New car

[berger]

with you on that rex , it makes me cringe when I walk down the road next to a line of cars stuck at many sets of traffic lights etc and hear all these cars stopping and starting every 25 yards

[Black Sheep]

Funnily enough my Velocette was somewhat prone to stop/reluctant to start in traffic. Pretty much cured now though. 

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
The hire car at the IOM in '15 had that auto stop start. It drove me mad! Don't like it for the same reason as Rex. The loan car I had for a week a few months ago had all that lane position, blind spot, auto brake, collision warning stuff  . Took me 50 miles to work out how to turn the radio on! Glad to give it back and drive my 02 Ford. Even it is too modern for me with fuel injection and ECU.
Been driving trucks on and off for 40 years, tri axle twin steers with 15 gears. The most I want in a car is an auto box.
Now I know why new drivers can't drive.
Cheers

[RDfella]

Passed my test in '64 in HGV. No PAS, crash gearbox, no indicators, no heater, wipers were pneumatic so stopped when going uphill. For reversing, we'd stand left foot on the running board facing backwards, right foot on the throttle and steer with our right hand. Don't see that done anymore! Today, trucks are like cars, with sprung cabs etc. Dunno if I could drive one of the new ones.
Today drivers are cosseted far too much.  Sure, in a car I like electric windows, a heater and rear screen heater, indicators, PAS and power assisted brakes. And yes, EFI gives better economy, but apart from that, I don't really need - or want - the gadgets. In fact I wouldn't buy a car with all the rubbish many have. And yet useful things like quarter lights are not available on moderns.

[KiwiGF]

Yep, I think the electronics will cause the death of modern cars, even my 2000 beemer has an engine ecu that is uneconomic to replace should it go wrong

But the car is 20 years old. I think you've cheated the consumer culture quite well so far. 

Sort of, its a 2.8 Z3 so not a daily driver! (If I keep it long enough it might become a classic, stranger things have happened, but if (big if) cars like this are the classics of the future then I wonder what the solution to “dying” electronics will be?)

Come to think of it the same issue affects “modern” bikes, some bikes have had ECU’s since the 90’s.......

[olev]

Got a bit jealous reading about the whizbang goodies on Greybeard's new car.
so.. Today I fitted a front parking sensor on the farm suzi.
cheers

sorry, can't work out how to turn the pics around

wierd, they are ok if you click on them

[muskrat]

G'day olev.
I see you use the same principle as me. Forward till it hits then back up a few inches! The nudge bar on my Ford is very well used.
Cheers

[Greybeard]

I found a quiet car park the other day and tested the BMW parking assistance feature. You press a button on the centre console to start the parking assistance. It uses the normal distance sensors around the vehicle to identify a suitable gap. When a gap is passed, the car prompts me to stop, put the car in reverse then let go of the steering wheel and slowly reverse. I'm in control of the movement but the steering is automatic! If the car gets too close to the next vehicle, the beepers start sounding. Stop, put the car in first and move forward, the steering wheel whizzes around to correct the alignment. Reverse again, the car gets itself central between the other vehicles. This takes some getting used to!

[berger]

very good GB, I have seen hundreds of people behind a car steering wheel that this feature is a must for, and my thoughts are HOW did they pass a test in the first place. I know a person who goes on a route that takes them 3 miles out of their way just to avoid one roundabout ---- NEVER RATE. shouldn't be on the road , rant over

[Greybeard]

How many times have we said, the driving test must be too easy!

[Black Sheep]

Funnily enough I was on the B31 gradually moving up a slow-moving convoy as overtaking opportunities appeared (overtaking on a B31!) and when I got to the blocker at the front saw it was an old guy grimly driving a grey Honda CRV at 25 mph.
Now, should he be on the road? At 25 mph he would cause frustration BUT was he actually a danger? Being able to drive is a lifeline for lots of old folks so perhaps we shouldn't be too harsh. Then the old bugger pushed it up to 50 as I was going past him.

[Greybeard]

Then the old bugger pushed it up to 50 as I was going past him.

Sounds like he was one of those a miserable old gits who like to hold up a long queue and then try to stop anyone overtaking.
A front mounted Lewis gun would be useful.

[berger]

I forgot to mention in the earlier post that the roundabout is controlled by traffic lights some people should just give up

[RDfella]

Depends a lot if you're familiar with the road. Remember once coming down from Ely and pulled ito a fuel station located at a 4 (or was it 3?)  lane roundabout. When leaving and with traffic whizzing around the roundabout at about 50 I ended up in the wrong lane and had to go about 30 miles up the motorway just to come back down again. And I hate those figure 8 roundabouts. Quite popular in France.

[Greybeard]

On the A5 there's a services that exits straight onto a very busy roundabout. It's a Flippin nightmare to get out!