[demime could not interpret encoding binary - treating as plain text] >Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 12:14:47 -0400 From: "Michael Daly" <michaeldaly_at_home.com> > >I also wonder whether the hybrid is a worthwhile technology in the long run compared to the >coming fuel-cell electrics. Fuel cell still needs substantial work before they become a real world item. Remember, everyone thought pure electric cars would be here solidly by now. Those were a big flop. Hybrids are a real world compromise. Honda has one (and intends to expand it), Toyota has one, and at least Dodge has one planned to come out (a Durango). I could bitch about how only Dodge is whining to the government for tax breaks on their hybrid while Toyota and Honda are already selling theirs but I have a friend who's an engineer for Dodge so I won't... >From: "Mel Grindol" <grindol_at_my-deja.com> > >> The rack rubs the metal where it grips the car. My biggest complaint is that the extender >> (had to use it on the short two door roofline) works its way backwards on long trips. >> I have started attaching straps from the front fixed bar to the back bar just to keep it >> from shifting backwards. Plus a trailer would let me get a much larger spread between the bars. > >I haven't had such a problem on my Civic with the short roofline adapter. Have you been tightening >it enough? I haven't been shy of cranking it down as hard as I can without resorting to tools. >The extender bar is slightly bent is use on mine. Went home and checked how I install my rack. I put it on tight enough that I can grab the rack and rock the car by pulling/shoving on it. I crank that puppy down pretty tight but I'll try tightening it up more. My problem with the extender kit is that it is basically a square bar sliding in channel steel. There is no real way to lock the length into place. The roof line on my Integra has a pretty good curve that drops off towards the back. Maybe it's a steeper curve than your Civic? (Especially if you have the Civic hatchback, it has an almost straight roofline.) I'm one of those engineers who very methodically follows the directions for installations. :) I don't have a problem with it over short trips (< 100 miles). It's the 800+ mile trips where I have found that the rear bar held on by the extender will slide back from 1 to 2 inches. Disconcerting. Maybe it's the speed (I cruise at close to 80 mph) and buffetting from semis on the highway. >PS - Too much attention is paid to big vans/cars. Even the Outback gets poor fuel economy >to my tastes. You breath what comes out the back end of your vehicle. We've only got so >much atmosphere and our kids don't want to inherit a polluted desert. If you don't pee >in your water, don't pollute the air. Hmmm, I don't have very much complaint about most modern vehicles. Current emission regulations on new vehicles are stringent enough that they don't pollute enough to make a large impact. Read an article on modern (new) car emissions. Once the vehicle is up to normal operating temperature it basically doesn't pollute. The engineers are now working on that first few minutes after starting the car before it hits the normal operating temperature. It's the out of tune clunkers from the 70's that are the problem. But if you talk about removing them from the road that's class warfare... Enough ranting from me. :) Mel *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Oct 10 2000 - 08:13:46 PDT
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