
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Longstroke]

The most green car is one that's already made. Throw in infinite repairability and that would then come down to a Series LandRover, vintage Bentley (both probably green in colour, too), Reliant Scimitar etc etc

My in-laws had a Fiat Panda (post 2003 type) and in the owners handbook it stated it was 100% recyclable. Not sure what that exactly means in practice.

[Penman]

Hi
I have seen quite a few brand new FWD vans on transporters.
They were front sections only being taken to other sites or companies to have the rear chassis/wheels and bodies added later.
There must be weak point where the join is.
Never had that problem with RWDs.

The Vauxhall and Renault range use the same bodies.
Vivaro = Traffic
Movano = Master
Don't know about the engines.
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[Rootes75]

The Vivaro and Traffic also share the body with the Nissan Primastar.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Bitumen Boy]

[lowdrag]

On the subject of washing machines, ours finally expired after 22 years. Bosch still had a few parts available on line but not what I needed sadly. The new Samsung came with a statement that spare parts will be available for three years. Our TV expired after six years and nothing is available either. Saving the world? Don't make me laugh.

[emmerson]

[D4B]

I am reminded of this:

https://youtu.be/t6QsPIcV0nM