[OT] Prius bashing

[Doctor Drivel]

How about banning roads and working class as well.

[Andy Hall]

Converting railways into roads would make good sense, especially into major towns and cities. There's no such thing as the working class.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Practical Classics did a test on these, using an A Series engine as they're known as being more sensitive than most to valve problems with unleaded due to the siamesed exhaust ports on cylinders 2&3 making the valves run very hot. And started out with a new head therefore no lead coating from previous leaded fuel. It very soon showed signs of valve seat regression running purely on unleaded.

Carbonflow is one of the names these devices goes under and IIRC they've been prosecuted under the advertising laws. But keep on popping up under 'new' ownership, etc.

There are petrol additives designed to replace the lead as a lubricant. Some better than others. But a converted cylinder head is not that expensive - and often come up on Ebay, etc. You could do a search on one, store that search and get Ebay's computer to contact you when one comes up.

To convert the cylinder head means machining the valve seats and pressing in hardened steel inserts. The valves are also replaced with harder steel items. Later cars - like the Mini - had this conversion done at the factory after leaded became the only petrol. I'd guess a cylinder head from one could be made to fit, but may not be a totally satisfactory conversion on its own.

If you do intend doing major works a good thing is to fit a 1275 engine complete from an Ital or Marina.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'm only going by what was said on the road test I read. Be interesting to know what Lexus claims - most vehicles give towing details in their driver's handbook. It might be that it *can* tow - obviously it can - but that the life of the transmission etc is compromised by doing so.

[Doctor Drivel]

I suppose the working class could build them and get them out of cars. Disgusting indeed, all these council house dwellers in cars.

Been down the local sink estate? Not many of them go to Eton.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That will be why the Prius doesn't have a internal combustion engine?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Most railways are far too narrow to 'convert' into roads - the cost would be horrendous. Would make decent cycle tracks, but I doubt that would appeal to you. ;-)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Or work.

[Roger]

The message from Andy Hall contains these words:

There is, but only in the sense of the sector of the population that work for a living or have worked and now subsists on a pension. Below them are the shirking classes. On the one hand those who get by largely on benefits on on the other those who get by on inherited wealth. :-)

[Andy Hall]

Well I don't know.

I read somewhere that somebody had done the sums for the Paddington main line (4 tracks essentially) and worked out that with train occupancy and spacing between trains because of signalling, it would be possible to substantially increase throughput of people by tarmacing the route and having car use.

[Doctor Drivel]

Please eff off as you are a worthless idiot troll.

[Doctor Drivel]

Who did that survey? The road transport lobby?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

But I actually have driven one. As well as many other modern cars. No one with any experience of this would claim the Prius is a superb drive.

The one you got a lift in probably did seem good after your Reliant Robin, though.

[Andy Hall]

Nope. One of the train users groups as part of a complaint to Notwork Rail.

[Andy Hall]

Same thing - just different benefactors

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And just where do the cars go after Paddington? At least trains tend to go back from whence they've come pretty promptly.

The problem with cars and cities isn't getting the cars into the city - but getting them to their destination and parking them.

[Adrian]

Doctor Drivel ( [e-mail]) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Very true.

Before I drove a Pious, I merely suspected they were overhyped. After I drove one, I knew for ever that they were crap and overhyped.

[Dave Baker]

[Julian]

Yep, it's all horse shit and snake oil of the strongest kind. Tin pellets, magnets, Brocket fuel catalysts etc etc - all designed to appeal to the hard of thinking, and all totally worthless.

Go to the ASA website and click on adjudications (IIRC) you'll find what they have to say about these products.

Julian.

[Andy Hall]

Therein is the challenge

I was just somewhat surprised to read that the trains didn't have a better throughput of people, not that I'm looking for there to be more overcrowding. The issue appears to be number of trains per amount of time able to use the track.