Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ray White]

Not really my cup of tea but there is a serious point here.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/06/citroen-2cv.html

[roverdriver]

An interesting read, Ray. It does rather show that for all of our modern technological innovations, basic physics says that it takes a certain amount of energy to move a set weight over a set distance at a set speed, and no matter how supposedly efficient engines become the tare weight of a vehicle is a very deciding factor in fuel economy.

As far as so-called 'greenness' goes, people driving classic cars are far more 'green' than someone who buys a new car every few years.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[Ray White]

I heard that, on average, it takes as much energy to create a new car as that car will use in consumables throughout it's existence! Whether that is true or not I don't know but I suppose it depends on how much the car is used. Cars today seems to have a very short shelf life before they are recycled into more new cars. Total madness.

We are often criticised for running high polluting vehicles but in my opinion the elephant in the room is that of particulates from Diesel engines and relatively few classics fall into that category. Also, most classic cars are seldom driven every day so the pollution from them can't be that bad.

Putting things into perspective, the pollution from 15 super tankers in a year is equivalent to all the road vehicles in the world.

Makes you think doesn't it?

[Peter_L]

Back at school, probably late 1950's in Economics, our tutor said that one day there would be just a handful of car manufacturing companies, working with very few people and running 24/365.

Unsold cars would be scrapped and the steel re-used. The through put of vehicles meant cheaper components, so cheaper cars and average car life would be a few years.

Although he over simplified things, he wasn't that far off and it was very different thinking.

Once upon a time a 1/2 ton truck was a simple workhorse, now they are luxury vehicles with a cargo box on the back.

[Ray White]

I remember we once had a window cleaner. Scruffy, unshaven old boy with his trousers tied up with string. He was the sort of rough diamond that no one would take seriously at first glance but he had an answer to any question you might like to put to him. Any subject, his knowledge was amazing.

I remember him saying that in the future, the Chinese would become the most powerful economy in the world.

Yeah. Pull the other one.

[Old Wrench]

[Ray White]

Fascinating. Sounds like your Chairman must have been typically short sighted.

[Old Wrench]

Moving this thread back on topic, the 2CV was a brilliant conception.

Originally conceived to encourage French farmers to mechanise, post WWII, France was in ruins thanks to Nazi Germany's depredation.

France is a big big country: Five Times the geographical size of England.

Whilst public local transport existed and exists, it is not very helpful. Must also be remembered prior to the EEC(1957) 90% of the total French work force worked in agriculture. Indeed, when I first experienced France, small working and self-sufficient farms were very common.

The post-war Deaux Chevaux became ubiquitous; it could be driven over ploughed fields, by raising the suspension lever; by rolling the full top canvas hood back and removing the vestigial spare seats, a calf could be carried and often was!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_2CV

I've always had a soft spot for the 2CV: I well remember an epic Sunday drive back from Petsworth in Sussex, to West London in a Dynane. My passenger was then beginning to race Formula 3 single seaters and went hairless as I approached roundabouts, didn't brake and simply dropped a cog and proceeded at top speed!

The suspension and road holding were superb.

If you knew what you were doing............

Incredible cars and very advanced for the early 1950s.
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Well, apart from that, did you enjoy the play, Mrs Lincoln?

[Ray White]

I started driving in 1970 so had a wide choice of 'popular' cars at a reasonable second hand price.

The 2CV was cheap to buy and run and had a brilliant design of 2 cylinder air cooled boxer engine which never needed rebuilding. When I passed my car driving test I wanted something better than the Isetta bubble car that I had been running on a motorbike license since I was 16 and I seriously considered a 2CV.

As you say the handling was superb but I just couldn't get on with the body roll on corners. I also wanted something with a bit more grunt so I ended up with an immaculate, 20,000 mile Austin A30 to which I fitted a 1098 A40 engine with gas flowed head, high lift cam and twin carbs that came from a rally car that my mate had wrpped around a tree. The A30 cost just £8 and the donor wreck only cost £2 so there was no contest.

[Old Wrench]

Body Roll: that's why they were known as "Leaping Linas"!

One just had to ignore the body roll and keep your trotter down hard........

Of course, a large heavy calf helped........
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Well, apart from that, did you enjoy the play, Mrs Lincoln?

[Ray White]

[Old Wrench]

[ukdave2002]

[Ray White]

As it happens I come from a farming family. You wouldn't find my Uncle George wasting money on a new car (although he was well off) because he was such a tight wad. He would sit down so as not to waste shoe leather.

The dairy and historic farm house was spotless as it was beautiful and Auntie made sure all the boots were left in the porch!.

They carried on with their old Austin 20 well into the 1960's. My Dad considered buying it but eventually decided it was too thirsty and bought a new Vauxhall Victor instead.

I guess not all farmers are the same.