Tempest

Jim, big fan of technology that you seem to be (so am I, but as an engineer I always question the usefulness of many a product that appears on the market, and sometimes it makes me cringe to see that something becomes highly successful despite it technologically being utter rubbish or totally useless, or there being far better products around, but thanks to clever marketing the money-spending masses fall into the designed trap of buying a technically inferior product that often has just been designed for whatever incredible reason), but don't foget technological progress is not just good for progress' sake. there's got to be a reason, which brings us back to the key issue: For me an enthusiast car does NOT need all current modern technology to give me the pleasure that I seek in such a vehicle and indeed also derive from my current 3 cars (they handle brilliantly, they drive well, they are easy to maintain, DIY on, to name a few). As far as a daily hack is concenred, yes, I do agree that some of the recent inventions may be useful, but then we are talking a totally different kettle of fish. My current cars are fun cars, not daily hacks. A daily hack has to meet totally different criteria for me (cheap to buy, cheap to run, ideally should cost nothing :lol:, because it's an undesired expense in life, which is why I'm quite fortuous in that I do not need such a money-pit) than fun cars. I also want my fun cars to last, i.e. that I can still get parts or even make them myself, which up to now has been possible (with a bit of creativity), but that won't be the case with tyhose shedloads of electronics in modern cars, where more and more often the ECU will or is already encrypted. Yes, you may, no doubt, break the code (I personally would debate that, since the code is unlike PC stuff heavily proprietary, and unless someone leaks out the code, impossible to break - ECUs are, however, not quite as desirable to break as for example a Sky or other pay-tv box, so it's unlikely that ECUs will attract as much attention and effort by the population as Sky or pay-tv boxes), but that probably will require special tools and software etc., making the whole thing more of a chore than a pleasure. It's a nuisance already now if you wanted to fit a TFSI engine to a Mk1 Rocco, because you need to get round the immobiliser code in the blasted ECU! That's may be fine to combat car theft, but for enthusiasts it's a pain in the neck. Remember that we are talking enthusiast cars here, not daily hacks, where even I wouldn't care about this issue. Another problem I have with all this electronics is that it makes driving sports cars too easy for any person that can't actually drive very well. Example: The comments in the article comparing the old Mk1 racer to the new Irocco racer were that in the old one you needed to work, neeed to put effort into driving the car. With the new one the electronics take a large part of that fun factor away. Any old idiot can now drive a sports car, to put it bluntly. I personally think that that's wrong. Furthermore a lot of the modern electronics are used to mask rubbish mechanicals. The Mk1 Golf and Rocco handled extremely well (not just in their days, but even today) without a single bit of electronics, something modern cars just can't do any more without all sorts of controllers, all of which will go wrong over time (with increasing system complexity, the more can and will go wrong, first axiom for each self-respecting engineer, hence KISS should be the golden rule in any good design). Anyway, it seems to pretty much boil down to the differences between expectations for a daily and a funcar: Definitely not me, at least not for me as an enthusiast. Indeed, but there is quite a capital-rich enthusiast niche market out there, that some companies do manage to cater for. VW won't and don't as a producer for the masses. One of the reasons why I'm already a little skeptical about the VR6 engine, but at least its electronics are still reasonably manageable. Even so, not all faults will be revealed by VAG-com, you still need to have a basic understanding of how an engine works (something a lot of modern garages now lack), and once you've got that then actually something like ECUs and Vag-com just get in the way, make things more complicated than absolutely necessary. Mind you, I don't think new cars will have as "simple" ECUs and electonics any more as the VR6. Can-bus and all that sh*t, miles of cabling inside each car these days make life a nightmare even for a well-versed electrical engineer! Heck, that's why according to a recent ADAC survey the majority of problems with modern cars (breakdown reasons) is actually due to on-board electronic systems failing! Read and understand my lengthy post completely, folks, before answering, as you will spot answers to your potential counter arguments in there somwehere :lol: Tempest

