A Call For Humor!

[thewas]

 

[G|force]

A friends dad was a Senior Engineer with Reynolds Metals and told us that they were working with both GM and Porsche on this aluminum block technology in the late 60s. To do it correctly, the cylinder sleeves required coating/ impregnation with some type of silicate to promote proper heat transfer and integrity. If I recall correctly, this process cost a little over a dollar per sleeve or around $5 per engine.

Porsche did it correctly, resulting in a 944/ 928 motor. GM cut corners and skipped the process and the world got the Vega motor, known for absolutely guzzling oil and being a complete disaster.

Just last week, I saw a clean 944 driving down the road. I don’t recall seeing a single Vega sitting much less running in the past 30 years.

My recollection of the Vega's lemon status was that the head couldn't keep a head gasket intact due to warping, regardless of how gently it was run even in cold climates and even with it's relatively low compression. An utter turd of an engine.

The Porsche 944 was produced from 1982-1991 and had a rather excellent engine, especially in the later turbocharged models introduced in 1986.
Porsche's first 4-cyl. FWD model introduced in 1976, the 924 on the other hand had an engine that wasn't great at all.

 

[Audionaut]

 

[jkasch]

A friends dad was a Senior Engineer with Reynolds Metals and told us that they were working with both GM and Porsche on this aluminum block technology in the late 60s. To do it correctly, the cylinder sleeves required coating/ impregnation with some type of silicate to promote proper heat transfer and integrity. If I recall correctly, this process cost a little over a dollar per sleeve or around $5 per engine.

Porsche did it correctly, resulting in a 944/ 928 motor. GM cut corners and skipped the process and the world got the Vega motor, known for absolutely guzzling oil and being a complete disaster.

Just last week, I saw a clean 944 driving down the road. I don’t recall seeing a single Vega sitting much less running in the past 30 years.

Yep, until then aluminum blocks required iron cylinder sleeves. GM tried to do it without iron sleeves (or the coating, apparently).

 

[Neddy]

Yep, until then aluminum blocks required iron cylinder sleeves. GM tried to do it without iron sleeves (or the coating, apparently).

I was offered a scholarship at GM Tech in the early 70s, which was at the time a fully accredited engineering university.
I turned it down in part bc I was so horrified at the poor quality of US made cars, and figured it was the beginning of the end for US car makers.
Guess I was a few decades too pessimistic?
But often wonder what a career in auto engineering might have been like in the decades to follow - no doubt it would have been similar to Munro's, w/lean design, etc (eventually).
The Vega (and many of the other cars in that shot - wonder where that is?) was an interesting take on an economy car, screwed up by poor management and too many bean counters running the place. IMO.

 

[respice finem]

 

[jkasch]

I was offered a scholarship at GM Tech in the early 70s, which was at the time a fully accredited engineering university.
I turned it down in part bc I was so horrified at the poor quality of US made cars, and figured it was the beginning of the end for US car makers.
Guess I was a few decades too pessimistic?
But often wonder what a career in auto engineering might have been like in the decades to follow - no doubt it would have been similar to Munro's, w/lean design, etc (eventually).
The Vega (and many of the other cars in that shot - wonder where that is?) was an interesting take on an economy car, screwed up by poor management and too many bean counters running the place. IMO.

Oldsmobile and Buick made a 215 cubic inch iron-sleeved aluminum block V8 in ‘61-‘63. It had its own problems like a high assembly rejection rate and overheating in use. My dad had one in a ‘63 F85. He and the car had a love/hate relationship.

Interestingly, Repco Brabham used the Olds engine block to win a F1 championship in 1966.

 

[Ken1951]

too many bean counters running the place. IMO.

This. MBAs and not engineers calling the shots. I worked at a multi-line GM dealership from 1983-1996. Some good ideas let down by garbage execution. Build quality was not great with many issues from paint to junk steering racks. One thing that always ticked me off was that a Honda Civic (we also had a Honda dealership) had more front legroom than a Pontiac GrandAm which was a much larger car - just ridiculous.

 

[LTig]

This. MBAs and not engineers calling the shots. I worked at a multi-line GM dealership from 1983-1996. Some good ideas let down by garbage execution. Build quality was not great with many issues from paint to junk steering racks. One thing that always ticked me off was that a Honda Civic (we also had a Honda dealership) had more front legroom than a Pontiac GrandAm which was a much larger car - just ridiculous.

In 1988 I rented a small car in California for 6 weeks. They gave me a small Chevy with automatic gear which was a horrible car to drive - it was loud, and each time the air condition started to run its power broke down. After 2 days I requested a car with manual gears and they offered me - reluctantly - a 3 year old Honda Civic. It was a wonderful car, great to drive, no problems with anything, and its milage was fantastic.

 

[Platypus20]

Panel gaps


Panel gaps say "made in America"

Yeah, too close for British Leyland

 

[Multicore]

OTOH, it's WHITE
scnr

And square.

 

[respice finem]

And square.

And the Black in it is so marginalized

 

[Multicore]

View attachment 506001

Too often I see a decent meme that would be an even better meme without the text. This is a good example.

 

[mhardy6647]

So much parallel universe bias.
I want to see more orthogonal universe memes!

 

[respice finem]

So much parallel universe bias.
I want to see more orthogonal universe memes!

Cartoons - An Orthogonal Universe Blog

 

[mhardy6647]

Cartoons - An Orthogonal Universe Blog

I'm liking this!

 

[Berwhale]

What if the cows jumped straight to the top of the technology tree...

 

[Audionaut]

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[thegeton]

View attachment 502248

One of my Navy jobs as an enlisted man was as an instructor to junior officers. One of the best ways to express the above sentiment was, "Please don't be an idiot sir."

This phrasing easily passes the plausible deniability test:

"Did you just infer that I'm an idiot?"

"No sir, I offered you an opportunity to avoid becoming one."