Car Trivia

[george 53]

Funny you should mention Fleetwood. I worked at Fleetwood Fisher body for the first 11 years with GM!Ya know that place had a warning on one wall in the body shop that warned employees to be ware of the heat from the ovens, and the ovens had been gone for 50 years! They used to build Curtiss Bi planes there for WWI! Hadn't bothered to paint the place since then! But you still got me on your question.Anybody else gotta idea?

[CAL]

Not sure about being first but it was OHV Hydrolic tappet.

[Art Anderson]

Not sure about being first but it was OHV Hydrolic tappet.

ONE BINGO!!!! The Cadillac V16 pioneered a new invention, the hydraulic valve lash adjuster, which we call today, the hydraulic lifter.

Now, what is the other one, one which nearly every driver since has noticed the lack of if their car was not so equipped? Believe me, if you have a car without this feature, and you like performance driving, you would MISS it!

Art

[Harry P.]

Try this one without looking it up:

Which US state has the most cars per capita?

[Harry P.]

Another one to try without looking it up:

Who was issued the first driver's license? Hint: It is a well-known person in the automotive world.

[Art Anderson]

Another one to try without looking it up:

Who was issued the first driver's license? Hint: It is a well-known person in the automotive world.

Karl Benz, in 1888, received written permission from the Grand Duke of Mannheim Germany, to operate his Motorwagen on the public roads. It wasn't quite the official license we know today, as Imperial Germany didn't institute mandatory licensing until 1903, that country being the first to do so.

Art

[Art Anderson]

Try this one without looking it up:

Which US state has the most cars per capita?

Iowa, 1.141 cars per capita (per person)! As of February 2007

Art

[CAL]

ONE BINGO!!!! The Cadillac V16 pioneered a new invention, the hydraulic valve lash adjuster, which we call today, the hydraulic lifter.

Now, what is the other one, one which nearly every driver since has noticed the lack of if their car was not so equipped? Believe me, if you have a car without this feature, and you like performance driving, you would MISS it!

Art

Vacuum brake booster?

[Robert]

Iowa, 1.141 cars per capita (per person)! As of February 2007

Art

According to the US census, as of July, 2007 it's Wyoming 1.267796034 Cars per capita and 0.556243497 Trucks per capita and Iowa 2nd with

1.14075734 Cars per capita and 0.394626498 Trucks per capita.

I suppose it depends upon whos data one uses.

Edited November 28, 2008 by Robert

[Art Anderson]

Vacuum brake booster?

The Duesenberg Model J came with vacuum-assisted power braking from its inception in 1929. However, if you think of "performance driving", or for that matter, just ordinary convenience in city traffic, you might just figure this one out--it's that common, that ubiquitous!

Art

Edited November 28, 2008 by Art Anderson

[Harry P.]

Karl Benz, in 1888, received written permission from the Grand Duke of Mannheim Germany, to operate his Motorwagen on the public roads.

Art

Correct!

[Harry P.]

According to the US census, as of July, 2007 it's Wyoming 1.267796034 Cars per capita and 0.556243497 Trucks per capita and Iowa 2nd with

1.14075734 Cars per capita and 0.394626498 Trucks per capita.

I suppose it depends upon whos data one uses.

The figures I saw say Wyoming first, Iowa second.

Which country has the most cars per capita??? Hint: it ain't us!!!

[Art Anderson]

The figures I saw say Wyoming first, Iowa second.

Which country has the most cars per capita??? Hint: it ain't us!!!

Portugal.

Art

[Harry P.]

Portugal.

Art

Nope...

[Art Anderson]

Nope...

There are probably several, conflicting reports then, as I see Portugal on one spread sheet, Australia on another. In addition, AC Nielsen surveys show the US with the greatest penetration of car ownership, 89% of all of us over 18 owned a car as of May 31, 2007.

However, the United Nations Statistics Pocketbook, as of November 2008, lists the USA with the most cars per capita by a long way! 765 cars per 100 persons.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/tra_mot_...-motor-vehicles

Art

[eastown]

15 / 20 those rice rockets, dang

[Art Anderson]

The Duesenberg Model J came with vacuum-assisted power braking from its inception in 1929. However, if you think of "performance driving", or for that matter, just ordinary convenience in city traffic, you might just figure this one out--it's that common, that ubiquitous!

Art

OK, I think it's time to end this one.

Cadillac had a rather stunning group of engineers, headed by Alfred Sloan (who later built GM into the powerhouse it was by the end of the 30's, and Charles Kettering, who came in from Delco, and headed up engine and chassis development.

All through the early history of the automobile, one could stand on a street corner, hear the crunching, grinding, clashing of straight cut gears in transmissions, as drivers searched for the right gear, at the right time. This alone was why Henry Ford went with the planetary transmission, with contracting clutch bands inside (several other makes used this type of transmission as well), as he wanted something far simpler to drive than a "crash box".

Cadillac's innovation for 1930? The Synchromesh transmission. And, that is something that probably nearly all of us here has used at some point in our driving lifetime, never giving any thought to it, except when we missed a shift, or tore up a synchronizer!

Art

[Modelmartin]

OK, I think it's time to end this one.

