[list.british-cars] Far Eastern clone

chad@en.ecn.purdue.edu (Chad R Mccubbins) (02/22/90)

>Phil Ethier writes, in reference to my Far East BritClone:
>>Don't tell me, let me guess:  Datsun roadster?

>No, guess again.


Not Datsun 2000, eh  possibly A Miata ?


Chad McCubbins
chad@en.ecn.purdue.edu
'The shape of things to come........ and go.'

ejd@iris.brown.edu (02/22/90)

Chad McCubbins wins the 1990 edition of 'Guess which car I drive', and will
be awarded the traditional prize of a Laurel, and Hardy handshake.

Congratulations, and thanks for playing!

Next up ... what's the average life of a Triumph Stag purchased off a used-car
lot?  Hint - it's less than you think!

ed d.

phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier) (02/22/90)

>
>
> >Phil Ethier writes, in reference to my Far East BritClone:
> >>Don't tell me, let me guess:  Datsun roadster?
>
> >No, guess again.
>
>
> Not Datsun 2000, eh  possibly A Miata ?
>
>
> Chad McCubbins
> chad@en.ecn.purdue.edu
> 'The shape of things to come........ and go.'
>
Congratulations, Chad.  Was that an Oliver Hardy handshake?  Maybe a
Stan Laurel handshake would be more fitting.  After all, Stan was
British.  I don't see the Miata as a real clone, though.  There are
several real inovations there, like the subframe running back to the
diff.  The Datsuns, now, they were clones, right down to the SUs and
the teeth-rattling ride.   phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov
>
> 


--
Login name: phile        In real life: Philip J Ethier
Phone: 298-5324

sfisher@abingdon.wpd.sgi.com (Scott Fisher) (02/23/90)

	> >Phil Ethier writes, in reference to my Far East BritClone:
	> >>Don't tell me, let me guess:  Datsun roadster?
	>
	> >No, guess again.
	>
	>
	> Not Datsun 2000, eh  possibly A Miata ?
	>
	>
	Congratulations, Chad.  Was that an Oliver Hardy handshake?  Maybe a
	Stan Laurel handshake would be more fitting.  After all, Stan was
	British.  I don't see the Miata as a real clone, though.  There are
	several real inovations there, like the subframe running back to the
	diff.  

Ever see an Elan with its clothes off?  I didn't think so.
The Elan (and the Europa) used exactly the same principle,
except that they hung fiberglass panels instead of steel
(and they used MacPherson/Chapman struts instead of dual
A-arms).

	The Datsuns, now, they were clones, right down to the SUs and
	the teeth-rattling ride.   phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov

My dad and I were talking cars about a year ago.  I mentioned
the Miata, which I had only seen in photos at that time.

"Miata?  Isn't that the car that looks like a little Lotus?"
he asked.

"No," I said, "it looks like a big Lotus."

phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier) (02/23/90)

Actually, Scott, I have seen an Elan with its clothes off.  The
backbone frame is just that, the primary structural part of the car.
It supports the largly unstressed body, the engine,  transmission,
suspension components and differential.  The Miata is not built like
this.  The main structural member is the monocoque (damn, unibody is
easier to spell) itself.  The subframe to which I was referring is
vibrationally isolated from the unibody and supports only the engine,
transmission and differential.  It does not support the body, but is
supported BY the body which in turn is supported by the suspension.
This arrangement, along with the absence of the rubber doughnuts in
the driveline, helps to eliminate the "rubber band" loping that Elan
owners know so well.  Put another way, this subrame unites engine,
tranmission and differential into one unit, not unlike the single-unit
effect in a mid-engine car.  Not to stray too far from British cars,
but maybe our Miata-driving folks can pass on the factory claims for
this design.  Miata was suposed to be a light-weight, inexpensive
sport car.  It is neither.  The Spridget is.  (Yes I know Loti are
lighter, but inexpensive?)     phile@pwcs.stpaul.gov
--
Login name: phile        In real life: Philip J Ethier
Phone: 298-5324

waynea@ursa-major.spdcc.com (Wayne Angevine) (02/23/90)

>Chad McCubbins wins the 1990 edition of 'Guess which car I drive', and will
>be awarded the traditional prize of a Laurel, and Hardy handshake.

>Congratulations, and thanks for playing!

Now that we've cleared that up, I'll admit to being the Roadster driver
(or more accurately, the Roadster mechanic supporter.)

Wayne

gsds@uunet.uu.net (K.C.Babb) (02/23/90)

Re: Elans and Miatas--

>Ever see an Elan with its clothes off?  I didn't think so.
>The Elan (and the Europa) used exactly the same principle,
>except that they hung fiberglass panels instead of steel
>(and they used MacPherson/Chapman struts instead of dual
>A-arms).

Yeah, but I think Mazda had the brains to use decent materials
for the metal frame (they had to get that extra 800 lbs. some-
where, right?)--the Elan frame is made of fairly flimsy 
sheet metal.  I think the body panels on our Rx-7 are stiffer.
Something tells me there won't be many Miatas pulling out
their lower-arm attachment points in the rear (a fairly com-
mon failure in raced Elans).
	
>"Miata?  Isn't that the car that looks like a little Lotus?"
>he asked.

>"No," I said, "it looks like a big Lotus."

Interesting point--you really don't think of the Miata as
"large" until it sits next to an Elan.  We parked next to
a blue Miata (the colors are almost a match) at an auto-
cross last year, and from a distance it looked like a
pair of scale models; one 3/4 scale, one 1/2 scale.  The
Mazda is longer, wider, and taller.  I don't think the
size difference justifies the weight difference, though.
If the Miata had come in under 2000 lbs. I'd probably
sell my mother to get one.  Since it didn't, I think we
can wait until the dealer gouging subsides a bit.

Anybody have any strong reactions to the "new Elan"? 
Looks too much like a Fiero for my taste, and I can't
see paying that kind of money for FWD (gag), even if we
won the lottery and could afford to.  But the published
power figures are reasonably impressive for that size
of car.  Too bad the GM influence shows so much.

KCB