Read the article copmparing the Mk1 racer to the new N

Far too much electornic gubbins necessary to get that engine to run. Immobiliser, ECU, sensors, WTF do you need all that for? It

See here, as seen in Germany at a VW dealership: Tempest

Now there's an idea. Don't put further silly ideas in my head, folks :lol: Tempest

Oooeeerrr :lol: Tempest

Only realised it now, it

Wow, definitely my next lawnmower then :lol: Tempest

Well, it

Considering the original SP2 is a nearly 40 year old design, not bad :-) Nice video, BTW. Tempest

Some may remember the ultra rare SP2, quite a stunningly good looking coupe built by Karmann in Brasil. A few did make it across to Europe, but they are rare, and still gorgeous looking even today: http://media.nextautos.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/vw-sp2-1.jpg Well, according to a Polish website (and we do have someone who is fluent in Polish on the German Roccoforum, so I trust him ;-) ) VW have got a design for a new SP2, and boy, does that look good, well IMHO at least. I

This made me laugh:

Uhoh, Rado soon to be sold? Thought it was a bit strange that my Mk1 wasn't feeling too happy when I had you as a passenger to the Roadstar meet in the Netherlands :lol: Now I know why :lol: Tempest

Guess I know which one I

Instantaneously much cooler :D Tempest

All my 3 cars are laid up October till may typically, Most has already been said, although I personally don't start up any engines during the lay-up period. Reason being that condensation will build up anyway, especially in the exhaust pipes etc. if you don't leave the engine to warm up properly. Before first start-up for the new season, I turn the engine by hand a few times to get the oil circulating. Other than that, I cover up my cars with cotton sheets to keep the dust off, increase tyre pressure, stick oily rags in exhaust pipes (to stop condensation, which is typical for British winters with huge temperature and humidity swings in the winter), even wrap metal parts on engine bay that are prone to condensation (leaving behind unsighly white deposites, and ultimately rust) with newspaper. Inside I use silicagel bags to avoid any moisture build-up, treat leather seats and other leather parts with a good dose of leather creme. Tempest

Based in Coventry, got 3 Karmann type 53s, none used as dailies, just cared and looked after, and driven on sunny weekends. Tempest

In my days as a student, my mechanical engineering colleagues (not one myself) used Ansys for FEA. That's all I can remember. Mate of mine modelled a tennis racket using Ansys and the stresses of the strings and racket material (shaft, head, etc.) when playing tennis. Tempest

Isn't that shell made by someone in the UK, who sells them worldwide? Mate of mine in Germany still has his modell, based on his real Rado (sold some time ago), but trashed it during some race on a car park. Tempest

Yes, it's on the cards (according to local Osnabr

Britannia are a chain, so that's OK, but they are usually quite busy, thanks to loads of radio advertising drawing in the punters. So avoid listening to radio stations like Mercia or TouchFM in Coventry because you'll hear adverts for Britannia every 5 minutes, which does my head in :lol: Places I go to for tyres are Mr Tyre on Gulson Road and New Tyres to You in Curriers Close in Tile Hill. Tempest

Well, that's very kind of you guys then, to occasionally ferry me around in style, when I'm fed up of thge white vans :lol: Tempest

Seem to be coming out of the woodworks all of a sudden :lol: Unfortunately it's whitevan man for me for the next 7 months from today onwards, as I have returned the tax disks for pretty much all my Karmann coupes to the DVLA, since weatherwise October usually doesn't hold out much any more and in November the gritters already come out in full force here in Coventry. Tempest

Sorry to read about the mishap there Judith. Hope you'll get the damage sorted without too much hassle, both financially and sourcing parts. The rest of this thread has become rather interesting indeed :lol: Tempest

Correct, plus Vicki, the membership secretary currently has another major problem to solve: During recent heavy rainfall, her house got flooded, so badly, that they are actually moving out to rented accommodation until their own house is restored again. This will have an impact on members receiving stuff, so bear with us, whilst we try our best to get packs out to people as we can. Tempest