Cadillac had a rather stunning group of engineers, headed by Alfred Sloan (who later built GM into the powerhouse it was by the end of the 30's, and Charles Kettering, who came in from Delco, and headed up engine and chassis development.

All through the early history of the automobile, one could stand on a street corner, hear the crunching, grinding, clashing of straight cut gears in transmissions, as drivers searched for the right gear, at the right time. This alone was why Henry Ford went with the planetary transmission, with contracting clutch bands inside (several other makes used this type of transmission as well), as he wanted something far simpler to drive than a "crash box".

Cadillac's innovation for 1930? The Synchromesh transmission. And, that is something that probably nearly all of us here has used at some point in our driving lifetime, never giving any thought to it, except when we missed a shift, or tore up a synchronizer!

Art

I was going to say cupholders.

Andy

[george 53]

ART, I got it! The Syncromesh tranny! I was too turkeyed out last nite, but I WAS gonna say that!( YEAH RIGHT!) Geeze Art not only are/were you one of the BEST resin casters out there, but Dang dude, you are one SMART /interesting Guy! Too bad you couldn't think of any tough questions! This IS a fun thread!

[Art Anderson]

OK, time for another one!

For 1926, Ford introduced a new, all steel wheel as an option, which most buyers of Model T's loved, This wheel, all steel, looks like a wire wheel, but it isn't!

What was the name that Ford used to describe the wheel, and how was it built? (hint, this wheel assembly was patented by Ford, and used by a number of other manufacturers, Ford using it through 1935)

Art

[lordairgtar]

Welded spoke wheel?

[Art Anderson]

Welded spoke wheel?

Man! You are quick! Yes, Ford called this wheel the "welded steel spoke wheel". It was made up of a rolled steel rim and pressed steel 5-lug hub. Each spoke is a forged steel piece. The rim, hubs and spokes were set in a jig, and then resistance-welded into a very solid unit. The design and technology were then patented by Ford Motor Company.

Rather than set up a production line to make these wheels in-house, Ford contracted with Kelsey-Hayes to produce them, then licensed their patent to the likes of GM and Chrysler, who while using slightly different spoke patterns, and their own unique hubs, began using this type of wheel in the very early 30's.

This design was far stronger than any other wheel in use at the time, as it combines the best qualities of a wood-spoke artillery wheel, whose strengh is in the spokes at the bottom of the wheel, under compression; and the laced wire wheel, which spokes do their job under tension, from the top of the wheel. In addition, it was far more resistant to being bent upon receiving a sharp, side-loaded force, such as skidding into a curb--as long as you didn't strike a spoke and bend it, the wheel stayed true. By contrast, the large diameter, relatively flat disc wheels of the 20's were not only MUCH heavier, but were easily bent out of "true" under side impacts.

Of course, new steel alloys, and new ways of pressing heavy sheet steel into wheel discs changed all this, and by 1935, nearly every carmaker had gone to the style of steel wheel we still know today (a few independents, Auburn most notably, stayed with welded steel spoke wheels for another year or so).

And today, it's still hard to beat the classic look of Kelsey-Hayes '35 Ford-style wires!

Art

[Pete J.]

OK, I think it's time to end this one.

Cadillac had a rather stunning group of engineers, headed by Alfred Sloan (who later built GM into the powerhouse it was by the end of the 30's, and Charles Kettering, who came in from Delco, and headed up engine and chassis development.

All through the early history of the automobile, one could stand on a street corner, hear the crunching, grinding, clashing of straight cut gears in transmissions, as drivers searched for the right gear, at the right time. This alone was why Henry Ford went with the planetary transmission, with contracting clutch bands inside (several other makes used this type of transmission as well), as he wanted something far simpler to drive than a "crash box".

Cadillac's innovation for 1930? The Synchromesh transmission. And, that is something that probably nearly all of us here has used at some point in our driving lifetime, never giving any thought to it, except when we missed a shift, or tore up a synchronizer!

Art

Art -

I grew up on a farm in western Nebraska and drove farm trucks form the 40's and 50's as well as a CJ-2a agroJeep. None of these vehicles has a synchro trani. I became very skilled at double clutching to find the right gear. Believe me, every time my 93 MR2 clicks into gear I appreciate it. Incidental, the MR2 reverse does not have a synchro! Deleted as a weight savings. Some would consider it primitive for that, but this particular model is all about weight savings. Total car tips the scale at just over 2600 lbs. With the exception of the sound system, if it don't make it go faster it doesn't have it. No cup holders!!

[Art Anderson]

OK,

Now for an easy one. In business still today, this American marque, in business since the early 20th Century, has NEVER produced a flathead engine for automobile use. Can you name it? (hint: There are actually two of them)

And if that's not enough, can you name the one that never produced either a straight 8 under their own badge, and NEVER produced a straight 6?

Art

[Harry P.]

There are probably several, conflicting reports then, as I see Portugal on one spread sheet, Australia on another. In addition, AC Nielsen surveys show the US with the greatest penetration of car ownership, 89% of all of us over 18 owned a car as of May 31, 2007.

However, the United Nations Statistics Pocketbook, as of November 2008, lists the USA with the most cars per capita by a long way! 765 cars per 100 persons.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/tra_mot_...-motor-vehicles

Art

Like Mark Twain said, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics"!

My numbers say Italy has the most cars per capita...